An Interview with Louis McCann of PIJAC Canada

The Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council of Canada, PIJAC Canada, has long been the voice for Canadian Service Providers, Suppliers and Retailers.  Since 1991 it has been lead by Louis McCann, an Executive Director with a background in Enforcement, Humane and Rescue and a vision for a collaborative industry that meets the needs of the ultimate client, the pet family. InfoStream caught up with Louis recently at his home in St. Pascal, just outside of Ottawa.

InfoStream: Louis, you have the longest tenure of any Executive Director in the Canadian Industry. What is the secret of your longevity?

Louis: I've had a lifelong passion for animals, I have confidence humanity ultimately does what is right and I  have lived to realize progress being made toward a more collaborative future. These elements together with the support of my colleagues has given me a certain resilience as an industry spokesman and as the executive director of the association representing those who serve pet families across Canada.

InfoStream: Everyone who meets you sees the passion for animals. Tell us more about how this came to be.

Louis: As I grew up, I imagined myself becoming a veterinarian and working with animals. However, circumstance led me in a different direction. Equipped with a degree in Wildlife Management and certification from the McGill Institute of Management, I became the Director of Cruelty Investigations and Director of the Wildlife department for the Canadian SPCA in Montreal. Eventually, my interest in working with the urban community extended from intervening in the lives of more than 10,000 animals each year to developing a store inspection program. But, the component I enjoy most is contact with pet families who are experiencing the joy of owning a pet. This gives me a great deal of satisfaction.

InfoStream: The pet experience is big for you. Tell us about your pets.

Louis: My family and I have two Newfs, a yellow Lab and three cats. These animals don't judge us, they give us unconditional love and they provide our family with incredible impact and enjoyment. We can't imagine being without them but I know we sometimes take this for granted. Recently, I was attending a Reptile Show in Quebec and I saw first hand the kind of excitement and enthusiasm those owners projected toward their pets in a day and age when video games or computers capture a lot of attention. This kind of positive pet experience is what we need to celebrate and promote as an industry.

InfoStream: So let us understand something. If the companion animal industry only works when pet families have an awesome pet experience, why isn't this the foremost priority?

Louis: That is a question that is often debated. Sometimes I wonder if it is because some of us think 'good' only comes from one source. For instance, we are all involved in 'animal welfare', but sometimes we project this as the priority of only one sector of the industry. I think we confuse the pet family when we ask them to choose one industry member at the expense of another. The pet experience is 98% social and we all need to work together to achieve the awesome experience our pet family clients deserve.

InfoStream: It sounds like this is aligned with 'TheExperience Economy', Joe Pine talks about. What are the next steps for moving forward?

Louis: Some of us are involved in an industry wide conversation about the pet experience that was initiated at Summit 2012.  Dr. Drew Van Niekerk is leading this initiative and I am a big supporter. We are working to identify the values pets bring to our lives, our homes and our communities as well as to understand the barriers that pet families encounter as they seek an awesome pet experience. I expect this conversation will  be expanded during the 2013 Regional Conference tour in April and at Summit 2013 in October. Some of us have a vision of a new industry wide initiative 'Celebrating the Pet Experience' for 2014.

InfoStream: What do you see as the greatest risk for the industry?

Louis: Perhaps the greatest risk is not working together. We've all seen individuals who try too hard to hit a home run instead of just hitting the ball so their teammates can work with them to deliver a win. In the face of a declining pet population and other pressures, I believe this conversation is an essential element for the sustainability of this industry.

InfoStream: Anything else to share?

Louis: In French we say 'Le futur est à la collaboration'. Collaboration is the future and the only way we will deliver the 'Awesome experience' pet families deserve.

InfoStream: Louis, thanks for telling us your story and for leading your members to support this initiative! When you have time we should book another interview to tell the PIJAC Canada story.