This just in.... Fleishman-Hillard Inc., one of the world's premier public relations firms, is going to the dogs. Having built its reputation on "using strategic communications to deliver meaningful, positive, and measurable impact on the performance of organizations," the agency announced late Tuesday that it has formed an animal care practice.

According to the news release: the group will be headed by Senior Vice President Catherine Haskins and co-chaired by Doug Bell, General Manager of F-H Cleveland; it will be composed of about 35 employees; offices include St. Louis, Cleveland, and Frankfurt, Germany; and the dog group also will focus on issues management and public affairs.

Bell spun the whole thing by saying, "Animals and humans share many of the same health care issues, from obesity to joint health to social anxiety. Policies that affect the research, development, commercialization, and regulation of human health products affect the animal health sector and vice versa."

However, most PR insiders were expecting the announcement and see this as the third phase of a three part growth strategy for the firm. Commenting on this development, Martin Turnbull, noted PR business analyst and professor at the Kepler School of Management, quickly pointed out that the animal health and nutrition industry generates some $15.2 billion in global sales annually.

Turnbull said: "Having announced the Gay Practice in November '04 and the Baby Boomer Group in November of this year, I've personally seen a hell of a lot of well-to-do single baby boomers out walkin' their poofy pedigrees in the morning. They certainly look gay. I think this is a pretty savvy move on Senay's part."

COMMENTARY

Woof woof!