In his recent State of the Union speech and subsequently, President Obama warned colleges that schools can't just "jack up tuition every single year" and simply expect people to pay it, adding that, "If you can't stop tuition from going up, the funding you get from taxpayers every year will go down." Obama is targeting Perkins loans, work-study jobs, and Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants.

In response, CVM deans say that they agree with the need to do something about escalating tuition in higher education, which burdens graduates across all professions with often-hefty payments at a time when they are trying to get their careers off the ground. Deans often have only limited, shared decision-making power over tuition rates. For example, in the public sphere, states approve the tuition increases that universities propose and governing boards implement. In simplest terms, students are paying more because the state is paying far less.

The AAVMC is working to publicize and increase loan forgiveness or loan restructuring payment options. Deans point out that they are working hard to reduce the overall cost to educate students through improved campus efficiencies and that, despite state cuts, their tuition increases are less than the national average. For example, according to the College Board, average undergraduate tuition at state colleges rose 8.3 percent this year, and, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges, resident medical school tuition rose 7.7 percent, while the average tuition at state CVMs rose 6.6 percent.

According to a recent AAVMC survey, the belt tightening comes at a cost. Of the 28 deans, 71.4 percent reported that state cuts are reducing their schools' ability to hire and maintain faculty; 53.5 percent reported that the cuts are affecting their ability to maintain some academic course offerings for students; and 50 percent reported that cuts are interfering with efforts to provide extension and outreach services.

In 2011, the AAVMC released Roadmap for Veterinary Medical Education in the 21st Century: Responsive, Collaborative, Flexible, a report found at www.aavmc.org/roadmap that was compiled by the North American Veterinary Medical Education Consortium (NAVMEC).  As reported in that publication, many CVMs have laid off staff members, reduced the number of faculty members, and eliminated programs.

"What is most worrisome is that CVMs report that they have been unable to fill a significant number of faculty positions," said Dr. Gerhardt Schurig, AAVMC president and dean of the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine. "Some hopefully temporary cost-cutting measures that can help are to hire part-time or adjunct faculty or slightly increase the student-to-faculty ratio, but we don't want to do that to such a degree that we dilute the quality of the veterinary medical education experience, and we particularly need to manage the size of clinical medical rotations in order to provide a hands-on, individualized educational experience."

Many CVMs are part of schools established through passage of the 1862 Morrill Land-Grant Act, which stressed "agriculture and mechanic arts," with most financial support coming from state departments of agriculture. "With time, and the shift of the North American population to urban settings, [direct] financial support to land-grant universities has declined sharply, in stark contrast to what has been provided to schools of human medicine, dentistry, and nursing," says the NAVMEC report. The last major influx of federal funds to veterinary schools came in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

Today, agriculture and farm animal care is just one of the multiple roles veterinarians play, and a shift toward companion animal practice, the human-animal bond, and a "one health" approach has occurred. "One health" focuses on the intersection of human, animal, and eco-system health. "Veterinarians are the only professionals educated in a comparative, cross-species approach to diagnostics, epidemiology, and preventive medicine, which is important for a comprehensive, global, 'one health' direction. As this new direction grows, the demand for veterinarians will grow. It will only take a major outbreak of a disease common to humans and animals, bioterrorism attack, or a compromise of the food system infrastructure to dramatically spike an immediate need for additional veterinarians," Schurig said.

From a financial perspective, "The focus of CVMs shifted and many traditional federal revenue streams dried up without any major new funding to support the important work that CVMs do," Schurig said. "Now, on top of that, we're coping with a drastic reduction in state financial support."

 "In light of recent trends, CVMs, the AAVMC, and the AVMA need to pursue the NAVMEC report's recommended approaches now more than ever," said Dr. Bennie Osburn, interim executive director of the AAVMC. The report recommends that colleges of veterinary medicine provide a cost-effective, quality education with a "one health" approach where CVMs share educational resources and partner with the AVMA and other stakeholders nationally, internationally, and locally, to develop economically viable approaches to veterinary medical education.

The Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC) is a nonprofit membership organization working to protect and improve the health and welfare of animals, people, and the environment by advancing academic veterinary medicine. Its members include all 33 veterinary medical colleges in the United States and Canada, nine departments of veterinary science, eight departments of comparative medicine, three veterinary medical education institutions, nine international colleges of veterinary medicine, and five affiliate international colleges of veterinary medicine. ]]> http://www.petbusinesslink.com/us-vet-colleges-feel-the-financial-pinch/feed/ 0 http://www.petbusinesslink.com/furminator-brand-sold-to-united-pet-group/ http://www.petbusinesslink.com/furminator-brand-sold-to-united-pet-group/#comments Fri, 23 Dec 2011 12:13:59 +0000 admin http://www.petbusinesslink.com/furminator-brand-sold-to-united-pet-group/ Spectrum Brands Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: SPB), a global consumer products company with market-leading brands, announced today its United Pet Group (UPG) subsidiary has completed the acquisition of FURminator®, the leading worldwide provider of branded and patented deshedding products to the pet industry, from HKW Capital Partners III, L.P. and the other shareholders. A definitive agreement to acquire FURminator was announced on December 6.

“FURminator is an ideal fit with our stated strategy to seek synergistic, bolt-on acquisitions that expand our product line with strong, complementary brands in growing categories, increase and extend our market penetration, and provide for manufacturing and distribution synergies”

“FURminator is an outstanding addition to UPG and its broad companion animal product portfolio, giving us the global leadership position in the large and growing $200 million dog and cat grooming category,” said Dave Lumley, Chief Executive Officer of Spectrum Brands Holdings. “This accretive acquisition, which will enhance our margins, offers major revenue growth opportunities as well as manufacturing, supply chain and distribution synergies which we expect to quickly realize over the next 12 to 18 months.”

Founded in 2002 and with annual revenues of nearly $40 million, FURminator markets professional quality dog and cat products for the worldwide grooming tools and accessories category using two brands: FURminator® in the North American pet channel and internationally and FurGOpet® in the North American mass merchandise channel.

“FURminator is an ideal fit with our stated strategy to seek synergistic, bolt-on acquisitions that expand our product line with strong, complementary brands in growing categories, increase and extend our market penetration, and provide for manufacturing and distribution synergies,” Mr. Lumley said.

“FURminator will help advance our dual strategy,” he continued, “of accretive, bolt-on acquisitions and a resulting faster rate of debt reduction and deleveraging in fiscal 2012 and 2013 from the growth these acquisitions provide.”

Based in Cincinnati, Ohio and with fiscal 2011 net sales of $579 million, United Pet Group, Inc. is a subsidiary of Spectrum Brands Holdings, Inc., and is the leading manufacturer of consumer products for the pet supply markets globally. United Pet Group provides its customers with innovative products of outstanding quality for pet owners, including dogs, cat, birds, small animals, fish and reptiles. Its brands –Tetra®, Marineland®, Nature’s Miracle®, Dingo® — are well recognized by consumers for delivering exceptional value and trusted results. United Pet Group’s passion and longstanding commitment to quality and value has earned the confidence of its global retail partners, who count on United Pet Group to deliver innovative and highly profitable products, customized solutions and merchandising excellence.

Distributed by petbuzz ]]> http://www.petbusinesslink.com/furminator-brand-sold-to-united-pet-group/feed/ 0 http://www.petbusinesslink.com/indian-pet-industry-sees-rapid-growth/ http://www.petbusinesslink.com/indian-pet-industry-sees-rapid-growth/#comments Fri, 23 Dec 2011 12:10:58 +0000 admin http://www.petbusinesslink.com/indian-pet-industry-sees-rapid-growth/ According to new research, the ongoing economic growth in India has been replicated in the pet sector.

The number of pet shops is increasing rapidly and driving growth of pet products in India. Veterinary clinics are also growing in number and more vets are becoming involved in retailing. Many grooming products have become available over the review period and are expected to do well, according to trade sources.

Typically imported, some examples of these include Isle of Dogs, Furminator, Karlie and Plush Puppy.

Indian pet owning consumers are also starting to become aware of pet dietary supplements.

India, often referred to as one of the leading global growth opportunities – part of the 'BRIC' group of countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China) has a rapidly emerging pet consumer society.

Distributed by petbuzz ]]> http://www.petbusinesslink.com/indian-pet-industry-sees-rapid-growth/feed/ 0 http://www.petbusinesslink.com/biocurex-announces-canine-cancer-screening-news/ http://www.petbusinesslink.com/biocurex-announces-canine-cancer-screening-news/#comments Thu, 08 Dec 2011 20:39:21 +0000 admin http://www.petbusinesslink.com/biocurex-announces-canine-cancer-screening-news/ BioCurex Inc has announced its wholly owned subsidiary, OncoPet(TM) Diagnostics, Inc., has executed an agreement for the distribution of the OncoPet Sample Collection Kit for canine cancer diagnosis with Butler Schein(TM) Animal Health. Butler Schein Animal Health, a division of Henry Schein (Nasdaq:HSIC), is the leading companion animal health distribution company in the U.S.

According to the agreement, Butler Schein is allowed to purchase the OncoPet Sample Collection Kit from OncoPet Diagnostics to resell to their vast network of veterinary professionals in the United States. The Company has sent Webster Veterinary notice of termination of its previous distribution agreement.

"We are extremely satisfied to have completed a definitive distribution agreement for sales of the OncoPet Sample Collection Kit with Butler Schein," stated Dr. Paul D. Slowey, President of BioCurex. "With the largest animal health distribution company in the U.S. now under agreement with OncoPet, we are confident that our products and services will be comprehensively represented to animal health professionals throughout the largest veterinary market in the world.

Dr. Ricardo Moro, OncoPet's President and BioCurex's CEO added, "It is important to stress the significance of this agreement because the largest distributor of veterinary products in the U.S. knows what sells well and how to make money with the products they carry. Their confidence in the OncoPet RECAF test is a huge endorsement and a clear indication of its commercial potential. The sales force of this company is in the hundreds and our facilities are ready to process any orders resulting from their efforts. ]]> http://www.petbusinesslink.com/biocurex-announces-canine-cancer-screening-news/feed/ 0 http://www.petbusinesslink.com/elanco-bayer-animal-health-lawsuit-settlement/ http://www.petbusinesslink.com/elanco-bayer-animal-health-lawsuit-settlement/#comments Tue, 22 Nov 2011 09:22:41 +0000 admin http://www.petbusinesslink.com/elanco-bayer-animal-health-lawsuit-settlement/ Elanco Companion Animal Health and Bayer Animal Health have reached a successful resolution regarding a lawsuit filed by Bayer earlier this year. "Elanco has always believed the lawsuit was without merit and continues to deny the allegations set forth in the complaint," stated Eric Graves, senior director of Elanco Companion Animal Health.

In a suit filed in May, Bayer objected to a letter Elanco sent to veterinarians regarding the flea and tick marketplace. This is a non-monetary resolution, and Elanco maintains its ability to communicate and advertise concerning the availability of flea and tick products outside the veterinary channel. In addition, Elanco can continue to communicate and advertise regarding the availability of Bayer's Advantage II and Advantix II products through retail channels and over-the-counter merchants.

Today's resolution also allows Elanco to continue promoting its Track and Trace product tracking system and its strict sales policy. Using unique identification numbers and bar coding on boxes and cartons, Elanco helps ensure product integrity and guard against theft, while helping to keep its products sold within the veterinary channel. If Elanco products are discovered outside that relationship, Elanco endeavors to identify the point of sale and cut off the offending diverter. Elanco's strict sales policy and Track and Trace technology is designed to help keep the sale of its parasiticide products within the scope of the veterinary-client-patient relationship. Since the implementation of the sales policy and the product tracking system, Elanco has revoked the ability of more than 300 veterinarians to purchase products because they failed to abide by Elanco's corporate sales policy.

"We believe our innovative product introductions and efforts to keep our products within the veterinary channel illustrate our support and commitment to veterinarians and their practices," Graves said. "This resolution allows us to continue to discuss issues that our valued veterinary partners find important. Our success is completely tied to their success," Graves said. "We have absolutely no second thoughts about that." ]]> http://www.petbusinesslink.com/elanco-bayer-animal-health-lawsuit-settlement/feed/ 0 http://www.petbusinesslink.com/k9-magazine-announces-tablet-edition/ http://www.petbusinesslink.com/k9-magazine-announces-tablet-edition/#comments Sun, 20 Nov 2011 21:48:51 +0000 admin http://www.petbusinesslink.com/k9-magazine-announces-tablet-edition/ K9 Magazine, the award winning digital magazine for dog lovers, has announced plans to launch a tablet edition of the popular title.

K9 Magazine is currently available to read on the iPad, the new tablet edition will also be compatible with Android and other digital reading devices.

Following the recent announcement that Adobe is phasing out its Flash support, K9 Magazine is investing in a HTML5 version of the magazine which will be available to all subscribers in 2012 and is currently in Beta testing mode.

K9 Magazine editor and publisher, Ryan O'Meara:

"Since we made our award-winning move to digital we've seen tremendous, unprecedented growth in terms of subscribers and commercial revenues. By going digital we have been able to take the magazine from a quarterly title to a monthly schedule and by combining the magazine product with an online membership model we've been able to serve our readers much better by way of personalising content and ensuring that readers get exactly what they want from their subscription to K9 Magazine."

O'Meara adds:

"We believe in the future of digital media. It's more agile and it's more personal. We have been delighted with the growth and scale we've been able to achieve since we made, what was at the time, a brave move to invest in a totally digital approach to publishing. Our view was and is informed by the simple fact that dog lovers are easier to reach via digital platforms than they are on the high street. We are excited by our new tablet edition, which looks amazing in the Beta tests."

About K9 Magazine

K9 Magazine was launched in 2001 and has featured an impressive list of celebrity dog owners who've been interviewed by the magazine over the past decade.

News item distributed by petbuzz :: social media for pet brands ]]> http://www.petbusinesslink.com/k9-magazine-announces-tablet-edition/feed/ 0 http://www.petbusinesslink.com/new-report-says-pet-industry-growth-set-to-continue/ http://www.petbusinesslink.com/new-report-says-pet-industry-growth-set-to-continue/#comments Tue, 01 Nov 2011 09:38:38 +0000 admin http://www.petbusinesslink.com/new-report-says-pet-industry-growth-set-to-continue/ Pets come in all shapes and sizes, but the one constant is the bond between pets and their owners. In fact, 76% of dog or cat owners consider their 4-legged companions to be part of the family. This closeness creates marketing and sales opportunities that go far beyond basics such as food to include apparel, toys, treats, vet care and grooming, just to name a few. According to Mintel, the pet industry is expected to maintain a steady pace of growth, increasing by 33% over the next five years.

"To maintain and continue such strong sales is an impressive feat in our tough economy and truly speaks to owners' commitment to their pets and manufacturers' ability to develop products that resonate with pet owners," notes Fiona O'Donnell, senior analyst at Mintel. "We are noticing that innovations in the pet industry are mirroring innovations in human markets and since many owners consider pets as family members, this is not surprising."

Functional foods that have a great taste and also provide health benefits have hit a chord with Americans in the past several years, so it only makes sense that owners would want the same fare for their pets. According to the Mintel Global New Product Database (GNPD), pet food that offers a "functional" claim has increased by 130% from 2006 to 2010.

Innovations in the pet industry go beyond the food aisle into lifestyle products that reflect the owner's personality and interests. Martha Stewart has developed an exclusive line of pet accessories for PetSmart that are said to be developed with "both the pets and owners in mind."  In addition to supplies and toys, the product line includes apparel, which may appeal to the 9% of Mintel respondents who say they occasionally dress up their dog or cat. Pet-friendly vehicle features also appeal to the 28% of dog owners who claim to take their pets on vacations with them, if they are driving.

"I don't expect pet innovation to slow down any time soon," adds Fiona O'Donnell. "Despite the difficult economy, 50% of pet owners make unplanned toy and treat purchases for their pets and another 16% say they have cut back on extra household expenses in order to afford pet-related care…showing the true commitment of pet-parents."

So, who's got a better life, canines or kitties? According to Mintel, 55% of dog owners buy unplanned treats compared to only 37% of cat owners. Meanwhile, 42% of dog owners take lots of pictures of their pet versus 33% of cat-parents. And, nearly one-quarter of dog families have stayed home from work or school with a sick pet as opposed to 14% for their feline counterpart. ]]> http://www.petbusinesslink.com/new-report-says-pet-industry-growth-set-to-continue/feed/ 0 http://www.petbusinesslink.com/board4pets/ http://www.petbusinesslink.com/board4pets/#comments Wed, 28 Sep 2011 19:44:11 +0000 Pet Business News Editor http://www.petbusinesslink.com/?p=1005 WHILE MY OWNERS ARE AWAY, IT’S MY TIME TO PLAY!!!!!
Or
IF ONLY I COULD FIND SOMEONE THAT LOVES AND UNDERSTANDS MY DOG AS MUCH AS I DO?

As dedicated dog owners ourselves we have struggled to take a relaxing family break without the heartache caused by leaving our dog in someone else’s hands, be it kennels (which I have to say always sends a shudder down my spine), a friend’s house or family members there is always some form of guilt attached that we have either put too much responsibility on our ageing parents or taken up a very dear friends time that as we all know have very little of nowadays, to look after our beloved pets.

Well here at Board4Pets we understand that the solution to these problems is to find a loving, caring family that would really enjoy having your much loved dog around to enjoy just as we do in return for a small fee that would really help their family finances and enjoy the company of your pet within their household.

All of our boarders are dedicated to looking after your dog just as you would down to the last detail that are instructed to them by yourselves. We ask you to complete a Care Requirements form that has your dogs preferred feeding times, walking times and much loved activities so that your dog is kept in a routine just as they would be at home. We believe by keeping things structured your dog feels secure and safe and this in itself is what’s needed to reduce the amount of stress that is felt when pets are away from their owners and personal surroundings. We also ask you to bring along to their board any favourite toys, blankets, their own food and bowls and anything really that reminds them of the security they feel at home.

We can offer collection/delivery of your pet and all our vehicles are fitted with either cages or guards for safety. Our Pre Assignment meeting is encouraged too, just take along your dog to your boarder’s home to meet your potential boarder and vet their premises yourself.

Board4Pets boarders are regulated by our Local Authority and have been stringently checked by ourselves so that we can be sure that your dogs are very well cared for by people like ourselves that are passionate animal lovers. They have to adhere to being at home for most of the day, apart from 3 small hours per day to look after your dog and have also been CRB checked. All our boarders’ premises are allocated with First Aid kits and advice, just to be safe, and plenty of space for your dog to be comfortable. We do provide your pet with a personal ID tag to be worn at all times and we are contactable 24 hours a day.

As we all know we have a special bond with our dogs and we are confident that in time if your dog returns to the same Board4Pets boarder for future holidays then this will also become apparent.

We have our own local vetinary practice on hand for your peace of mind and also require your vetinary details, microchip numbers and inoculation details so that all will run smoothly. You can contact us at anytime or request to be contacted by ourselves about how your dog is enjoying their holiday as after all they are our “furry children” and we know how the first day at school for our children makes our belly’s flip so why should our dogs be different.

If you would like to speak to us about your dog’s needs then please visit our website, www.board4pets.com or alternatively call Sharon on 07525 096506 or Layla on 07595 908121. Our site is quite basic at the moment as we feel our time is best dedicated to ensuring your pet is very well cared for by matching them to boarders with breed experience and a family that will give them everything they need while you enjoy your time away, rather than the boring paperwork we endure.

We are at present working with pet owners in the Barnsley, south Yorkshire area but would love to expand so that we can offer our services to more people like you. We also understand that it is not just dogs that are cherished but small animals too like rabbits, hamsters and exotic pets and we are hoping to branch out into boarding these types of animals too but this takes time to make sure that all areas of this are perfected as we can’t help but be perfectionists and research does take time.
Thank you for reading this and we hope that Board4Pets will be your number one choice for your dog’s holiday today and in the future.

Board4Pets Logo.jpg (61 KB)

dealwagger.com is not simply a deal site, but rather, a Community. We offer resources for parents of pets to exchange information, advice, and organize community events from fundraisers, sitters, to play-dates at the park. Check out our blog series “blogwagger” at http://dealwagger.blogspot.com/ to stay up on the most interesting, groundbreaking developments in the pet industry. You will also have the opportunity to create your own profile for you and your pet as well, in order to personalize your experience in our community. Who knows, maybe you’ll even meet new friends yourself! We believe in giving back to the community, which is why dealwagger.com consistently participates and supports worthy causes, in addition to donating a portion of profits to participating animal charities. We are proud to feature contests and incentive programs such as Wagger Rewards, where you earn points for every purchase you make and every contest you participate in.

Feel free to “like” our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/dealwagger which is always up-to-date with new content, resources, new deals, and super-cute pictures of your pets on our Wags of Fame album. We encourage you to subscribe to our newsletter at www.dealwagger.com so you can be the first to know about the best deals available once we launch this December!

whiteback.jpg (15 KB)