Summit 2014 Forum Attacks Industry Dilemmas

The Urban Animal industry has many dilemmas, however, 100 of the best and brightest minds in the Urban Animal industry are gearing up to tackle them.

The ninth annual Summit for Urban Animal Strategies, will feature a challenging Urban Animal Forum™ on Friday, 24 October, 2014. In addition, to dilemmas proposed during the Summit are these conversations already underway:

• Certification and Quality Management for breeders (sources of kittens/puppies)
• Voluntary compliance/self regulation for the industry
• Redesigning organizations for the experience economy/social media
• Administrative Monetary Penalties as an alternative to fines (justice system)
• Lifetime licensing for animals in urban municipalities
• Banning retail pet sales - do bans eliminate or exacerbate sourcing issues
• Pet experience project - defining research to obtain evidence still needed
• Implications of pets for the delivery of public health and social programs
• Pets enhance communities but has urban planning got pets on the radar
• Improving animal care - can prepaid wellness lower costs
• Non-surgical sterilization as an intervention in feral and domestic populations

If you can lead or contribute to one of these conversations please contact

Shannon Woodward or Larry Evans

The Urban Animal Forum™ produces one of four outcomes for each dilemma addressed:

• Strategic/tactical recommendations to a national organization or agency – recognizes the issue is sector specific or requires consensus building by someone with presence, jurisdiction and/or subject matter authority.
• Referred to the Urban Animal Foundation to gather additional evidence – recognizes the conversation does not yet have sufficient data to support innovation.
• Referred to a Centre of Excellence (ad hoc group or community) who with support from the Urban Animal Foundation beta tests strategies or tactics most likely to succeed – recognizes innovation is within reach but still requires passionate people and a laboratory to develop/demonstrate/test an implementation plan.
• Offered as a candidate for the next ‘National Initiative’ of the Urban Animal program – delegates use rounds of automated voting at the Urban Animal Forum™ to select an initiative that has the support of the entire industry.

 

Get the facts, Have YourSAY™, Move the Industry

REGISTER for Summit 2014

Pet owners disagree with pet-sale bans

By an overwhelming margin, America's dog and cat owners say the best way to crack down on illegal puppy mill operators is not to ban the sale of dogs and cats at local pet stores, as a handful of local communities have done, but rather to enact and enforce tougher breeder standards (67.3%).

READ MORE: What's next for retail bans and commercial breeding? 

The Pet Leadership Council, a coalition of pet industry leaders championing responsible pet ownership, commissioned Harris Poll to conduct an online survey of more than 2,000 U.S. adults ages 18 and older to determine American's views on puppy mill regulations. 

READ MORE: APPA Board Approves Formation of New Pet Leadership Council

Highlights of the poll include: 

• Nine in ten (89%) U.S. adults say the solution to puppy mills is to have tougher breeder standards that crack down on illegal operators
• Four in five (81%) U.S. adults say banning dog sales entirely at pet stores will not stop puppy mills from continuing
• 92% of U.S. adults report follow-up visits to breeders are needed to ensure regulations are being followed to avoid puppy mills 
• Over six in ten (63%) U.S. adults own a pet: 59% own a cat and/or dog

READ MORE: How best to eliminate puppy mills? Pet owners prefer tougher breeder standards over pet-sale bans

Join this important conversation by registering for the 2014 Summit for Urban Animal Strategies, October 22-25. Get the facts, have YourSAY™, move the industry! 

REGISTER NOW! 

What's next for retail bans and commercial breeding?

Controversial legislation in municipalities across North America is sparking debate between the pet retail industry and animal rights activists.  

In Phoenix, AZ, last month, city councillors voted to pass a law prohibiting the sale of puppies and kittens in pet stores. Adoption models prevail under this legislation as only rescues would be available in shops.

READ MORE: Phoenix's attempt to curb puppy mills challenged

Earlier this year, InfoStream reported that four leading U.S. organizations were joining together to support a pending lawsuit challenging this prohibition. The American Pet Products Association (APPA), the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council (PIJAC), the Pet Industry Distributors Association (PIDA) and the World Pet Association (WPA) collectively donated $125,000 to support the lawsuit brought into the U.S. District Court in Phoenix on behalf of a local pet store, Puppies ‘N Love.

READ MORE: Leading industry organizations join forces to overturn retail ban

The new law is aimed at mass-breeding facilities (often called puppy mills) but APPA President Bob Vetere said Bans of this nature often punish stores and breeders who sell quality pets and breeds unavailable in shelters.

“These restrictions threaten our industry,” he said. “By working together to overturn these types of bans, we can use this opportunity to establish better standards for both breeders and pet stores.”

READ MORE: Petland CEO defends retail sale of pets

The industry banding together to fight this and funding the fight brings the sourcing discussion to a new level. A Certified Quality Mark developed and regulated by the Alliance for Urban Animals is one of several relevant and crucial conversations taking place at the Urban Animal Forums on Friday 24 October at the 2014 Summit for Urban Animal Strategies.   

Advocates on either side of this debate are invited to attend the Summit and participate in these discussions to help ensure the conversation moves forward in a direction acceptable to all involved parties.

Summit 2014 - Major Themes and Conversations

The ninth annual Summit for Urban Animal Strategies is presented by Pets Plus Us and will feature important conversations arising out of Summit 2013 and the 2014 Regional Conferences earlier this year:

The Pet Experience Project - Sourcing:

The Pet Experience Project has shown that many problems associated with pets and people occur because of an incomplete process during the initial transfer of a pet to a new home. How can the industry move from finger pointing to develop a ‘best practice’ that reduces or eliminates this problem? Could the industry use lessons from human adoptions to develop an adoption model regardless of whether the transfer is from a primary or secondary source?

The Pet Experience Project - Metrics:

The pet business is changing rapidly. What are the implications of these changes for animal/community services, humane/rescue, health/wellness, commercial services/retail, breeders and public health? Certain services may need to be eliminated and some business models may not survive. How will the pet industry contend with changing consumer interests and compete with other funding priorities in the community? Can the industry develop market signals by gathering consumer intentions? Who will own and be in charge of the data?

The Pet Experience Project - Rethinking Community Interventions:

The Pet Experience Project has revealed a vital role for pets in the community. Human-animal interactions may be underutilized in certain areas. Delivering care and companionship in therapeutic, social and health settings is under a great deal of financial pressure. Can the industry be more proactive in these areas to enhance both the lives of people and pets while reducing or eliminating the human resource costs?   

The Pet Experience Project - Integrated Messaging through community portals:

A common complaint from consumers in the Pet Experience Project is confusion that stems from myriad channels that lack validation. An obvious answer is to develop community portals managed by an arms length party where all the valid information lives. Technology may be an ally and the ‘cloud’ may facilitate what was once only imagined. Would licensing, adoption, medical intervention and concierge services all benefit from a community portal?   

Alliance for Urban Animals - Removing the barriers of ‘moral tribes’:

An old African proverb says, “If you want go fast - go alone; If you want to go far, go together.” It was good advice with ample supportive evidence. However, in this day and age new demands require a quick response that is sustainable over the long term. Can this dilemma be resolved while remaining so attached to our ‘moral tribes’? Could industry stakeholders agree to disagree in favor of collaborative activities that generate a win for people, animals and the community.

In addition, to these five conversations, the UA Forum™ on Friday provides an opportunity for delegates to bring forward pressing issues and dilemmas. Two delegate seats for each conversation have been reserved to support leading thinkers with subject matter expertise.

Urban Animal subscribers may nominate a qualified resource by contacting Shannon Woodward.

Alumni may complete their registration at www.urbananimal.com.

Friday Forums reach for Innovation

Over the next few weeks InfoStream will illuminate important changes to the Urban Animal Program for 2014. Among these changes are enhancements to Friday Forum.

Since the first Summit, eight years ago, the Friday Forum element has evolved into a trusted and respected ‘vessel’ allowing leaders of the Urban Animal Industry to bring dilemmas forward to be examined and recast into future opportunities. In 2014, this forum will strive to achieve one of four specific outcomes for the conversations brought forward:

1. Promote as a candidate in need of further evidence to define the dilemma and support the opportunity it represents.
2. Pass to a national body with the requisite mandate, jurisdiction or subject matter expertise. 
3. Pass to a passionate Urban Animal Group or Urban Animal Community that will undertake a beta test with the view to developing an Industry Wide Initiative. 
4. Promote as a candidate ready to be accepted as the next Industry Wide Initiative.

As Lisa Buckley showed in her presentation at Summit 2013, innovation requires four elements to be successful. Over the next few months the Urban Animal Program will create a template for those leading Friday Forum breakout groups to ensure these elements are captured/examined and reported back to Friday Forum at the end of the day.

You may contribute to this discussion on the LinkedIn Urban Animal Group.

Discussion Forums on UrbanAnimal.com

Urban Animal administrators are pleased to announce the development of a discussion forum space on UrbanAnimal.com. 

A number of valuable industry conversations arose during the 2013 Summit for Urban Animal Strategies. For your convenience, these conversations have been added to the discussion forum page where you can share ideas, strategies, insights, progress and roadblocks.

The forums are a unique, transparent space for collaboration and conversation. To access these conversations, click here. 

2013 Delegate Survey Results

Summit 2013 took place in Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada, from Wednesday, 16 October to Saturday, 19 October 2013. Delegates included thought leaders and stakeholders from Urban Municipalities across North America. 

The vision of the Summits for Urban Animal Strategies is to gather leaders who advance the state of the art and recast dilemmas into opportunities. The mission is to illuminate successful strategies for urban animals and to provide recognition for those who lead. 

The YourSAY™ Delegate Survey fielded November 25 to December 4, 2013. This survey captured respondent opinions related to Summit 2013 in the areas of Delegate Experience, Venue, the Innovation Showcase, the Facts and Evidence Sessions, the Friday Forum, the Summit Awards Gala, Ratings for Speakers, Program Directors, Production Staff, Entertainment and Summit Conversations. Respondents also provided comments for future improvements and enhancements to the Urban Animal Program. 

The YourSAY™ Delegate Survey for Summit 2013 invited seventy-nine attendees to participate. Fifteen respondents (19%) completed the Survey. 

Highlights of this YourSAY™ Survey: 

• Respondents were Satisfied (25%) or Very Satisfied (66%) with Summit 2013 
• Respondents were pleased with the quality of speakers: Satisfied (41%), Very Satisfied (50%); the Length of the Summit: Satisfied (50%), Very Satisfied (41%); and were Likely (16%) or Very Likely (75%)to recommend the Summit to others. 
• Respondents agreed (41%) or strongly agreed (58%) ‘The Pet Experience’ was a relevant theme for Summit 2013 up from 54% for the Summit 2012 theme ‘Animal Sourcing’. 
• A majority of respondents (75%) attending Summit 2013 had also attended Summit 2012. 
• All respondents (100%) agreed the Friday Forum developed important Urban Animal conversations. 
• Nine-tenths of respondents (90%) felt the Summit was inspiring and improved their industry relationships. 
• UrbanAnimal.com (75%) and the InfoStream Blog (67%) were the PetLynx media channels respondents most often used to learn about Summit 2013, while Twitter was used the least (25%). 
• Respondents commented that InfoStream was the most useful media channel for industry updates. 
• Nearly all respondents (86%) indicated Networking opportunities and an ability to contribute Industry Strategies/Tactics were the reasons they attended Summit 2013. 
• All respondents Agreed (38%) or Strongly Agreed (62%) the Innovation Showcase recognized innovation from the Regional Conferences and Agreed (38%) or Strongly Agreed (62%) the Innovation Showcase was an effective way of sharing innovation across the Urban Animal industry.
• Just under half of respondents (42%) attended two conversations: ‘What pet owners expect from their pet experience’; and, ‘Pet experience data collection’ during the Friday Forum. 
• Respondents indicated that ‘Engaging breeders as a fundamental part of the Pet Experience’; and, ‘Pet Experience Data Collection’ were conversations that should become National Initiatives like ‘Year of the Cat’. 
• More than one-quarter of respondents polled (27%) indicated their role in support of a National Initiative would be as an ‘Active Collaborator’. 
• Respondents rated the Pets Plus Us Awards Gala and Dinner at historical highs for Food Selection, Service Staff, Relationship Building and Sponsor Contribution. 
• Nine-tenths of respondents (91%) indicated the 2013 Summit Awards recognized outstanding achievement and all participants (100%) indicated the awards ceremony was conducted in a smooth and efficient manner. 
• The vast majority of respondents (91%) indicated the Summit Directors and Production team made very favorable contributions to Summit 2013. 

Demographics of Respondents to this Survey: 

• Gender: 67% Female, 33% Male 
• Age: 8% - 20-29 years old, 17% - 30-39 years old, 25% - 40-49 years old, 42% - 50-59 years old, 8% - 60 years and older 
• Industry: 27% - Humane & Rescue, 27% - Care & Control, 40% - Health & Wellness, 40% - Retail & Services, 40% - Pet Owner, 33% - Social and Community Services 
• Executive Level: 61% - Director, Shareholder, Owner/Manager, 13% - CLevel Executive, 13% - Senior Management, 13% - Other 

YourSAY™ public opinion polls are owned and Powered by PetLynx™. Copies of the complete survey report are available for a nominal cost. Contact Sheena.Neel@petlynxmail.com if you wish to procure a copy.

Tails of Help offers opportunity for financially challenged pet owners

Low income Alberta pet owners have been granted access to a new organization developed to provide funding to owners of pets that require non-elective veterinary care, and who are experiencing financial hardship. 

Founded in 2013 with the approval of the Alberta Veterinary Medical Association (ABVMA), Tails of Help will identify pet owners with a qualified financial need, and whose ill or injured companion animal requires essential veterinary treatment. 

Regular and preventative pet healthcare was identified by Summit 2013 delegates as a dilemma to creating positive pet experiences for urban animal communities. Tails for Help is an innovative concept that will serve as an example of the opportunities available to move the industry forward. 

Applications will be made by registered veterinarians on behalf of the owner, and will be assessed by strict criteria including the level of need and available funds. When applications are approved, funds will be disbursed directly to the veterinary practice.

READ THE NEWS RELEASE 

Industry conversations have been determined

Check out what delegates are talking about at the 2013 Summit for Urban Animal delegates are talking about during today's Friday Forums. 

Lisa Buckley Kicks Off the Friday Forum

Delegates to the 8th Annual Summit for Urban Animal Strategies will enjoy a rare treat. On Friday morning, October 18th, the Friday Forum will kick off with an address by Lisa Buckley from What if Innovation.

What if Innovation, is a global agency that develops innovative programs and client experience for the likes of Barclays, Four Seasons, Google, PepsiCo, Pfizer, and Virgin.

Lisa is one of the principal innovators of this organization in the New York office and is well known for her insight into the client experience. She is a dynamic speaker who brings boundless energy to every challenge she tackles. 

Lisa's efforts to understand the pet industry and pet owner experience developed during her work to establish the Pets Plus Us business model for Royal and Sun Alliance (RSA).

Lisa's address will set up the Friday Forum. Under the leadership of Dr. Jason Coe, the forum has become one of the most important elements of the Summit for Urban Animal Strategies. Using modified 'Open Space' technology, Summit delegates develop strategies and conversations that recast industry dilemmas into opportunities and better experiences for urban animals.

The Friday Forum is not open to the public, however, a few Urban Animal Subscriptions may still be available. 

Contact Shannon Woodward 403.401.8090 for information

What is the future of exotic pets in Canada?

The Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources seized a 5.5 metre, 150-pound reticulated python in Yarmouth on Monday. 

With the case underway, reptile specialist Mike MacDonald and police are mum on where and how the snake was found and what its fate might be. In Nova Scotia, owning a reticulated python without a license is a violation of the province's Wildlife Act. 

CBC NEWS ARTICLE

Large snakes continue to headline national news after two boys were killed by a python two weeks ago. With exotic pet ownership, and species specific bans as well as licensing and import regulations prevalent in urban animal industry conversations, it is more important than ever to consider the solutions and outcomes related to existing pet owners. 

Owners have registered 131 snakes as pets on the PetLynx utility in Canada. Expanding this automated national registry to include all exotic, dangerous or disruptive animals would assist pet owners to have a positive pet experience by facilitating communication during such events. It could also reduce the occurrences of abandonment and other unintended consequences by fearful owners. 

The Friday Forum of Summit 2013 is likely to feature this conversation in more detail. Organizers have invited officials to present evidence that would be beneficial to the discussion of exotic pets that presently exist in Canada.Please contact Sheena Neel or Shannon Woodward if you wish to be nominated into this conversation. This discussion may be one of the most interesting in the eight years of the Summits for Urban Animal Strategies.

ALUMNI REGISTRATION FOR SUMMIT 2013

What if: We didn't have to worry about pets in a disaster?

Major events which rocked the foundation of two Canadian communities prompted PetLynx Corporation to offer free lifetime recovery subscriptions to people affected during the Alberta floods and the Lac Megantic train disaster.

At the time, PetLynx President and CEO Larry Evans engaged the urban animal community in a conversation confirming the importance of a central database with 100% of pets registered. A central portal, accessible by everyone, with a proven search algorithm would ensure that lost and founds pets involved in a disaster would be easily reported and the likelihood of a recovery episode would increase substantially. Additionally, if all pets were registered with up-to-date information, disaster evacuees could take solace knowing their pet's information and whereabouts were available to authorized personnel. 

Melissa Hunt, associate director of Clinical Training in the Department of Psycology at the University of Pennsylvania studied the psychological effects of losing a pet on people affected by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. 

"Historically, pet ownership has been the single greatest risk factor for evacuation failure," Hunt told Global News. As human shelters often refuse to take pets, not being able to safely evacuate with an animal poses a problem. 

Hurricane Katrina prompted the creation of the Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act by the U.S. government in 2006. The Act ensures that State and local emergency preparedness plans address the needs of individuals with household pets and service animals following a major disaster or emergency. 

Dealing with pets in a disaster is on the minds of many North American municipalities. The rate at which fires, floods, tornadoes and hurricanes seems to be increasing. Disaster preparedness requires a new level of thinking and collaboration in North America.  Perhaps executive thought leaders will take up this discussion and develop a new strategy during the Friday Forums at the 2013 Summit for Urban Animal Strategies, October 16-19. Imagine an industry that sorted this all out so that the anxiety which often accompanies separation was no longer a dilemma of an urban disaster.

Leaders who wish to add their voice to this and other key industry conversations, are invited to join the Urban Animal Program LinkedIn Group and also to REGISTER for Summit 2013. Get the facts, Have yourSAY™, Move the industry.