AKC Chairman of the Board Ron Menaker presents HRH Princess Anne a book entitled
The Sporting Dogs of King George V as Master of Ceremonies Brian Greenham looks on.

New York, NY - HRH Princess Anne was the guest of the American Kennel Club at a luncheon held today to celebrate the launch of AKC's Pet Healthcare Program.

PetPartners, Inc. and the American Kennel Club have recently announced the AKC Pet Healthcare Plan. PetPartners successfully introduced pet healthcare insurance through The Kennel Club in the U.K. and has now teamed with the AKC to bring their services to the U.S.

"The Princess, in her role as President of the Animal Health Trust, has been one of our most prominent supporters in the U.K.," said John Spurling, Chairman of PetPartners. "Our company has been involved with the Trust for twelve years", added Spurling "providing valuable information regarding health trends for dogs in the U.K."

Among those attending the luncheon were Ronald H. Menaker, AKC Chairman; David C. Merriam, AKC Vice Chairman; John D. Spurling, OBE, Chairman of Pet Partners Inc; Alfred L. Cheauré, AKC President and CEO; Rosemary Smart, Chief Executive of The Kennel Club in England; Jeff Ansell, President of the Iams Company; Dr. Urs Giger,
Chief of Medical Genetics, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania; Lonnie Ledbetter, President of State National Insurance Company; Cristyne L. Nicholas, President & CEO of NYC & Company; Robert Devine Jr., President of Hartz Mountain Corporation and Dr. Guy L. Pidgeon, President & CEO of The Animal Medical Center, NYC.

Ron Menaker, AKC Chairman, stated "We were thrilled to be able to host Her Royal Highness at this luncheon in New York to underscore the importance of pet healthcare."

Courtesy of The American Kennel Club (AKC) www.akc.org