Pet Gazette

Vets get online to promote responsible pet ownership

The British Veterinary Association (BVA) has teamed up with the new online community for pet owners www.petnet360.co.uk to promote responsible ownership and encourage pet owners to seek expert veterinary advice on a range of health, welfare and behaviour issues.

The PetNet360 site, backed by Vets Now, launches this month following the success of Facebook pages Park Bench and Scratching Post. The site provides pet owners with a safe and fun online environment to share information and stories, seek advice on a range of issues relating to their animals, and rate all the products and services they use for their cats and dogs.

PetNet360 will be working with the BVA to ensure the content of the online discussions is based on the most up-to-date factual information and advice from the veterinary profession.

In addition BVA members in small animal practice will be encouraged to get involved. All practices from the RCVS register will automatically be uploaded with a basic listing, but practices are encouraged to enhance their listing to get the most out of it.

BVA members will receive a 25 per cent discount on enhanced listings, a 25 per cent discount on adverts and a free webinar on using social media to increase footfall and client loyalty. The webinar will be delivered by leading social media agency FreshNetworks.

Commenting, president of the BVA Carl Padgett, said: "Vets in practice often worry about the quality of advice that their clients find by searching online. PetNet360 will provide a one-stop shop for generic information from veterinary experts on all manner of health, welfare and behaviour issues and consistently signpost pet owners to their own vet."

Steve Soden, PetNet360 director, added: "PetNet360 will provide the pet-owning community with accurate information in a fun and sociable setting. As well as receiving good quality advice, they can share experiences and offer support to each other all under the watchful eyes of experienced vets."

Veterinary practices wishing to find out more about how they can benefit from www.petnet360.co.uk should contact Julie Gray, community manager, on 0845 371 0360 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.