Fifth Third proudly helps veterinarians achieve their practice ownership dreams through Provide – and now the Bank is supporting pet owners directly in conjunction with National Dog Day.

“National Dog Day seemed like the perfect opportunity to express that gratitude by supporting pet owners in partnership with some outstanding animal hospitals.”

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On Monday, more than 300 pet owners at select Provide veterinary hospitals in Charlotte and Atlanta were surprised with gifts to help offset the cost of pet care, including a $167 gift card and a pack of pet toys, treats and other goodies for their furry friends.

“The growth of our veterinary business the last three years under the leadership of Cary Crego and Bert Hockenberry has been one of Provide’s great successes as a division of Fifth Third, but first and foremost it’s an industry – from veterinarians to pet owners to pets themselves – that we’re honored to serve and grateful to be a part of,” said Provide President and Fifth Third Head of Small Business Andrew Bennett. “National Dog Day seemed like the perfect opportunity to express that gratitude by supporting pet owners in partnership with some outstanding animal hospitals.”

Through its history, Provide has originated more than $4 billion in loans, and in partnership with Fifth Third, has provided core banking and payments services to more than 80% of the doctors for whom it provides financing. Provide’s first product was practice lending, enabling providers to start, buy or expand healthcare practices, and it has since grown to offer a full suite of business and personal financial products tailored to the needs of practice owners. Fifth Third was an early investor in Provide in 2018.

In the three years since Fifth Third’s acquisition of Provide, 3,000 veterinarians, doctors and dentists have been empowered to start or grow their practices. Monday’s event was a partnership between Fifth Third and eight Provide-supported veterinary practices.

“We know that pet ownership is a dream for many, but it can come with hefty costs, such as vet visits, providing healthy nutrition, ensuring safe surroundings and more,” said Melissa Stevens, Fifth Third’s Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer. “At Fifth Third we put 166.7% into everything we do for our customers and supporting them on National Dog Day is just one example of how we can help build healthier, happier communities from the paws up.”

Among the goodies in each pet pack are treats from Beer City Dog Biscuits in Grand Rapids, Michigan, a company dedicated to supporting adults with disabilities in their personal and professional growth. Each of Beer City’s dog biscuits is hand-made and packaged by adults with intellectual and developmental challenges.

At Fifth Third’s corporate headquarters in Cincinnati, Ohio, the Bank is also partnering with Circle Tail, a local organization that trains therapy and facility dogs. Circle Tail will provide therapy dogs-in-training and program dog ambassadors in select bank branches across Cincinnati and Dayton throughout September. Treats from Beer City Dog Biscuits will also be distributed to customers’ four-legged friends at the branches.

Additionally, Fifth Third funded pet adoptions through the Cincinnati SPCA in mid-August as part of the organizations’ “Pups & Players” partnership at the Cincinnati Open tennis tournament.