With so many pets traveling, Veterinary Pet Insurance Co., the nation’s oldest and largest provider of pet health insurance, reminds pet owners that preparation is the key to ensuring a fun and safe vacation.

Included are six travel tips for pet parents and their furry friends:

1. Make sure the pet is wearing identification at all times in case she becomes separated or lost. Verify that the pet’s ID tag is up-to-date, durable, legible and includes their mobile phone number.
2. Pack a recent photo of the pet owner’s pet photo along with current vaccination records. If the pet becomes lost, having a current photograph will make the search easier.
3. Pack enough food to safeguard against travel delays.
4. Book a pet-friendly hotel. With more than 25,000 hotels in the U.S. allowing pets, there are plenty of properties from which to choose.
5. Choose early morning or late evening flights to avoid temperature extremes that may affect a pet.
6. Look up details about a veterinary hospital near your destination (phone number, hours, driving distance). If a pet owners pet has a medical emergency they will be prepared and know where to go.

In addition to the tips above, VPI recommends pet owners consider their pet’s personality to determine if they will be content in surroundings outside of their comfort zone. A discussion with a veterinarian regarding travel plans may also be helpful.

“If you’re planning to take your pet on vacation, it’s a good idea to schedule an appointment with your veterinarian to confirm your pet’s vaccinations are up to date and that she receives a clean bill of health,” Carol McConnell, DVM, MBA, vice president and chief veterinary medical officer for VPI. “Traveling with pets by air requires specific attention because airlines will require a formal health certificate from your veterinarian.”

Requests for pre-proposals are open now through June 28, 2013 and approximately $300,000 in funding will be awarded to 10 grant recipients.

“We are excited to announce this upcoming funding opportunity for research surrounding our seven key topics, which to date have seen the most promising scientific evidence in terms of the positive impacts of the bond, but could still benefit from a great understand,” Bob Vetere, president of HARBI, said. “This is a great opportunity for students, researchers and various industry professionals and we look forward to receiving pre-proposals and awarding the grant recipients this fall.”

Pre-proposals should focus on the health effects of animals on humans with the following conditions: autism, cancer, cardiovascular disease;,dementia/Alzeimer’s, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or childhood allergies and immunity. Pre-proposals will be evaluated by an independent review board comprising experts in the field based on study design, capabilities of investigators, adequacy of facilities, cost-effective yet realistic budget, and potential for impact on the way the disease areas of interest are diagnosed, treated or otherwise understood.

Full proposal submissions will be invited from selected applicants.

Application review and oversight of HABRI research awards will be managed by Morris Animal Foundation, a nonprofit organization that invests in science that advances veterinary medicine for companion animals, horses and wildlife.

For additional details regarding application process and project requirements, go to http://www.morrisanimalfoundation.org/researchers/small-animal/ and scroll to proactive research funding.

To nominate a city, visit www.petsafe.net by May 31. Finalists will be selected based on the availability of land, civic leader support, population size and total number of votes from community supporters.

PetSafe will select 15 finalists based on information provided by the cities, and each community must provide documentation of land availability and civic leader support to be eligible.

“If your city needs a dog park, you can’t pass up this opportunity,” Randy Boyd, CEO and president of Radio Systems Corporation, makers of the PetSafe brand, said. “Some cities have been getting votes since May 1 when the contest opened, but finalists are not chosen based on the number of votes alone. If you can provide verification of land and support from a civic leader by May 31, your town could be considered for a finalist spot and could compete for the grand prize of a $100,000 dog park.”

Once someone has nominated their city, supporters can vote daily on www.petsafe.net and PetSafe’s Facebook page.

On June 5, PetSafe will announce the finalist communities that will continue “barking” for their park by voting daily on www.petsafe.net and PetSafe’s Facebook page.

The finalist city with the most votes will be named the “top dog” and win a $100,000 PetSafe dog park, and four additional pet-passionate finalist cities will receive $25,000 to put toward their local dog park plans.

“Bark for Your Park” contest winners will be announced on July 31.

For more information and to nominate a city, visit www.petsafe.net. The video below shows how the “Bark for Your Park” contest works.

Jim Reese, the Oklahoma secretary of agriculture, told the L.A. Times, the state was creating shelters for pets and large animals.

“As far as animals that I know of, it will be pets, horses, and smaller operations,” Reese told the newspaper.

Various local and national pet rescue groups were combing the debris looking for animals trapped in the devastation, while others groups turned to social media to help reunite pets and their families. The website VetStreet has a list of these groups on their website.

The American Kennel Club has also set up an information page on their website where those looking to help animals impacted by the tornado can make a donation to their AKC Canine Support and Relief Fund.

According to Dr. Marty Becker, the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation has eight teams searching the rubble since late last night. They have been updating their Facebook page and Twitter feed frequently with information.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has also been posting information for those impacted on their Facebook page, and according to a news release has set up operations on the ground in the area.

But, one story of survival has captured a the nation, especially on social media.

Barbara Garcia, a tornado survivor was being interviewed by CBS News’ Anna Werner, when she found her dog buried alive under the rubble.

Follow Pet Age on Twitter, where we will be sharing resources for both businesses, and those who want to help the people and pets impacted by the tornado.

Video recorded and produced by Reuters

The event will focus on women pet professionals connecting, partnering and collaborating for mutual benefit.

“This has never happened before in the history of the pet industry,” Shawna Schuh, president of WIPIN, said. “Until now, our members have mostly connected via digital communication, so we’re very excited to bring our members together, face to face, for a weekend full of professional and educational events and networking opportunities.”

Pet professionals from all career paths within the industry are invited to attend the three-day conference and awards show, which will feature a variety of roundtable discussions and educational sessions.

WIPIN provides a forum for women whose careers specialize in the pet industry. Headquartered near Portland, it  includes representatives from the many career paths that exist within the pet industry, including groomers, kennels, pet store operators, trainers, breeders and animal welfare organizations.

This initiative is part of Dogtopia’s aggressive growth strategy to expand its brand to more than 400 locations across the U.S. and Canada over the next seven years.

“We are thrilled to be opening our first Dogtopia and bringing Dogtopia’s dog daycare philosophy to our community,” Betsy Anders Jaeckle, Dogtopia franchise owner, said. “My husband and I believe in Dogtopia’s ‘live. love. play.’ philosophy, and we are excited to open an upscale facility to serve the Madison area’s adored pets.”

Since Dogtopia launched in 2002, it has grown to 22 franchise and four company-owned locations nationwide, as well as six locations currently in development. Dogtopia’s design mirrors that of a chic, upscale spa.

Laid out in a similar manner to a children’s daycare facility, Dogtopia has multiple playrooms to suit every dog’s personality and size. In addition to daycare and boarding, Dogtopia also offers a spa, self-service dog wash, and a boutique to pamper dogs of all shapes and sizes.

To fuel growth, Dogtopia is also looking to higher regional developers to build the brand in select markets across the U.S. and Canada, including Chicago, Dallas, South Florida and Calgary. Candidates should have an affinity for dogs and the skills to grow a successful business within a proven franchise model.

Regional developers will be required to open at least one store within the first year of signing, and then to develop additional stores during a scheduled development period, either by opening and operating more units themselves or by recruiting franchisees for their region.

“We are very excited to announce our expansion into Wisconsin and to start the year with strong growth,” Amy Nichols, chief executive officer of Dogtopia, said. “As we continue to expand our unique concept into new markets, it is important to identify franchisees like Betsy and Jeff who not only have a passion for dogs but are also focused on owning and managing a rapidly growing business.”

Q:  Tell us a little about ProLabs and the philosophy behind your products.

Schram: We have developed the ProLabs line of products for pet owners who require high quality, science-based products.

Q:  You started with AgriLabs in their sales and marketing department and worked your way up to president/CEO. What advice would you give to others who want to move up within their corporation?

Schram:  Always excel in your current job. Learn from others in the company that have been successful. Build relationships and network with customers that have been successful running businesses. Find a mentor who will help you prepare for the next move in your career.
Expect to work hard and treat others with respect. Measure your success against the goals you set for yourself.

Try to keep balance in your work and personal life and remember that others who work for you need that, too.

Q: Growing up on a farm in Iowa, and being a pet owner yourself, how does that impact the pet products you produce?

Schram: By being a pet owner and understanding the animal science side of things, I am able to better understand the needs of our customers.  We need to remember that pets are part of the family and take this into consideration when developing the convenience of products and how a customer will use them.

Q:  Speaking of Iowa, you graduated from Iowa State, and are a diehard fan. Tell us about how you still support them.

Schram: My wife Rhonda and I both try to support both the academic and athletic programs at Iowa State.  Being an Animal Science graduate, I support the animal science program at Iowa State and enable our staff to be available to assist in collaborations needed in student activities or through the veterinary college.

Regarding the athletic program, I am a proud Cyclone Club and alumni association member since 1983 and have had season football tickets for 30 years.

Q:  ProLab’s products are rooted in scientific formulation. What type of development goes into them to ensure they are the best they can be?

Schram: ProLab’s products are developed against a high standard of quality, efficacy and pet owner satisfaction.  Our products are made for engaged pet owners who want to make informed pet health care decisions on their own. We’ve been a champion of utilizing proven technologies from veterinary and human health arenas to introduce products that have a unique selling position for the retailer and deliver proven results for the pet owner.

Q: What’s your philosophy when it comes to running the company?

Schram: Our company has been in business for 29 years and I have been blessed with the opportunity to lead the company for 17 years. We have four principles of being on brand at AgriLabs that I expect our employees to live each day. The key principles are being responsive, proactive, positive and having team members with high personal standards.

Hiring and firing can be hard to get right, because there is no exact science that can tell you when you’re sitting across the table from the correct employee. By the same token, it’s hard to make a judgment as to when to simply  part ways with an employee who is not working out.

But, author and human resource professional Paul Falcone has studied the issue in depth, and the result is a series of books that offer a number of answers, including “96 Great Interview Questions to Ask Before You Hire,” “101 Tough Conversations to Have with Employees” and “101 Sample Write-Ups for Documenting Employee Performance Problems.”
Choosing the right people, he said, starts with asking good interview questions.

“Retail sales people need the uncanny ability to chameleonize themselves on the spot and change their communication and body language style to match a customer’s needs,” Falcone said. “That, more than anything, will help them provide outstanding customer service and get the customer to trust and bond with them over a potential sale. Try asking an interview question like this after you’ve spent some time with a candidate: ‘Okay, with no undue flattery or Brownie points here, what could you tell me about my management and leadership style based on the questions I’m asking you in this interview?’ You’ll quickly see if the candidate sinks into her seat or elevates herself, eyes wide and smiling, to make some smart guesses about your communication and leadership style, approach to teamwork, and the like.”

Considering that many applicants for retail jobs lack an extensive professional background, Falcone said employers need to look at other factors to assess them.

“Even people without a lot of work experience tend to demonstrate patterns of achievement in their lives over time,” Falcone said. “Those achievements, in turn, can either be concrete or a bit more general. For example, if the individual was high school valedictorian, voila—you’ve probably got a very hard worker on your hands who’s eager to assume broad responsibilities and demonstrate his worth. On the other hand, a quieter, more self-effacing candidate may describe achievements in terms of balancing the need of family with work and school.”

But as much as anything else, the person’s attitude may be the key.

“That tends to be the dividing line between those who appreciate what the workplace offers vs. those who suffer from entitlement mentalities and victim syndromes,” Falcone said. “Ask, ‘Looking at your career and schooling up to this point, what are you most thankful for?’ Measure their response not only in their words but in their eyes. That’s where the truth to this type of interviewing question typically lies.”

Falcone warned retailers against making hiring decisions too quickly, and against assuming that likeability in an interview will necessarily translate to a good employee. Questions that can match the candidate’s personality to the culture of the employer demonstrate a lot. Falcone suggested asking how many hours a week a person needs to work to get their job done, and to describe the pace of their work, and to discuss how they respond to constructive criticism.

When firing, Falcone said there are important distinctions employers can make between employees who need a little more help and direction and those who simply aren’t going to work out. A big one is willingness to work toward improvement.

“Anyone who shows signs of apathy or entitlement typically won’t work out unless they have a major turnaround in their thought processes at some point,” Falcone said. “But it’s that lack of appreciation that typically plagues people throughout their careers, and let’s face it – you’ve got a business to run and aren’t responsible for the work ethics or attitudes that new hires bring to the table.”

Once retailers decide to fire an employee, especially when there are serious allegations against the person, they often do so too quickly and don’t do the homework that could prevent bigger problems.

“Rather than terminating someone on the spot, let cooler heads prevail by placing the individual on a paid investigatory leave for 24 hours while you look into the allegations against them further and get to sleep on it overnight,” Falcone said. “This will buy you the time you need to look at the record that’s been created, speak with legal counsel if necessary, and develop alternatives that might work both in the organization’s and individual’s favor.”

Those might include allowing the person to resign or an employer’s agreement not to contest unemployment.
When it comes to firing employees, it’s all about the record that’s created, and if a manager doesn’t address substandard job performance or inappropriate conduct on the spot, it could come back to bite the organization in the form of a retaliation claim.

- Dan Calabrese

“This union combines PFX and Pet Food LTD’s commitment to service and growth along with Phillips’ first-rate infrastructure, technology and extensive product variety,” the letter read. “The result is a best-in-class national distribution network that is focused on providing its vendors and customers with the best of logistics, marketing, reporting, fill rates, sales support and services.”

The organizations will operate in the same manner as they have, and all of the principals will remain actively involved with the new company. Blaine Phillips will continue as chief executive officer, and Ced Damby will serve as president west coast operations, and lead the veterinary division.

“Over the next several months, we will work to integrate and consolidate the PFX and Pet Food LTD facilities into the Phillips organization,” the letter said. “We will work with you to identify areas of opportunity and will keep you advised of how we will be improving the efficiency of our operations.”

The details of the transaction were not disclosed.