2. What is Today’s Model? Many pets are purchased from pet stores … especially small pets, including rabbits, rodents, birds, reptiles, fish & more Adoption rates are low HSUS (Humane Society of the US) estimates that 3-4 MILLION cats and dogs are euthanized in shelters every year Only 19% of pet dogs are adopted from shelters Only 22% of pet cats are adopted from shelters Most consumers are unaware that there is also an overpopulation problem with other pets Most consumers do not think “Adoption First” when it comes to smaller or more exotic pets Most consumers think they already know how to care for a pet or that it’s relatively easy
3. Pet Trade Fallout—Life & Death Pets in breeding mills (not just cats and dogs) suffer from back-to-back breeding, poor care & crowded conditions Many pets suffer to varying degrees due to poor living environments & substandard care in stores and in homes … due to lack of knowledge and “after the impulse” disinterest Pets are killed in shelters for lack of a home Some treatable pets in shelters are being euthanized because they do not meet “health standards” for adoption Domestic pets are “set free” outdoors … not realizing or caring that a painful death is the outcome Many pets are not spayed and neutered ... proliferating the overpopulation problem
4. Pet Trade Fallout—Consumers Many people do not enjoy their pets as much as they could simply due to lack of knowledge of proper care Purchase of sick pets can cost unknowing pet guardians a small fortune in vet bills Purchase of pregnant & wrongly-sexed pets fuels overpopulation … and consumer disenchantment Many people are unwilling to spend $200+ on vet care for a $20 guinea pig (for example) Many consumers do not understand their pet’s real requirements and lack commitment beyond the original purchase
5. Pet Trade Fallout—Pet Stores Care information given to consumers is incomplete, inconsistent, out of date, frequently inaccurate … and tailored to move product The primary objective is to sell product, not to screen or educate prospective pet guardians Pet store employee turnover is high … quality training across multiple species is a huge challenge Most pet stores purchase animals from distributors – whom they’ve never visited Marketing targets children, spurring uninformed impulse purchases of pets
6. Pet Trade Fallout—Wholesale Most distributors are their own breeding mills Most distributors augment their “stock” from other breeding mills, backyard breeders, animal auctions, hobby breeders & hobby shows (these other sources are NOT regulated and have no enforced standards of care) Minimum USDA requirements for breeding facilities are low (providing for baseline survival and safety only) … and not well enforced Animals are packed into crowded crates and driven hundreds of miles for deliveries to the pet stores
7. Pet Trade Fallout—Shelters Shelters are funded by tax-payer dollars, donations and grants Some shelters strive to be no-kill, which requires significant community involvement, especially from rescue groups – but this shifts the cost and burden to private individuals, without addressing the underlying problem! Statistics on shelter surrenders and euthanasia do not reflect the real numbers of animals at risk – they do not include private rescue surrenders nor the animals released outdoors The problems are large … but poorly documented
8. Pet Trade Fallout—Rescues Rescues are funded by the rescuers themselves (a punitive burden!) … and by donations Rescuers rarely last for a decade due to financial strain and physical and emotional burn out Rescues are thinly staffed and focused on the animals … they do not have the resources to do adoption days in a consistent manner at pet stores or other locations Rescues do not want to be in the rescue “business” … they are compelled by ethics Some initially well-meaning rescuers turn into hoarders whose animals in turn need rescuing!
9. Pet Trade Fallout—Society What price does society pay for the current business model that treats our pets—sentient beings—as an expendable commodity? The Pet Industry is over $47 BILLION … big business with many stakeholders Taxpayers, rescues & donors are subsidizing many MILLIONS to those who profit from pets by dealing with the fallout issues The MODEL is BROKEN, so how do we fix it? We must change the supply and demand process itself!
10. Change through Regulation? The public & the media are historically dismissive of constraints on pet ownership and pet sales The Pet Industry has well-funded, business-oriented lobbyists and PACs Agendas vary widely across animal welfare advocacy groups Achieving consensus for well-intentioned legislation gets watered down through political compromises made to gain passage Government regulation and enforcement spending is not well-suited to moral imperatives like pet welfare advocacy
20. Ultimately, pet stores that sell animals would onlysell animals to consumers who are Pet ReadyTM certified for that pet. Those stores would be Pet ReadyTM Certified Stores and promoted as such.
21. We get there stepwise over time … through consumer and trade awareness, acceptance and support in a market-driven fashion.
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23. The EDUCATION PROGRAM would be developed by a COALITION of rescues, shelters, veterinarians and other animal-welfare advocates.
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25. Off-line via Pet Ready CD/DVD or workbooks with written/mailed materials
26. In person classesBy Rescues By Shelters By Veterinarians By Pet Stores that do not sell animals
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28. Similar to traffic school … questions to prove that you watched a video clip and understood the basics … while being exposed to more advanced care topics.
29. The course would be a fun experience … visually rich and stimulating (available in multiple languages) … building excitement, responsibility and commitment.
30. Certificates would be good for a period of time (e.g., 3 years) to incorporate updated care standards
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32. Pet Ready Participation Two Major Levels: Level 2: Pet Ready Certified Store (for stores selling pets) Performs all Supporter activities, and Will only sell a pet to a Pet Ready Certified customer Certified Store Support provided by Pet Ready: Listing in online directory of Certified Stores Members will receive updates of Certified Store listings Rescues, shelters and others are strongly encouraged to help promote and market Pet Ready Certified Stores (on their websites, to adopters, in marketing, etc.) Special events & cross-marketing
33. Pet Ready Participation Certified Store Compliance monitoring by Pet Ready: Public can report instances of program abuse via websitenon-anonymously (i.e., ”certified store” observed selling a pet to a non-certified customer). Procedure established for corroboration/investigation (i.e., “X” reports needed to trigger a call to the store to ask if they are having difficulty meeting the requirements and what else they might need for support. If it’s determined that certification requirements are not being met … the store is removed from the Certified list and can move back to Supporter status.
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35. As a Pet Ready “Supporter” they help promote the program to the public.
48. An open feedback mechanism will be provided for courseware (via the website) … so that content can be continuously evolving, improving and kept current.
