PLC Newsletter

Wildfires are blazing the west coast again, and the pet care community is stepping up to help the four-legged victims. While many groups are doing their part to assist, I’d like to highlight one in particular, Tony La Russa’s Animal Rescue Foundation (ARF). Recently ARF was on call to perform a reconnaissance of the Carr fire, delivering much-needed supplies to local partners. They also provided leadership, skillful coordination and organization of a multi-agency deployment team in order to pull the existing shelter population to make room for local animals displaced by the fire.

Thank you to ARF and Central Garden & Pet for their continued support of ARF, making their work possible. To follow the action, visit their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/tlrarf/

Also, just a reminder not only to save the date, but make sure travel arrangements are made for the upcoming Pet Night on Capitol Hill on September 6th from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm at the Rayburn House Office Building Foyer in Washington D.C. Hosted by the PLC and Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI), this event is an important way to remind the decision-makers of the important roles pets play in our lives. We’d love your support. www.petnight.com

New this year: As part of Pet Night, there will also be a Pet Care Community Capitol Hill Day on the 6th, organized to give you everything you need to successfully meet with your Representatives, educate them about the human-animal bond, and advocate on behalf of pet-friendly legislation. We have arranged professional schedulers to help you set up your Capitol Hill meetings, so please click on this link to begin the scheduling process: https://lobbydayregistration.wufoo.com/forms/pet-care-community-hill-day/. You can also contact Mike Bober for other Hill Day questions, MBober@PIJAC.org, (202) 452-1525 x1060.

At a gathering of pet industry professionals, Las Vegas city councilmembers Michele Fiore and Steve Seroka were recognized as “Pets’ Best Friends” by the Pet Leadership Council.

According to the 2017-2018 APPA National Pet Owners Survey, there are more cat owners and cats owned than ever before. Over 47 million U.S. households own a cat equating to 38 percent of U.S. households. With 94.2 million cats owned in the U.S., the Survey also reveals that’s more than dogs by almost 5 million.

The first-ever Washington fly-in will give pet industry professionals the chance to meet with officials in Congress to discuss legislation and regulations.

Bay Area animal shelters are helping to transport dozens of pets from the Redding area near the fires.These dogs had been put up for adoption up north, long before the destructive Carr Fire. With the shelter in Anderson becoming too crowded, they were moved. Since last Friday 90 cats and dogs have been brought to the Animal Rescue Foundation- ARF- in Walnut Creek and to three other nearby shelters.

Aug. 15 is national Check the Chip Day, a reminder for pet owners to check and update their companions’ microchip registry information. Sponsored by the American Veterinary Medical Association, Check the Chip Day helps veterinarians extend client relationships by working with them to ensure their families will be reunited if pets become lost.

A group of nonprofit and for-profit organizations have joined forces to better protect domestic violence survivors by establishing, validating and promoting the criticality of protecting their pets too.

The Franklin-based Mars Petcare and Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt this week announced a collaboration to create the Mars Petcare Pet Therapy Fund to support a dedicated facility dog and staff position at Children’s Hospital with a goal of showing how pet visits improve the health of patients — thus getting them home faster.

According to the National Fire Protection Association, an estimated 500,000 pets are affected annually by home fires, and nearly 1,000 of these fires are accidentally started by the homeowners’ pets. In honor of National Pet Fire Safety Day on July 15 and to help prevent fires and keep our pets safe, the American Kennel Club offers the following tips.

This year’s SuperZoo trade show, which was held June 26-28 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas attracted 9,500 pet retail, grooming and service industry professionals.
To read the full recap of the show, click here.

The World Pet Association also honored Laura “Peach” Reid, CEO and President of Fish Mart with the Matsui Lifetime Achievement Award on June 27 at the House of Blues in the Mandalay Bay Resort.