EMERGE - Tophatter Produces Addictive Online Auctions

Tophatter Claims 90 Second Auctions are an Entertaining Way to Buy Online 

Imagine 16 million online shoppers (TOPHATTER'S number) focused on over ninety items each one in an individual auction window showing the retail price, the number of bidders, the current bid, the cost to ship and a countdown bar that displays the bidding process (Accepting Bids, Going Once, Going Twice) until SOLD.

The entertainment value of watching things go at prices that are unexpected, eventually draws buyers and sellers to participate, according to some observers. Over the holidays, we observed several sessions and experienced the addictive nature of this auction medium. Although not registered as a buyer, one could easily imagine how setting aside $50 for a few hours of fun and entertainment with surprising results (purchases) could be fun.

Online auctions aren't new, as those who follow this sort of thing know. Platforms such as eBay, Invaluable (France) and Auction King (Sacramento, California) provide a price discovery service and logistics for sellers as well as some level of vendor trust indication for buyers. Platforms like Kijiji and Craigslist compete with print media classified advertising to bring together buyers and sellers for price discovery. Platforms like Amazon, Alibaba and Walmart try to replicate the whole shopping experience for the online customer with huge investments in logistics and inventory to secure customer satisfaction for their own brands and those they serve.

However, what seems novel about the Tophatter platform is the way this service adds a measure of gamble and entertainment to the process. TOPHATTER promises vendors, the fastest growing mobile shopping app for professional sellers, businesses, and brands.

WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT:
This platform provides another low cost path to the consumer with a novel client experience factor. Since streaming video is influencing the consumer to stay out of the marketplace faster than anyone anticipated, adding a window to the entertainment screen so consumers can play in an online auction may have surprising results. Watch for platform competitors, for brands using the service to introduce new products and for the impact on liquidators like the 'Dollar Store' etc.

Alberta Wildfire - Animal Rescue Update

Bella (ASPCA)

The Alberta SPCA has been posting daily updates on the status of the animals in their care that have been rescued from Fort McMurray.

As of this morning:

1,160 animals have been admitted since May 8

725 animals have been reunited with their owners

169 animals are scheduled for reunions

230 animals are without owner contact

Heartwarming photos of some of the reunions have been shared on the Alberta SPCA Facebook page as well.

(ASPCA)

Individuals and organizations have been pulling together to help the people of Fort McMurray in an amazing way.

The organizations involved in animal rescue and recovery efforts include the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, Fort McMurray SPCA, Edmonton Humane Society, Alberta Veterinary Medical Association, Alberta Spay Neuter Task Force, Animal Care & Control Centre - Edmonton, Calgary Humane Society, Red Deer & District SPCA Main Page, Alberta Animal Rescue Crew Society - AARCS, ZOE's Animal Rescue Society, Humane Animal Rescue Team (hart), Second Chance Animal Rescue Society, CaliCan Rescue Foundation, Hope Lives Here Animal Rescue Society, Saving Grace Animal Sanctuary - Canada, Barrhead Animal Rescue Society, Meika's Bird House and more.

Companies like Associate Vet Clinics have been collecting supplies and food and offering free boarding; and Pets Plus Us, Kijiji and HomeSafeTM came together to offer complimentary subscriptions to all evacuees’ pets on HomeSafeTM, an automated lost and found system that can help reunite people with their animals.

 

Rocky & Rambo (ASPCA)

Butterball (ASPCA)

Oscar (ASPCA)

Wildfires - HomeSafe Offer Expands to BC Evacuees

After the Fort McMurray evacuation in early May, Pets Plus Us, HomeSafeTM and Kijiji launched a pet rescue/recovery initiative for displaced people with pets - offering complimentary access and a lifetime animal record on the HomeSafe™ system.

With wildfires also flaring up in British Columbia, any evacuees from that province are also being offered this service.

This disaster recovery initiative allows those who have been displaced to register their pets without cost in the HomeSafe™ Automated Return to Owner system so they are protected as they experience confusion during an evacuation.

Those with lost animals can also register so the system can automatically match with animals being found and registered by volunteers and first responders in the affected areas.

Organizations and individuals who find animals post them on HomeSafeTM - creating a centralized lost and found database for all animals displaced by the fire. Contact Cori Imbery to establish access credentials as a CRA registered organization, municipal/provincial government agency or an authorized volunteer.

Step-by-Step Instructions for Evacuees:

Go to HomeSafeTM Website

Your code is PPU-FIRE-YMM

Alberta Wildfire - Animal Rescue and Reuniting Underway

The rescue of animals left behind during the Fort McMurray wildfire evacuation has not been without drama and controversy.

Initial news stories reported “rogue” rescuers entering the city without permission from the RCMP or other emergency personnel. Officials believing the city was not safe and, rescuer, Sam Sansalone voicing people’s worst fears, telling the Huffington Post, "This is a mass grave, in basements, in crates.''

(Alberta SPCA)

In the meantime, government agencies, humane societies, SPCA’s and rescue groups around the province were marshalling resources and planning the mass rescue operation. The Regional District of Wood Buffalo created an online form and encouraged all evacuees who had to leave pets behind to use this form to facilitate their rescue.

Fort McMurray SPCA staff returned to the city on Friday and, working with other organizations, began to support the animal rescue effort. They re-opened the shelter to provide temporary housing for rescued pets prior to transport to the pet evacuation pickup centre and provided some medical treatment.

The shipping of hundreds of animals to Edmonton began on Sunday.

The Alberta SPCA announced that as of yesterday morning 612 animals had been checked in and health-checked, 50 animals had been reunited with their owners and 67 were scheduled for reunions at the Fort McMurray People and Animal Reunion Centre in Edmonton.

Sassy

“Sassy has been rescued! We would like to take a few minutes to send out a great big thank you and heartfelt gratitude to those wonderful people who have been rescuing pets who had to be left behind in Fort Mac during the emergency evacuation. No words can convey how great flu [sic] we are for your efforts. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Sincerely hoping all pets are rescued, health and reunited with their families. The stress and uncertainty is overwhelming. Take care, stay safe!” Carol Sparker wrote on the Alberta SPCA Facebook page.

In thanking the organizations involved in the rescue - Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, Edmonton Humane Society, Calgary Humane Society, Red Deer & District SPCA Main Page, Alberta Veterinary Medical Association, Alberta Spay Neuter Task Force, Fort McMurray SPCA, Alberta Animal Rescue Crew Society - AARCS, ZOE's Animal Rescue Society, Second Chance Animal Rescue Society, Humane Animal Rescue Team (hart), CaliCan Rescue Foundation, Hope Lives Here Animal Rescue Society and all the other volunteers - they showed the large amount of resources involved in making this happen.

Despite best efforts, there is still confusion about what the evacuees should do to find their missing animals.

Pet owners are posting on the facebook pages and twitter accounts of multiple organizations, asking for information about their pets, wondering why no one has given them updates.

“There are so many places to look, but I'm not even certain someone went to Willow's address to save her? I have been looking for her all over FB and I don't know the best source to even follow anymore.” Kim Brown on the Fort McMurray SPCA Facebook page.

HomeSafe, along with Pets Plus Us and Kijiji, are providing complimentary lifetime subscriptions to any pet owner displaced by the wildfire - whether they are missing or not. During displacement and times of stress, it’s easy for animals to get lost. A subscription to this automated lost and found service provides protection in case that happens.

Officials are requesting that all pet owners who left pets behind fill out Wood Buffalo’s online form which can be linked to from almost every animal organization’s website or Facebook page.

Alberta SPCA stated that animal rescue is still taking place 24/7 in the city but the process will take some time - pets need to be rescued, transported, examined and then matched with owner descriptions.

Pet Rescue Goes to New Heights - First Class Flights for Fort McMurray Animal Evacuees

When Fort McMurray was evacuated, many people had to go North and were housed at oil company camps. They then needed to be evacuated from there.

Some were able to drive in convoys while others were flown south by Canadian North and WestJet airlines.

Despite strict airline policies about the transportation of pets, in this extreme circumstance pets were actually allowed in the cabin with their owners.

And the internet exploded with photographs and gratitude. 

Marshall Lutz

“Just like to give a huge shout out too the WestJet employee that went over and above what they had to do for me and my little aurora. First a gal that noticed my poor baby girl was way too scared to leave my side and cut the ties to her crate and told me i could bring her on to the plane for the flight, then the flight stewardess tried making her a bed. She was being stubborn and one of the employees gave up their seat so she could sleep on my lap. You guys are the real MVPs.” Marshall Lutz on Facebook

“Words cannot not express how thankful I am for your amazing customer service representatives in assisting me with getting my dog home after the Fort McMurray evacuations this past week. Two paws up💕” Dallas Dodman on Facebook.

Canadian North ended up having custody of a feline friend longer than anticipated when her owner went into labour. They’ve posted a series of tweets while caring for the cute cat. 

“1 of our evacuee passengers from #YMM has gone into labour so our #yeg flight ops team is looking after "Meow Meow"!” Canadian North tweeted.

When asked by various media outlets how many animals they have flown, Canadian North couldn’t give a number. They simply say "a lot" and everything from dogs and cats, to turtles, gerbils and birds.

"There really were no other options," Canadian North spokesperson Kelly Lewis told CBC. "We weren't going to let people leave their pets behind. We know how much they love them and we love animals, too."

WestJet and Canadian North made a huge impact on the lives of people who have been through a harrowing time and have deservedly generated a ton of corporate good will.

Other businesses have generously supported the Fort McMurray animal rescue efforts with Champion Pet Foods donating food and Pets Plus Us, HomeSafe and Kijiji offering complimentary use of the HomeSafe automated online lost and found system to help reunite pets with their people.

Any Fort McMurray evacuee can receive a lifetime subscription to HomeSafe at no charge for their pets.

Numerous animal organizations are working to rescue and reunite animals, including the Edmonton Humane Society and Alberta SPCA.

InfoStream reached Fort McMurray SPCA staff on Friday when they were still an hour away from returning to their facility which is, thankfully, still standing. They expressed gratitude for all of the support and encouraged anyone interested in helping to make a donation through their website.

Kijiji Joins Initiative to Help Alberta Fire Evacuees

Longtime Urban Animal supporter Kijiji Canada has stepped up to help people and their animals at a time of crisis.

Anyone displaced by the Fort McMurray wildfire can now access their free lifetime subscription to HomeSafeTM directly from the Kijiji website.

This direct connect feature is one of many actions Kijiji has taken over the past few years to improve the lives of people and their animals.

They began by eliminating free animal listings in an effort to assist in actions against illegal pet vendors. This was followed by implementation of a pet blog to provide readers with tools relating to pet adoption and sourcing, homing and health and safety.

Manager of Communications, Shawn McIntyre, was even a keynote speaker at the Summit for Urban Animal Strategies in 2014.

Kijiji Canada joins Pets Plus Us and HomeSafeTM in this animal Rescue/recovery initiative for those displaced by Alberta wildfires.

Animal Abuser Selling Pets on Kijiji Despite Lifelong Ban

(CBC)

Nova Scotia resident Gail Benoit was convicted on animal cruelty charges in 2009 for selling sick and malnourished puppies. As a result she was banned from buying, selling or giving away any animals. That ban has since ended.

In 2014 she was barred from buying or selling domestic or wild animals after being prosecuted for stealing and selling two dogs from a woman in New Brunswick. That court order has also expired, however Kijiji has a lifetime ban against her using their services.

Despite the ban, a Halifax area man, Justin Killen, recently purchased two kittens through Kijiji from Benoit.

"My friend had posted a picture of Gail Benoit, and I immediately, after seeing the pictures, knew exactly who I dealt with — you know, just the spitting image of her and the pictures were just exactly the same,” Killen told CBC.

Shawn McIntyre, a spokesman for Kijiji, confirmed to CBC that Benoit was posting ads on the site at the same time Killen contacted her. "We did get a notification last week that someone suspected that this was happening and we investigated the ad that was brought to our attention," he said.

Kijiji staff determined Benoit had been using her daughter’s account.

The team at Kijiji will keep an eye out for further attempts by Benoit to post ads to their site, either as herself, or if it appears she is using an account in the name of her family members.

"Be wary of who you're dealing with. Ask a lot of questions. If it seems like you're bothering the person, asking too many questions, that it's probably a good idea not to go through with the deal," Killen advised in the CBC report.

One resource available to help people when looking for a pet is the website B4 U GET A PET.

Read the full story here.

Summit 2015 Claims

Sunday November 15, 2015 was the deadline for delegate and scholarship claims arising from Summit 2015. 

The claims received from delegates and those eligible for scholarships totaled $22,533.03. Urban Animal continues to seek the return of deposits and to gather contributions to allow complete reimbursement of these claims.

In October, Urban Animal reported that claims from delegates and those receiving scholarships for Summit 2015 could exceed $51,000. The fact that so many were able to contribute expenses and fees to the program is remarkable and would seem to be a testament to the support Urban Animal enjoys.

The Summit Awards program has now been completed and the Awards are on the way to each recipient by Express Post. Photo Ops with members of the Urban Animal Council will be arranged in each local area where possible. Readers may search 'Summit Award' in the InfoStream search area above (sort by date) to see recipient announcements they may have missed.

The plan to complete the IRED Scholarship Competition for the 2015 Innovator, 2015 Researcher, 2015 Emerging Leader and 2015 Digital Journalist will be announced shortly. Completion of the 2015 IRED Scholarship Competition is made possible with grants from:

• PIJAC Canada
• Petsecure/Western Financial Corporation
• Kijiji Canada
• Ontario SPCA
• CDMV Inc
• Petland Superstores
• Canadian Veterinary Medical Association

Kijiji removes 'free' pet listings

Earlier this year, Canada's largest online classified service, Kijiji, announced it would begin charging $4.99 for all dog listings on its site. The measure was taken to provide Kijiji with additional information to assist in actions against illegal pet vendors. 

READ MORE: Kijiji's Shawn McIntyre on "Pets for Sale"

Last month, Kijiji took this campaign one step further when it announced it would cease "free" animal listings altogether. 

"It is important to us that every day Canadians have a way that they can safely rheum their family pets," said a Kijiji news release. "But we are making this change to ensure that everyone who adopts a pet on Kijiji is doing so because they have thought long and hard about their lifestyle and whether they can handle the responsibility of providing a home for a pet." 

Both the decision to charge a fee for listings as well as eliminating free postings were the result of consultations with community members and animal welfare organizations across the country. 

READ MORE: Kijiji gets rid of free pets  

PayPal and EBay Chart Separate Paths into the Future

EBay will spin off its PayPal business into a separate publicly traded company in 2015.

Retweet (WSJ) - EBay Inc. said today it plans to spin off its PayPal electronic-payments business into a separate publicly traded company next year, acceding to the wishes of activist investor Carl Icahn who had pushed for the company to split.

The decision marks a sharp reversal for a company that spent a lot of time and money earlier this year fighting Mr. Icahn and the premise that eBay would be better divided. Now, eBay is employing many of the same arguments Mr. Icahn made in urging the split, saying, for example, that it would enable management to better focus on emerging challenges and opportunities and free PayPal to more easily reach agreements with companies that compete with eBay's online marketplace.

The payments landscape is changing rapidly, and Apple Inc. unveiled this month a new mobile-payment service it hopes will shake up the industry further. Also changing is eBay's leadership as Chief Executive John Donahoe steps down as CEO.

Mr. Schulman is a former Sprint Nextel executive and chief executive of Priceline.com, the discount travel website. He joined American Express in 2010 to lead the company's expansion into alternative forms of payment. There, he headed a new unit called the Enterprise Growth Group, which invested in companies focused on serving digital commerce.

Investors appeared to approve of news of the split, as shares of eBay jumped 7.4% to $56.57 in midday trading Tuesday, giving it a market value of about $65 billion. Gene Munster, a Piper Jaffray analyst, estimated the combined value of the PayPal and eBay is $62 per share.

PayPal has been on pace to overtake eBay's core marketplace by sales. In the June quarter, the payments unit boosted sales 20% to $1.95 billion and added 4.1 million new active customers from the first quarter, to 152.5 million. PayPal facilitates one in every six dollars spent online, eBay said. At its namesake marketplace, revenue rose 9% to $2.17 billion as the number of active accounts increased by 3.8 million to 148.9 million.

EBay bought PayPal in 2002 for $1.4 billion in stock. After the spinoff, PayPal and eBay will continue working together, the company said, with Robert Swan, eBay's finance chief, adding that both will have strong balance sheets. EBay plans to hold on to its current $7.5 billion in debt.

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Bringing identification and recovery services to all of Canada

For the past eight years, thought leaders in the Urban Animal industry have worked through the developing Alliance for Urban Animals Program to identify gaps in the urban pet experience. Together they have developed strategies and tactics to recast these dilemmas into opportunities to deliver a better more supported pet owner experience.

Kijiji Canada has been invested and supportive of the Urban Animal Program from the earliest days. Now as Kijiji introduces a Canada wide strategy for pets and pet owners, they share a mission that involves 1,700 like minded collaborators in more than 340 communities across Canada.

In collaboration with PetLynx and Pets Plus Us, Kijiji Canada is making the HomeSafe™ Automated Recovery Service available to every municipality in Canada on a 24/7 basis. One national service for identification and for bringing lost or found animals home safe.

During the next few months  members of the Alliance for Urban Animals will be encouraged to pin their location to the  map of Authorized Service Centres in Canada. Visitors to the Kijiji portal in every community will know who they should trust for assistance.

Will this be end of lost pets, the elimination of irresponsible breeders or a magic bullet to end animal cruelty? Not immediately. However: This service is the result of mindful, respectful dialogue at the Urban Animal Conferences and Summit; This is the emergence of a community portal allowing the Alliance for Urban Animals to support pet owners everywhere; and, This signals the resurgence of a community approach to animal management called CAMStrat™. Using this portal, members of the Alliance for Urban Animals expect to uncover gaps, imagine new services and develop new strategies to support a positive pet experience in each community.

Members of the Urban Animal industry have choices. Some use their online presence to bully, and harass those holding dissimilar values. The Alliance for Urban Animals is for those who choose to develop conversations, expand relationships and offer support to create positive experiences and healthier communities for pets and people.

You are invited to engage and support Kijiji Canada’s new community pet strategy. You are invited to help shape the future by joining the Alliance for Urban Animals.

Follow the Kijiji links or visit www.urbananimal.com

WATCH: KIJIJI COMMUNITY RELATIONS MANAGER, SHAWN MCINTYRE, PRESENT HIS PET STRATEGY AT THE 2014 URBAN ANIMAL REGIONAL CONFERENCES! 

Kijiji Pets blog shares valuable adoption information

Kijiji, Canada's largest online classified site, has been taking proactive measures to ensure the safe adoption of animals on its site. The site's incorporation of a small fee to dog and puppy sale listings, is an effort to add an extra layer of accountability as well as traceability.

Kijiji also maintains a educational pet section on its blog, which regularly provides readers with tools relating to pet adoption and sourcing, homing and health and safety.

Kijiji Pets

"We’ve always had a keen focus on our community of users," said Shawn McIntyre, Community Relations Manager with Kijiji. "Even now that the Kijiji community has grown to 15 million Canadians, we still love engaging with our users in a direct way.  Our users are especially passionate about our Pets category, so it’s only natural that we share this passion."

Several of the articles posted on the Kijiji blog can and should be shared with pet families and communities. Here are a few examples: 

Staying Safe and Ethical when searching for a new pet

Things to consider before adoption a pet

Buying and adopting pets safely with Kijiji

Kijiji Pets blog shares valuable adoption information

Kijiji, Canada's largest online classified site, has been taking proactive measures to ensure the safe adoption of animals on its site. The site's incorporation of a small fee to dog and puppy sale listings, is an effort to add an extra layer of accountability as well as traceability.

Kijiji also maintains a educational pet section on its blog, which regularly provides readers with tools relating to pet adoption and sourcing, homing and health and safety.

Kijiji Pets

"We’ve always had a keen focus on our community of users," said Shawn McIntyre, Community Relations Manager with Kijiji. "Even now that the Kijiji community has grown to 15 million Canadians, we still love engaging with our users in a direct way.  Our users are especially passionate about our Pets category, so it’s only natural that we share this passion."

Several of the articles posted on the Kijiji blog can and should be shared with pet families and communities. Here are a few examples: 

Staying Safe and Ethical when searching for a new pet

Things to consider before adoption a pet

Buying and adopting pets safely with Kijiji

PetLynx Recovery Meter hits 300,000

HomeSafe for Life™ protects 1,000,000 cats and dogs

In May of 2006, the HomeSafe™ Automated Recovery System was brought into commercial service by PetLynx Corporation. Using automation technology to keep animals HomeSafe for Life™ was years ahead of its time. Pet owners, the public and industry didn’t understand ‘apps’, the implications of ‘cloud’ technology or the importance of having a central animal record that allowed everyone in a community to help keep animals HomeSafe for Life™.

In the past nine years, the HomeSafe for Life™ program has grown substantially. HomeSafe™ now protects 1,000,000 cats and dogs, provides peace of mind for 850,000 people and serves 340 communities across Canada with 7/24 automated lost and found services.

Today four service portals provide application services for the entire community: Public Lost & Found (For the public), HomeSafe™ (For pet owners), ShelterLynx™ (For pounds, humane, rescue and kennels), AnimalTRACS™ (For vets, pounds, humane, rescue, retailers and other service providers).

In 2014, basic access to HomeSafe™ services (AnimalTRACS™ portal) will cost less than $40 per month with the subsidy from Pets Plus Us and PetLynx. Kijiji, Pets Plus Us and PetLynx are also collaborating to expand the HomeSafe for Life™ program by providing free lifetime subscriptions and 8 weeks of Pets Plus Us™ insurance through authorized service centers across Canada and online direct through Kijiji.

HomeSafe™ service centers work to build healthy communities for pets and people. They deliver existing Urban Animal programs and they develop new ones as allies in the Alliance for Urban Animals™. This willingness to collaborate, to serve the interests of animals, animal owners and others in each community positions each organization as a trusted provider of products and services.