ONTARIO, CANADA and BRUSSELS — On July 5, the Global Alliance of Pet Food Associations (GAPFA) announced it has entered a partnership with the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) in which the two global non-profits will work together to advance pet wellness, nutrition and veterinary care priorities.

“With the common purpose of being advocates for the health and well-being of companion animals around the world, we are excited to partner with WSAVA the voice of the global small animal veterinary profession,” said Robert Kaczmarek, president of GAPFA. “Veterinary care and pet nutrition go hand in hand, and we welcome the opportunity to help promote the well-being of pets who provide companionship and benefits through the human-animal bond, as recently demonstrated during the pandemic.   We have the opportunity to make a real change for both pets and the people who love them through this partnership.”

This adds to each organization’s existing partnership with the Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI), which advocates for the research and awareness of the human-animal bond around the world.

GAPFA commemorated its new partnership with WSAVA during its virtual Technical Congress held June 15. At that meeting, Dr. Siraya Chunekamrai, president of WSAVA, shared the organization’s future plans and priorities and how GAPFA will contribute to its mission.

“WSAVA members advocate for both the welfare and wellbeing of animals and of veterinary teams,” Chunekamrai said. “Promoting the value of the human-animal bond is one of our key priorities and we do this not only through our global veterinary community but also in collaborative leadership with like-minded associations, such as GAPFA. We are delighted to join forces with GAPFA and look forward to working with them to the benefit of people and animals in the months ahead.”

WSAVA connects 115 global member associations that represent more than 200,000 veterinarians worldwide. The organization’s priorities include nutrition, pain management and vaccination, as well as other veterinary topics and issues facing companion animals.

Read more news from associations and agencies in the pet food sector.