Banfield is here for pets, people and society. bhere with us.

This week marked our unofficial 2020 kick-off at Banfield as we hosted our National Field Leadership (NFL) meeting, bringing together 700 associates from across our practice to connect, learn and celebrate recent successes.

Thanks to the hard work and commitment of our 19,000+ associates, we have much to celebrate. First, last year we achieved the highest retention in Banfield’s history. This is a huge achievement and the result of years of focus and investment in rewards, health and wellbeing as well as inclusion and diversity. It also reflects strong, highly engaged hospital teams. As a result of this record high retention, in 2019 we cared for over 400,000 more pets year-over-year. Another amazing accomplishment which proves that when we make a better world for our people, we make A Better World for Pets.

Looking ahead, one of the initiatives I am most excited for this year is the continued rollout of our new Banfield branding. The emotional connection between people and pets is so incredibly strong, and our new brand brings that into focus with the idea that we are committed to bhere for pets, people and society. With that in mind, at this year’s NFL we highlighted the three behaviors we’ll all be focusing on across Banfield:

o  bempowered: acting as change agents to create the future of the veterinary profession;

o  bpassionate: translating our passion for pets and the people who love them into the highest quality care;

o  bhere: making a positive impact on society.

We already have great examples of associates and initiatives that embody these behaviors. For example, Alex Oaks, one of our licensed vet techs from Troy, MI is a fantastic example of empowerment. Alex is best known for her attention to detail and relentless commitment to quality. Alex enjoys educating others on clinical essentials and partnering with hospital leaders to ensure her team has the tools and resources they need to deliver on our promise.  Since the launch of our certified vet tech appointments in late 2019, Alex has personally seen 142 appointments at her hospital, with clients now asking for her directly by name. Alex personifies what it means to be empowered to make a difference each day, role modeling what’s possible when we enable vet techs to operate at the top of their license.

Now when I think about passion, what comes to mind is someone who consistently goes above and beyond not only to get the job done but to be a steward for the future of our profession. Dr. Taneeka Bautista, director of veterinary quality in Los Angeles, CA, exemplifies what it means to be passionate about the veterinary profession. Dr. Bautista is particularly passionate about sharing Banfield’s story and she’s done an awesome job leading the charge on social media, giving a peek into a day in the life at her hospital and for the students that are part of our Student Jobs Program. Dr. Bautista plays an active role on campus and across the industry while also engaging in our Banfield diversity resource groups. 

Finally, when I think about being here for each other, I can’t think of a better example than the national rollout of our “ASK – Assess, Support, Know” suicide-prevention training. Offered as a free resource for the entire veterinary profession, this training is aimed at combatting the mental health challenges that exist within the industry. We all know that while this is an incredibly rewarding profession, it’s also incredibly challenging. We must all be here for each other, to spot the signs of mental health issues and ensure the health and wellbeing of everyone in our hospitals. I am so proud that we took the time to close schedules at all Banfield hospitals for 2 hours and engage in critical dialogue around spotting the signs of distress and helping one another.

When we’re here for each other, we can bhere for more pets. We know that tens of millions of pets still do not receive routine veterinary care. We have lots of work to do to chip away at this number and I know that when we’re empowered and passionate, we’re unstoppable.

What empowers me, what drives my passion and what makes me excited to be here is our 19,000+ associates, and I can’t wait to see all we’ll achieve together in 2020.