2012-2013 Urban Animal Report Underway

The annual benchmark report of, and for, the companion animal industry in Canada has commenced.  Expected to range in the area of $194,000, the Urban Animal Report has been allocated the largest budget in its seven year history.


The report documents the trends and industry metrics, supports many important conversations and is foundation intelligence for the Canadian Industry:

• Retailers, veterinarians and other national, regional and municipal service providers use the numbers to support their forecasts of economic activity.
• National agencies use the numbers and opinions gathered in the report to gain a sense of the priorities they should bring forward.
• Advocates, government agencies and support groups comb the report to gain a sense of the issues confronting industry.
• Alumni and associates of the Summit for Urban Animal Strategies use the report as the evidence and facts base illuminating their conversations at the October summit.
• Large national and regional brands contribute funding and more frequently data as their contribution to the industry and their member/clients. 

In 2012-2013 the Urban Animal Report will look at specific areas of the industry that were identified by Summit alumni and thought leaders over the past six months.  Among the trends and metrics to be examined are these:

• Are the numbers of cats and dogs in Canadian homes declining?
• Where do the animals entering our communities come from?
• How widespread are kitten and puppy mills now?
• What percentage of animals are sourced from backyard breeders?
• What is the impact of the internet on sourcing pets?
• How many prospective pet owners plan to acquire a pet in the next year?
• Where do pet owners purchase their supplies?
• How many pet owners use the Internet to acquire products and services?
• Why are veterinary visits declining?
• Have the numbers of medicalized pets declined?
• Has the number of adoptions declined across the entire industry or just in some locals?
• What changes will need to be made to business models to accommodate these new trends?

Three very important modifications have also been engineered into the 2012/2013 Urban Animal Report:

1. The associate editor component has been expanded to include other  researchers working in the Canadian industry.
2. The sponsorship registry has been expanded to include all reputable brands and national agencies in the Canadian industry.
3. The distribution of the report will be through the sponsors and national agencies so they accrue goodwill in the relationships they already have.

In 2006, PetLynx and industry allies associated with the Summits for Urban Animal Strategies conducted research to establish the facts base that would support industry conversations. In 2010 this process was further refined with the publishing of the 2010-2011 Urban Animal Report. The 2012-2013 edition of the Urban Animal Report will benefit from 7 years of back data and will be the most useful report yet published by PetLynx and industry collaborators.

Contact Judi Cannon, if you are not involved in the 2012-2013 edition 705.749.6607  or  judi.cannon@petlynxmail.com