We know that the Pet Industry Association is desperate to increase their membership dollars from pet shops (note: only a relatively small proportion of pet shops across the country are members, and yet the government of NSW still takes “advice” from PIAA).
We know that they have engaged the services of one of Australia’s top PR agencies to advance their cause and ‘fight” the publicity gained by Clover Moore’s proposed Animal regulation of Sale Bill.
We know that PIAA have joined in a collaborative program with the well known magazine “Dogs Life” (does anyone know of a similar initiative with cats?).
Dogs Life Magazine and PIAA have embarked upon an annual publicity competition to recognise and reward winners in a number of categories. There are a number of pet shop specific categories, but it also includes:
“The Dogs Life Pet People’s Award for Best Local Pet Rescue Service/Animal Shelter”
We were staggered to see “animal rescue” as one of the categories of this competition!!! PIAA (who stimulate and support the marketing and push of huge numbers of puppies and kittens into the market via pet shops) recognising animal rescue groups (who have to sweat 24/7 to rescue from deathrows across the country).
Is this for real?
Sadly it is. And sadly, many uninformed readers of Dogs Life Magazine will unwittingly associate PIAA with animal rescue efforts.
We expect that all animal rescue groups would be disgusted.
One well known Victorian Rescue group who were asked if they could be nominated replied publically:
“Rescued With Love nominated for award but says “no thanks”
Rescued With Love has been nominated for an award which is always an honor. This time it is for The Dogs Life Pet People’s Award for Best Local Pet Rescue Service/Animal Shelter.
While Rescued With Love is happy with the recognition we are receiving, the Award is with Dogs Life Magazine in conjunction with the Pet Industry Association of Australia (PIAA).
The PIAA represents Petshops throughout Australia and they have been extremely vocal in their stance of protecting the practice of selling puppies in petshops (they were the main opposition to Clover Moore’s Bill to cease the sale of animals in Petshops last year).
These puppies are of course provided by puppy millers who keeps scores of dogs in cages to breed for their babies. Rescued With Love is against all forms of puppy milling, backyard or indiscriminate breeding while hundreds of thousands of dogs die every year in our pounds and shelters.
It would be hypocritical to accept this nomination on ethical grounds from the PIAA, and so we will not be taking up the offer.
While we are not the biggest nor the most financial animal welfare group we certainly will stand up for what we believe Rescue should be about and that is the plight of companion animals at every level in society.”
DRP Comment:
We will take a guess at which Rescue organisation will win this year’s prize – we anticipate the same as last year, (….. the only Rescue group that is actively a PIAA member…….)
Actions you can take:
Write to the Publishers of Dogs Life Magazine, expressing your dissatisfaction with the arrangement of Dogs Life supporting the puppy and kitten trade in this way.
Janice Williams, Associate Publisher, Universal Magazines
Janice’s email address is jwilliams@universalmagazines.com.au, or you can post any letters to Locked Bag 154 North Ryde NSW 1670.