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 New 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.

Posted by Terri Perrin, Online Communications Editor

2010 Summit Speaker Synopsis Part VIII

The International Summit for Urban Animal Strategies Presents:

HomeSafe™, Bringing Voluntary Compliance to our Industry

Presenter: Larry Evans, PetLynx Corporation

The companion animal industry has focused on developing a more ‘responsible pet parent’ for at least the past four years. This activity has established an awareness level that can now serve as the foundation for an acceleration phase within our industry. The pet parents we serve have already shown  they are willing to be responsible in other areas of their lives.

This presentation discusses the broader concept of ‘compliance’ and seeks to understand it in the context of the entire industry.  We will seek to illuminate the need for consensus in the definition of compliance and to examine voluntary compliance as the best/only approach for the pets and people we serve in our communities.

The Summit Story: Celebrating Five Years of Achievement

A need for community collaboration was the driving force for this event

Every journey starts with a single step … and when Larry Evans, President of PetLynx Corporation, stepped forward to open the lines of communication amongst all sectors of the companion animal industry, people noticed!

Evans and his team at PetLynx established a long-term goal to set the industry on a course of  collaboration, in effort to create and sustain a healthy community for pets and people. This was achieved by organizing an event that would – for the first time in history – bring representatives from ‘competing’ industries into one room, to work together for a common goal.

Today, as the 2010 International Summit for Urban Animal Strategies draws near, we invite you to take a look back to reflect on how this important event has evolved and continues to foster collaboration and communication amongst all sectors of the companion animal industry.

PetLynx Achieves Record High Registrations and Recoveries

An analysis of PetLynx Corporation's statistics showed extraordinary growth in the number of registrations in the first six months of 2010. During this time, a total of 57,620 entities registered with the PetLynx Automated National Recovery System. This achievement includes 29,561 companion animals and 28,059 associates (pet families and service providers) -- an increase of 129% and 91% respectively, over the same period last year.

Regional Summit Provides Platform to Share Statistics

The Regional Summits for Urban Animal Strategies, held in Vancouver, Edmonton, Toronto and Halifax the week of 19 April 2010 provided Larry Evans, President and CEO of PetLynx Corporation, with an opportunity to share highlights of the 2009 Urban Animal Survey.

The survey --  Urban Cats - Our Biggest Opportunity -- was conducted in the fall of 2009. This in-depth research proved to be extremely insightful for manufacturers of pet food and animal health products, veterinary associations, shelters, animal control agencies and retailers of pet care products. This research provides a comprehensive measurement of pet owner attitudes and the behavior exhibited towards their animal companions.

Although presenting statistical data can be a challenge, Evans did not disappoint! Delegates commented that the presentation was "Entertaining, interesting and enjoyable."

Another delegate remarked: "Given the huge amount of information in the survey, it was valuable to hear the conclusions that followed."

A total of 82% of delegates felt the presentation conveyed the information "in a matter I could relate to" and 74% felt the "information was relevant to me."

WHY CONDUCT AN NORTH AMERICAN URBAN ANIMAL SURVEY? 

At the first Summit for Urban Animal Strategies in 2006, delegates clearly indicated that they required clarity of thought on how to manage urban animals. A lack of reliable statistics and information on constituent’s views hampers municipal leaders and legislators in their efforts to develop urban animal strategies and thus create and sustain a healthy community for pets and people

Want to learn more about how you can connect with other thought leaders in the companion animal industry? Check out the International Summit for Urban Animal Strategies to be held at Lake Louise, Alberta, 13 - 16 October 2010.

Posted by Terri Perrin, Online Communications Editor

And the Nominees Are....

Some of Canada’s hardest working animal advocates recognized by their peers

CALGARY, 08 October 2009: The Summit Urban Animals Strategies is pleased to announce the nominees for the 2009 Summit Awards. More than 20 nominations for the nine award categories were received from across Canada. The final awards will be presented Thursday, 15 October 2009, during the Gala Reception that is part of the Summit for Urban Animals (SUAS) at Lake Louise, Alberta.

“The ‘Summits’ are intended to convey the recognition of peers from all four sectors of the companion animal industry – animal control/legislation, animal health/wellness, animal welfare and animal services,” explains Larry Evans, Chairman of the SUAS organizing committee. “Considering that individuals and organizations can not nominate themselves, this public acknowledgment of commitment, creativity and collaboration in effort to make their communities better for pets and people is, in itself, a great honour. Although there can only be one award per category, we consider all of our nominees to be ‘winners’ in whatever it is they do.”

the 2009 summit nominees are:

Animal Health & Wellness

• Eastern Passage Village Vet
• Animal Hospital of Manitoba

Animal Re-Homing

• Langley Animal Protection Society
• Lincoln County Humane Society
• Moncton SPCA

Animal Sheltering

• Animatch
• Calgary Humane Society
• City of Calgary Animal Services
• Heaven Can Wait
• Saskatoon SPCA
  

Community Education

• Edmonton Animal Services
• Ontario SPCA - Animal Voice Magazine
• Ontario SPCA - BARC Camp

Community Collaboration

• Lincoln County Humane Society

Distinguished Service Provider

• Associated Vet Clinic Ltd.
• Ontario SPCA

Media & Communications

• Dogs in Canada
• Ontario SPCA

Individual Achievement

• Dr. Hugues Lacoste, Centre Vet
  
• Debbie Nelson, MEOW Foundation
• Dr. Drew Van Niekerk, Assoc. Vets
• James Wilke, City of Saskatoon Animal Services

Lifetime Individual Achievement

• Tim Dack, City of Winnipeg Animal Services
• Paul Teichroeb, City of Vancouver Animal Services

All Summit alumni are encouraged to review the nominees and their supporting documents at the www.tsuas.com website, under the section “summit award nominations”. Then vote by completing the survey.

See you at the Summit!