MORE than 1,000 people turned out on Sunday for Medical Disposables & Supplies Limited (MDS) annual conference on pet health.

Dubbed ‘Gone to the Dogs’, this year the conference centred around the critical topic of pet health. It highlighted the importance of pet care and the crucial role pharmacists can play in promoting health and wellness for both pets and their owners.

Though there was an in-house audience, the conference had a virtual component to accommodate viewers from across the world.

Hosted by veterinarian-turned-host and author Dr Terri-Karelle Johnson, the conference drew attendees from 23 regions around the globe, highlighting its far-reaching impact and appeal.

These countries included the Cayman Islands, St Lucia, Guyana, United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Europe, Asia, three African countries, and naturally, Jamaica.

The conference featured four expert presenters, who led informative and engaging sessions on various aspects of pet health. The topics covered included ‘Allergy 101’, which was presented by Dr Kimberley Cousins who joined the conference virtually, and delivered a very engaging session.

‘Pet Nutrition and Pharmacology’ was presented by Vanessa Benjamin-Chatrie, registered pharmacist and managing director/Owner of Baruch Animal Health Distributors.

In her presentation, Benjamin-Chatrie discussed the significance of the pet industry in Jamaica, with a whopping $21.56 million in revenue from the pet food market alone. This is expected to grow annually by 6.09 per cent.

The final act was a two-fold presentation, featuring Joseph Brown, general curator at the Hope Zoo Preservation Foundation, Lorenzo Letts and Dr Teddy Barks.

The ‘Pet Therapy’ session was split into two topics, with Brown focusing on assisted recovery and care in Jamaica, differentiating between emotional support animals, and service and working dogs.

Assisted therapy has various benefits for pet owners, patients and healthcare providers, as they are used to promote improvement in human physical, social, emotional, and or cognitive functions.

Letts and Dr Barks engaged the audience in a discussion about ‘Healing Through Animal Companionship’.

The use of pet therapy provides a non-invasive, effective treatment that improves the quality of life for individuals in various healthcare and social settings. This is seen through the work done by Dr Barks and a number of other emotional support animals at the Bustamante Hospital for Children.

These sessions provided valuable insights and practical knowledge for pet owners, veterinarians, and others in the pet care industry, empowering them to better support the health and well-being of their furry companions.

“We are thrilled with the turnout and the positive response to this year’s M-Powered Conference,” said Kurt Boothe, CEO and director of MDS.

“Despite the challenges of hosting a mostly virtual event, we were able to bring together a passionate community of pet lovers, professionals, and experts to learn and share knowledge on essential topics in pet health,” added Boothe.

The virtual event also featured ZJ Sparks, who kept the energy high during breaks with lively musical performances.