NOTICE - National Urban Animal Report for 2010

Executives in the companion animal industry concerned about the impact of the Internet and the other matters impacting their business are invited to attend an OpenSpace on this matter at the Regional Summits for Urban Animal Strategies, 13 - 19 April 2011 in Toronto, Halifax, Red Deer and Vancouver.

Agenda Set for the 2011 Regional Summits April 13-19

Great Presenters. Compelling content. Stimulating conversations.
The 2011 Regional Summits will deliver all this and more!  

'Collaboration, change and progress' are not words usually associated with the many challenges we face in the companion animal industry. Yet they are now being used to describe the various initiatives resulting from conversations that started at the October 2010 International Summit for Urban Animal Strategies (ISUAS) and are continuing in communities across Canada!
   
We invite you to attend the 2011 Regional Summit (RSUAS) event in the community nearest you. The Regional Summits are the 'Reader's Digest' version of the International Summit. These events allow you to gain insight on what transpired at the International Summit, review industry metrics and and to join in conversations that are moving the companion animal industry in exciting new directions!
  
This year's Regional events will focus on the ever-challenging issue of 'animal homing'. A line-up of dynamic speakers will deliver a synopsis of presentations from the 2010 ISUAS and an interactive 'Open Spaces' program will be facilitated by Karen Dawson, Create Now Inc.  Open Spaces is a proven networking strategy that puts all industry stakeholders in one room and fosters a spirit of respect, trust and open communication. Karen's role as moderator is to support us as we get 'unstuck' and engage in meaningful and productive conversations. 

Thank You for Caring for Cats!

 

"We are only one month into the 2011 Year of the Cat (YOC) campaign and already we have made significant progress!" says Judi Cannon, Collaboration Manager Care for Cats. "Reports about the Year of the Cat have appeared in dozens of newspapers, websites and other media outlets in the past four weeks. As a ‘behind-the-scenes’ member of the Care for Cats Committee, I extend a heart-felt THANK YOU to everyone involved with this important project for making this progress possible."

In the months leading up to the official YOC launch on January 5th, Canada’s companion animal industry rallied together in an amazing spirit of collaboration and commitment. Although we are still in the early stages of the program, all indicators are that we are moving in the right direction. Our combined efforts are creating a heightened awareness about the plight of cats in our communities and the industry is combining resources to insure a successful project. Well done!

Regional Summits 13-19 April 2011

People in the companion animal industry are talking about change ... and you are invited to join the conversations!  

At a cost of just $150 per day, per delegate, the Associate Regional Summits for Urban Animal Strategies are a cost-efficient way to connect  to your community and participate in on-going discussions that are  impacting the companion animal industry, pets, and people in your region and across the nation.

Join us as for any one of four full-day programs focused on 'animal homing in our communities' ...

1.1 Million Homeless Animals Adopted

The 2010 Iams Home 4 the Holidays Pet Adoption Drive was a resounding success! In 96 days more than 1.1 million animals were adopted to new forever homes and five million bowls of pet food were donated!

Believed to be one of the world's largest pet adoption campaigns, Iams Home 4 the Holidays resulted in 1,125,667 animal adoptions in 96 days. The campaign ran from between October 1,  2010 through January 4, 2011.

The campaign is supported by Iams and longtime partner, the Helen Woodward Animal Center, along with more than 3,500 animal organizations from around the world once again joined forces to help reduce pet homelessness.

Wackiest Pet Names of 2010

For many pet owners, the names 'Max' and 'Bailey' may sound mundane and  simply boring. In order to pay homage to those who take pride in their pets’ unconventional names, Veterinary Pet Insurance set out for the third year in a row to find the 50 most unusual dog and cat names in the United States.

VPI employees selected the most unusual dog names from the company’s database of more than 470,000 insured pets, and narrowed them down by voting for the 50 most unusual names in each category.

Some of the funny names for dogs included: Pickle Von Corndog, Bettie Poops and Virginia Woof!

Wacky cat names were Bing Clawsby, Cleocatra and Chairman Meow.

Does your pet have a funny name?
Share it with PetLynx EZBits followers!
Comment below or send us an email.

Read more funny pet names HERE.

Posted by Terri Perrin, Online Communications Editor

If you Care for Cats ... post this information on your Facebook Page

PetLynx Corporation is proud to be one of the sponsors of

2011 The Year of the Cat, a Canada-wide public education initiative orchestrated by Care for Cats that is intended to "get rid of the myths and give the facts!"

This program was launched on January 5th and has been well-publicized through various media outlets, on blogs, tweets, facebook pages and good old-fashioned 'word of mouth' advertising. Thank you to everyone who has played a role in making this possible!

Loads of valuable content has been added to the Care for Cats website and new information is posted weekly. This information is there for you to use -- free of charge -- to help you better care for your own cat or to help promote responsible cat ownership in your community. Be sure to check back often!

To access these valuable resources, click on the scroll down menu on the Pet Industry Toolbox for great content on education, wellness, ID/legislation and population control.

The section for Pet Families has a kids corner, fun cat videos and a tool box.

Help use celebrate cats and educate Canadians about their value in our society ... and thank you for caring and for sharing!

Posted by Terri Perrin, Online Communications Editor

Help Spread the Word About the Farley Foundation

PetLynx is please to share exciting news from the Farley Foundation!

TORONTO, Jan. 19 /CNW/ In celebration of surpassing its first $1 million in disbursements to help people in need pay for the necessary veterinary care of their pets, the Farley Foundation is asking all pet owners and members of the media to spread the word about our amazing charitable work through Facebook, Twitter and other social media accounts with the following message:

"Help spread the word. The Farley Foundation has reached a major milestone by disbursing its first $1million to help thousands of pets across Ontario. Learn more at www.farleyfoundation.org"

Did you miss the 'Cat Crazed' Documentary on CBC?

As a proud sponsor of Care for Cats and the 2011 Year of the Cat initiative, PetLynx Corporation encourages people in the community and those working in the companion animal industry  to become part of the conversation to change public perceptions about cats.

To gain insight into the magnitude of the cat overpopulation crisis in Canada watch the CBC TV Doc Zone special 'Cat Crazed' on line

Interested in being part of the solution to the cat overpopulation crisis? Participate in the 2011 Year of the Cat initiative.

Learn about the International Summits for Urban Animal Strategies.

Posted by Terri Perrin, Online Communications Editor

Companion Animal Industry Rallies Together to Tackle Cat Overpopulation Crisis

2011 is declared ‘The Year of the Cat’ —
launching a nation-wide campaign
to encourage people to treat cats like dogs

Conversations about the cat crisis in Canada that started at the International and Regional Summits for Urban Animal Strategies have evolved into an unprecedented national campaign to tackle the cat overpopulation crisis and raise the social status and value of cats in our communities.

At the 2009 Summits for Urban Animal Strategies (ISUAS), Dr. Elizabeth O’Brien, one of only four Board Certified Feline Specialists in Canada, was one of the featured speakers. She showcased a successful Year of the Cat education campaign created by the Hamilton-Burlington SPCA. Enthused by the support she received at the ISUAS and the Regional Summits, Dr. O’Brien agreed to become the spokesperson for a national Care for Cats committee. The Year of the Cat campaign is the committee’s first project. Coincidentally, 2011 is officially the Vietnamese Year of the Cat.

CBC Television's 'Cat Crazed' documentary premiers January 6, 2011

Cats were the main focus of discussions at the 2009 International Summit for Urban Animal Strategies (ISUAS). Amongst the group of industry thought leaders from across North America gathered there was a camera crew from Vancouver-based Bountiful Films. Maureen Palmer, Director, was in the early stages of research that would take her and her crew across North America and beyond to capture on film and celebrate our nation's love affair with cats and encourage a new relationship with North America's most popular pet: one where all cats are loved and none are abandoned.

According to CBC TV's promotional literature, the new documentary, Cat Crazed, marries documentary storytelling with Oscar-nominated animator Cordell Barker's comedic genius to delivery an irreverent take on the world's cat overpopulation crisis.

"We had the privilege of reviewing this film prior to its release and feel that it will be very valuable in terms of bringing various cat conversations together in 2011," says Larry Evans, President, PetLynx Corporation. "We are thrilled that this cat documentary premiers this week ... at the same time the industry launches the nation-wide Care for Cats public education campaign. The 2011 Year of the Cat is an initiative that was created as a direct result of  industry conversations that began at the 2009 Summit."

We invite you to watch this film and become involved in the conversations to improve the lives of our feline friends.

CAT CRAZED 2011 AIR DATES:

Check your local listing for air times

CBC Doc Zone, Thursday, January 6

CBC News Net, Friday,January 7

Repeat, Sunday, January 9

Watch a You-Tube Cat Crazed Video Trailer.

Posted by Terri Perrin, PetLynx Online Communications Editor

Summit Story in PIJAC Canada's Newsletter

Did you ever wonder how, when and why the Summits for Urban Animal Strategies got started? Now you can read all about it in the December 2010 issue of the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council Canada's (PIJAC) e-newsletter, 'The Voice'.

Learn how Larry Evans and the PetLynx Corporation's team's vision of opening the lines of communication amongst all sectors of the companion animal industry is making a difference for pets and people in communities across Canada and gain insight into how pet retailers feel about the important role they play in the companion animal industry.

To read the full story, download the 'PIJAC The Voice Issue 10' PDF file from the PetLynx Public Newsroom

Posted by Terri Perrin, Online Communications Editor

A Happy Holiday HomeSafe Story

Max, our 13-year-old Shepherd/Husky-cross, ran away from home on December 17th. The last time we saw him, he was running toward the bush behind our home. My partner and I followed what we thought were Max's tracks through the fields and bush for two hours without setting eyes on our dog.

Our search was was very frustrating. We eventually become separated ... and, miles from home, I fell in the frozen field and sustain a knee injury. I was driven home by a kind woman whose backyard I finally found myself in.

As soon I returned home I posted a missing dog report on PetLynx. Then, I spent a very long, very sad weekend thinking that old Max  -- who's sight and hearing are very poor -- had either frozen to death or may have been attacked by coyotes.

My partner never gave up hope that Max would find his way home. Eventually, he did .... but not on his own!

A school teacher had spotted Max walking down the middle of the highway, being dodged and honked at by passing traffic. She loaded him into her car and took him to the Dundas Animal Hospital were they sheltered him and searched for his owner. They found our report on Petlynx and called me Monday morning.

We are so grateful to ...
the woman who drove me home when I hurt my leg,
the teacher who rescued Max off the highway,
the people at Dundas Animal Clinic who cared for Max,
and the people at PetLynx for helping Max get home ... safe!

You are all truly Christmas angels and we cannot thank you enough!!!!

        Merry Christmas

        Susan and Max

Posted by Terri Perrin, Online Communications Editor

Injured Dog Struggles to Raise Litter of Five: Four Puppies and One Kitten

At  PetLynx  Corporation we LOVE happy endings! So we are thrilled to share this amazing story from Edmonton, Alberta, of how love and family are important .... especially at Christmas!

She was a young, homeless single mom trying to raise her litter of puppies, but true to the spirit of the season there was room for one more...

The badly injured  German Shepherd-cross was caring for her four newborn puppies — and a kitten — on a central Alberta reserve when she was found by rescue volunteer Criss Gerwin.

Gerwing took the entire family to the Edmonton Humane Society, where veterinarians thought they'd have to amputate the mother dog's bad leg. But local vet, Dr. Milton Ness, Capilano Veterinary Clinic, volunteered to do a special surgery that saved her hind quarter.

The dog is expected to fully recover.  She, her puppies and her kitten may soon be available for adoption. Her new name -- Esperanza -- bodes well for her and her furry family's future — it means "hope" in Spanish.

Check out this heart-warming rescue story in the Winnipeg Free Press

Posted by Terri Perrin, Online Communications Editor

Important 2011 Summit Announcement!

Date change to accommodate our animal health colleagues

In 2011, the International Summit for Urban Animal Strategies (ISUAS) turns its focus to animal health and wellness. This is a fitting theme, since 2011 marks the 250^th Anniversary of Veterinary Medicine and has been declared World Veterinary Year.

A few days ago, our friends at the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association [CVMA] asked if we would consider moving the dates for the 2011 ISUAS to accommodate the 30^th Annual World Veterinary Congress in Cape Town, South Africa.  The World Veterinary Congress will draw veterinarians, other health-care professionals and their families from around the world ... including delegates and alumni of the ISUAS.

For this reason, after consulting with key industry contacts, we have agreed to change the date of the October International Summit to enable Thought Leaders from the animal wellness sector to attend both events.

The new dates for ISUAS are: 19 -22 October 2011.

We trust this advance notice is sufficient to allow you to change your fall 2011 schedule.  We thank you for your understanding and we look forward to seeing you at the beautiful Fairmont Montebello, Quebec in October.

Thank you for your support of Summit programs and for your work to build healthy communities for pets and people.

Posted by Terri Perrin, Online Communications Editor

Dog Saves Human

In the spirit of love and compassion that is the foundation of the Christmas season, we share the following adoption story as a way to acknowledge and thank people across Canada who work tirelessly to rescue and re-home lost, abandoned and abused animals.

In the companion animal industry we always talk about humans adopting animals... but in many cases it is the animals who give unconditionally of their love and are our salvation. Enjoy this adoption story from an dog's point of view! 

Merry Christmas from PetLynx Corporation

I RESCUED A HUMAN TODAY. 

Her eyes met mine as she walked down the corridor peering apprehensively into the kennels. I felt her need instantly and knew I had to help her. I wagged my tail, not too exuberantly, so she wouldn't be afraid.

2011 Summit W5 ~ Focus on Animal Health

The International Summit for Urban Animal Strategies is  being held in  Eastern Canada in 2011

WHO WILL GATHER: Thought leaders and visionaries from all four sectors of the Companion Animal Industry.

WHAT WILL THEY DISCUSS: Animal Health & Wellness in our communities.

WHERE WILL IT BE HELD: The beautiful Fairmont Chateau Montebello, Quebec

WHEN: 12 - 15 October 2011

Petsecure Ensures BC SPCA's Adopted Pets are 'All taken care of'

PetLynx Corporation is please to share some exciting news from one of our  industry partners!

On November 29, 2010, Petsecure pet insurance and the BC SPCA announced a new partnership that will provide all cats and dogs adopted through the BC SPCA with a six-week trial of pet insurance through Petsecure's Adoptsecure Program.

Each pet adopted from any of the 36 BC SPCA branches across British Columbia will go home with a trial of Petsecure pet insurance for accidents and illness valued at up to $500.

CareerBuilder Survey Looks at Pet Owners and Career Paths

Are you a cat person or a dog person and what does that mean for your career path? A new survey from CareerBuilder looked at pet ownership in relation to chosen profession, compensation and job satisfaction.

Key findings include:

• Workers with dogs were more likely to report holding senior management positions (CEO, CFO, Senior Vice President, etc.)
• Workers with snakes/reptiles were the most likely to report earning six figures.
•  Workers with birds were the most likely to report being satisfied with their jobs.

In terms of career paths, owners of certain pets were more likely to report being drawn to certain professions:

• Dog owners were more likely to be professors, nurses, information technology professionals, military professionals and entertainers.
• Cat owners were more likely to be physicians, real estate agents, science/medical lab technicians, machine operators and personal caretakers.

 

Want to know what a snake or bird owner might be when they grow up?

Get the full story in the Globe and Mail.

Posted by Terri Perrin, Online Communications Editor

PetLynx Corporation passes the 1 Million registered entities mark

CALGARY, 24 November 2010: PetLynx Corporation is pleased to announce that it has achieved a significant milestone in the emergence of its production database by registering the one millionth entity in its automated pet recovery service.

PetLynx is Canada’s only information network for storing companion animal information and manages Canada’s most recognizable pet services brand. PetLynx automated recovery services are used in more than 211 urban centers across the country and the company has received support to move forward with automating recovery and information services for the rest of Canada.
 

"I find it extremely gratifying that the companion animal industry has embraced the PetLynx concept of one secure and centralized animal record." said Larry Evans, President and CEO of PetLynx Corporation.  "We are so grateful for the assistance of our strategic allies in Canada: Procter & Gamble, Western Financial Insurance Company, Canadian Federation of Humane Societies, Canadian Veterinary Medical Association, Canadian Kennel Club, Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council of Canada, Destron Fearing, CDMV and Ontario SPCA. It is through their support and encouragement that the achievement of this benchmark has been possible. They are a testament to the power of collaboration in this industry.”

In 2011, PetLynx Corporation will launch the HomeSafe® program which is another game changing innovation for the companion animal industry.  This industry wide collaboration is expected to bring together all of the stakeholders in each community to create a new understanding of compliance for pet parents and service providers alike.  The City of Edmonton has agreed to prototype the HomeSafe® programs and to track the benefits which can accrue to the pets and people of a more compliant community.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Cindy Kreutzer, PetLynx Corporation     (p) 403.219.1088        (e) cindy.kreutzer@petlynxmail.com

Posted by Terri Perrin, Online Communications Editor