"As The Pet Charity becomes more successful in its aims, the numbers entering for rehoming will fall." The Pet Charity Chairman, Paul Miley, tells Pet Trade Xtra about the charities aims, objectives and current projects.
What are the aims and objectives of The Pet Charity?
The role of The Pet Charity is simple; so many of us know that on many fronts pets are a positive influence on society. So the objective of The Pet Charity is to support the research that confirms this and then help the public choose and care for the right pet for their lifestyle and ability. The net result should be something we all support; more, better cared for, well-loved pets in the UK.
Britain has always been known as a nation of pet lovers, so why do we need a national body that promotes the joy and benefits pets have on society?
We are a nation of pet lovers, with nearly every other home in the land having a pet as part of the family. Yet there is the potential for more; many people would own pets too if their circumstances allowed it. We don’t think of it as a ‘right’ to own a pet, because for most of us we have no constraints, but consider if you needed to enter a care home, or perhaps had a landlord that stipulated ‘no pets’? There ends your companionship. And with it, there ends the benefit of pet ownership.
As a lifelong pet owner, I know how happy they make me, but since taking over at The Pet Charity I have been amazed at the research that backs up the statement that simply having a companion animal can actually make you healthier. At The Pet Charity we are engaging with the key bodies and looking to support unique research studies to demonstrate the positive benefits of pet ownership. With this objective data we can both inform the public that having a pet is good for you and your family and why, and also drive this positive media message.
For a long time we have understood how animals have enhanced the lives of those suffering with hearing, eyesight and mobility difficulties, and their role in therapy. We now have robust research that can demonstrate how companion animals can be of enormous value to the community too. Pet ownership has the potential to save the NHS approximately £1.6 billion each year. A recent study conducted by the University of Maryland found owning a pet dog can significantly lower systolic blood pressure, suggesting dogs could be an effective option in slowing the hypertension development for older adults1. Further, a German study concluded that budgerigars can “effectively intervene in processes of aging, not only delaying deficitary processes, but also increasing the physical, social and psychological quality of life in old age2. We believe that information and studies, such as the above, should be covered much more in the media.
Secondly, there are many organisations that do great work at intervening when animals suffer. However, this can be misinterpreted by the media in suggesting every rehoming case involves some level of cruelty. Data that strips out imported animals and genuine adoption cases (where the owner gives up a much loved companion) is hard to come by; but if we just take total rehoming numbers it confirms at least 97 percent of the pet population remains as a much loved member of the family throughout its lifetime. So we support the fantastic and well-funded welfare charities in all that they do, but want the general population to embrace successful pet ownership, knowing it is a good thing not just for the animal but for them and their families too.
Do you think the pet owning public is more responsible in its approach to pet welfare than it was 20 years ago, or does it still need educating?
The Pet Charity believes the pet owning public are certainly more responsible in their approach than 20 years ago, however, there will always be the need for education. The Animal Welfare Act is a superb platform for guidance and has stopped some very poor practices (‘goldfish as prizes at fairgrounds’).
The industry itself is also evidently working hard to raise pet welfare and education at the point of purchase – we now see conditions for pet vending which state care information must be provided and if in a retail environment the employee must be qualified. The Pet Charity would like to see such rigour applied to all outlets for animals destined to be companions; pushing sales onto the internet, or encouraging unqualified hobby breeding is contentious but a natural result of targeting professional well run and inspected businesses.
Indeed the best welfare organisations suffer too – they are very careful in assessing potential owners for rehomed pets; but there are too many unregulated charities that have sadly been responsible for placing animals into unsuitable families with tragic results. Equally amongst the vast majority of responsible breeders, there remain a small number that focus on the cash price, not the animal’s welfare or the family’s safety. If the positivity of The Pet Charity can be a catalyst to bring in a level playing field then the public will get consistent guidance at the point of purchase.
What help and support do you give to retailers, who speak to pet owners on a daily basis, advising them on such things as the importance of animal welfare?
One of The Pet Charity’s main objectives is to educate the public on the needs of their pets - in order for the relationship to be mutually beneficial, companion animals must be provided with all they need to stay healthy. In today’s society, information is available at the touch of a button, but we believe that much of the care advice available to the public is conflicting and confusing, especially when it comes to exotic pets, which are increasing in popularity. Therefore, we wanted to create standardised advice that the whole industry could agree on, and so we’ve worked very hard on making this mission a reality.
Last year, The Pet Charity launched its pet care advice leaflets, which have proved very popular with retailers. The leaflets are ground-breaking in their work, as they’re the only collection of pet care leaflets written in collaboration with welfare societies. We’ve worked with organisations such as Rabbit Welfare Association and Fund, Ornamental Aquatic Trade Association, the Kennel Club and International Cat Care, in order to provide informative, best-practice advice. All the leaflets are also vet approved and endorsed by the Pet Industry Federation and the British Veterinary Zoological Society.
Our pet care advice leaflets are available for all pet services to purchase, and not only do they help businesses selling animals meet 2013 Model License Conditions for Pet Vending (by providing after sales pet care information), they raise pet welfare by educating the public on the needs of their pets, and financially help support The Pet Charity to continue its work.
The leaflets can now be purchased through Pedigree Wholesale, or directly through The Pet Charity at http://red2gouk.netprintmanager.com/TPC.
In line with my previous comments, I would ask all outlets to consider stocking them whether breeder, re-homing centre or retailer, so that the consistent messages are absorbed by the public.
How important is it to speak to schoolchildren about pet ownership, and what initiatives have you introduced in this respect?
Well its vital isn’t it? How can we ensure a generation ahead that understands how to care for companion animals unless we bring children in contact with pets? Today’s children are tomorrow’s pet owners, and teaching children about animal welfare and the differing needs of animals helps to develop sensible, knowledgeable, and conscientious pet owners of the future.
In today’s digital age, children are spending much more time in front of the television, computer or gaming console. A survey by Mothercare discovered that 26 percent of respondents stated their children spend less than 30 minutes per week playing outdoors. With this in mind, we believe that children have less access to pet ownership than they did a generation ago, and we aim to change this.
Pets are a great addition to the classroom, so long as their needs can be provided for – some studies have even demonstrated that classroom pets can improve academic achievement. This year, we are launching a Pets in Schools (PinS) initiative, which encourages primary school teachers to care for pets in the classroom. We’ll be helping 100 schools to care for either rats, guinea pigs or temperate fish by offering financial help with the cost of pet supplies. We’re focussing on these three types of pets due to their suitability to the classroom environment.
We’ve also been working with teachers to produce lesson plans, developed in-line with the UK’s current national curriculum, to enable teachers to bring pets fully into the educational environment and help to engage pupils. For example, the lesson plans encourage students to calculate the area of their pet’s cage, and total the amount it would cost to feed two rats for a year.
Welfare of the pets is a top priority for The Pet Charity with the Pets in Schools initiative, and therefore we ensure all pets are ‘owned’ by the schoolteacher (as the ‘responsible adult’ in law), and will be cared for at their home during non-term times. We’ve also ensured a detailed suitability assessment is completed and the teacher is fully aware of the pets’ needs, and the Animal Welfare Act 2006.
We’ve just opened registration for PinS, so we welcome primary school teachers to get in touch with us at petsinschools@thepetcharity.org.uk or call 01234 224506 to register interest in taking part.
What can be done to reduce the number of abandoned pets every year?
At The Pet Charity, we believe reducing the number of abandoned pets is about educating the public to choose the right pet for their lifestyle. Although the public is becoming much more knowledgeable on the needs of animals, there is still a long way to go, and some people choose to take on a new pet without thinking about the long-term implications. For example, tortoises and parrots can outlive their owners, and many people are not prepared for this type of commitment – therefore we ensure that when offering advice about these types of pets we stress the lifetime and long-term commitment needed for these animals as one of our key messages.
We aim to provide advice for the public in choosing the right companion animal for their lifestyle, and suggest always taking the time to consider if you’re able to provide for all its needs, from grooming requirements, to veterinary care, to exercise.
There is a move politically to try and develop approved lists for pet ownership. The Pet Charity believes this is a non-starter; there are some people who don’t have the lifestyle, commitment or funds to properly care for a dog – but there are many who can and enjoy the benefit that healthy dog ownership brings. So where do dogs sit on a positive or negative list? The same argument applies to virtually all animal types – the best breeders and retailers spend much time turning prospective owners down and guiding them towards more suitable companions.
How closely do you work with the pet trade – suppliers and manufacturers – and other industry organisations?
The Pet Charity’s values state that we’re open and collaborative, and therefore we welcome the opportunity to work with manufacturers and suppliers, as well as expert academics, welfare charities, veterinary organisations, government and legislators.
Given the aims of the charity to increase and improve the care of the UK pet population, we would ask that the industry supports The Pet Charity. Our Pets in Schools (PinS) initiative has required the support of manufacturers and supplies to get off the ground, and will show case their businesses to the next generation of pet owners and indeed the young families that are potentially lifelong customers. We are really grateful for such support and would ask any pet business looking to raise charitable funds to consider The Pet Charity for donations.
If you are part of a business that could benefit from getting into the nation’s primary schools and would like to discuss the options for getting involved please contact our Media & Campaigns Officer, Sara Bazeley, on 01234 224506 or email sara.bazeley@thepetcharity.org.uk
What are the big challenges facing your organisation when it comes to achieving your objectives?
At The Pet Charity, our objectives are very positive as we aim to create the environment to avoid the suffering of animals. Our focus on education and the correct selection in order to reduce the number of unwanted animals, as well as ensuring those already at home are well cared for ultimately meet the same aims as the welfare charities. Unfortunately it is a lot easier to pull in public funds using a celebrity rehoming story than it is to show steady positive change through education. So we will utilise media to raise awareness of how beneficial pets are to our society, focussed on specific cases, and over time become a destination for the public’s charitable donations. But we are really looking to the pet industry to support us, as our aims are so supportive of vibrant, successful, and professional pet businesses. For those already involved in a pet business; consider the impact on your organisation if pet populations were growing and owners spent more on the feeding, care and health of their companions?
Animal charities that focus on rescue and rehoming are some of the wealthiest charities in the UK – we believe this demonstrates how much the UK’s consumer cares for animals. There will always be the need for rehoming centres, but as The Pet Charity becomes more successful in its aims, the numbers entering for rehoming will fall. A rebalancing of funding will aid that progress and at the centre of it all the pets and their owners will benefit.
For more information about The Pet Charity, or to consider supporting the Charity’s campaigns, visit www.thepetcharity.org.uk, call 01234 224506 or email info@thepetcharity.org.uk
