Boehringer joins NAVC human-animal bond certification program
Bottom line
Boehringer Ingelheim has joined NAVC’s Human-Animal Bond Certified Company Program, becoming the latest animal health company to align itself with the certification created by the North American Veterinary Community and the Human Animal Bond Research Institute. NAVC says the Human-Animal Bond Certification is a science-based continuing education program offered through VetFolio, and current NAVC materials describe it as a 9-hour, RACE-approved CE certification focused on helping veterinary professionals apply human-animal bond principles across the care journey, including end-of-life support. Recent coverage of a similar certification announcement involving Virbac suggests the company-level designation is tied to corporate support for training, education, and broader access to the program. (navc.com)
Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, this is less about branding and more about who’s funding and normalizing client-relationship education in practice. Human-animal bond training is designed to help teams communicate the value of care, strengthen trust with pet parents, and frame clinical decisions in ways that connect medical recommendations with the pet-parent relationship. With large industry partners such as Boehringer Ingelheim backing these programs, the practical effect could be broader uptake of bond-focused CE and more clinics incorporating that lens into preventive care, adherence conversations, and euthanasia support. (navc.com)
What to watch: Watch for details on whether Boehringer Ingelheim’s support will reduce cost barriers, expand team access, or drive new HAB-related education and research through NAVC and HABRI. (dvm360.com)
Boehringer Ingelheim has joined NAVC’s Human-Animal Bond Certified Company Program, adding another major animal health company to a certification effort that blends continuing education, client communication, and human-animal bond science. The move was announced by NAVC and also covered by trade media, which framed the designation as a signal of corporate commitment to veterinary education and research tied to the bond between pets and people. (petage.com)
The certification itself has been around since 2018, when NAVC and HABRI launched Human-Animal Bond Certified for veterinarians, veterinary nurses, and practice managers. At launch, the program was positioned as a way to give veterinary teams a formal grounding in research on the health benefits of companion animals and in how to use that knowledge in practice. NAVC’s more recent materials show the program has become one of its established certification offerings, delivered through VetFolio and carrying RACE-approved CE. (petage.com)
There’s also evidence that the program has evolved in scope and visibility. NAVC’s current help materials list the Human-Animal Bond Certification as valid for two years, with recertification required, and note that those who complete it may use the HABc credential. NAVC’s 2024 impact report describes the certification as 9 hours of RACE-approved CE and says it covers fostering the human-animal bond across life stages, including compassionate support during end-of-life care and euthanasia. (help.navc.com)
While the Boehringer-specific announcement centers on certification status, recent reporting on Virbac’s entry into the same program offers useful context on how the company designation appears to work. In that case, NAVC and HABRI said the certification expanded a broader partnership around training and education, and dvm360 reported that more than 1,325 veterinary professionals had become Human-Animal Bond Certified since the program launched in 2018. That article also described the course as a comprehensive, science-based program intended to help veterinary professionals incorporate bond principles into daily practice. It’s reasonable to infer that Boehringer Ingelheim’s participation serves a similar purpose: backing access, awareness, and institutional support for the certification rather than simply earning a badge. (dvm360.com)
Boehringer Ingelheim’s involvement also fits its broader public positioning. On its U.S. animal health site, the company says it operates “at the intersection of the bond that people and animals share,” and company materials related to grants and charitable giving explicitly include the human-animal bond among supported areas. HABRI materials published in 2025 also list Boehringer Ingelheim among contributing companies connected to its work. (animalhealth.boehringer-ingelheim.com)
Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, the significance is practical. Human-animal bond education can sharpen how teams discuss preventive care, adherence, quality of life, and difficult decisions with pet parents. In an environment where practices are under pressure to improve communication, retention, and client trust, bond-focused CE gives clinicians and support staff a framework for connecting medical recommendations to what matters most to families. Corporate sponsorship can also matter materially if it expands access to CE, offsets costs, or encourages whole-team participation rather than limiting training to individual clinicians. (navc.com)
There’s an industry angle, too. NAVC has increasingly built certification programs as part of its broader professional development ecosystem, and major sponsors are using those programs to show alignment with veterinary team wellbeing, education, and client-centered care. Boehringer Ingelheim joining the Human-Animal Bond Certified Company Program suggests that bond science is moving further into the mainstream of animal health industry strategy, not just shelter medicine, welfare discussions, or academic conversation. (navc.com)
What to watch: The next question is whether NAVC, HABRI, or Boehringer Ingelheim attach concrete access initiatives to the announcement, such as subsidized enrollment, expanded clinic participation, or new research and outreach tied to the certification. If other recent partnerships are a guide, the value for veterinary teams will depend on whether this translates into easier access to training and visible practice-level tools, not just another industry designation. (dvm360.com)