After 50 years, the Waltham Centre for Pet Nutrition has a new name and plans have been revealed for a multi-million-pound development.
The Waltham Centre is owned by Mars, in Waltham, Leicestershire, and is where research into pet care and nutrition takes place. However, over the years the establishment has expanded its remit so much that it has been renamed Waltham Petcare Science Institute, reports the Melton Times.
Darren Logan, the centre’s head of research, said: “The change in name is to reflect the breadth of research we now do on the site. We’ve been established for over 50 years and in the past we have mostly been involved in research into pet food.
“Now, under our parent company Mars, we are do research into many other areas such as veterinary health, pet diagnostics and pet technology.”
The centre, which works closely with Mars Petcare’s pet food manufacturing site in Melton, first opened in the 1960s and researchers there have produced almost 1,000 peer-reviewed journal articles.
These include the relationship between humans and their pets; the impact obesity has on a dog’s lifespan; and the first evidence-based growth charts for puppies, allowing owners to track weight gain.
NEW FACILITY
Plans have been submitted to Melton Borough Council for a multi-million pound investment.
Kay O’Donnell, vice-president at the Waltham centre, said: “We have exciting plans coming up in the next couple of years to build a new cat and dog facility to replace some of the older facilities. This will be a state-of-the-art cat and dog facility which will allow us to do the type of work we do more efficiently.
“Subject to planning permission, we hope it will come on line around the end of 2021.
“It will be a multi-million pound project and it is great for us and for the area to have this scale of investment in the centre.”
She added: “We attract global talent to Waltham and it is a real advantage in us being in an attractive rural location and in an area known as a foodie environment.”
