A Message From Liz Bales, V'00
Vice President of Innovation and Entrepreneurship Penn Vet Alumni Board
In 2014, I learned the number one cause of death for cats is euthanasia and the number one reason for euthanasia is being surrendered to an animal shelter for behavior problems. My mind was blown! Cats’ behavioral needs were clearly defined in the 2013 AAFP Environmental Needs Guidelines. In short, we humans bring cats into our homes, do not meet their needs, and when they react to this deprivation, we euthanize them.
Something had to change.
Then that voice came in my head. “Why don’t you solve it?” That’s the day my career, and my life changed forever. I knew that cats spend up to 80% of their waking hours in nature hunting for mouse-sized meals. Feeding behavior seemed the most important place to start. I reviewed the criteria necessary to meet a cat’s feeding behavior needs, and drew the first diagram for a prototype to give a cat a way to hunt, catch, and play with six small meals a day. Since then, I’ve sold over 200,000 feeding systems, spoken at veterinary conferences, won awards, appeared on national television and radio, and launched six more products that I collectively call the Feline Behavior Pharmacy.
You never know when your life is going to change forever. Do you see a problem without a solution? Maybe you should solve it.
As the Alumni Board vice president of innovation and entrepreneurship, I’m working closely with Penn Vet and our alumni to create connections between ideas and the people who can make them come to life, and to create connections between seasoned veterinarians, big thinkers and students. I hope you’ll help me!
Together we are going to work through some of the biggest challenges facing our profession and innovate solutions. What will the clinic of the future be? How do we handle finance, flexibility, and family? The first challenge is identifying the problem. What are your biggest struggles and concerns? Submit your thoughts on the challenges facing our profession to Liz@DocLizBales.com.
The Alumni Board itself is an innovation. Like any great innovation, it requires new energy and new thinkers. I hope you will consider becoming a part of the board and perhaps even serving in an officer role. To learn more about the alumni board and to explore alumni volunteer opportunities, go to www.vet.upenn.edu/engage. Maybe you can solve it.