Our Petfood Survey Says...

Thank you to all of those who participated in our pet food recall survey, we are now pleased to provide you with the results and the names of the 2 winners of the 25 free 24PetWatch microchips.

The winner from the first week is:
Jean McGroarty, Executive Director of the Kokomo Humane Society in Kokomo, Indiana.
AND
The winner from the second week is -
Dawn Simpson, Clinic Operations Manager for the Humane Society of South Mississippi, in Gulfport, Mississippi.

CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU BOTH AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION!

Did the recall impact your organization?
	1. Yes - we saw a drop in dog adoptions 2. Yes - we saw a drop in cat adoptions 3. Yes - we were using recalled food 4. Yes - we saw a drop in adoptions and were using recalled food 5. No
The pet food recall directly impacted less than half of the animal welfare sector; however 20% of respondents did report a drop in adoptions providing a clear link between consumer confidence in the pet sector as a whole and their willingness to bring a new pet into their home. A significant proportion of the animal welfare sector was using recalled food – 29% if that figure is representative of the percentage of pet owners that were using the recalled food it is no wonder that the issue caused such widespread panic!
Did your organization switch foods following the recall?
	1. Yes - we stopped using wet food altogether 2. Yes - we switched to another manufacturer 3. Yes - we switched to a shelter pet food partnership program No
The proportion of organizations that switched food directly correlates to the proportion of organizations that were affected by the recall. It appears that all those that were using recalled foods switched manufacturers and many of those that were not using recalled food took the precautionary measure of stopping using wet food altogether.
Do you think the recall will continue to have an impact on the animal welfare sector?
	Yes - adoptions remain low so we have more animals for placement than usual. Yes - we disposed of a lot of recalled food so we need more donations for 2007 Yes - we will only use a shelter pet food partnership program now No - The impact was short term only
The impact of the food recall appears to have been largely short term in nature but for a small percentage of shelters and rescue groups the consequences are more long term in nature as they have been left with a shortage of funds for the year and/or more animals for adoption than is usual at this time of year, see our Pet Food Recall Update e-mail for helpful suggestions to deal with this problem.
Do you think the recall will have a long term impact on pet owners?
	Yes - pet owners remain very concerned Yes - pet owners are asking us what food they should use Yes - adoptions remain low and show no signs of picking up due to ongoing concerns about pet food safety No - it's old news
New adopters remain very concerned about the pet food recall and continue to ask questions about what kind of food they should feed their new pet. This may wear off over time but for the moment, please click here for a brief guide that you may dowload and print out to hand to new adopters if you wish.
Have you seen an increase in interest about pet insurance since the recall?
	Yes - we tell adopters that any health issues due to the recall would have been covered by ShelterCare Yes - adopters are asking a lot more questions about insurance No - we don’t tell our adopters about insurance but if they ask we direct them to ShelterCare No - we have materials about insurance in sight for adopters to take if they want to

The pet food recall has put the unexpected health issues of domestic cats and dogs into sharp focus and that is clearly demonstrated by the indication that 62% of new adopters are asking about pet insurance. 

In the industry it is well known that the incidence of unexpected accidents and illnesses in domestic cats and dogs is significantly higher than pet owners anticipate. According to early results of the NCVEI benchmarking tool 97% of responding veterinarians have indicated that they have been forced to recommend a less effective medical solution because the client could not afford the most effective solution. About 90% of veterinarians have euthanized a pet because the owner could not afford treatment. These figures can be changed and ShelterCare Pet Insurance is the answer!

Please let us know if you need more materials for ShelterCare Pet Insurance by clicking here.  If you need more information about the program please call 1-866-630-7387.

Thanks again to all those that participated.  Please help us meet your needs by participating in future surveys.