By Steve Dale, CABC
No one forces people to get a pet. Yet, most families in America share their lives with at least one—and to do so requires a commitment of time and money. The bond with pets has been there for centuries but has intensified dramatically in recent years. Today, over 90 percent of pet parents in the U.S. consider themselves to be “parents” of their “fur babies.”
And that human animal bond isn’t limited to pets. The number one recreational activity on the planet – spanning cultures – is quenching a curiosity about nature by visiting zoos.
According to a 2011 paper published in Research Gate The global reach of zoos and aquariums in visitor numbers and conservation expenditure over 700 million people visit accredited zoos and aquariums annually around the world. By comparison, soccer (sometimes called football), the most popular organized professional sport on the planet, attracts 240 million fans a year, according to the Library of Congress.
It’s this hard-wired bond we seek to establish with non-human beings which defines the human animal bond. To celebrate this bond, from a joint effort between the Human Animal Bond Association in the United States and the Society of Companion Animal Studies in the United Kingdom, November 8 is International Human Animal Bond Day. The purpose is to celebrate this intrinsic bond.
And in veterinary medicine, this is an opportunity for veterinary technicians and nurses. Desperate more than ever to learn about their companion animals, from bunnies to leopard geckoes to dogs and cats, pet parents seek knowledge. And they seek answers immediately. And if veterinary practices can’t quench this insatiable thirst, the Internet or telemedicine will serve the purpose, without a veterinary/client patient relationship.
Technicians/nurses are the best conduit veterinary medicine has for communication. But all too often veterinary professionals fail clients by not being readily available.
Three immediate solutions include:
- Using Zoom or Facetime to schedule appointments with existing clients. Technicians/nurses might even be able to field these communications from home in the evening. Arranging telehealth communication can prevent clients from being misinformed, bonds clients to you and practices, and can give pets the best of care. Additionally, from a practical standpoint, an exam room is available for another patient.
- Posting information on a practice website, in a newsletter, or YouTube videos. For example, information about proper house training (i.e. House Training 101”) or a video demonstration about how to administer fluids. Clients always prefer to hear from their own trusted professionals.
- Increasing the use of AI providers, (i.e. Peerlogic) to interact with clients by text or to answer the phone (your dentist does it–even hair dressers). If the phone isn’t answered, frustrated current or perspective clients can move on to another source for their information, increasing the likelihood of unnecessary ER visits or using a third party or consumer telehealth providers.
According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, “The human-animal bond is a mutually beneficial and dynamic relationship between people and animals influenced by behaviors essential to the health and well-being of both.” This includes, among other things, emotional, psychological, and physical interactions of people, animals, and the environment. The veterinarian’s role in the human/animal bond is to maximize the potential of this relationship between people and animals.