BOEHRINGER INGELHEIM SUPPORTS VETERINARY MENTAL WELLNESS WITH $225,000 SPONSORSHIP OF THE VETERINARY HOPE FOUNDATION (VHF)

Funds from the animal health company will be used to support VHF's mission to bring awareness and hope to the veterinary community

DULUTH, Ga., Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health USA Inc. is honored to support the Veterinary Hope Foundation (VHF) with a $225,000 sponsorship. The VHF is a not-for-profit focused on providing education and connection programs to benefit the health of the veterinary community. The sponsorship will support VHF's mission, including funding small groups to provide veterinary professionals with resources, information and community support to better handle the stressors and mental health issues unique to the profession. With this contribution, Boehringer Ingelheim becomes a founding sponsor of the Veterinary Hope Foundation.

The Veterinary Hope Foundation's support groups provide veterinary professionals--who are three times more likely¹ than the general population to die by suicide--with early intervention efforts and allow them to connect in a safe, confidential and caring space. These groups, led by a licensed mental health professional, focus on topics meaningful to practicing veterinarians and their teams such as communicating with troubled clients, balancing family and work, handling grief and cultivating emotional resilience.

"We are tremendously thankful for the partnership of Boehringer Ingelheim and the support of our mission to provide resources to those in the animal care community," said Dr. Blair McConnel, veterinarian and president of the board of the Veterinary Hope Foundation. "I look forward to working with the passionate team at Boehringer Ingelheim. I hope that this sponsorship will spur other pet care and animal health companies into necessary action."

In addition to the sponsorship, Boehringer Ingelheim will advocate and share VHF's mission as their teams visit veterinary clinics across the country. The teams will leave behind information about resources available to help the clinic spread awareness of the VHF's cause and how veterinarians and their teams can get involved. Boehringer Ingelheim continued to elevate VHF's mission during the 2022 Veterinary Meeting & Expo (VMX), the world's largest veterinary conference, held Jan. 15-19. Boehringer Ingelheim helped VHF spread hope to over 12,000 conference attendees by giving booth space to VHF's informational pamphlets.

"We are proud to be a founding sponsor of the Veterinary Hope Foundation and partner to help bring to life their mission of raising awareness and providing resources to those in the animal care community who may be facing struggles we don't see," said Shawn Hooker, Head of Pet Business at Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health USA Inc. "Each day, veterinarians are there for us. This is one way we are choosing to illustrate our dedication to supporting veterinarians and their teams."

Results from the first support groups are overwhelmingly positive. One veterinarian noted, "It's exactly what I didn't know I needed, but [the group] provided me with more insight than months of 1:1 therapy." All support group participants who were polled said they would strongly recommend this program to other veterinarians.

You can learn more about the foundation, its mission, and how you or your organization can join the cause at VeterinaryHope.org.

Founded in May 2021, the Veterinary Hope Foundation (VHF) is a not-for-profit focused on early intervention, education and connection programs tailored for the animal care community. Built on the belief that there's hope for veterinarians in crisis, VHF provides veterinarians with the tools and support they need to navigate the common stressors unique to their profession. With veterinarians about three times more likely¹ than the general population to die by suicide, VHF aims to generate broad awareness of the issue and generate lasting change through its public awareness campaign. Governed by a board of directors and advisory panel composed of mental health experts, practicing veterinarians and animal lovers, VHF is uniquely positioned to impact the future of the veterinarian profession. To learn more about VHF, please visit VeterinaryHope.org and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.

Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health is working on first-in-class innovation for the prediction, prevention, and treatment of diseases in animals. For veterinarians, pet owners, producers, and governments in more than 150 countries, we offer a large and innovative portfolio of products and services to improve the health and well-being of companion animals and livestock.

As a global leader in the animal health industry and as part of the family-owned Boehringer Ingelheim, we take a long-term perspective. The lives of animals and humans are interconnected in deep and complex ways. We know that when animals are healthy, humans are healthier too. By using the synergies between our Animal Health and Human Pharma businesses and by delivering value through innovation, we enhance the health and well-being of both. 

Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health has deep roots in the U.S. From a start in St. Joseph, Missouri, more than 100 years ago, it has grown to encompass seven sites. Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health's portfolio contains widely used and well-respected vaccines, parasite-control products and therapeutics for pets, horses and livestock including NexGard^® (afoxolaner) Chewables, HEARTGARD^® Plus (ivermectin/pyrantel) Chewables, Pyramid^® 5 + Presponse^® SQ, VAXXITEK^®, CircoFLEX^®, and Prascend^® (pergolide tablets).

Learn more about Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health USA at bi-animalhealth.com

NexGard^® is a registered trademark of the Boehringer Ingelheim Group.
HEARTGARD^®, PYRAMID^®, VAXXITEK^®, and PRESPONSE^® are registered trademarks of Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health USA Inc. INGELVAC CIRCOFLEX^® and PRASCEND^® are registered trademarks of Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica GmbH. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owner. ©2022 Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health USA Inc., Duluth, GA. All rights reserved. US-PET-0393-2022-V2.

1. Tomasi SE, Fechter-Leggett ED, Edwards NT, Reddish AD, Crosby AE, Nett RJ. Suicide among veterinarians in the United States from 1979 through 2015. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2019;254(1):104-112.

Media Contacts:
Chrissy Jones
Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health
U.S. Communications
(516) 527-5456
[email protected] 

Blair McConnel
Veterinary Hope Foundation 
[email protected]
646-831-0614 

SOURCE Boehringer Ingelheim