Pawzy Telehealth enables vets to continue providing critical services, while supporting physical distancing

TORONTO, ON - March 24, 2020 - In response to the evolving COVID-19 crisis, Pawzy, a Toronto-based pet health technology company, today launched a telemedicine solution for veterinary clinics to meet the immediate needs of patients and veterinary practices. The platform is available now to clinics across North America at pawzy.co/telehealth/clinics.

Pawzy can equip clinics with virtual care in less than 24 hours, allowing pet health workers to quickly adopt a virtual-first strategy to protect the ongoing wellbeing of pets, pet parents, and veterinary staff. The telemedicine software enables veterinarians to triage patients, provide general medical advice, remotely diagnose disease and injury, prescribe medication, and direct patients to in-person emergency care as necessary. As we approach the busy spring flea and tick season, Pawzy Telehealth will also support the distribution of flea and tick control and heartworm prevention medication that limit the spread of long-term diseases.

Following the input and guidance of veterinarians and veterinary associations, Pawzy Telehealth features empower clinics to:

• Set up and operate a virtual waiting room, check-in patients, and manage patient queues;

• Conduct high-definition video consultations with up to 10 participants, and take instant  photos for medical records;

• Message patients, share files and collect payments securely; and 

• Access the platform via a computer or mobile device — no app download required.

“We were in the midst of building other pet health software when COVID-19 started to take hold in Ontario, and we swiftly pivoted our focus to the immediate need for a virtual care solution” said Kerri-Lynn McAllister, Founder and CEO at Pawzy. “We planned to build vet telemedicine software in the future as part of a larger service offering, but we were not actively working on it until the recent turn in events. Like many of our peers in the technology sector, we looked for the best way possible to service our community through this challenging time of unprecedented uncertainty. Pawzy Telehealth is our way of supporting critical pet care.”

“This week, we saw local and provincial governments mandate the closure of all non-essential businesses. In Ontario, we were pleased to hear that our government designated veterinary clinics as essential,” said Dr. Walt Ingwersen DVM, DVSc, DACVIM and Pawzy Advisor. “Clinics everywhere may be operating with reduced hours and limiting their physical operations to support critical care. There is an immediate need for virtual solutions to ensure pet parents get access to veterinary care and advice, and to support the veterinary profession as it weathers this storm.”

Pawzy.co launched in October 2019 with a proprietary breed selector tool to pair potential pet parents to an ideal dog for them, veterinary-approved dog breed guides, and, for the first time in Canada, a hub to access both breeders and adoption agencies on one platform.  

Pawzy is founded by Kerri-Lynn McAllister, a Toronto-based technology leader with over a decade of experience building popular online marketplaces in Canada like Ratehub.ca and Zoocasa.com. Pawzy is supported by an advisory team of North American pet care, technology and business leaders, including Dr. Walt Ingwersen, past President of the World Small Animal Veterinary Association.

About Pawzy

Pawzy is a purpose-driven technology company devoted to connecting modern pet parents to the tools and information needed to make the best health and wellness decisions for their loved ones. With a mission to provide accessible and affordable pet care for all, Pawzy pledges 1% of its business to animal charities through the Upside Foundation.

Full team and advisory board information can be found here.

Images and materials are available in this Pawzy Press Kit.

For media inquiries and interviews, please contact Pawzy Communications at comms@pawzy.co.