Thought Leaders in Central Canada Have Spoken

The Urban Animal™ Conference in Central Canada is in the books. Thought leaders including researchers, business managers and executives in all sectors of the Urban Animal industry have shared evidence and had their say to move the industry forward. Here are interesting lines from the working groups:

• Sourcing needs to have attention from the entire industry - it is where the pet experience starts.
• Every pet deserves to have a healthy, happy life no matter the source.
• Every owner deserves a great experience, empathy and support.
• Messages are confusing and driven by 'tribal interests' not the common good.
• Judgemental approaches and fear mongering are prevalent - more negative than positive stories.
• Industry often focused on the small picture.
• We need an alliance of those working together in each community
• We can start with the things we can agree on and work down to the stickier issues.
• The pet owner deserves our help not our judgement.
• Have we really thought through the adoption process? Are we too rigid? What values do we bring?
• Do we have 'the right people in the room' - How can we get others in this conversation?
• Can we build an alliance around (Kijiji) the largest community portal in Canada?

To see the session 'Wordle' and as well as the rest of the group input go to urbananimal.com

Next stop Halifax

Get the facts, have YourSAY, move the industry. 

Central Conference Highlights

The 2014 Urban Animal Regional Conference tour kicked off today in Toronto, Ontario. More than 40 thought leaders and urban animal service providers gathered to network, discover local and national innovation and participate in relevant and crucial industry conversations. 

Following the Innovation Showcases, Conference delegates nominated Ontario SPCA's iAdopt (Stephanie Johns) and the Shelter Medicine program partnership between Ontario SPCA and Boreal College (Tanya Firmage) to present to present at a national level at the 2014 Summit for Urban Animal Strategies in October. 

Dr. Drew Van Niekerk and Kijiji's Shawn McIntyre presented keynotes illuminating pet sourcing and the barrier it can create in a positive pet experience. Conference delegates were then separated into groups to discuss the importance of sourcing, identify the barriers and propose opportunities. The following bullet points were selected from the event's LIVE TWITTER FEED: 

• A bad pet experience can happen regardless of the source. When different pet sectors blame another for a pet owner's bad experience, we are missing an opportunity to educate with a consistent message. 
• Educate the pet owner based on the decisions they've already made rather than judging them and telling them they've made the wrong decision. 
• Impact of inconsistent industry messaging: confusion, misinformation, relinquishment, potential for adversity within industry
• Current message is confusing and inconsistent. Based on opinions and protection of our own business. 

Stay tuned to InfoStream for highlights from the Atlantic Conference on Thursday, 24 April. 

2014 Regional Conferences welcome those who cannot attend

PetLynx Live Tweet Event - 2014 Urban Animal Regional Conferences: 

• Tuesday, April 22 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Central Time
• Thursday, April 24 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Atlantic Time
• Monday, April 28 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mountain Time
• Wednesday, April 30 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Pacific Time 

Follow the Conferences as they are tweeted in real-time on the PetLynx Twitter account @PetUtility using the hashtags #UARC.

For registration and Conference information, CLICK HERE. 

Central Canada Showcase summary

The first stop on the 2013 Urban Animal Regional Conference tour, Central Canada was a sold-out event with more than 60 delegates attending from around the province. The Central Canada Showcases highlighted many innovative and interesting concepts which could be introduced in other regions across the country. 

WooF: 
A social network app for dogs, WooF allows dog owners to network, find nearby parks and shops, keep track of their pet's health records and habits and includes a customized 'lost dog' element that will help make lost dogs a lost problem. 

Observations from our Urban Animal Experience: 
Toronto Animal Services is taking evolutionary steps towards value added licensing. The City recognized that if animal licensing was mandatory, pet owners wanted to see value for their dollars. 

Spay/Neuter by the Numbers:
Ontario SPCA's high volume spay/neuter program operates two clinics in the province, each one performing about 25 surgeries per day. Clinics have serviced more than 37,000 animals in three years, the average cost to owner is about $103. 

Care for Cats:
In 2012, Care for Cats partnered with CVMA to focus on cat health care. Judi highlighted the program's past successes and put out a call for industry feedback as it transitions into its next phase.  

Following the Regional Innovation Showcases, delegates were asked to select the two presentations they felt should be invited to the Urban Animal Summit. As a result, Spay/Neuter by the Numbers and Observations from our Urban Animal Experience will receive invitations to showcase their successes at the national level in October. 

Central Region hits YouTube

A short video highlighting the afternoon workshops in the Central Regional Conference 17 April, has been posted to YouTube. Keep watching YouTube for videos from the remaining Conferences, Regional Innovation Showcase summaries and a breakdown of Dr. Drew Van Niekerk's keynote address on the Pet Experience Project.  

PetLynx Corporation on YouTube

Central Conference Regional Innovation Showcase presentations available online

The 2013 Regional Conference for Central Canada was the most successful to date. The sold-out event drew more than 60 delegates from all over Ontario who heard presentations on innovations taking place across the province, learned the history and vision of the Pet Experience Project and participated in workshops designed to identify and ultimately break down the barriers faced by pet families when considering their Positive Pet Experience.

Those unable to attend were invited to follow the Regional Innovation Showcase presentations via a Powered by PetLynx Live Twitter Feed. Now, InfoStream has learned the presentations are available on the PetLynx public wiki. Members of the Urban Animal industry are invited to view these presentations and gain knowledge from the unique concepts and relationships they portray. 

Observations from Our Urban Experience, presented by Robert Meerburg of Toronto Animal Services and Spay/Neuter by the Numbers presented by Judith Aubin of Ontario SPCA were nominated by Conference delegates to be represented at Summit 2013 in October. 

As the Atlantic Conference kicks off in Halifax today, those unable to attend are once again invited to follow the Regional Innovation Showcases @PetUtility #UrbanLYNX.

VIEW CENTRAL CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS