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. 

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' ...

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

2010 Summit for Urban Animal Strategies Gets Rave Reviews

Building in an extra day for the 2010 International Summit For Urban Animal Strategies allowed for the introduction of a new forum for discussion and delegate interaction called 'Open Spaces.' The day-long networking/team-building/collaboration exercise was lead by certified executive coach and leadership development facilitator, Karen Dawson, Create Now Inc.

Karen encouraged Summit delegates to identify issues that needed further discussion, commitment and action, then invited participants to break off into groups to address each topic. Subjects of intense discussion included everything from increasing the value of cats in our society, to developing national codes of conduct for animal homing, reduced cost spay/neuter programs and much more.

"As a result of these Open Spaces discussions, delegates left the Summit empowered and optimistic," says Larry Evans, President of PetLynx Corporation. "We feel confident the companion animal industry is on the cusp of great change. Facilitating collaboration and opening the lines of communication across the various sectors is the catalyst for this change."

2010 Summit Speaker Synopsis Part XII

The International Summit for Urban Animal Strategies Presents:

A Framework for National Codes of Conduct 

Presenter: Louis McCann 

Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council Canada (PIJAC Canada)

The welfare of urban animals in Canada is the common link between all sectors of the pet industry.  With a long history of philosophical differences these sectors have frequently found it a challenge to collaborate.  This presentation will discuss the reality the industry is currently facing and why national codes of conduct are desperately needed to help address homing issues.

Louis McCann will propose a step by step plan on how to work together and explain why a cooperative pooling of resources is the path to progress.  He will offer evidence of other success stories and discuss how existing materials can help pave the way to developing codes of conduct.  Louis will share his experiences from both the SPCA and business sides of the industry to illustrate why a unified approach is the key for success.

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.

2010 Summit Speaker Synopsis Part IX

The International Summit for Urban Animal Strategies Presents:
WikiBrands ~ Reinventing your Business in a Customer-Driven Marketplace
Presenter: Mike Dover, Socialstruct Advisory Group


Based on the upcoming book Wikibrands: Reinventing Your Company in a Customer-Driven Marketplace this presentation discusses how companies can deploy technology to engage customers in discussions about their brands in a meaningful way.

For the longest period of time companies created products and services, pushed them out to their customers using the tools of the period. The 4Ps of marketing were sacrosanct – product, place, promotion and price. When strategies were formed, these customer functions were in the business of planning and pushing out these messages, through media intermediaries. The message was controlled; our role as consumers was to listen and buy. Now faced with a dramatic shift in how the technology-enabled collaboration changes relationships, an Internet-savvy generation will bring about huge changes in business and culture. 

2010 Summit Speaker Synopsis Part VII

The International Summit for Urban Animal Strategies Presents:
Homing Animals in the Canadian Urban Environment
Presenter: Lisa Chen, Socialstruct


Petlynx has conducted a number of empirical research studies to investigate public opinion and metrics on behalf of the industry.  This presentation discusses how we can best mine the plethora of existing data and the strategies we can use to collect real-time market intelligence on a go forward basis.  Among the areas we will discuss are the following:

2010 Summit Speaker Synopsis Part IV

The International Summit for Urban Animal Strategies

Presents an Amazing Group of Speakers
Moderated by an Amazing  Facilitator:
Karen Dawson

With a lifetime of experience that includes everything from cocktail waitress to physics teacher ... and now pursuing a PhD program researching organizational effectiveness and change-making as a relational phenomenon, Karen Dawson is well qualified to lead The Summit for Urban Animal Strategies in executive level discussions on the topic of homing animals.

Karen's role as moderator is to support Summit participants as they engage in conversations to develop strategies focused on the many challenges relating to homing animals faced by the various sectors of  the companion animal industry.

2010 Summit Speaker Synopsis Part 1

The International Summit For Urban Animal Strategies Presents:

2010 National Survey on Retail Puppy Sales

There have been numerous media reports covering stories regarding the sale of puppies in stores. Questions about sources and care practices are frequently brought up. Subjective facts and figures have resulted in wide spread misinformation.

To help develop a clearer picture of how the retail model functions PIJAC Canada conducted the 2010 National Survey on Retail Puppy Sales as a way for stores to share their methods of operation. PIJAC Canada's Susan Dankert's presentation of the survey results will offer an insightful look into the sale and care of puppies in pet shops around Canada.  This talk will offer data on topics such as, average number of cages, sales, sourcing, care and warranties.

Announcing the 2010 National Urban Animal Survey

As many of you know, PetLynx Corporation established the National Urban Animal Survey (NUAS) in 2007 to fill the void we perceived for an evidence-based approach to decision making in the companion animal industry.  In 2010, we are once again moving to change the paradigm for information and intelligence in this industry.

PetLynx is pleased to announce that Socialstruct Advisory Group has been contracted to assist us to develop the next generation of Market Services and Intelligence tools for this industry.  Using the largest pool of subscribers and working with our industry partners we will prepare a National Urban Animal Report each November.

The Summit Story: Celebrating Five Years of Achievement Part 2

Looking at the companion animal industry from a collaborative point-of-view

Since the first Summit in 2006,...

• the name has changed;
• the number of delegates in attendance each year continues to grow;
• and corporate support and sponsorship has dramatically increased.

What hasn’t changed is the original purpose of International Summit for Urban Animal Strategies: to work together to advance strategies that will create healthy communities for pets and people. (ISUAS):

Louis McCann, Executive Director, Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council (PIJAC) Canada, is a Summit Alumnus. In his opinion, the event’s focus on industry collaboration has been a catalyst for positive change. He is grateful that the ISUAS includes every sector of the companion animal industry -- veterinarians, retailers, animal shelters, bylaw enforcement, breeders and more.

Important Deadline!

DO NOT MISS YOUR CHANCE to contribute to the National Codes of Conduct for animal breeders, retailers, welfare organizations and service providers at the 5th Annual International Summit for Urban Animal Strategies (ISUAS) 13th - 16th October 2010, at Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, Alberta.

We must have your registration/nomination by Friday, 17 September. 

Click here to register now.
 

Six reasons why you should not miss this event:

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.

Addressing the Issue of Homing Animals 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.

Provide your comments to this discussion below.

Posted by Terri Perrin, Online Communications Editor

Addressing the Issue of Homing Animals 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.

Provide your comments to this discussion below.

Posted by Terri Perrin, Online Communications Editor

Addressing the Issue of Homing Animals 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.

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 4 pm 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.      

Posted by Terri Perrin, Online Communications Editor

Important Deadlines for the Upcoming Summit!

Deadlines are fast approaching for delegate registration and nominations for the 2010 International Summit for Urban Animal Strategies.

The Summit Awards Program

The Organizing Committee for the Summit for Urban Animal Strategies continues to call for nominations for the 2010 Summit Awards. 

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.

The deadline for award submissions is Friday, August 27th.

The Summit Delegate Registration
 

This 5th annual meeting of alumni and executive thought leaders from across Canada will be considering one of the most important areas of discussion for our communities.  The homing of animals in our culture and society requires a new perspective and new strategies that will respond to the needs of a more responsible pet family.

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

      

For more information contact:

Judi Cannon
Summits for Urban Animal Strategies
705.930.7387
event@tsuas.com 

Posted by Terri Perrin, Online Communications Editor

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.