BUSINESS - Voting Open for PIJAC Canada's Animal Welfare Retail Award

Five finalists have been announced for PIJAC Canada’s Animal Welfare is Everyone’s Business Retail Award for Western Canada.

The finalists were selected for their efforts in the pursuit of improving animal well-being through the promotion of pet care education, responsible pet ownership and overall community involvement.

“One of the great things about this venture is that the candidates will be voted on by their contemporaries. People who understand exactly how hard they work to serve the community,“ says Louis McCann, President of PIJAC Canada.

Successful nominees were assessed using a points system based on the award criteria.

Every nominee is a great example of social innovation in action in the animal industry.

Finalists include:

Bosley’s by Pet Valu, Columbia Square in New Westminster, BC support the local animal shelter and food bank. Pets are available for adoption in-store, the business offers pet care talks in the schools and also works with the mayor and council on animal related issues.

Global Pet Foods Winnipeg hosts pet adoption events and regularly donates food and supplies to animal rescue organizations. They are a sponsor of Bark for Life, an event that raises funds for cancer research, and the Manitoba Pet Expo.

Pets West in Victoria provides adoption space to a large number of local rescue organizations for a variety of animals - cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, birds, chinchillas, and more. Their reach goes beyond animal groups as they have also supported a lot of human oriented organizations as well.

Homes Alive Pets in Edmonton also promote responsible pet ownership and have strong relationships with rescues and Edmonton animal control - providing adoption space and supporting initiatives. They stepped up in 2016 to help victims of the Fort McMurray wildfire.

The Pooch & Pony in Stony Plain have introduced animal wellness programs into their business and support a large number of animal and human related organizations in their community. They provide grooming services to the Parkland Humane Society and supported victims of the Fort McMurray wildfire.

Voting is available online to PIJAC Canada members, pre-registered visitors and exhibitors of the Western Canadian Pet Industry Trade Show until May 23rd.

The Western winner will be announced at the Full House Gala & Fundraiser, during the Western Trade Show, the evening of Sunday, June 4th in Calgary, Alberta.

The nomination process for awards for other regions of Canada will begin in the summer.

BUSINESS - PIJAC Canada Announces Retailer Award for Animal Welfare

Not only is PIJAC Canada hosting their first Western Canadian Pet Industry Trade Show, they will be presenting the inaugural Animal Welfare is Everyone's BusinessTM – Retail Award (Western) at the event.

The award will highlight the work of dedicated and passionate pet retail businesses in the areas of animal well-being and the promotion of responsible pet ownership.

PIJAC’s goal is to shine a light on the efforts of the people in the pet retail industry and to inspire others to follow in their footsteps.

"For the last 5 years we have been sharing stories about the efforts of businesses who go the extra mile to educate people about responsible pet ownership and help to create positive pet experiences," Louis McCann, association President & CEO, said in a release.

"With the advent of our new Western Canadian Pet Industry Trade Show we felt it was the perfect time to launch this award. It is our hope this award will also become a vehicle for you to celebrate your accomplishments, inspire others and share your stories with the public at large."

Manufacturers and Distributors can submit nominations for the Retail Award (Western) online to PIJAC Canada by May 1st.

Successful nominees will be announced May 9th and PIJAC Canada members, pre-registered show visitors and Western Cdn. Pet Industry Trade Show exhibitors will be eligible to vote online until May 23rd.

Award Criteria:

1. Must be a pet specialty retailer in  one of the following provinces, BC, AB, SK, MB or Territories
2. Must be a brick and mortar location
3. Promotes responsible pet ownership in the store and community ie - take home information packages, after-sale care program, care workshops, school visits, etc.
4. Supports pet families in the community ie - pet food bank, raising awareness of issues impacting pets in the community, assisting other animal organizations, etc.
5. Any other general community support activities

The Retail Award (Western) is the first of many.

PIJAC Canada will be awarding retailers in other parts of the country at ExpoZoo and the National Pet Industry Trade Show.

They will also expand the Animal Welfare is Everyone's Business™ awards to include pet services, manufacturers and distributors in 2018.

Industry leaders honoured at PIJAC Top2Top Conference

The first annual PIJAC (U.S.) Awards Ceremony took place a the Top2Top Conference in Napa, California last month. The PIJAC Awards honour national pet industry leaders for their contributions to the industry. 

"We are pleased to honour the work of these committed, talented individuals whose groundbreaking efforts have a direct impact on the entire pet industry," said Mike Canning, PIJAC president and CEO. 

And the winners are... 

Pet Advocates of the Year
Bob Ashley and Brian Potter

Pet Industry Leader of the Year 
Sandy Moore

PIJAC Ambassador of the Year 
Jim Boschee

PIJAC Chairman's Award of Excellence 
Joe Watson 

Lifetime Achievement Award
Jim Heim

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