Addressing the Issue of Animal Homing Part 4

On 13 October 2010, the International Summit for Urban Animal Strategies will turn attention to strategies and codes of conduct for homing animals in urban municipalities.

Passions run deep when the industry talks about homing. Who is the real target as the companion animal industry tries to clean up homing issues?

Discussion of this topic produces questions:

•    Why are retailers and breeders so often the target?

•    Can industry work together to control demand through education and community expectations?

•    Why don’t breeders have a better relationship with retailers?

•    How do the vast number of animals being homed come into our communities every year?

•    How can the industry target sub-standard animals/breeders who access their clients via the Internet?

To read about and comment on the role of pet retailers and animal welfare organizations in relation to animal homing, scroll down to blog posts Parts 2 and 3 below.

To read about and comment on the role of breeders in relation to animal homing, read the blog post for August 20 ... click here.

Join your executive level peers and contribute to the formation of homing strategies at the 5th Annual International Summit for Urban Animal Strategies. Your opinion matters! Register now. Keep informed of Summit events and deadlines on our Summit blog.

Provide your comments to this discussion below.

Posted by Terri Perrin, Online Communications Editor

Addressing the Issue of Animal Homing Part 3

On 13 October 2010, the International Summit for Urban Animal Strategies will turn attention to strategies and codes of conduct for homing animals in urban municipalities.

Animal welfare organizations believe that spay/neuter programs are an important part of controlling overpopulation.

Discussion about high volume spay/neuter programs has produced questions:

•    Are health care providers overcharging for spay/neuter procedures?

•    Who should pay for high volume spay/neuter programs?

•    Can spay/neuter programs support lifetime relationships with community health care  providers?

•    Can industry adopt a code of conduct that provides for all non-breeder animals to be sterilized?

•    Do high volume spay/neuter programs take clients away from veterinarians in the community?

To read about and comment on the role of pet retailers in relation to animal homing, scroll down to Part 2 below.

To read about and comment on the role of breeders in relation to animal homing, check the blog post for August 20. Click here.

For thought provoking questions that affect the companion animal industry as a whole, watch for Part 4 of this series to post on August 31.


Join your executive level peers and contribute to the formation of homing strategies at the 5th Annual International Summit for Urban Animal Strategies. Your opinion matters! Register now. Keep informed of Summit events and deadlines on our Summit blog.

Addressing the Issue of Animal Homing Part 2

On 13 October 2010, the International Summit for Urban Animal Strategies will turn attention to strategies and codes of conduct for homing animals in urban municipalities.

Retailers believe they have the right to sell companion animals at prices the market will bear. 

Discussions about retailers and their practices has produced questions:

·       Who is buying that little doggy in the window?

·       Can retailers become partners in adoption for the animal welfare sector?

·       What codes of conduct and attributes identify a responsible retailer?

·       Is adoption a better model for homing animals from retailers than sale?

·       Should retailers be allowed to sell unaltered animals?

·       Who enforces the codes of conduct for retailer compliance?

For thought-provoking questions about animal breeders and the homing issue click here.

For more dialogue on this topic, watch for Parts 3 and 4 of this series to post on August 29 and 31.

Join your executive level peers and contribute to the formation of homing strategies at the 5th Annual International Summit for Urban Animal Strategies. Your opinion matters! Register now. Keep informed of Summit events and deadlines on our Summit blog.

Provide your comments to this discussion below.

Posted by Terri Perrin, Online Communications Editor

Celebrate the Achievements of Your Peers

The Awards Committee for the Summit for Urban Animal Strategies have received many requests to extend the award nomination deadline.  The new cut off date for submissions is 4pm MST Wednesday September 8, 2010.

The Summit Awards are presented annually to individuals, organizations, and communities that have achieved the recognition of their peers for proficiency or achievement in the award area. 

It is the only awards ceremony in Canada to recognize excellence within all four sectors of the companion animal industry [Animal Control & Enforcement, Animal Welfare, Animal Services and Animal Health & Wellness].

The Summit Award criteria have been refined and new categories added - full category descriptions are available on the ISUAS website. Review them and nominate a deserving peer in your community. The procedure is simple and online.

 
Reminder:  The deadline for delegate registration is Friday, September 17th.
     

Watch for new developments on our Summit Blog.

Posted by Terri Perrin, Online Communications Editor

ReFur-A-Pet Gift Card Give Away From Petsecure

 PetLynx Corporation is pleased to tell you about a great promotion being offered by PetSecure, one of our industry partners.

Are you a proud Petsecure pet insurance member who knows someone interested in pet insurance? Or do you have a friend who’s having difficulties paying their vet bills? Petsecure pet insurance wants to help out through our ReFur-A-Pet program!

PetLynx 101: Why should pet families pre-register before adopting?

Bet ya can't pick just one!

Adopting a new animal companion is exciting! But it can also be intimidating and overwhelming .... even for those of us who have been through it before!

There is a lot of emotion involved in that first week and, because of this, new pet families often lose sight of some of the responsibilities that come with their new bundle of joy. This distraction is reason enough to encourage pet families to pre-register with PetLynx  before they get to the shelter.

Addressing the Issue of Animal Homing Part 1

Annual event will address important issues ... and work collaboratively to create solutions.

On 13 October 2010, the International Summit for Urban Animal Strategies will turn attention to strategies and codes of conduct for homing animals in urban municipalities.

Breeders believe they have the right to produce companion animals for a large and profitable market. Discussion about breeders and their practices has produced questions:

• What codes of conduct and attributes identify a responsible breeder?

• Who should be setting National Codes of Conduct for breeders?

• How does the industry enforce compliance for breeders?

• Is adoption a better model for homing animals from breeders than sale?

• How does the industry eliminate over production?

How do you feel about this issue?

To comment on this discussion item, use the comments section below.

To join your executive level peers and contribute to the formation of homing strategies at the 5th Annual International Summit for Urban Animal Strategies click here.

Posted by Terri Perrin, Online Communications Editor

Pet Lynx 101: Explaining AutoMatch™

The Petlynx AutoMatch™ system is different than other lost and found pet systems in several important ways:

1. AutoMatch™ can makes matches on a pet based on only a physical description, using our unique DataSketch™ technology ... so there is less room for error and a better chance of making a match.
2. Unlike other systems, AutoMatch™ is operates automatically 24/7 so there is no need to manually search through reports
3. Our system also makes matches based on identifiers such as microchip and tattoos .... even if only a portion of the tattoo or microchip number is decipherable.
4. Our system is not proprietary to any microchip manufacturer, so all microchip types are accepted.
5. AutoMatch™ sends out possible matches to other animals that are similar to yours in description -- no other lost and found pet search engine does this!

Posted by Terri Perrin, Online Communications Editor

Important Deadlines for an Important Event!

Deadlines are fast approaching for delegate registration and award nominations for the 2010 International Summit for Urban Animal Strategies Awards, 13 - 16 October 2010.

This year's International Alumni Summit will again take place at the beautiful Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise.  With a focus on “New Strategies & Codes of Conduct for Homing” the Summit has been extended and the schedule adjusted to allow more face time for Alumni attending this event.

PetLynx 101: What is DataSketch™?

Is this cat black and white ... or white and black?

Considering that any two people will likely not describe an animal the same way, many companion animals without current, traceable identification are never reunited with their guardians because animal shelters are not able to make a match.

To help solve this age-old problem, PetLynx created DataSketch™.

DataSketch™ reduces the number of possible descriptors and colors for a pet to a defined number. By reducing the descriptors we have increased the possibility that people will describe the animal in a similar fashion. By filling in the information, users actually 'paint a picture' of a lost or found pet ... rather than draw conclusions about its breed, coat pattern and colour.

An animal's DataSketch™ is compared to other sketches and 'scored' during the AutoMatch™ process. Those matches with the highest scores are then presented to both parties as the most likely matches.

The PetLynx DataSketch™ system ... it's web-based technology that works for pets, people and communities!

Posted by Terri Perrin, Online Communications Editor

Connect with your community using our Dog-Friendly Educational Guides

The Canadian Kennel Club  Responsible Dog Ownership Committee has created, and made available to its members, a series of comprehensive educational guides designed to help dog owners integrate their pets within the local community.

The Dog-Friendly booklets cover a variety of topics, including:

Pet Adoptions that Really Rock!

There is always cause for celebration when a lost pet gets reunited with their guardians. Whether PetLynx plays a role in a successful recovery or not, we are always thrilled to hear when a wayward dog or cat gets home... safe!

But in animal shelters across the world, many dogs, cats and other companion animals are never claimed and must wait to find new 'forever homes.' Knowing that every new animal adoption is something special, the good folks at the Nevada Humane Society have put a new spin on saying "congratulations" as they present one lucky dog to an excited new owner! Watch their adoption entrance dance ... it is sure to put a smile on your face!