Trupanion is joining forces with the Association for Animal Welfare Advancement (AAWA) to provide COVID-19 guidance to veterinary and animal shelter professionals via a free, RACE-approved webinar hosted March 25. Moderated by the insurer’s chief veterinary officer, Steve Weinrauch, BVMS, MRCVS, and using One Health as a driving philosophy, the presentation will offer the latest information related to the pandemic and its impact on the animal health community. The webinar will be geared toward minimizing instances of pets being surrendered to animal shelters. “By joining forces with these worldwide authorities in pet health and welfare, our goal is to provide the most current and useful information to the veterinary and sheltering community,” Dr. Weinrauch says. Understanding how the virus is transmitted, what to expect, and how to bathe a pet exposed to an infected person will enable veterinary professionals to help pets stay in homes and out of the sheltering system, the groups say. “We know the veterinary community is on the frontline hearing from concerned pet owners about COVID-19 and their pets,” says Jim Tedford, president and CEO of AAWA and certified animal welfare administrator (CAWA). “At the same time, animal shelters play the important role as the community safety net for stray or relinquished animals within the scope of public health, law enforcement, public safety, and animal protection. “By working together, united in a community response, our veterinary profession, including animal shelters, can help ease the minds of worried pet owners and provide sound guidance for pet owners to keep their pets safe as part of the family and out of shelters.” The webinar, which is hosted by Covetrus, takes place March 25 at 2 p.m. EDT (noon PDT). The first 3,000 veterinary professionals who preregister online here will be eligible for RACE credits. The presentation will also be streamed live on Facebook here (RACE credits are not available via the live stream).
