Boarding & pet services sector becomes even stronger
In a major and exciting development for the Boarding & Pet Services sector, the Pet Industry Association (PIAA) and the Australian Pet Care Association (APCA)have recently held discussions around the winding up APCA (pending approval of a special resolution of their members) and incorporating their functions, operations, and current membership into PIAA’s Boarding & Pet Services membership sector.
As part of the proposed arrangement, PIAA will extend PIAA membership to all current Australian Pet Care Association (APCA) members for the remainder of the financial year. PIAA welcomes all APCA members onboard and you will be receiving details around your new PIAA membership shortly.
Last August the previous PIAA board of directors were replaced by a new board of passionate and progressive directors who no longer saw APCA as the enemy but instead an ally that we should be working with for the common good of the boarding and pet services sector. In this new environment of trust and cooperation, it has become apparent that there is significant duplication of time, effort, and resources in operating the day-to-day management and compliance obligations of 2 separate associations with near identical goals.
Through combining resources and our membership, we will collectively represent near 200 Australian boarding and pet services business. This enables us a greater voice in representing the boarding and pet services sector to government, will create significant operational synergies and provide the critical mass to enable the possible reestablishment of conferences and industry networking events such as AusBoard.
PIAA have introduced significant reforms to its governance and management, including the introduction of sector specific working groups who will oversee setting the priority, projects and policy positions for their individual sector. This means the boarding and pet services sector members are now in charge of their sector.
Surplus funds generated by the individual sectors will also be budgeted for use by that sector. The APCA will continue to work with their current members and legal advisors as they navigate the legal process of formally winding up the association.
Any remaining APCA funds left after their wind up could be (with current APCA members approval) be allocated to the PIAA for dedicated use of the boarding and pet services working group and used in implementation of the priorities and projects identified by the working group.
To enable a smooth transition and continuity between PIAA and APCA, Blake DeBruin, Kylie Mackay and Colin Mackay will be members of the new PIAA Boarding & Pet Services working group. I will also be looking for any other volunteers that wish to be involved in the Boarding & Pet Services working group. PIAA remains strongly committed to the boarding and pet services sector and looks forward to the future opportunities representing this sector as its peak industry body with a truly united membership base.
If you are not a current member of either organisation, now is the perfect time to re-join PIAA and get involved.
Simon Mansbridge
PIAA Boarding & Pet Services Director