Zoetis Foundation announces nearly $5 million in grants to advance animal care initiatives

The Zoetis Foundation will distribute $4.9 million during its first round of 2022 grants. The funds will support 20 initiatives across 19 countries, with the goal of helping to enable thriving professions and livelihoods for livestock farmers and veterinary professionals as well as relief efforts in Ukraine.¹

The Zoetis Foundation is a private charitable organization and is solely funded by Zoetis Inc, with distinct legal requirements and restrictions.

According to Zoetis, veterinarians, veterinary technicians, and livestock farmers provide invaluable services to our communities, raising and caring for animals to be healthy and productive. Yet veterinarians and farmers face immeasurable challenges globally such as rising student debt, a lack of professional diversity, and mental health issues that include higher risks of suicide.

The Zoetis Foundation has selected grantees that will provide greater access to education and mental wellness resources, expand veterinary debt relief, support diversity and inclusion efforts, and help enable thriving livelihoods by funding programs that support veterinary practices and farmers adopting sustainable and resilient business practices.

“People who care for animals are at the center of everything we do. As veterinarians and farmers continue to face mounting challenges, we are thrilled to fund a variety of organizations that are identifying innovative solutions and making a positive impact in our communities,” said Jeannette Ferran Astorga, president of the Zoetis Foundation and executive vice president of corporate affairs, communications, and sustainability at Zoetis, in an organizational press release.¹

Additionally, as the situation in Ukraine continues to evolve, the Zoetis Foundation is helping to provide critical support to affected communities with an initial donation of $150,000 to the Red Cross and matching colleague donations made to the organization globally, up to $150,000.

The first-round 2022 grant recipients are as follows¹:

Scholarships, debt relief, diversity, and inclusion programming

• Farm Journal Foundation: through the Veterinary Debt Solutions Program, convene leaders to identify solutions and implement programmatic work to alleviate veterinary student debt burden
• National FFA Organization: engage underrepresented populations with agricultural education
• It Takes a Village Foundation: scale the “Vet for a Day” program to attract students of color to the veterinary profession
• Wildlife Conservation Society: support, training, and mentorship for veterinary residency in zoological medicine and surgery
• American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC): provide financial scholarships to veterinary students, address the issue of student debt and the need to foster diversity in the veterinary profession. Zoetis Inc. previously funded scholarships for AAVMC—this Foundation grant will triple Zoetis Inc.’s previous support to provide students increased scholarship funds
• American Veterinary Medical Foundation: provide veterinary technician student scholarships
• American Association of Swine Veterinarians Foundation: scholarship funds to support student seminar and poster presentations
• College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University: facilitated by Give2Asia to establish a specialized graduate faculty team focused on veterinary clinical science in China
• UNESP Faculty of Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences Jaboticabal campus: scholarship support for veterinarian training in Brazil
• UNESP Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science Botucatu campus: scholarship support for veterinarian training in Brazil

Improving livelihoods

• National Fish and Wildlife Foundation in cooperation with The Sustainability Consortium: provide technical assistance to U.S. farmers to implement conservation practices that help improve farm operations while also generating benefits for native habitat and wildlife
• World Small Animal Veterinary Association Foundation: improve companion animal care within Africa by means of science and education; empower veterinary businesses and livelihoods utilizing a One Health approach
• Livestock Industry Foundation for Africa: extend success of Zoetis A.L.P.H.A. initiatives and LIFA knowledge-sharing to other countries in West Africa
• Uganda Crane Creameries Cooperative Union: establish farmer-led systems and tools that enhance the productivity, production, and incomes of smallholder dairy farmers in southwestern Uganda
• Instituto Biosistêmico Projecto Cooplaf: an intensive, 24-month intervention with 100 family dairy farms in the State of Mato Grosso do Sul in Brazil

Mental wellness

• Shanti Project Veterinary Mental Health Initiative: provide evidence-based, culturally competent, and multi-level mental health support services to veterinarians by expert clinicians
• AAVMC Well on our Way: well-being program curated from notable well-being professionals in veterinary medicine with applicable, evidence-based, and timely skill building to help veterinarians be well throughout their careers
• AAVMC Pathways to Change: generate organizational well-being solutions for veterinary medical education through evidence-based approaches, design-thinking, and change management practices
• The Human Animal Bond Research Institute: explore the vital role of the human-animal bond in the health and well-being of people, pets, and the veterinary community

The Zoetis Foundation was announced in 2021 to support communities and the people who care for animals. In its first year of grantmaking, the Foundation supported scholarships and diversity initiatives to help drive a more inclusive veterinary community in the United States. In 2022 and beyond, the foundation will expand to provide support across global initiatives focused on education, debt relief, diversity and inclusion, livelihoods, and mental wellness. The foundation has committed an initial $35 million in funding through 2025.

Reference

1. Zoetis Foundation Announces First Round of 2022 Grants to Advance Farmer and Veterinarian Education, Livelihoods and Wellness. News release. Zoetis. April 12, 2022. Accessed April 12, 2022. https://investor.zoetis.com/news/news-details/2022/Zoetis-Foundation-Announces-First-Round-of-2022-Grants-to-Advance-Farmer-and-Veterinarian-Education-Livelihoods-and-Wellness/default.aspx