lick spotlight - pet care
Grassroot Changes in
In March of 2020, the International Boarding & Pet Services Association (IBPSA) celebrates 10 years of serving the pet care services industry. As the founder of IBPSA, I was inspired to create this trade association after witnessing the passion and dedication of industry leaders and by the type of pride I see demonstrated today by Women In the Pet Industry (WIPIN) members in offering quality products and services to the pet owner community. Through our professional communities we elevate and learn from each other to better serve those pet owners. Over the last 10 years, IBPSA has not only built education and standards for the pet care services industry but has actively advocated for the industry as well. It is in the advocating part of the work, educating legislators, the media, and the public at large, that I have learned the most about this industry. The following are the top three things I’ve learned, and that I think you should know, so that together, from the ground up, we can make positive changes in pet care. Language matters. When I started in this industry 13 years ago the term was “pet owners.” Today, it’s “pet parents” or, perhaps, “pet guardians.” What does this evolving language mean about the future of pets, their humans, and those who care for them both? I submit that the humanization of pets has changed what is expected from pet care providers. Even though pets are increasingly considered furry children, the law still treats pets as merely property. Because, in the eyes of the law, a pet may have no value greater than, say, a piece of furniture it’s not surprising that the pet care services industry is mostly unregulated. IBPSA receives countless calls from pet owners whose pets have gotten sick or died in the care of a pet care provider—they are looking for justice from regulation that does not exist. While the law has not evolved, expectations from pet parents have and, because language matters, we can use it to help frame those expectations to keep their pets safer. More on that later.
There is not a consensus on regulation for non- veterinarian pet care in the United States. Your state may have no regulation but Colorado, for example, has regulation for pet care services providers who own facilities. California, by way of another example, has spotty regulation based in different cities. In a recent move by the state of California, a law was passed that would require standards for pet care providers in a facility, but that law is untested and may only kick in if a facility has a negative reported incident. In both Colorado and California, Rover.com is exempt from any regulation that is in place. Why? As a marketing platform, Rover uses independent contractors to provide the work. For more than 60 years, this industry has been able to stay away from virtually any regulation to protect pets or pet care providers. When pets were considered more as property the law was pretty straightforward but, with pets today increasingly considered family members, the old laws (or lack thereof) do not seem to fit. Historically, pet care services providers prided themselves on being able to self-regulate but as more people enter this now financially enticing multibillion dollar industry with little more than “I love animals” experience, and with the number of pet injury or death incidents happening with pet care found on marketing platforms, self-regulation is failing. The conversation needs to change from legislation to education and certification. Because self-regulation is failing, it’s fair to assess that regulation is coming. But, because language matters, instead of discussing regulation what if we discussed finding qualified pet care providers? Qualified pet care providers are individuals who have trained for their position through on the job training, participated in educational courses, and continue to educate themselves through certification. Pet owners widely believe that regulation that protects their pets is in place but, simply put, it isn’t. Pet owners must do their own research when hiring pet care. When I speak to pet owners, I encourage them to interview the potential pet care provider. Pet owners should
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