Help Your Pet, Get to the Vet

I just got a great email this morning about a program that helps people take their pets to the vet. A lot of people aren’t taking their animals to get medical attention right now because of the down economy, but this program is offering help so pets can get the care that they need!

Advantage® Topical Solution from Bayer Animal Health announced today the Help Your Pet, Get to the Vet Campaign with a mission to distribute more than $250,000 in $20 Veterinary Vouchers and offer valuable money-saving information to help offset costs and concerns for pet owners nationwide. Regular veterinary visits and preventive care are essential to maintaining a pet’s health, but during these challenging economic times, many pet owners are facing difficult choices about how to pay for and prioritize their pets’ care and wellness.

In fact, a recent survey of veterinarians confirmed pet owners have scaled back on veterinary visits and preventive pet care in the past six months² – and nearly one-half of pet owners revealed they are now more likely to wait until there are obvious, visible issues with their pets before seeking veterinary treatment, with most noting that costs and economic concerns were the reason for the delay.¹ More than 90 percent of veterinarians expressed concern about the future health of pets if veterinary visits and preventive care decline.²

From February 16 through February 28, 2009, the Help Your Pet, Get to the Vet Campaign by Advantage® from Bayer Animal Health is lending a hand by giving up to 13,000 pet owners the chance to receive a $20 Veterinary Voucher. These vouchers can be used at any licensed veterinary clinic nationwide for preventive care services including: vaccinations, wellness exams, flea and tick treatment and prevention, heartworm preventatives and dental care. Each voucher helps offset close to 20 percent of the average cost of a veterinary visit for cats and dogs.³

“Cats and dogs age much faster than we do. For some breeds, they can go from adolescence to middle age in a few short years. Since their health issues can develop and progress faster, regular veterinary visits are critical for checking health status and any new health developments,” said leading veterinarian and pet expert, Dr. Marty Becker. “Missed veterinary visits are missed opportunities to identify and address potentially serious health issues and complications as your pet ages. It’s far easier and more economical to prevent a health problem than to treat one.”

The Help Your Pet, Get to the Vet Campaign by Advantage® Topical Solution from Bayer Animal Health provides support to pet owners in two ways:

• At www.gettothevet.com from February 16 through February 28, 2009, dog and cat owners have a chance to receive a $20 Veterinary Voucher good toward preventive veterinary care (vaccinations, wellness exams, flea and tick treatment and prevention, heartworm preventatives, dental care, etc.). Vouchers are available on a first-come basis from 9:00AM to 9:00PM ET every hour on the hour with up to 1,000 vouchers distributed each day. More than 80 vouchers distributed every hour. No purchase necessary to obtain voucher. Voucher valid until May 31, 2009. See official rules.
• At www.gettothevet.com, pet owners can find money-saving tips on pet care from leading veterinarian and pet expert, Dr. Marty Becker.

“During these challenging economic times, we want to help consumers defray the cost of preventive care for their pets,” said Joerg Ohle, President and General Manager of Bayer HealthCare, LLC, Animal Health Division. “At Bayer Animal Health, everything we do is to help protect, cure and care for pets. That mission is at the core of this new campaign.”

We think that this is just wonderful, and hope that anyone who needs the help will take advantage of this great program. Pets are important parts of our family, so it’s good to know that Bayer Animal Health is doing something to help.