Potion’s PR professional and expert on animal health marketing is Ally Gau who joined Potion early in 2010. As well as working across other business and technical accounts, she is tasked with developing an animal health PR practice for the company. 

In addition to her animal health PR expertise, she has a background in the equine industry that spans 20 years, several countries, and some of the biggest names in equestrian sport. She has signficiant Equestrian PR and Veterinary PR experience focusing on the equine market.  A British Horse Society accredited instructor and stable manager, Ally worked for a member of the GB Three Day event team before embarking on a career course at the world-renowned Talland School of Equitation. She followed this with several years on the continent producing young horses for dressage, eventing and show-jumping before returning to the UK to teach dressage and train career students.

This invaluable practical experience of top-level competition horse production exposed her to the most up-to-date research and training materials available, which sparked an ongoing obsession with researching and writing about animal health, fitness and training. While Ally’s main interest is equine, she has also worked on a number of successful projects for canine and feline health products.

Her animal health and equine PR credentials prior to joining Potion include achieving national coverage for canine blood donation charity Pet Blood Bank and for the Petplan National Riding Festival, the production of bylined technical articles for Intervet Schering Plough Animal Health and Dechra Veterinary products, and the management of consumer and trade campaigns for Novartis Animal Health, Dechra Veterinary Products and the National Office for Animal Health (NOAH). Past projects have included researching and writing about ISCOM Matrix adjuvants in equine vaccinations, treatment options for canine atopic dermatitis, and available therapies for feline chronic kidney disease. She also has a great interest in effective alternative therapies and is particularly fascinated by the role of natural products such as manuka honey in wound management.

Consumer campaigns of note include Worm Patrol – an awareness campaign aimed at educating the public about the health implications of canine worm infestation; the launch of www.pethealthinfo.org for NOAH; and the Petplan National Riding Festival, a highly complex organisational task involving creating and maintaining relationships with participating centres, the British Horse Society, the Association of British Riding Schools, the Sidesaddle Association, the British Equestrian Federation, World Horse Welfare, the Paralympic Showjumping team and the National Vaulting squad.

Ally has excellent relationships with the vet and pet media, and contacts within many of the UK’s equine sport and welfare organisations. Her knowledge and experience in the animal health and equine industry, and her well-honed PR and writing skills, make for a potent and rare combination.