City Wins National Award for Pet Education
October 29, 2009
Summit Award recognizes City’s efforts to educate about responsible pet ownership.
The City of Edmonton has won a national award for its efforts to educate residents about responsible pet ownership. The Summit Award for Community Education was presented at the 2009 Summit for Urban Animal Strategies, where delegates representing pet agencies and municipalities across Canada voted for the winners.
“The Summit Award is a public recognition from peers in all sectors of the pet industry,” says Larry Evans, Chair of the Summit for Urban Animal Strategies Organizing Committee. “Considering that individuals and organizations cannot nominate themselves, this acknowledgment of Edmonton’s commitment, creativity and collaboration to educate the public and encourage responsible pet ownership is, in itself, a great honour for them.”
“We have worked hard to educate Edmontonians about our pet bylaws and this award is very exciting because it shows that our peers see us as a leader in this area,” says Susan Copeland, Community Relations Coordinator for the City’s Community Standards Branch. “Educating residents about our bylaws and why we have them can go a long way towards getting bylaw compliance, which is our goal.”
Delegates were impressed by the City’s 2009 pet licensing campaign which highlighted the convenience of online pet licensing, touted the benefits of licensing pets, and focused on community cooperation instead of zero-tolerance enforcement. More than 6,000 new pet licences were issued as a result.
Other initiatives of merit included the Pets in the City monthly articles, special education programs for children, an extensive media campaign, presentations to community groups, attendance at community events, a grant program, and a re-vamp of all animal bylaw publications.
The Summit for Urban Animal Strategies is an initiative of PetLynx Corporation and its industry partners. The annual event attracts experts from Canada’s pet industry and municipalities to consider strategies that will create and sustain healthy communities for both pets and people.
For more information:
Susan Copeland
Planning and Development
| Title | Community Relations Coordinator, Community Standards Branch |
|---|---|
| Telephone | 780-868-1104 |
Larry Evans
| Title | Chair, Summit for Urban Animal Strategies Organizing Committee |
|---|---|
| Telephone | 403-921-5900 |
