Paradigm InfoStream: award

Showing posts with label award. Show all posts

11 May 2017

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.

06 April 2017

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:

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

25 March 2017

WELFARE - City of Calgary Recognized by Nature Canada

Nature Canada, Canada’s oldest national nature conservation charity, presented their inaugural Safe Cats Safe Birds Award to the City of Calgary for its progressive municipal policy that keeps cats safe and saves bird lives.

“Our Keep Cats Safe and Save Bird Lives national campaign asks Canadian cat owners to join a growing movement of people who keep their cats supervised if they go outdoors. Unsupervised outdoor cats are at considerable danger from collisions with cars, fights with wildlife, diseases and poisons and are responsible for an estimated 100 to 350 million bird deaths a year in Canada,” said Eleanor Fast, Executive Director for Nature Canada.

“The City of Calgary’s Responsible Pet Ownership Bylaw is a model for other municipalities to follow.”

The Calgary bylaw requires both cat and dog owners to license their pets, and to keep animals from roaming at large.

The bylaw is an important factor in Calgary’s success, but the strong public education campaign, the ‘I Heart My Pet’ rewards program and the promise to return licensed pets are motivation for pet owners, earning Calgary the highest compliance rates in the country.

“It is an honour for The City of Calgary to receive Nature Canada’s inaugural Safe Cats Safe Birds Award,” said Naheed Nenshi, Mayor of Calgary.

“Our approach focuses on accessible service and education that encourages responsible and accountable pet ownership. The result is a safe and healthy community for pets, and I’m proud of the work done by my colleagues at The City of Calgary to achieve this.”

The conflict between cat lovers and bird fanciers is a long one with deeply entrenched and very opposing views.

Like Nature Canada, organizations like the University of Guelph, by conducting surveys and research around the issue of cat population and protecting the birds, are trying to find ways for the groups to work together.

“The hope is that we can bring together cat supporters and bird advocates to take actions to improve cat welfare and reduce the effect of outdoor cats on birds,” Tyler Flockhart, a Liber Ero post-doctoral researcher at U of G, said.

02 October 2016

HEALTH - Veterinarian Recognized as Person of National Significance

(Dr. Frank W. Schofield)

This week Parks Canada and the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada commemorated the importance of Dr. Frank W. Schofield as a person of national historic significance.

A special ceremony was held on September 30th in Guelph, Ontario with members of the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada, the University of Guelph and Ontario Veterinary College, the Schofield Memorial Foundation, and Dr. Chung, former Prime Minister of Korea.

Schofield was considered an outstanding veterinarian who was nationally and internationally known for his research in animal disease, in particular sweet clover poisoning of cattle, infections in young animals and viral mink enteritis, which led to improvements in both human and animal health.

His research explained bacterial, viral and toxicological ailments, which he found new ways to prevent or treat. He identified the dangers of Escherechia coli and developed Warfarin, still an important anti-coagulant.

Through his scientific, missionary and political work in Korea, he contributed to the democratic development of that country and is recognized there as a patriot.

He was closely involved with the independence movement by documenting the mass jailing, torture and deaths associated with the struggle for Korean sovereignty.

At the time of his retirement from the Ontario Veterinary College, almost 75% of all English speaking veterinarians in Canada had studied under Dr. Schofield.

Schofield is the only veterinarian to be recognized as a person of national significance by the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada.

Created in 1919, the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada advises the Minister of Environment and Climate Change regarding the national historic significance of places, people and events that have marked Canada’s history.

02 September 2016

BUSINESS - Nulo Recognized for Innovation by Forbes Magazine

Nulo Pet Food Inc. was cited as one of the 25 Most Innovative Consumer Brands for 2016 by Forbes magazine, making it the only pet food company to make its way on the list.

“We are honored that the business community recognizes the impact that the Nulo brand is making on the lives of dogs and cats everywhere,” said Nulo founder and CEO Michael Landa in response to making this list.

The company was recognized for its innovative marketing and contributions to ‘improving the way we live our lives’ with respect to consumerism.

Inspired by world class athletes to create premium pet food, Nulo prides itself in its loyalty to its retailers – changing its strategy in 2013 and pulling out of Whole Foods and choosing to focus instead on independent retailers.

Dubbed as a ‘bold decision’ for such a young manufacturing company, the decision to focus on the independent market (with one series line available at PetSmart) has proven to be successful – as the company is looking to triple revenues this year following their 2016 move to use national distributors Phillips Pet Food & Supplies, based out of Easton, PA.

Their success can be tied directly to an industry trend - sales are growing in the premium and natural food category, according to market research company Packaged Facts.

The company’s modern marketing approach includes partnering with 14 Olympic athletes as brand ambassadors at sporting events.

(Natalie Coughlin, Olympic swimmer, with Dozer and She-Ra)

Nulo announced a new ambassador partnership earlier this year, with tennis star John Isner and his dog Magill; Isner ranked second in 2015 at the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) World Tour for number of aces served at 1,260.

The concept of ‘food as fuel’ is propelled here with an emphasis of protein-rich, low-carb and the Olympian marketing strategy; this approach is thought to connect with millennial pet owners.

With two lines of pet foods – one for PetSmart and one for independents, Nulo will continue to gobble up the millennial market who, according to Gibbs-rbb Strategic Communications research, is willing to pay up to 31 per cent more for food they feel aligns with their social and environmental values.

Aligned with their Olympic athletes, the ‘Road to Nulo’ provides the Medal Series available at PetSmart and the FreeStyle Series available at independent retailers (both lines are grain-free) to ‘fuel their inner athletes’.

By Lindsay Seewalt

Lindsay is an experienced journalist and mother of three whose heart and home is always open to a four-legged friend. With her Corgi, Angie, as household editor-in-chief, Lindsay gives back to the animal planet through the written word on anything and all ado about pets. She is passionate about topics regarding animal welfare and responsible pet ownership, which she aims to instill in both her readers and children to be compassionate animal lovers who are conscious and considerate that furry friends around the globe deserve a voice.

27 August 2015

2015 Summit Awards - Wellness Provider of the Year

The Wellness Provider Award recognizes the efforts of an organization to improve the overall levels of health and wellness for urban animals in a specific community, area of intervention or industry sector. Nominate someone today!

Previous winners of the Wellness Summit Award:

2010 - Nova Scotia SPCA
2011 - Alberta Spay and Neuter Task Force
2012 - Toronto Feral Cat TNR Coalition
2013 - Atlantic Veterinary College (Dr. Peter Foley) for demonstrating that clinicians and volunteer organizations can collaborate to increase the overall wellness of urban and rural feline populations.
2014 - Medric Cousineau, Paws Fur Thought for his efforts with PTSD Service Dogs. By educating all levels of government, landlords and business owners, pet industry staff and the general public, Cpt. Cousineau has improved the working and living conditions for both dogs and their handlers.

The Urban Animal program’s mission is to illuminate successful strategies for urban animals and to provide recognition for those who lead and innovate. The Summit Awards are an essential element of delivering on this mission. The Summits are presented annually using an academy style system of nominations followed by an open polling process.