The Healthy Pet Project

The Healthy Pet Project HPP is a wonderful opportunity to educate our community participants in the skills needed to promote healthier lifestyles for their pets, themselves, and in the differences and similarities between pet and human health concerns. Most of our workshop participants are not aware of MedlinePlus for humans let alone its pet health section. Since MedlinePlus provides easy to use, reliable information in both areas, MedlinePlus information and training will be incorporated into the program. In addition, we are able to address our participants' concerns for their pets with regard to disaster preparedness. Of course, disaster preparedness for our animal companions also parallels preparedness for ourselves and the information we provide covers both. The Healthy Pet Project is being sponsored by a diverse group including an academic health sciences library, public libraries, the Veterinary Medical Center of CNY, the Priscilla Mahar Animal Welfare Foundation and the Central New York Library Resources Council. Our program reaches out to a diversity of audiences including: K-12; senior; underserved and minority populations; the members of our local libraries including those of our program partners; 86 receiving care at the Golisano 86's Hospital, UPSTATE Cancer Center and students and clinicians at Upstate Medical University. Participation in the workshops is not limited to our program partners. The availability of the Healthy Pet Project workshops is promoted through the HPP webpage under development, social media outlets and at community events such as the Canine Carnival so individuals and interested organizations are informed about how to schedule a workshop in their community. The workshops are offered without fee during the award period. If fully funded, we anticipate offering sixteen workshops 2 per month and reaching over 200 community members.