The Pet Care Trust – the charitable arm of the Pet Industry Federation – has appointed Burgess Pet Care MD Paul Miley as its new chairman.
"We are delighted Paul Miley has taken on this important role," commented Keith Aldis, chair of the Pet Industry Federation. "Now is the right time for the Pet Care Trust to make a bigger impact with the public and to show consumers the philanthropic and responsible nature of our industry. Paul has the ideal skillset for moving the Trust forwards."
Ahead of publishing details about the Trust’s strategy and forthcoming activities, Paul introduces his vision for the charity:
"I have been involved with the industry trade associations for some years now and am delighted to be taking up the role of chair of the Pet Care Trust.
"The pet industry is a vibrant and developing part of the UK’s GDP but, more importantly, it is pets that are at the centre of many families. We all know what joy a pet can bring, whether as a first responsibility for a child, a friend to a troubled teenager or companion to an older person who has lost their partner. For me, no walk in the countryside is complete without a dog (or three) along to add vitality and fun to the outdoors.
"What better, on a chilly autumnal evening, than to have a cat curled up on your lap? How many of us in our all too often stressed lives are soothed by an aquarium? And for some, pet keeping has extended into a hobby with private individuals acquiring sufficient knowledge to learn how to care for more exotic pets. So why is this positive image of pets all too often missed by the media, intent on the next negative story?
“The vast majority of pets live long and happy lives: properly acquired, fed and housed, in the company of others, attended to by vets and in many cases these days insured. The incidences of cruelty, neglect and abuse must be dealt with.
"Similarly, any pet related business falling short of the high standards that are necessary to operate in an industry that has live animals at its heart cannot expect to exist long in the 21st century. The acceptance of this image of responsible pet ownership as ‘the norm’ has been driven by many great organisations, but in large part by the industry itself. The Pet Industry Federation will continue this work, to establish even higher levels of education and standards throughout all aspects of our industry. Any pet specialist business should be a member and work to establish the standards that the public (but also potentially legislators and those in authority) deem to be sufficient.
“In perfect synergy, the Pet Care Trust will be public facing. We will highlight the benefits that pets bring to our society and communicate to the public that a responsible industry is there to assist any owner in all aspects of their pets’ care. An owner or prospective owner should seek out Federation members as a mark of quality and standards.
“With Nigel Baker, our new Chief Executive in place, and a strong Federation Chairman in Keith Aldis, I am confident to take on the role of driving the industry’s charity into the consciousness of the British public. We will be publishing our strategy shortly to the industry, as it is, after all, your charity. It won’t happen overnight, but our vision is to be seen as the ‘positive about pets’ charity, working closely with all those that support pets, pet ownership and the joy that pet ownership brings.”
