2015 Summit Forum: Service and Assistance Dogs

It is a widespread belief that service dogs can enrich the lives of people yet there are so many barriers for people requiring their use. In Canada there are provincial standards with each province having different requirements. This can allow a service dog to legally work in one province while it cannot in another one. What guidelines should govern whether an animal is a service animal or not?

National standards are currently being developed for psychiatric service dogs that serve Veterans. What needs to be done to develop federal standards for other service dogs?

In the spring, British Columbia introduced a “Guide and Service Dog Act” which would require all service dogs to be trained by a facility accredited by Assistance Dogs International (ADI) or the International Guide Dog Federation (IGDF). This would prevent internationally certified trainers and behaviourists from training service dogs. Who should be able to decide who trains a service dog? Why is British Columbia limiting training to a duopoly? Why does it matter who trains the dog, provided the dog can perform its required duty while remaining impeccably well behaved in public?

Communities, airlines, school boards, penal institutions, service industries and breeders need industry help to recast this dilemma so more lives are enriched using companion animals.

Get the facts, have your say, move the industry.

If you are interested in participating at the 2015 Summit for Urban Animal Strategies please contact Shannon Woodward, Urban Animal Program Manager. 

Pet Sales - What Do Americans Prefer?

In a survey conducted by Harris Poll Online, Americans wanted to see higher dog breeding standards with enforcement (67%) versus banning the sale of animals in pet stores (33%). 2,025 adult Americans participated in the poll. 89% of participants believe that tougher breeder standards will decrease puppy mill operations. 81% believe that banning dog sales at pet stores will not end puppy mills.

National Alliance for Dog Breeding Reform founder and Senior Vice President, Ron Sturgeon said, "We would all like to see a world where dogs bred for profit are treated humanely, shown kindness and bred using medically sound principles. The American Pet Council's survey shows that the American pet owners understand the limitations of pet store sales bans. Working toward higher standards for dog breeding is the best long-term approach to improving the lives of dogs being bred for profit. Banning puppy sales at pet stores does not solve the problem of bad breeding practices.” Sturgeon continues, "I would like to see pet stores selling more puppies and even adding dogs from local shelters into the mix. When they do sell dogs from a breeder, they should chose local reputable breeders and display full information so that consumers can meet the breeder and visit the kennel.”

At the 2015 Summit for Urban Animal Strategies specialists from across North America will be participating in a discussion and brainstorming event regarding rescue dogs (Forum 2015.C). As dog overpopulation decreases in North America and negative pressure is increased on dog breeders potential dog owners are finding it more difficult to find a good dog. Shelters have fewer dogs to adopt out and many are participating in humane relocation. Humane relocation, or the importation of dogs, poses risks to dog owners and the public.

What is the solution to safe and positive pet acquisition in Canada and the United States?

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AFIA’s Response to the Food Safety Modernization Act

The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) was signed into law in the United States in 2011. The FSMA is the largest reform to America's food safety laws in over 70 years. The goal of the FSMA is to “ensure the U.S. food supply is safe by shifting the focus from responding to contamination to preventing it.”

The American Feed Industry Association (AFIA) has released a response to the "Current Good Manufacturing Practices and Hazard Analysis and Preventive Controls for Food for Animals" (under the FSMA).

    "AFIA is pleased with how transparent FDA has remained throughout this entire rulemaking process. This has been no easy endeavor for the agency and they should be commended. The rule's finalization will now allow AFIA to move forward with preparing our members and the industry for implementation of the largest change to animal food regulation since the 1950s.

Upon brief review, AFIA is pleased FDA followed through with our request for a phase-in approach to implementation, giving all animal food manufacturing facilities additional time to execute CGMPs (Current Good Manufacturing Practices) first, followed by the hazard analysis and preventive controls. The phase-in process, as we have said all along, benefits everyone. It allows firms more time for adjustment to basic program requirements such as CGMPs before adhering to more complicated aspects of the final rule.

AFIA is also pleased FDA recognized animal food is different from human food in revising the CGMPs to be more applicable to animal food facilities and addressing the hazards in our industry.

Due to the adaptation of the phase-in approach and the revisions to the CGMPs, the animal food rule cost-to-benefit ratio is more realistic. Although AFIA maintains FSMA will always be a costly regulation, we acknowledge FDA's attempt to equalize the gap between the cost and the limited benefits in the final rule.

With the release of the rule, the clock starts ticking for the industry as we inch closer to the first implementation deadline in September 2016. AFIA will proactively be reading, studying and helping industry implement the rule at their facilities. We also plan to continue the conversation with FDA as this process moves forward to better understand FDA's intentions and ensure transparency."

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