Posted on 28 July 2008 by Alison Glennon
Welcome to the Pet Health Information website! We’re here to try to help with your pet queries and point you in the direction of experts in the know about pet health matters.
After many months of planning, the site was finally launched on 18 June. Its launch was endorsed by Lord Soulsby of Swaffham Prior (chairman of the Companion Animal Welfare Council and welcomed by around 60 guests, from Parliament, professional associations, industry and animal charities. We even had two celebrity vets in our midst – Scott Miller and Marc Abraham!
From left to right: Scott, NOAH chief executive Phil Sketchley and Marc
The site launch gave us the opportunity to release the results of research on pet owner attitudes to preventing disease, together with some exciting new information on general attitudes to pet ownership in society.
Did you know that 91% of Brits say pets have a positive impact on children and over half believe pet owners are more responsible citizens? What’s more, seven out of ten people surveyed believe that pet ownership makes you more intuitive to the needs of others, whilst almost two thirds (62%) say pet owners are more caring. And yet the pet owner attitude study showed that, as a nation, we don’t give our faithful companions the due care and attention they deserve.
This research said pet owners fall into two categories – those who are ‘preventers’ and those who are ‘non-preventers’. Whilst both camps agreed that responsible pet ownership equalled love and attention resulting in caring, feeding and exercising their pets, disease prevention was often not seen as part of this love with, for example, only 55% of dogs and 46% of cats over two years of age being vaccinated against potentially fatal diseases.
Following the launch, NOAH‘s chief executive Phil Sketchley spent a day in the radio studio along with celebrity vet Scott Miller, expounding the benefits of pets and the need to keep them healthy. With interviews syndicated through Sky News to commercial radio stations, and done direct with a number of other local stations including live to London’s XFM breakfast show – this meant Scott and Phil were broadcasting to 17.5 million people!
We’d love to hear what you think of the site – if you have any comments or anything else you’d like to see included. The site will grow in time to include more about you and your pets. Contact us from the links above!
