NAVC adds Dechra to human-animal bond certified company group
Bottom line
NAVC has named Dechra its newest Human-Animal Bond Certified Company, extending a certification program launched by NAVC and the Human Animal Bond Research Institute in 2018. In announcing the designation on November 7, 2025, NAVC said Dechra joins a small group of companies that have committed to training their workforce on the science of the human-animal bond and supporting related education and research. Dechra said the move aligns with its veterinary specialty care focus and comes with plans to begin sharing Human-Animal Bond Certification training with customers in early 2026 through NAVC’s VetFolio platform. (navc.com)
Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, this is less about a new badge and more about who is funding and distributing continuing education around client communication, welfare, and bond-centered care. The certification covers topics including the biology of the bond, welfare assessment, doctor-client interactions, and ways to reduce visit practices that can strain the bond. NAVC says the course is approved for 9 hours of RACE-approved CE for the certification, with an additional 7.5 hours for electives, which could make Dechra’s planned customer rollout relevant for clinics looking for accessible staff training. (dechra-us.com)
What to watch: Watch for how broadly Dechra rolls out subsidized or lower-cost training in 2026, and whether more animal health companies follow Zoetis, Virbac, and now Dechra into the certification program. (navc.com)
NAVC has added Dechra to its roster of Human-Animal Bond Certified Companies, marking another expansion of a certification program designed to bring bond science into veterinary education and practice. The announcement, made November 7, 2025, positions Dechra, a global veterinary specialty care company, alongside a small but growing set of animal health organizations that have formally backed the program. (navc.com)
The designation builds on a program NAVC and HABRI launched in 2018 to help veterinary professionals better understand and apply the science behind the human-animal bond. NAVC’s earlier announcements show Zoetis became the first certified company in 2019, and NAVC separately highlighted Virbac as another company-wide participant before Dechra joined the list. That history matters because it shows the initiative has gradually moved from an educational offering for individuals into a broader industry-facing platform backed by major animal health companies. (navc.com)
In NAVC’s announcement, the organization said Dechra had joined an “elite group” of certified companies committed to elevating the bond in veterinary medicine. Dechra’s own release added more operational detail: the company said certification includes training its workforce on bond science, supporting HABRI research, and making certification training available to customers starting in early 2026. Dechra also said its support will help make the course, delivered through NAVC’s VetFolio platform, more accessible and affordable as online continuing education for individual veterinarians and clinics. (navc.com)
The curriculum itself is aimed squarely at practice application. According to Dechra and NAVC, modules cover biological mechanisms of the bond, health benefits of human-animal interaction, animal welfare domains and assessment, communication protocols that strengthen doctor-client interactions, and methods for eliminating visit practices that can undermine the bond. NAVC’s support materials also indicate the certification is approved for 9 hours of RACE-approved CE, with another 7.5 hours available in electives. (dechra-us.com)
Industry messaging around the announcement was closely tied to public health and client engagement. Dechra framed the designation around International Human-Animal Bond Day on November 8, and Laura Olsen, president of North America and chief marketing officer at Dechra, said the certification would help equip veterinarians with tools to protect the bond in practice and in their communities. HABRI President Steven Feldman said the company’s participation reinforces its leadership role and helps empower veterinary teams and pet parents with information that supports the bond. Dechra also pointed to HABRI survey findings that 80% of pet parents globally said they would be more likely to maintain their pet’s health, including regular veterinary checkups, if they understood more about the science of the bond. (dechra-us.com)
Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, the practical significance is that human-animal bond education is increasingly being treated as a clinical and business competency, not just a communications extra. Training that helps teams discuss welfare, adherence, fear-reducing visits, and the meaning of care to pet parents can affect compliance, retention, and the quality of the client relationship. When large manufacturers and specialty care companies put funding behind that education, it can expand access, normalize the content inside practice teams, and shape how bond-centered care is discussed across the profession. That said, clinics may still want to look closely at how any sponsored education is positioned, what the learning objectives are, and whether implementation tools are practical for busy teams. (dechra-us.com)
There’s also a workforce angle. In a period when veterinary teams continue to face pressure around burnout, communication load, and client expectations, structured education on the bond may resonate because it connects medical recommendations to the relationship pet parents are trying to preserve. NAVC’s recent newsroom items suggest the organization is continuing to invest in this area, including student-focused access initiatives with Zoetis in 2025 and an expanded scholarship effort in 2026 for veterinary technician students. That suggests the certification is becoming part of a wider pipeline strategy, reaching both current teams and future professionals. (navc.com)
What to watch: The next key signal will be execution, specifically whether Dechra’s early-2026 customer rollout translates into meaningful uptake in clinics, broader affordability, and more visible integration of bond-centered CE into everyday veterinary workflows. (dechra-us.com)