2011 was the Year of the Cat in every way!

Dr. Liz O'Brien,
Feline Advocate

One of the most successful initiatives ever to be conducted in the Canadian companion animal industry was completed in 2011.  

The Year of the Cat by the numbers: 

• Identification of unregistered cats surged beyond the program goal of 10,000 to 16,995; 
• Lost cat recoveries totaled 22,489; 
• The numbers of vaccinated, insured, spay/neutered and medicalized cats grew by as much as 18% in some communities; and,
• The Care for Cats campaign involved over 1,500 industry stakeholders and service providers in 93 primary communities and 118 secondary locales across Canada. 

Industry sponsors included Boehringer Ingleheim, CDMV, Iams Canada, Ontario SPCA, Profender by Bayer, PetLynx Corporation, Petsecure and Petsmart Charities.

The Care for Cats initiative was created to address the issue of cat overpopulation and to bring forward a message that people, not cats, are the real problem. The 2011 Year of the Cat focused awareness on the need for routine veterinary care, identification and spay/neuter procedures. Moreover, the public relations campaign resulted in a better understanding of Canada's most popular pet – the cat.

Organizers say program success stemmed from all sectors of the Canadian pet industry participating in the creation of the campaign, the development of online tools and the delivery of the Care for Cats program to each community. Individuals and organizations recognized their ability to positively influence cats and their well being within the relationships they already owned.

  

Furthermore the cost of the campaign was low as the industry rallied to provide services and push common messages through their communication channels. This approach resulted in a unified message spread across all sectors in many communities.

Congratulations are in order for Dr. Liz O'Brien and those who assisted her on the Advisory Council to  bring to life a vision that arose out of the 2010 Summit for Urban Animal Strategies.  Care for Cats demonstrates how mass collaboration can bring success to the industry and create healthier communities for the pets and people who live in them.

For more information, reach out to Judi Cannon, Program Manager, 705.930.7387 or judi.cannon@petlynxmail.com

Hooray for strays: Edmonton Animal Care & Control wins 2011 Summit

Edmonton, (December 14, 2011) – Edmonton's Mayor recognized the City’s Animal Care & Control Centre staff in Council today for winning the 2011 Summit Award in Animal Sheltering.

Edmonton was recognized by the 2011 International Summit for Urban Animal Strategies on October 21st, 2011 in Montebello, Quebec. The Animal Sheltering Summit Award is a signature sponsorship by Petsmart Charities of Canada. Kit Jenkins, Petsmart Charities Program Manager was on hand from Phoenix Arizona to make the presentation.  Edmonton AC&C was recognized for extraordinary efforts to address the physical and psychological aspects of stray animal housing and care. The prestigious Summit for Animal Sheltering has been awarded only six times previously. In addition to presenting this award, PetSmart Charities contributes to healthier communities throughout North America with hundreds of programs and millions of dollars in grants.

Animal Care & Control Centre:

Animal Care and Control Centre staff reunite lost pets with owners, promote responsible pet ownership through public education, and resolve nearly 16,000 animal related complaints or episodes each year. They work closely with other organizations and consult with the community to improve policies, bylaws and animal services provided by the City of Edmonton.

The City’s new $13.2 million, 25,000 square foot Animal Care and Control Centre opened on November 1, 2010. The space brings staff and services together under one roof to improve both service delivery and animal well-being. The building meets Silver Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) environmental standards. It was funded by the City of Edmonton ($4.5 million), the federal and provincial governments through the Canada-Alberta Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund ($2.8 million), and the Government of Alberta through the Municipal Sustainability Initiative ($6 million).

See Edmonton AC&C Centre photos 

Summits for Urban Animal Strategies and Summit Awards:

The Summits are an initiative of PetLynx Corporation and industry partners which brings together industry leaders in the areas of animal control and legislation, animal health and wellness, animal welfare, and animal services. Summit Award winners are determined from among the nominees in an academy style election that features confidential electronic voting by Summit alumni.  City of Edmonton staff have contributed strategies to Summit colleagues in times past, but this is the first time they have garnered the recognition of their peers in the form of a Summit Award.