Позитивные изменения. Том 3, № 4 (2023). Positive changes. Volume 3, Issue 4(2023)

UVIVO is a concierge service for pet owners. It offers a comprehensive ecosystem of services designed to assist owners in caring for their pets throughout their entire lifespan, from birth to old age. UVIVO delivers a full spectrum of services for pet owners, including consultations on nutrition, training, care, and maintenance, as well as the coordination of medical treatments. The service also sources professionals, from pet sitters to veterinarians and animal behaviorists. A key focus of the company’s operations is its collaboration with universities to facilitate the training of specialists in pet care.

PROBLEM ADDRESSED

The concept for UVIVO was conceived by Olga Klimova while she was a university student. The moment of inspiration came when a friend’s family, while planning a vacation, found themselves without a place to keep their dog. They asked Olga for help looking after their pet in their absence. Olga agreed, and soon she recognized the potential for a viable business. Her market research revealed that Moscow’s pet care services were significantly underdeveloped at the time, compared to those in European countries and the United States, where pet hotels and private pet sitters were readily available to care for cats and dogs while their owners were away.

UVIVO launched in 2007, initially providing specialist services for dog walking and training. As the company expanded, adding new services, it encountered a notable shortage of trained professionals in the pet care industry. Olga Klimova points out that within the Russian education system, 51 universities offer animal-related programs. However, these programs predominantly focus on agricultural livestock. In contrast, pets are classified as non-productive animals under GOST R 56928–2016, meaning they are not raised for such agricultural outputs. In other words, they are not used in producing meat, milk, wool, and other animal products.

As per the data from the city’s Department of Veterinary Medicine, there are 500,000 animals registered in Moscow that have been vaccinated against rabies. “From a statistical standpoint, these 500,000 pet owners represent our target audience. Additionally, it is estimated that around 170,000 Muscovites require some form of domestic pet care service. This need arises from various situations like vacations, business trips, or the necessity for veterinary nursing care post-surgery or during rehabilitation periods. Our analysis suggests that to cater to an audience of 170,000, we need a workforce of 33,000 specialists. In Moscow, six universities are offering animal-related courses, each producing about 1,500 graduates annually. However, the annual output of 9,000 qualified specialists falls short of meeting the demand for these domestic services required by a significant segment of the population,” Olga Klimova explains.

METHODS USED TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM

To tackle the challenge of staff shortages, the company is actively engaged in three key areas: career orientation, pre-vocational education, and vocational training for specialists in animal care. UVIVO collaborates with several esteemed institutions, including the Russian Biotechnological University, RUDN University’s Veterinary Faculty, Russian State Agrarian University — Moscow Timiryazev Agricultural Academy’s Cynology Faculty, Skryabin Moscow State Academy of Veterinary Medicine and Biotechnology’s Cynology Faculty, Moscow State University of Food Production’s Veterinary Faculty, Upper Volga State Agrarian Biotechnology University, Don State Agrarian University, Vyatka State Agricultural Technology University, Kursk State Agricultural Academy named after I. I. Ivanov, among others.

“What is the cornerstone of our partnerships? We integrate additional programs and activities focused on non-productive animals into the universities’ curricula. I personally deliver lectures to students at local institutions and online classes are held for the Universities in the provinces,” Olga Klimova explains.

In addition to higher learning institutions, UVIVO is expanding its efforts to develop pre-vocational and vocational education programs at secondary vocational education institutions.

“We visit schools and libraries, spending 3–4 hours talking to the students about the ecosystem, different types of pets, and animal-related professions available in the job market. These engaging sessions often conclude with a survey to identify students interested in pursuing a career working with non-productive animals. Those showing interest are then offered pre-vocational training,” Olga Klimova elaborates.