BI introduces Pawru for tech-enabled collaborative pet care
The new platform, which supplants PetPro Connect, links pet owners with their veterinary practice for a host of services.
Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health USA Inc (BI) has announced the launch of Pawru, Inc as a separate entity within the company’s animal health business. Pawru encompasses and expands BI’s digital collaborative animal healthcare platform, currently known as PetPro Connect, which was expanded in March 2020 to meet the sudden demand for telemedicine created by pandemic-related social distancing requirements and now serves more than 1.3 million pets. All PetPro Connect branding will transition to Pawru branding.
According to a company press release, Pawru has its origins at BI X, an independent subsidiary the company created in 2017 to incubate ideas for digital innovation in healthcare. Key features of the platform include appointment scheduling, messaging, prescription refills, health records, rebates, telemedicine, pet health care content, and loyalty programs. With a large majority of pet owners representing millennials and Generation Z, the app is ideal for digital natives and first-time pet parents. The Company will also explore strategic partners to expand its commercial offerings.
“Since expanding PetPro Connect to the entire United States less than a year ago, we have gained incredible insight into the opportunities for advancing pet health and wellness using innovative digital technologies,” says Heath Wilkes, head of us digital health at BI Animal Health. “We are excited to deliver additional offerings as Pawru—a name that brings together a connected community to deliver friendly, engaging and valuable digital health services for all who care for pets.”
Randolph Legg, president and head of commercial business at BI Animal Health, concurs. “The evolving trends in pet health care and the experience of caring for animals during a pandemic have accentuated the importance and value of convenient and collaborative veterinary care for pets,” he says. “By establishing Pawru, we are creating a clear path to deliver future digital innovation and growth to benefit our animal health customers and partners.”
To learn more, visit pawru.com.
