The Washington-based Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council soon will unveil a restructuring plan it says will compensate for the membership withdrawal of the American Pet Products Association (Greenwich, Conn.) and the Pet Industry Distributors Association (Bel Air, Md.)—and the loss of more than $300,000 in annual membership dues.

APPA’s decision to pull out as PIJAC’s heaviest-hitting member sent a shockwave through the industry late last year. APPA has been one of PIJAC’s largest contributors ever since the legislative watchdog group was created 40 years ago. While its contributions have fluctuated based on its revenue, APPA has contributed $250,000 annually since 2007, and PIDA has paid $55,000 per year since 2006.

The silver lining for pet retailers is that all involved parties have pledged to continue to fight for pet owners’ rights. PIJAC intends to compensate for the $305,000 loss of APPA and PIDA dues by enlisting new members. “This industry can trust that PIJAC will continue to serve as the industry’s leader on live animal issues in the legislative and regulatory context,” said Jamie K. Reaser, PIJAC’s vice president of environmental policy and communication.

Reaser said PIJAC will adopt a “strategic plan” during its annual board meeting, to be held in February.

Meanwhile, APPA is spearheading an initiative with PIDA and other industry organizations to address live animal issues while promoting pet ownership. Ensuring the availability of live animals is the foundation of the industry, according to Michael Farmer, chairman of APPA’s board of directors. “Education and advocacy must go hand in hand in order to take our efforts to the next level,” Farmer said.

APPA’s announcement of its withdrawal and PIJAC’s response took place through an indirect exchange of letters and press releases—sent not to each other, but electronically to members of the pet industry.

Farmer told APPA members in a letter dated Nov. 12 that the board’s decision to withdraw from PIJAC was made unanimously in June 2009, after a long period of concern about the sustainability and leadership of the legislative organization. “We, as the APPA board, have a fiduciary responsibility to act in the best interest of our membership, and continued funding of the PIJAC organization would have been a bad business decision,” Farmer wrote.

Frank Koch, interim president and chairman of the board of PIJAC, responded in kind on Nov. 18, e-mailing an open letter to the pet industry. He countered that PIJAC is an “irreplaceable industry resource” with a staff that collectively has more than 100 years’ experience in addressing legislative and regulatory issues, plus expertise in biology, animal care, communications and marketing.

“To the benefit of the entire industry, PIJAC will continue to strengthen and expand its relationship with pet trade associations, as well as other highly influential members of the industry, that share in its vision and mission,” Koch wrote. “These strategic alliances will position PIJAC to build upon its success … and the strong foundation of support that it has received from its membership over the last four decades.”

As of press time, neither organization had released specific plans. [January 2010 PET AGE]

PIJAC Staffing Changes
The Washington-based Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council elected its first president in October 2008—but the position was short-lived.  

Pamela Stegeman, previously vice president of the Grocery Manufacturers Association, was elected president as “part of a new organizational structure and key component of a four-year growth plan to ensure PIJAC’s independence and continuity,” according to the news announcement that followed her election.

At the same time, the American Pet Products Association (Greenwich, Conn.) and the Pet Industry Distributors Association (Bel Air, Md.) made special contributions toward the president’s salary: $100,000 and $50,000, respectively.

In October 2009, the presidency was vacated. Stegeman was replaced with little fanfare by Frank Koch, chairman of the PIJAC board, as interim president.

Dr. Jamie K. Reaser was promoted to vice president of environmental policy and communications, and attorney Michael Maddox was promoted to vice president of government affairs and general counsel. [January 2010 PET AGE]

PIJAC’s Legislative Work
In a Nov. 18 letter to the industry, Frank Koch, interim president and chairman of the board of the Washington-based Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council, highlighted the organization’s recent efforts:

• Screened 21,367 pet industry-related bills and proposed regulations (January through November 2009).
• Tracked 1,475 particularly risky bills and proposed regulations (January through November 2009).
• Helped enact the California Pet Store Animal Care Act, co-authored by PIJAC, a project that took two years and more than $250,000.
• Helped defeat the Pet Animal Welfare Statute (PAWS) in Congress.
• Helped defeat a House bill in Maryland that would have restricted the sale of ferrets.
• Helped defeat an exotic animal control/ban in West Virginia, which would have banned any animal considered non-native.
• Helped defeat a pet store fee increase in New Jersey, which would have increased fees by 5,000 percent.
• Helped enact the California Unweaned Bird Act. Written with PIJAC’s expert input, the law includes the requirement that pet store employees be PIJAC certified.
• Helped in enact permit systems for inherently dangerous reptiles in Texas, Florida and Iowa.
• Helped defeat a federal proposal to ban importation of marine fish.
• Helped sideline a bill that could have prohibited nearly every type of animal in the pet trade.

Source: Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council [January 2010 PET AGE]