WASHINGTON D.C. and STAMFORD, Conn. – November 30, 2023 – The Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI) and Synchrony (NYSE: SYF), a leading consumer finance company, today announced a strategic partnership to advance the companies’ shared goal of strengthening the human-animal bond.

“At Synchrony, we’re continually looking for ways to equip pet parents and veterinarians with the knowledge, resources and financial solutions to provide all pets with the care they need, over the course of their lifetime,” said Boo Larsen, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Veterinary and Pet Care, Synchrony. “By joining forces with HABRI, we hope to help everyone in the relationship with the animal truly understand the mutually beneficial power of the bond, which will in turn lead to better veterinary care.”¹

Synchrony is committed to empowering the health and wellness of people and their families, including their pets, through its flexible financial solutions including the CareCredit health and wellness credit card and Pets Best, as well as partnerships such as this one with HABRI. HABRI’s efforts to demonstrate and substantiate the positive impact of this special bond on the health of pets, individuals, families and communities align perfectly with Synchrony.

Synchrony will help HABRI fulfill its mission of building the human-animal bond by:

• Funding HABRI’s impactful research that documents the positive benefits of companion animals for personal and public health and addresses major industry issues.
• Amplifying HABRI’s science-based education to CareCredit’s network of 25,000 veterinary providers – which reaches 95% of veterinary university hospitals and ~75% of veterinary hospitals nationwide – to increase public awareness of the human-animal bond’s essential role in human and animal health and wellness.
• Participating in HABRI’s public policy initiatives and advocating for legislative solutions that support pet owners and help increase access to pet care. Synchrony executives recently participated in HABRI’s Pet Night on Capitol Hill, which has become the premier opportunity to give Members of Congress and Congressional staff an opportunity to meet with pet care community leaders and organizations to learn about the importance of pet ownership to human health and wellbeing..

“Through its veterinary and pet solutions, Synchrony not only recognizes the importance of the human-animal bond, but also serves as an important means of preserving the bond by facilitating access to veterinary care for millions of families,” says Steven Feldman, President, HABRI. “By aligning with Synchrony’s CareCredit and leveraging its strong foothold in human healthcare, we believe we can get one step further to bridging the important connection between human and animal health.”

¹International Survey of Pet Owners & Veterinarians

About HABRI

HABRI is a not-for-profit organization that funds innovative scientific research to document the health benefits of companion animals; educates the public about human-animal bond research; and advocates for the beneficial role of companion animals in society. For more information, please visit http://www.habri.org

About Synchrony

Synchrony (NYSE: SYF) is a premier consumer financial services company delivering one of the industry's most complete digitally enabled product suites. Our experience, expertise and scale encompass a broad spectrum of industries including digital, health and wellness, retail, telecommunications, home, auto, outdoor, pet and more. We have an established and diverse group of national and regional retailers, local merchants, manufacturers, buying groups, industry associations and healthcare service providers, which we refer to as our “partners.” We connect our partners and consumers through our dynamic financial ecosystem and provide them with a diverse set of financing solutions and innovative digital capabilities to address their specific needs and deliver seamless, omnichannel experiences. We offer the right financing products to customers in their channel of choice. For more information, visit www.synchrony.com.

Media Contacts:

Michelle Blaya Romero
Synchrony
Michelle.Romero@syf.com

Inspire PR Group
Hayley Maynard for HABRI 614-701-8205
Hayley@inspireprgroup.com