The North American Veterinary Community welcomed a special visitor to its Gainesville office Wednesday morning. Calvin, a 3-year-old gray French bulldog, strolled around the halls, never shying away from the cameras.
In collaboration with Pet Partners’ annual World’s Largest Pet Walk, the nonprofit NAVC encouraged employees to bring their pets to work for the company’s yearly pet walk in Gainesville on Sept. 25. The event, which has been taking place for the past seven years, raised money for Pet Partners’ Therapy Animals Program, a nonprofit that provides therapy animals to organizations and trains handlers.
Traci Pryor, the Pet Partners’ chief development officer, said the fundraiser contributes to ensuring therapy animal handlers are properly supported,educated and providing comfort to therapy animals.
“The funds raised through the walk just go to support all of these different kinds of ways that the therapy animals are going into their communities, visiting, spreading unconditional love, providing comfort,” Pryor said. “Just a little bright spot during what might be a vulnerable time for somebody.”
The World’s Largest Pet Walk began as a part of the Pet Partners’ Walk With Me program, a walk that encourages people to get outside and be active with their pets. The event became so popular that participants began asking for ways to support the non-profit. Pet Partners now encourages companies and supporters to donate in exchange for pet bandanas and T-shirts, Pryor said.
The NAVC hosted its pet walk three days before the international World’s Largest Pet Walk, which takes place Sept. 28. Pet Partners encourages companies and walking groups to schedule a time between May and December to participate.
Dieter Haager, the 46-year-old NAVC chief administrative officer, said there is a connection between Pet Partners’ mission and the NAVC’s “Human-Animal Bond” certification course, which explores the benefits of being a pet owner.
Haager, who walked with his 3-year-old dog Milley Wednesday morning, has seen the benefits firsthand.
“Everybody's got a bond with their animals,” he said. “It's not just pets, like dogs, people think of a lot of times, but cows and larger animals [are the] same type of thing.”
The “Human-Animal Bond” certification course is one of many continued learning opportunities offered by the NAVC, which is the largest provider of educational resources for those in the veterinary field.
Lacey Smith, the 40-year-old NAVC director of virtual education, oversees the non-profit’s digital presence, including its podcast and VetFolio, which provides online courses for people in the veterinary field who require recertification.
Smith walked with her 3-year-old French bulldog, Calvin, who she describes as “the center of my universe in many ways.” Smith said she hopes the human-animal bond she shares with Calvin is reciprocated.
“He brings joy into my life every day,” Smith said. “I think he's so good for mental health and well-being, just to have that smiling puppy face to come home to every day. And likewise, I like to think that he also enjoys that bond.”
Similar to Pryor, members of Pet Partners understand pet ownership and animals can promote mental health. The organization offers animal companionship to many different people, from young readers with its Read With Me program to natural disaster survivors with its Animal-Assisted Crisis Response initiative.
Pet Partners believes the human-animal bond can come from spending time with any animal, which is why the organization has registered nine species as therapy animals, including dogs, cats, horses, rabbits, guinea pigs, rats, birds, miniature pigs, llamas and alpacas, Pryor said.
She encourages all pet owners to participate in the walks, and she recalled seeing a picture of a camel at one of the events.
“You can see groups of animals often walking together, side by side with their passionate pet parents,” she said. “But they're doing good and bringing a smile to people's faces.”
For Vivian Richardson, the 46-year-old NAVC senior manager of video and audio production, the opportunity to participate in NAVC’s pet walk means an opportunity for the company’s “pet lovers” to share their passion for their animals.
“Walk with them, share the joy you have in your animal, with your friends, with your neighbors, with your colleagues, because it's so important to all of us,” she said.
Contact Juliana DeFilippo at jdefillipo@alligator.org. Follow her on X @JulianaDeF58101.
Juliana DeFilippo is a freshman journalism major and General Assignment reporter for The Avenue. In her free time, she loves to read and work on crossword puzzles.
