How Banfield’s Everyday Actions Add Up to Make a Big Difference

When I began working for Banfield Pet Hospital more than a year ago, I knew I was joining a team of more than 16,000 associates who drive positive change for pets and the people who love them every day through veterinary care. What equaled my excitement for joining the world’s largest veterinary practice, however, was Banfield’s focus on giving back to the communities in which we live and work. I experienced this firsthand when I volunteered alongside other associates at Share, a nonprofit organization in Vancouver, WA that serves the city’s homeless and extremely low income residents. We packed bags of food for local school children, which were delivered weekly so they have enough to eat and share with their families over the weekend. It was both humbling and inspiring.

In my new role as president, I find myself revisiting those same emotions when I hear about our associates continuing this dedication to serve. It’s in that spirit that I’m proud to release our recently published 2016 Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Report.

This report celebrates and holds us accountable to our commitment not just to ensure exceptional care for pets, but for also for the people and communities that we serve. And this past year, there was a lot to celebrate.

Details on what Banfield, our associates and our partners accomplished together can be found in the full report here, but I’d like to call out for you a few of the things of which I’m most proud.

We celebrated the first anniversary of the Banfield Foundation

While Banfield and our associates have always pursued partnerships, offered charitable donations and sought out volunteer opportunities that help us give back to our communities, we recognize that we can and should do more. So in 2015, we created the Banfield Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the improving the well-being of pets and communities. 

Since its launch, the foundation has awarded $1.7 million in grants to more than 176 nonprofit organizations, impacting more than 50,000 pets in 41 states and Washington DC.

We helped nearly 95,000 pets and people through paid volunteer opportunities

Through our Mars Volunteer Program, we are able to offer associates the opportunity to volunteer on company time. A benefit that is a rarity in the corporate world. It’s the same program that enabled me to take time out of my work day to give back to Share, and last year, 2,849 associates joined me and served 11,556 hours across 144 cities and positively impacted 94,166 pets and people. 

We mobilized Banfield’s extensive resources to provide relief in the aftermath of natural disasters

I firmly believe that one of the most important things Banfield can do as an organization is offer aid to those in greatest need, regardless of circumstance. Every year, we fulfill that duty by donating time, money, resources and expertise at planned events that reach low-income and underserved pet-owners. But sometimes events occur that are unplanned and devastate communities. This past year, widespread flooding and wildfires in multiple areas across the country created the need for immediate assistance. Banfield, in many cases in partnership with American Humane, mobilized associates and coordinated with volunteers in affected areas to provide shelter and care for thousands of pets displaced by disaster.

This year, the flooding in Louisiana impacted several of our hospitals and our associates directly, including two who lost their homes. So in addition to our broad disaster relief efforts, we launched the Banfield Better Together Fund, which is designed to help associates support each other through charitable donations. The Better Together Fund collects these donations, and issues grants to qualifying associates whose lives have been impacted by natural disaster. 

I hope you are as inspired as I am by the stories of shared success here, and I am excited about what we’re planning this year to continue to help pets and the people who love them. I’m proud to work alongside such a great team of associates and look forward to the road ahead.