Facts and Evidence: Obstacles to a Positive Pet Experience

Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council (PIJAC) Canada is a national, non-profit organization dedicated to ensuring the highest level of pet care and to representing all elements of the Canadian pet industry in an equitable manner. PIJAC Canada is a founding member of the Urban Animal program.

 

Summit 2014 is pleased to present PIJAC Canada:

'Obstacles to a Positive Pet Experience: The Pet Owner Challenges Survey'

Directed by Susan Dankert, Communications & Research Coordinator

During Summit 2012, delegates observed a requirement for factual knowledge of the pet owner experience. A subsequent search of existing literature showed a lack of information that described this experience from the pet owner perspective.

At Summit 2013 a decision was made to gather evidence of the challenges faced by pet families. Two initiative arose from this decision: An initiative by Urban Animal to gather videos of pet owners talking about pets in their lives; and, The development of a survey to poll Canadian pet owners.

During spring 2014, PIJAC Canada spear-headed a nation-wide survey to ask Canadians about the obstacles they faced caring for their pets. The PIJAC Canada presentation will reveal what pet families had to say and discuss the implications and opportunities for future engagement.

Register for this conversation

Regions Looking for a Few Really Great Pet Owner Advocates

The 2013 Regional Conferences begin next week in Toronto with an expanded approach to the Urban Animal conversation. This week the organizers noticed a gap in the area of Pet Owner Advocates:

WHY - The Pet Experience Project Workshops will focus on discovering the elements of a positive pet experience and the barriers that are encountered by those who seek it.

WHO - Individuals who can communicate the experience of pet owners in a modern urban municipality. They may already be in a relationship with your organization. They can be recognized by their ability to think beyond themselves and to add understanding to the experience of all pet owners and pet owner challenges.

WHAT - The pet owner conversation needs to be a permanent element of the Urban Animal Program. There is a desire to maintain several pet owner advocates as Urban Animal Subscribers in each region to contribute their experience to the conversation. This element of the Urban Animal Program is likely as important as the relationships that already exist between legislators, agencies, veterinarians, retailers and other stakeholders in the region.

HOW - Sponsors have provided VIP Vouchers that you may use to reduce the cost of their annual subscription but you may also consider providing a subscription in recognition of their contributions to your success. There are those who are involved in community based pet owner associations who may wish to cover their own cost to remain independent of the commercial relationships in their community.

Contact Shannon Woodward if you require assistance.

Pet Owners Rate Behaviour of Dogs and Owners

According to a recent survey conducted by UK retailer, Pet365, dog owners believe their own pets are far better behaved than they are, while puppy socialization is the key to a well-behaved dog. 

Out of 1,000 pet owners surveyed, it was revealed that most dog owners think their own dogs are better trained than the average dog, and dogs who had been socialized as puppies are easier to train as they grow up.

A few stats from the survey:

• 51.9% of dog owners rated their dogs a 7 or 8 on the behaviour scale
• 46.2% rated the training of other people's dogs at 4 or 5 out of a possible 10
• 34% of overall dog owners had attended puppy socialization classes but, among people who owned 3 dogs or more, that percentage shot up to 50.6%

Get the Survey Results

Pet Owners Report Reveals the Economy Doesn't Affect Spending on Pets

Pet spending in the U.S. has been proven to be recession-proof, according to a new online survey conducted by Harris Interactive on behalf of CouponCabin from April 19th - 23rd, 2012.

Among 1,299 pet owners surveyed, three-in-four (75 per cent) said the state of the economy doesn't affect how much money they spend on their pets. Twelve per cent said they spend $101 or more per month on their pets, while more than one in five (21 per cent) said they spend $51-$100 per month on their pets.

More than one-quarter (26 per cent) of pet owners would put their pets' health care needs before their own. In addition, nearly one-in-five (17 per cent) said they don't currently have pet insurance, but would consider purchasing it. Seven per cent of pet owners said they currently own pet insurance.

According to the survey, expensive and unnecessary grooming treatments topped the list of excessive pet spending. Purchases considered too expensive to spend on a pet:

• Getting your pet a professional massage: 77 per cent
• Paying for beauty and groom treatments beyond typical grooming (nail polish, hair styling, body wraps, etc): 73 per cent
• Extravagant pet hotels and boarding: 71 per cent
• Regularly buying your pet gourmet food: 48 per cent
• Medicating your pet for any psychological needs (e.g. anxiety medicine, depression medicine, etc): 44 per cent
• Paying for expensive experimental health treatments (e.g. new cancer treatments to save pet's life): 40 per cent
• Buying your pet too many toys: 33 per cent

View the complete New Release

Euthanasia of dogs and cats drops in U.S.

Across the United States there has been a significant drop in the number of dogs and cats being euthanized at animal shelters. In fact, in 1970 there were 20 million pets euthanized in the U.S. and that number has dropped to about 3 million in 2011.

It is shown that pets are now more commonly living out their lives in pet care facilities and with families.

The decline in the number of animals being put down is due to changes within the standard of care for pets in America at shelters and by pet owners. A big part of this decline is a result of widespread awareness of appropriate pet ownership.

Read the complete story.