Global nutrition company Hill’s Pet Nutrition has committed to become a Gold Partner of the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA). The WSAVA’s most long-standing industry partner, Hill’s will support two of the WSAVA’s respected clinical committees and continue to back two initiatives which it runs in collaboration with the association.  The two clinical committees it will support are:

• The WSAVA Global Nutrition Committee, which helps the veterinary healthcare team and pet owners to understand the importance of nutrition in companion animal health by providing an expert source of accurate nutritional information and recommendations.
• The WSAVA One Health Committee, which works to ensure the prominence of the small companion animal–human interface in the global One Health agenda, running projects in areas of particular benefit to WSAVA members.

Hill’s will also partner with the WSAVA to support an annual Outreach project around WSAVA World Congress. Now in their sixth year, the WSAVA-Hill’s Outreach projects reflect Hill’s deep belief in the social responsibility of the veterinary profession.  They involve recruiting volunteer veterinarians to provide care for companion animals in deprived areas or providing continuing education (CE) to veterinarians in regions where it is difficult to access.  The 2018 WSAVA-Hill’s Outreach project took the form of a pre-congress lecture day and workshop at the Royal University of Agriculture (RUA), Phnom Penh, Cambodia, which was attended by 200 delegates.
Given the importance of younger veterinarians in driving future progress in the profession and Hill’s commitment to supporting them, the company will also continue to sponsor the WSAVA-Hill’s Next Generation Award.  Now in its fourth year, the Award acknowledges the work of a veterinarian who graduated within the past ten years and who has contributed significantly to the betterment of companion animals, the veterinary profession and society at large. It is presented annually during WSAVA World Congress and, in 2018, was awarded to Australian veterinarian Dr Guyan Weerasinghe.
Commenting on the announcement of the Gold Partnership, Dr Iveta Becvarova, ‎Director of Global Academic and Professional Affairs at Hill’s Pet Nutrition, said: “Hill’s and the WSAVA have had a deep and collaborative relationship for many years and we are delighted to continue our support for its important work through becoming a Gold Partner.”
She added: “At Hill’s we are passionate about supporting veterinarians and we are equally passionate about delivering on our mission to help enrich and lengthen the special relationships between people and their pets. The WSAVA is making great strides in advancing the care of companion animals around the world through the creation of its Global Guidelines and other educational resources for veterinarians.  We look forward to continuing to support it in the years ahead.”
Dr Shane Ryan, WSAVA President, said: “Hill’s has been a loyal partner of the WSAVA for many years and our relationship is based on a shared commitment to raising standards of companion animal veterinary care globally. Every year, our plans to help our members with new resources and learning opportunities become more ambitious and support from our industry partners is instrumental in helping us to deliver them.  We are very grateful to Hill’s for continuing to support us as a Gold Partner and look forward to working with Iveta and her team again this year.”