Pet e-commerce company Chewy launched a telehealth service called “Connect With a Vet,” that allows pet parents and veterinarians to leverage the company’s proprietary tele-triage platform to preserve continuous veterinarian care and support amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

With this service, Chewy makes it possible for pet parents to connect directly with a licensed veterinarian to get answers to some of the most commonly asked questions, to receive advice, discuss concerns they might have regarding the health and wellness of their pet, and even get referrals to their local vets or emergency clinics. The vets are not diagnosing medical conditions, providing treatment, or prescribing medications. During the pilot phase of the “Connect With a Vet” program over 80% of users rated the service 10/10.

“We have focused our efforts into developing an easy to use and convenient tele-triage product that we anticipate will have a positive impact given the current environment, and also extend beyond that. We are always looking to enhance our customers’ experience. Visiting a local vet continues to be a challenge for many pet parents during this time. Similarly, the vet community has also been impacted via clinic shutdowns or reduced clinic hours. So, we thought, why not come up with a solution that can help both communities, our customers and veterinarians, in this time of greatest need.” – Sumit Singh, CEO of Chewy.

The “Connect With a Vet” tele-triage service was initially launched in Florida and Massachusetts in May, and Chewy has expanded it to over 35 states with plans of offering it nationwide. The service is currently available exclusively and free of charge to customers who are subscribed to the company’s Autoship program, which is responsible for nearly 70% of its net sales.

To bring this service to life, Chewy has partnered with vets impacted by the pandemic or those seeking flexibility in scheduling.

Source: Coverager