Teaching kids about pet care
Think back to your childhood. Did you ever play make-believe you were a vet or animal rescuer? Or maybe you imagined taking your pet to the vet when they were ill? Thinking back, it would have been nice to play make-believe in a real playtime clinic and learn more about what vets and pet owners need to know. Well, our colleagues from Middle East, Turkey, and Africa (META) have done just the thing for the kids of today who are budding pet owners or vets of the future!
As we continue to work towards improving animal health through innovative measures, we also recognize the need to educate and inspire the younger generation, who could become future pet owners or decide to pursue a career in veterinary medicine. Our Animal Health team from META partnered with Nestlé Purina to create an interactive and educational veterinary clinic at KidZania Dubai. Part of it: fluffy life-sized toy animals, a realistic clinic set-up, a team to talk about animal health and well-being, and the complete BI Pet and Nestlé Purina product range on display.
Located at Dubai Mall, the largest mall in the world, KidZania is an attraction where children between the ages of two and 16 participate in role-playing through various booths. Booths offer an opportunity to try different professions, allowing children to shape their confidence and develop real-life skills. In this setting, Purina will advise on pet nutrition and Boehringer Ingelheim, with the help of KidZania staff, will educate children about animal welfare through real-life experiences, and draw the link between human and animal well-being.
"At Boehringer Ingelheim, we recognize that the lives of animals and humans are interconnected in deep and complex ways,” says Herbert Pohle, Head of Animal Health META. “As one of the largest animal health businesses globally, we believe in driving value through innovation and in prevention over treatment, with one of our main focuses being the development of innovative medical solutions to support our customers in taking care of their animal's health. Our work with KidZania Dubai and Purina on Veterinary Clinic gives us the unique opportunity to inspire young minds and grow their understanding of the importance of animal health in ways that cannot be done in a classroom."
Here's a sneak peek at the fun that awaits the young ones at our Veterinary Clinic at KidZania Dubai: