Community Automation for the Animal Services Industry

The benefits of Web-based applications versus in-house systems Private networks within large organizations, such as banks and manufacturers, have been using Web-based 'Application Service Providers' (ASPs) for many years. The pet industry, however, has been slower to adopt this this more advanced technology. Instead, many organizations rely on in-house systems, largely because they assume that adopting more advanced technologies is beyond their financial reach and technological capabilities. PetLynx™ bridges the gap! Our two shelter and animal management programs are ShelterLynx™ and Animal TRACS™. Both of these systems are easy to implement and use, reducing the need for extensive staff training and lowering the threshold of computer literacy required by staff and volunteers. PetLynx™ also allows public users to serve themselves with ease, which takes some of the pressure off staff. Advantages of Petlynx™ ASP web-based services:

• Easy to implement, operate and maintain
• Requires minimal client computer facilities and resources
• Holds data in a more secure environment
• Provides technical support and help capabilities, allowing local IT resources to be redeployed or eliminated
• Connects all users within a group or sub-group to the same data store without undermining security
• Can be access remotely, with appropriate user ID and passwords.

Want to know more? Check out our Q & A or contact PetLynx today!

Help For Haiti's Animals

Photo: Copyright WSPA/FAW With hearts and minds focused squarely on the devastating earthquake that occurred in Haiti on January 12, 2010, the world is extending its full support to those organizations providing humanitarian relief in the ravaged island nation. But the animal victims of this disaster need help, too! In effort to help the animals in this time of crisis, the Animal Relief Coalition for Haiti (ARCH) was created. The coalition is comprised of the following organizations:

• American Humane
• American SPCA
• Best Friends
• Humane Society of the United States
• Humane Society International
• International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW)
• World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA)

These groups have banded together with the belief that partnering across organizations is the most effective way to address the serious and enormous problems facing animals in Haiti. There are an estimated 5 million head of livestock in the country (mostly goats), a large stray dog population, and an untold number of companion animals and native wildlife all adversely affected by the earthquake. To donate to the coalition or sign up for updates, visit the Animals in Disasters blog set up by the WSPA.

Pet Products Get High Tech Treatment

A report on CNN states that with enthusiasm for pets growing unabated, and technology digging ever deeper into our lives, the two seemingly unrelated worlds increasingly touch.

While spending on pet-care products has gone up 34 percent globally over the past five years, according to research firm Euromonitor International, there is little if any serious research on tech-related pet spending.

Where technology excels is in addressing the two big worries of pet ownership: fear and guilt. Most owners dread the day their pet gets lost. Enter GPS pet tracking, offered by companies like Zoombak, Garmin, and Positioning Animals Worldwide.

But for many pet owners, fear of the pet becoming lost is outweighed by guilt about not giving pets enough company and attention… and technology is coming to the rescue!

Products like the “Talk to Me Treat Ball,” the “Bowlingual Voice Communicator” and an iPhone application called “Pet Acoustics” are leading the charge.

Get the whole story on high tech gadgets for the pet industry from CNN.

PetLynx Update

We've added to our team! PetLynx welcomes Anne C. Taylor Senior Account Executive Ms. Taylor has an extensive background with proven expertise in sales, marketing and brand development for Application Service Providers in North America. Ms. Taylor will lead PetLynx activities with respect to external relationships, program development and communications. From this position she will have the responsibility and authority to deal with major accounts such as the Canadian Kennel Club, Apex Publishing, Procter & Gamble, Securican General Insurance, CDMV and other industry allies. Ms. Taylor comes to this position with excellent commendation from her colleagues in emerging technologies, application development, telecommunication and other tech related ventures. She has served the industry on boards and advisories as well as a volunteer in her community. We are confident that she will add to the success of PetLynx Corporation by growing the top line revenue of the company as she serves the needs of national and multi-national accounts. We welcome Anne to these responsibilities and to the management team of PetLynx Corporation. The Core PetLynx Team for 2010: Larry R. Evans - President & CEO Cindy Kreutzer - Executive Assistant/Corporate Governance Tracy Schell - Financial Governance Zdravko Pribeg - Production Management Anne C. Taylor - External Relationships Judi Cannon - Sales Support Lisa Milton - Technology & Fulfilment Terri Perrin - Online Communications Other Human Resource requirements are supplied on an outsource basis.

PetLynx Enters Collaboration Agreement with CKC's Apex Publishing

08 January 2010

PetLynx Corporation is pleased to announce an agreement with Apex Publishing Limited, the publisher of “Dogs in Canada” Canada’s premier provider of content for dog owners and breeders. Under the terms of this agreement PetLynx Corporation and Apex Publishing will collaborate to expand the circulation of this magazine to all dog owners in Canada through the PetLynx Subscriptions & Registry Services unit. Pet families who register their dogs in the PetLynx system for recovery services, microchips, tattoos, licenses or other HomeSafe™ Canada initiatives will have the opportunity to subscribe to four special issues targeted toward this Responsible Dog Owners Group [RDOG] at a special discount that is related to their level of compliance. In addition, the two parties will collaborate to provide responsible dog owner content through Apex's micro site and the PetLynx pet family portals. Pet families who normally manage their animal records using PetLynx portals will be able to manage their subscriptions in the same area. “Adding the Dogs in Canada content and micro sites to the HomeSafe™ Canada initiative will not only increase the number of responsible dog owners across Canada, but provide valuable resources across the entire value chain that supports these pet families” said Larry R. Evans, President and CEO of PetLynx Corporation. “I am confident that we will eventually reach every dog owner who is interested in having ready access to Canada’s number one source of information about dogs.” “We are very excited about the opportunity of using the PetLynx relationship with dog owners across Canada to expand our circulation base and improve the services we provide to dog owners through our micro site program,” said Ann McDonagh, Group Publisher, Apex Publishing Limited. “Apex Publishing Limited is a subsidiary of the Canadian Kennel Club, an organization that has serviced the needs of dog owners in Canada for more than 120 years.” For more information please contact: Ann McDonagh, Apex Publishing Limited amcdonagh@dogsincanada.com (416) 798-9778 ext 3410 Larry Evans, PetLynx Corporation larry.evans@petlynxmail.com (403) 921-5900

Promoting Pet Adoptions in Your Community

Does it matter who adopts them.... or if they get adopted? Challenge: Your agency struggles to provide time, space and care for as many homeless pets as it can and competes for a limited number of potential adopters. Solution: Instead of competing, recognize the strengths of each organization in your community and work together. Remember, you are working on behalf of all animals in you community.... not just the ones in your care! You all work in the area of animal welfare... so why not work together!

• What parts of your mission do you have in common?
• What challenges do you all face?
• What programs do you duplicate?
• What resources can you share?

In 2010, make a point to think in terms of collaboration not isolation. Think "our animals" not "my animals." Adapted from "Bones of the Business" a regular feature in the PetSmart Charities quarterly newsletter. Used with permission from PetSmart.

Top 10 Pet Names for 2009

"Bella" Beats Out "Max" for Top Dog Name For six years in a row, Max ruled the top spot. But in an upset that is sure to have dog owners talking, Veterinary Pet Insurance (VPI), the nation’s oldest and largest provider of pet health insurance, has declared Bella the most popular dog name of 2009. VPI crunched the numbers on its more than 475,000 insured pets to determine this year’s most common names, and Bella beat out Max by more than 400 dogs. Fans of Max, however, can rest assured that for cats, that name is still top dog – er, top cat. “I was shocked to see Max bumped from No. 1!” said Curtis Steinhoff, senior director of corporate communications for VPI. “Max has been the most popular dog name for so long, I didn’t think anything would take him down. I can only wonder if Max’s dethroning has something to do with Bella being the name of the heroine in a certain vampire book/film series that’s pretty popular these days.” Not all the pet names in VPI’s database are as trendy as Bella and Max. Thousands of VPI policyholders have bestowed names upon their animals not shared by any other pet on record. Check out some of the more “creative” monikers selected for VPI’s Top 10 Most Unusual Pet Names of 2009. TOP 10 DOG NAMES

1. Bella
2. Max
3. Bailey
4. Lucy
5. Molly
6. Buddy
7. Maggie
8. Daisy
9. Chloe
10. Sophie

TOP 10 CAT NAMES

1. Max
2. Chloe
3. Bella
4. Oliver
5. Tiger
6. Smokey
7. Tigger
8. Lucy
9. Shadow
10. Angel