Press Release Details

NEW YORK, April 16, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Canine Companions for Independence, the first and largest assistance dog organization in the United States helping people with physical disabilities, and Henry Schein Animal Health, the leading companion animal health product and services provider in the country, announced a multi-year partnership designed to celebrate the volunteers who raise Canine Companions puppies and the veterinarians who provide care.

Starting later this year, each Canine Companions 'puppy raiser' and the veterinarian who cares for the dog will receive a "Henry Schein Cares-Canine Companions Puppy Raiser Care Package" stocked with the products essential for raising the puppy during the first 18 months of life. This care package will help defray the cost the volunteer incurs in raising the puppy by providing products and coupons directly to the veterinarian that cares for the puppy. The care package will include products and coupons critical to the raising of a healthy puppy. In addition, Henry Schein will launch a national fundraising campaign benefiting Canine Companions in tandem with the Company's animal health customers. Henry Schein will launch the program with a $50,000 commitment, excluding the value of the kits themselves.

"We are proud to join with Canine Companions to celebrate the puppy raisers and their veterinarians who so directly benefit our society," said Stanley M. Bergman, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Henry Schein, Inc., the parent company of Henry Schein Animal Health. "The puppy raiser devotes so much time, energy and personal financial resources for the benefit of people needing assistance, so we think it is only fitting to support that generosity with this gift. The veterinarian, as the health care partner of the puppy raiser, also contributes to the betterment of society by providing the care needed to ensure the puppy grows into a working assistance dog." 

Founded in 1975, non-profit Canine Companions for Independence created the concept of assistance dogs for people with physical disabilities and has placed over 4,600 assistance dog teams. The organization has about 1,400 volunteer puppy raisers that provide early socialization and basic training, both of which are essential in preparing a puppy for life as an assistance dog. Through the new partnership, each time a volunteer receives a puppy from Canine Companions, Henry Schein Animal Health will deliver the "Henry Schein Cares-Canine Companions Puppy Raiser Care Package" to the veterinarian of that volunteer puppy raiser. Henry Schein Animal Health also will present a plaque to each veterinarian acknowledging their role as a health care provider to a Canine Companions puppy.

"We are so pleased to be partnering with Henry Schein in this first-of-its-kind national program," said Paul Mundell, Chief Executive Officer of Canine Companions for Independence. "Our volunteers spend their own money to raise these amazing dogs, and their veterinarians provide exceptional care. We are gratified that Henry Schein recognizes the sacrifice our volunteers make on behalf of people with disabilities with this generous gift."

Click here to view a video about the work of Canine Companions.

About Canine Companions for Independence

Canine Companions for Independence provides highly trained assistance dogs to children and adults with disabilities. Established in 1975, Canine Companions has six training centers across the country, including CA, FL, OH, NY and TX. Canine Companions is recognized worldwide for the excellence of its dogs, and the quality and longevity of the matches it makes between dogs and people. There is no charge for the dog, its training and ongoing follow-up services. For more information, call 1-800-572-BARK or visit www.cci.org.

About Henry Schein Animal Health, U.S.

Henry Schein Animal Health, based in Dublin, Ohio, is the leading companion animal health distribution company in the United States, and the U.S. animal health business of Henry Schein, Inc. (NASDAQ: HSIC).  The Company employs approximately 900 team members, including 300 field sales representatives and 200 telesales and customer support representatives.  With 12 strategically located, state-of-the-art distribution facilities and 10 inside sales centers, the Company maintains a greater than a 99 percent order-fill ratio, accomplishing its mission of providing the right product at the right place and at the right time.

Henry Schein Animal Health partners with more than 480 global suppliers to bring veterinarians the broadest selection of products to companion animal, equine and large animal practices including dentistry, diagnostics, diets, equipment and supplies, nutraceuticals, oncology, orthopedics, parasiticides and pharmaceuticals.  In addition, the Company helps veterinarians grow their practice with its strategic Business Solutions including AVImark® and ImproMed® Practice Management Software, CHOICE Diagnostics, Henry Schein® Axis-Q™, Henry Schein® Financial Services,  Henry Schein® ProRepair®, Henry Schein® Rapport™, MyVetDirect.com® Home Delivery, Practice Partners (HRVetResource, Intelligent Inventory®, Leadership Intelligence, Employee Resource Manual and OSHA Compliance), Privacy Edge Identity Theft Protection, Professional Development Program, SmartPak™ ColicCare™, VetPressOnline Client Communications, and Veterinary Instrumentation™. For more information, visit www.henryscheinvet.com.

About Henry Schein, Inc.

Henry Schein, Inc. is the world's largest provider of health care products and services to office-based dental, animal health and medical practitioners. The Company also serves dental laboratories, government and institutional health care clinics, and other alternate care sites. A Fortune 500® Company and a member of the S&P 500® and NASDAQ 100® Indices, Henry Schein employs approximately 18,000 Team Schein Members and serves more than one million customers.

The Company offers a comprehensive selection of products and services, including value-added solutions for operating efficient practices and delivering high-quality care. Henry Schein operates through a centralized and automated distribution network, with a selection of more than 100,000 branded products and Henry Schein private-brand products in stock, as well as more than 150,000 additional products available as special-order items. The Company also offers its customers exclusive, innovative technology solutions, including practice management software and e-commerce solutions, as well as a broad range of financial services.

Headquartered in Melville, N.Y., Henry Schein has operations or affiliates in 29 countries. The Company's sales reached a record $10.4 billion in 2014, and have grown at a compound annual rate of approximately 16 percent since Henry Schein became a public company in 1995. For more information, visit the Henry Schein website at www.henryschein.com

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SOURCE Henry Schein, Inc.; Canine Companions

Jeanine Konopelski, National Director of Marketing, Canine Companions for Independence, jkonopelski@cci.org, (707) 577-1759; Susan Vassallo, Vice President, Corporate Communications, Henry Schein, Inc., susan.vassallo@henryschein.com, (631) 843-5562