Petco Love Joins Forces With Anivive Lifesciences and Rob Gronkowski to Champion The Fight Against Valley Fever

• Over 30 million dogs live in Valley Fever hotspots.
• Pet owners in CA and AZ currently spend over $200 million on Valley Fever Treatments.
• The partnership seeks to raise awareness and ultimately prevent Valley Fever in pets.

LONG BEACH, Calif., Aug. 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, national nonprofit Petco Love, Anivive Lifesciences, and former NFL superstar Rob Gronkowski announced a groundbreaking partnership focused on bringing awareness to the growing threat of Valley Fever.  With increasing temperatures and drought conditions impacting the West, this collaboration focuses on awareness to save more pet lives. 

In regions identified as Valley Fever hotspots, it's alarming to note that over 30 million dogs are potentially at riskⁱ, with many residing in these endemic states. Pet owners in California and Arizona have faced skyrocketing financial strains, with treatment costs surpassing a staggering $200 millionⁱⁱ.The impact on the pet parents can be devastating as many may have to elect euthanasia if they cannot afford ongoing treatment.

Saving pets impacted by valley fever involves a combination of awareness, environmental management, and proper care. 

• Raising Awareness: Valley Fever is more common in arid and desert areas, such as the southwestern United States. For the 30 million dogs at risk, this partnership informs pet parents, veterinarians, and the general public about Valley Fever and its wide-reaching consequences.
• Environmental Management: If you live in or are traveling to these areas, it's crucial to take preventative measures. Keep pets indoors during dust storms and windy days, as these conditions can stir up fungal spores from the soil. Maintaining good hygiene with regular baths and grooms can help remove dust and spores that may cling to their fur. Clean pets bedding, toys, and other belongings to reduce the accumulation of spores.
• Proper Care: Early detection and treatment is key to better outcomes for impacted pets. Symptoms include persistent or worsening cough, fever, lethargy, loss of appetite, weight loss, lameness or joint pain and breathing difficulties. Regular veterinary check-ups are important for detecting changes in your pets' conditions and seek immediate veterinary care should your pet experience any of the above symptoms.

Building on these pillars, Petco Love's Vaccinated and Loved campaign adds another dimension to the fight against preventable pet diseases. Launched in August of 2021 with the ambitious goal of vaccinating one million pets, the campaign has reached its initial target and is currently on track to vaccinate another one million pets. This initiative enables Petco Love's network of animal welfare partners to host complimentary vaccination clinics, with a special focus on helping pets most in need. Pending regulatory approval, through a donation of Anivive's groundbreaking Valley Fever vaccine—poised to be the world's first fungal vaccine for man or animal— offering the Valley Fever vaccine in impacted areas will serve as a cornerstone for these continued efforts. The integration of this pioneering vaccine will mark a critical milestone in transforming pet healthcare and aims to set a new standard for proactive disease prevention.

"It's rough seeing what Valley Fever does to animals. I'm psyched that Petco Love is teaming up with Anivive and me. We're about to change the game for our pets!" enthused Rob Gronkowski.

Susanne Kogut, President of Petco Love, reflected on the collaboration, saying, "No pet owner should face the agony of losing their pet due to diseases like Valley Fever. Our alliance with Anivive Lifesciences and Rob Gronkowski is a testament to our unwavering commitment to ensuring pets thrive, shielded from the shadows of such ailments. We look forward to helping combat this disease even more in the future for those pets most in need."

Central to this partnership is the importance of raising awareness of Valley Fever among both pet owners and the medical community. Collaborating on this ongoing endeavor has been a consortium of over 60 esteemed researchers, veterinarians, and PhDs. With a solution on the horizon, their unified goal remains clear: to devise an accessible, affordable, and effective preventive solution against Valley Fever.

Dylan Balsz, Founder and CEO of Anivive Lifesciences, stated, "Valley Fever represents more than just a challenge; it's a call to harness the best of science, resolve, and unity. Our commitment extends beyond mere research; it reaches every pet and every family touched by this disease. We're not just working to contain it; we're on a mission to end it."

Uniting in this vital cause, Petco Love, Anivive Lifesciences, and Rob Gronkowski call upon communities, veterinarians, and pet enthusiasts to mobilize against Valley Fever, envisioning a future of healthier and happier lives for pets and the people who love them. To learn more visit anivive.com/valley-fever

About Anivive Lifesciences
Anivive is a pet health company at the intersection of biotech, AI, software, and veterinary medicine. Focusing on three key therapeutic platforms: Fungal, Oncology, and Infectious Disease, our proprietary software platform accelerates the delivery of new, affordable treatments for various life-threatening diseases in pets. For more information, please visit www.anivive.com and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

About Petco Love
Petco Love is a life-changing nonprofit organization that makes communities and pet families closer, stronger, and healthier. Since our founding in 1999 as the Petco Foundation, we've empowered animal welfare organizations by investing $370 million in adoption and other lifesaving efforts. We've helped find loving homes for more than 6.7 million pets in partnership with Petco and organizations nationwide.

Our love for pets drives us to lead with innovation, creating tools animal lovers need to reunite lost pets, and lead with passion, inspiring and mobilizing communities and our more than 4,000 animal welfare partners to drive lifesaving change alongside us.  Join us. Visit petcolove.org or follow on Facebook, Instagram, X, and LinkedIn to be part of the lifesaving work we lead every day.

Media Contact:
Crystal Bugary
[email protected]

ⁱ https://azcir.org/news/2021/10/28/valley-fever-vaccine-dogs-promising-humans-next/

ⁱⁱ Cost of Diagnosis and Treatment of Canine Coccidioidomycosis in Arizona and California - By Christine D. Butkiewicz and Lisa F. Shubitz - Valley Fever Center for Excellence, The University of Arizona, Tucson

SOURCE Petco Love