PetSmart to be Sold for $8.7 BillionDecember 15, 2014PetSmart Inc., one of the largest U.S. pet store chains, has agreed to be taken over by an investment group in a transaction valued at $8.7 billion. The tentative deal is expected to have no effect on the more than 800 Banfield veterinary hospitals that operate inside PetSmart stores. “Banfield Pet Hospital has an agreement that governs its relationship with PetSmart which, by its terms, is not affected by a change in PetSmart ownership,” the Portland, Ore., veterinary chain noted. “Banfield will continue to operate its hospitals as usual.” The sale, announced Sunday and subject to the approval of PetSmart shareholders and regulators, is led by the London-based private equity firm BC Partners and two other investors: Quebec-based La Caisse and New York-based StepStone. Longview Asset Management of Toronto, Canada, has held a 9 percent stake in PetSmart and will vote in favor of the transaction, PetSmart reported. The sale is priced at $83 a share, a significant jump from mid-June, when PetSmart stock was trading at under $58. “This transaction is a testament to the strength of the PetSmart brand and franchise and reflects the dedication and commitment of our 54,000 associates to serving our customers and …
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Virginia Tech Relocates Center for Public and Corporate Veterinary MedicineDecember 13, 2014The Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Tech has moved its Center for Public and Corporate Veterinary Medicine to Blacksburg, Va. The center was previously located in College Park, Md. “The move allows the center to have a closer relationship with the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program in Blacksburg with greater access to students pursuing the public and corporate veterinary medicine track,” said Valerie Ragan, DVM, director of the center. Dr. Ragan took the helm of the center in 2009 following more than two decades of experience in public and corporate veterinary medicine. She and Bess Pierce, DVM, who was previously an associate professor of community practice in the Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, are joining the college’s Department of Population Health Sciences. They will continue the center’s work to teach courses, advise students, coordinate senior veterinary student clerkships, assist veterinarians wishing to transition into public practice and develop programs to advance the veterinary profession in government, industry and the nonprofit sector. The move to the Department of Population Health Sciences will also strengthen the center’s connections with the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and Master of Public Health programs and advance the college’s commitment to One Health, …
Former Louisiana Vet Elected to CongressDecember 12, 2014The veterinary duo now serving in Congress will become a trio in January when Louisiana Republican Ralph Abraham, DVM, is sworn in. The 1980 graduate of the Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine won the runoff election for the state’s 5th District on Dec. 6. Dr. Abraham’s career as a practitioner lasted 10 years, until 1990, when he entered the LSU School of Medicine and later earned a human medicine degree and re-entered the work force as a general family practitioner. “We are thrilled to see another elected official with a DVM on his resume serving in the next Congress,” the American Veterinary Medical Association reported. Abraham won election over Democrat Jamie Mayo by collecting 64 percent of the vote. “Grateful for this win!” he told supporters in a post on his campaign Facebook page Dec. 7. “My family and I will be at church in the morning, but we will begin aggressively going to work for the voters of [District 5] bright & early on Monday.” Abraham is a self-described conservative, opposing abortion, gun control, new taxes and career politicians, according to his campaign website. He wants to fix the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, explaining that …
$500,000 Dog Park Debuts in Prescott, Ariz.December 12, 2014What does $500,000 buy? In Prescott, Ariz., that amount of cash has given the community a renovated dog park done up in a firefighter theme. Prescott’s Willow Creek Dog Park was chosen for a half-million-dollar makeover a year ago when resident Linda Nichols won the annual Beneful Dream Dog Park Contest, a competition sponsored by pet food maker Nestlé Purina PetCare Co. Months of work were unveiled Wednesday as Nichols was joined by project managers Jason Cameron, host of the TV shows “Desperate Landscapes,” “Man Caves” and “Sledgehammer,” and pet expert Arden Moore. Nichols and more than 1,000 other dog owners nationwide entered the contest. Nichols’ winning entry was selected from among 14 finalists after a round of judging and public voting. Moore, whose task was to oversee the project from a dog’s point of view, helped bring to life Nichols’ wish for a firefighter theme. Today dogs can race around a miniature red fire truck, run though giant fire truck tires, rest in a covered firehouse lounge and cool off next to fire hydrant misters. The makeover fixed what Nichols described in her contest video as a “large, fenced dirt field with lots of weeds.” Prescott …
AAFP, Colorado Clinic Prep for TV RolesDecember 12, 2014Lights, camera, action. Veterinary medicine will be in the public spotlight sometime in 2015 when the American Association of Feline Practitioners and a Colorado hospital are featured on the television series “Innovations with Ed Begley Jr.” The Discovery Channel show, hosted by actor Ed Begley Jr., focuses on cutting-edge advancements in areas such as health, wellness, business and renewable energy, according to its creator, DMG Productions. Air dates have not been announced for the episodes starring AAFP and Peak Veterinary Specialists & Emergency in Windsor, Colo. AAFP will show up in mid-2015 and Peak in the second quarter. Filming has yet to start, series producer Ryann Watkin said. The AAFP episode will inform viewers about how the Hillsborough, N.J., organization works to advance the field of feline care. AAFP’s Cat Friendly Practice program, which helps clinics better serve feline patients and which certifies qualifying hospitals, will draw attention, too. “Our participation in the ‘Innovations’ series will allow us to showcase how our members and the association are positively impacting and improving the quality of care for cats,” said AAFP President Susan Little, DVM, Dipl. ABVP. The “green” features employed at Peak Veterinary Specialists are among the attributes …
Survey: Most Practices Solicit Pet Owner InputDecember 11, 2014Nearly three in every four veterinary practices request client feedback through surveys, but whether the comments are helpful is another matter. The Veterinary Hospital Managers Association (VHMA) of Alachua, Fla., reported Tuesday that a survey of its own members found that 72 percent issued client questionnaires and that more than half of them did so after an office visit. Among the reasons 28 percent of practices refrained from putting out surveys were low response rates during previous efforts or not enough time, money or resources. Some of the survey-free practices justified their decision by noting that the request for input puts pressure on a client or can present the image that the clinic is trying to fix something. VHMA urged that hospitals invite feedback from clients. “When clients are dissatisfied, they register their complaints with their wallets, which can have a devastating effect on a practice’s bottom line,” the organization stated. The 272 VHMA members who returned their surveys noted that not all client feedback was valuable. Twelve percent of those that use surveys said the results were insufficient to effect meaningful change, and 5 percent said the responses were often too rosy and therefore not very helpful. The other 83 …
Tufts Vet School Launches Master’s Program in Infectious DiseaseDecember 11, 2014Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine has created a 12-month Master’s Program in Infectious Disease and Global Health. The program is designed to provide students with the skills necessary to pursue careers in infectious disease as well as related areas of disease management, transmission, prevention, treatment and control. Students may also choose the program as a means to make them more competitive for doctoral level programs such as a DVM or Ph.D., according to the school. The creation of the program stems from a critical need, according to Saul Tzipori, DVM, Ph.D., chair of the Department of Infectious Disease and Global Health. “The future will likely witness more frequent emergent diseases with increased virulence than in the past,” Dr. Tzipori said. “Many human, biological, environmental and climatic factors contribute to this phenomenon, including the exponential growth in human and domestic animal populations along with shrinking wildlife habitats. Infectious diseases will be, therefore, an increasing scientific and global public health concern with significant economic consequences.” The program’s coursework will examine the natural history of infectious agents and the diseases they cause, as well as aspects of detection, pathogenesis, transmission, prevention, control, treatment, ecology, immunology, vaccinology and animal models. Among infectious …
Cornell Satellite Animal Hospital Receives Level 1 CertificationDecember 9, 2014Cornell University Veterinary Specialists (CUVS) has received Level 1 certification from the Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Society. The certification distinguishes CUVS as a facility at the highest level of veterinary trauma, emergency and critical care. A Level 1 Emergency and Critical Care facility is a 24-hour acute care facility with the resources and specialty training necessary to provide sophisticated emergency and ICU patient care. Such certification identifies those hospitals that meet certain standards and guidelines. “[The certification] is a terrific step forward for the specialty,” said Susan Hackner, BVSc, Dipl. ACVIM, Dipl. ACVECC, chief medical officer and chief operating officer of CUVS. “It creates a set of standards to which facilities can aspire and work toward; and it enables pet owners to make educated decisions about their pet’s care, especially in emergent and critical situations in which these decisions can have significant impact.” CUVS was established in 2011 in Stamford, Conn. It is wholly owned by Cornell University and under the direction of the dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine.
AVMA Warns Days Numbered for Soring BillDecember 5, 2014The American Veterinary Medical Association is urgently asking veterinarians, veterinary students and horse lovers to contact their congressmen in support of the Prevent All Soring Tactics (PAST) Act, a piece of legislation that will die if the 113th Congress doesn’t act by Dec. 12. The PAST Act has been stuck in a House subcommittee because of the reluctance of some legislators to bring the measure to the floor for a vote. The 113th Congress will end its term Dec. 12, spelling the end for all proposed laws not acted upon and forcing PAST supporters to start from scratch with the new Congress. The soring bill, sponsored by Kentucky Republican Rep. Ed Whitfield, has 307 co-sponsors in the House. The PAST Act would crack down on the deliberate infliction of pain in performance horses to produce a high-stepping, unnatural gait. Specifically, the bill would: Make the actual act of soring illegal. Increase civil and criminal penalties for violations. Prohibit the use of action devices such as boots, collars, chains and rollers that encircle or are placed upon a horse’s leg. Protective and therapeutic devices would be permitted. Overhaul the federal enforcement system to remove what AVMA calls “inherent conflicts of interest” …
AVMA to Weigh Spay/Neuter Policy ChangeDecember 5, 2014The American Veterinary Medical Association board of directors is recommending that practitioners who participate in spay/neuter clinics follow the standards of care outlined by the Association of Shelter Veterinarians. The idea is among six new resolutions that the AVMA House of Delegates may vote on in January during the governing body’s regular winter session in Chicago. The spay/neuter proposal, Resolution 3, would clarify the current policy, which advises veterinarians working at spay/neuter clinics to abide by the AVMA’s Principles of Veterinary Medical Ethics. The possible move to Association of Shelter Veterinarians medical care guidelines would keep veterinarians up to date with current standards of practice, the board of directors noted. “Because of a wide range of geographic and demographic needs, a variety of programs have been developed to increase delivery of spay/neuter services to targeted populations of animals,” the revised policy reads in part. “These include stationary and mobile clinics, MASH-style operations, shelter services, feral cat programs and services provided through private practitioners. “These services should conform to current standards of practice as described by the Association of Shelter Veterinarians’ veterinary medical care guidelines for spay/neuter programs.” Among other proposals scheduled for consideration in January are: Resolution 1: …
