Hello Everyone,
It was with great honour that I accepted the nomination as the new president of the IAOPCC. The Association has been very good to my wife and me. They helped build our family-owned business at a time when we could not find any guidance from anyone else.
2023 marks our 10th year involvement with the IAOPCC and I accept the challenge of continuing the growth of the IAOPCC throughout the world both in education and facility accreditation.
The Board of Directors works as a team, and we will be working very hard to build on the successes we have had in 2022 both financially and in the number of member employees doing training programs online.
I need to thank Robert Blosser for the amazing job he has done in guiding the Association through Covid and helping to build the strongest membership base we have ever had. I am so thankful to Robert for staying on as a board member to help me through my first few years as president.
The main goals I have this year is to build on the success of the wonderful conference we had in Chicago in 2022 and to make sure our membership numbers continue to grow.
For those members who I have not been introduced to me personally, my wife, Bev, and I started our pet crematorium (Pets in Peace) in Brisbane, Australia in 1999. Like many members, we started off very small and I remember assisting 20 families in our second month of operations, thinking this was special. Last year the business assisted over 15,000 families and we are proud of the service we offer.
In 2014, we went looking for an Association that could help us take our business to the next level. Finding the IAOPCC helped Bev and I develop our small family business into the sizeable business it is today. We have managed to get two of our facilities fully accredited by the IAOPCC and that process of accreditation was the big game changer for us. It helped us understand what is needed to operate a professional pet cremation business.
As we look to the future, I thank everyone for their support and promise to work hard and smart in continuing the phenomenal growth of the IAOPCC!
Martin Hopp
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FROM YOUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
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TOGETHER.
SHAPING THE FUTURE OF THE PET
AFTERCARE PROFESSION.
Dear IAOPCC Member,
Wow! What a great Conference we had in Chicago! We awarded more than 37 certifications, held our first ever “hands-on” workshops, and gained knowledge from the industry’s best speakers. It truly was the best way to honor our 51 years as an association. I am sure our founding Board Members in 1971 never imagined all the IAOPCC would achieve in its history….and we have so much more to continue!
We are off and running into the new year! Your Board has been hard at work setting goals for us for this year (more on this to follow!). As we come off three years post-COVID, our businesses are facing many challenges. Being a member of the IAOPCC is imperative in knowing the pulse of our industry and building your businesses focused on achieving the highest standards. If you have not taken advantage of our on-line certification classes, or accreditation, I encourage you to do so. Setting yourself apart from your competition is key to a thriving business. As our Association continues to grow and evolve, you can count on the IAOPCC to provide those opportunities and more.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS NOW! Our plans are set for
our 2023 Annual Conference in beautiful San Jose, California!
The IAOPCC’s 52nd Annual Conference will be held September 21-23, 2023 at the lovely Hayes Mansion in San Jose, California. We are excited to be back on the West Coast after many years!
Your Board has been busy planning all the details for a spectacular conference, including great speakers, certification classes, and an on-site tour of Napa Valley’s historic Bubbling Well Pet Memorial Park and Crematory! Along with our on-site tour, we are planning several hands-on workshops to help you grow your skills! And we’ve included some fun as we take a trip through Napa Valley, the nation’s most famous wine country with a stop to tour a local winery. What more could you ask for? You do not want to miss our 2023 Conference! Make your plans now to be a part of it!
IMPORTANT TO NOTE: Our Conference Hotel reservation link has been posted to our website! Take advantage of our reduced special Member rate today and book early! Watch for our Registration to open in early April. Make your plans to attend now!
We have lots of wonderful events planned, so register today for an exciting time as we celebrate more than 50 years of passion, purpose, and excellence with the IAOPCC! I look forward to seeing you all there!
Warmly,
Donna Shugart-Bethune, IAOPCC Executive Director
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2023 Annual IAOPCC Conference |
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IAOPCC 52nd Annual Conference
September 21-23, 2023
Hayes Mansion
200 Edenvale Avenue
San Jose, CA 95136
We look forward to welcoming our IAOPCC Members to the Hayes Mansion for our 2023 Conference in San Jose, California. The 2023 IAOPCC Conference will take place September 21 -23, 2023! The General Conference will begin on Thursday, September 21 with a Welcome Reception followed by our annual meeting, exhibitor hours, workshops, and so much more. There will be a trip to a member crematory on Saturday, September 23. Once again, we will be offering Continuing Education (CE) Courses prior to the conference. Come and celebrate over 52 years of Commitment to Excellence. Continue to check the website www.iaopc.com for details and an agenda in the coming months.
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INTERNATIONAL NEWS
with Martin Hopp, IAOPCC President and Board Member
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Welcome everyone! In September 2022, we completed one of the most fantastic IAOPCC conference in Chicago. We had so many new members join us, and I know everyone gained so much information from the 30-trade display stands we had at the conference.
On my way over to America for the conference this year, I decided to take my wife, Bev, to the UK for a short break. I also had the opportunity to visit six pet crematoriums in the UK and America. All the owners made Bev and me feel very welcome. It just goes to show that the IAOPCC members will always have their doors open for fellow members.
We, unfortunately, did not have as many international members at the conference as we have had in the past. I think it's because we are all so busy getting over the last two years of COVID.
In talking with international members, the message, I am getting is that we are all having the same problem finding good reliable staff. COVID changed a lot of things and one of the big changes I have seen is in the availability of dependable staff. I feel things are getting better, but this has been the challenge we all have faced over the last three years.
Our international membership is still very strong, and I would love to see more of our international members attend our 2023 conference in late September so please mark it in your diary.
I understand that everyone is so busy running your businesses, but please do not forget you do have the support of the IAOPCC. More importantly, you can use other IAOPCC members as a sounding board for any idea or problems you have.
The pet cremation industry is set for continued growth in 2023 all over the world and we all need friends within the industry to talk to about the industry. I feel strongly that this is one of the greatest benefits the IAOPCC brings to our members.
Martin Hopp
International Director
IAOPCC Board of Directors
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ONLINE CERTIFICATION COURSES
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IAOPCC offers many of their courses online.
Coming Soon! Registered Pet Funeral Director Certification Program!
Pet Bereavement Certification:
CLICK HERE for information on the course and how to register.
Certified Pet Crematory Operator Program (CPCO):
CLICK HERE for information on the course and how to register.
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THE STANDARDS CORNER
with Steve Woods & Keith Shugart, Co-Chairs of the IAOPCC Standards Committee
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Robert Erdman
Chairman of the sub-committee on Alkaline Hydrolysis
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We all hope that the year of 2022 has been an improvement for your businesses and everyone is back to semi-normal after the difficult times of 2020 and 2021.
This year the Standards Committee has had questions submitted asking basic answers to questions asked about procedures by new pet crematory personnel. These questions are being answered at a basic level by the members of the IAOPCC Standards Committee and will be published after discussion and approval by the Committee and the IAOPCC Board of Directors.
Below is a sample of some of the questions received by the Committee:
- If our stacks start smoking, how can I get them to non-smoking conditions?
- If a pet has Parvo or Rabies, are we still able to do a paw print?
- Do we honor a pet parents request to not process the cremated remains?
The questions that we have received and many that we will receive will fall under the local, state, federal and provincial laws as well as IAOPCC International Pet Cremation Standards and general veterinary medical practices.
Exceptions to rules, company practices and International Pet Cremation Standards must be fully documented in writing by the pet crematory operator and the pet parent to prevent any accusation of carelessness, negligence, or failure to be transparent. You never want to go to court in the news media when a situation could be handled at the outset instead of later misunderstandings. If any of our members have questions similar to these, then please send them to the IAOPCC Standards Committee and we will discuss them.
At this time, I would like to recognize Nancy Bates of At Home on the Range Pet Cemetery and Crematory in Amsterdam, Montana and Josh Norton of River Valley Gateway At Home Euthanasia Service and Cremation Aftercare in Grand Junction, Colorado. Nancy is our newest member of the IAOPCC Board of Directors and her facility in Montana is IAOPCC accredited. Josh’s facility in Grand Junction, Colorado is also IAOPCC accredited. We want to welcome both Nancy and Josh to the IAOPCC Standards Committee.
Thank you to Martin Hopp, our international member from Australia and IAOPCC President. Martin recently made a house call to a facility in the United Kingdom and certainly gave a new definition to being a “International” member.
We hope that all of our members and suppliers have a great year in 2023.
Whenever a member needs assistance with IAOPCC accreditation standards, please notify the main office at info@iaopc.com and a member of the Standards Committee will be glad to help you.
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WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! |
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We want to hear from YOU! Please share your news with your IAOPCC peers or send us any questions! Send questions, updates, articles and award announcements to info@iaopc.com. We love highlighting our members and their accomplishments.
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FEATURED ARTICLE - JOE WEIGEL
Owner of Weigel Strategic Marketing
Pet Cremations and Memorialization
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At the IAOPCC convention in Chicago last September, Barbara Kemmis, Executive Director of the Cremation Association of North America (CANA), gave an insightful presentation on Pet Cremation and Memorialization. The foundation of her talk was the results of a consumer survey on cremation and memorialization followed by the action steps recommended for pet aftercare providers based on the research.
Kemmis began her presentation with a quick examination of the permanent placement evolution of pet ashes in the United States. While families continue the time-honored tradition of scattering and burying pet ashes, the new norm in the disposition of pets is Direct Cremation Return to Family (DCRTF). After this review, Kemmis presented several highlights from the consumer study that directly pertain to pet aftercare.
As background, the research was conducted online in the United States and Canada by The Harris Poll on behalf of the CANA. Participants were adults who have been involved in deciding to cremate a family member or friend. The survey was conducted May 2 – 13, 2022.
The key takeaways from the survey include the following:
- 22% of US households have been involved in the decision to cremate a pet – while this is lower than we expected, it may be due to a lack of understanding. Families who let their veterinarians “take care of it” may not consider that to be a decision to cremate. So, this figure may actually represent the percentage of people who chose private or partitioned cremation.
- 18% of US households have pet ashes in the home in any container. This also seems low, but indicates a frequent occurrence of scattering.
- On average, each household has two full sets of pet ashes. More survey participants reported having jewelry or keepsakes containing partial sets of pet ashes.
- As with human containers, the primary factor in selecting the urn is to honor the pet. This container was typically purchased through the cremation provider.
- Almost all people who have pet ashes in their homes are satisfied with the container. In fact, satisfaction with the cremation provider and overall experience was extremely high.
- Just over half of these households have plans to relocate the pet ashes from the home. This means almost half have no plans for permanent placement and could benefit from your expertise and services.
Following the research, Kemmis suggested to attendees to find ways to move more pet cremation families from permanent placement to memorialization. She recommended the following action steps to help do so:
- Target younger generations, as Baby Boomers were more likely to delay permanent placement decisions or leave them to their children.
- Increase the timeframe for making key decisions by the family. Cremation extends the timeframe for discussion and decision making about permanent placement, but everyone needs to know about and see options.
- Expand the information about scattering rules and logistics. Many people have questions about the rules or reality of scattering. Will they get in trouble? What will they see when they open the container? Demystifying scattering helps people make informed decisions to scatter or not.
- Offer an alternative to temporary urns, which for the most part have failed us. Pet cremation providers are better than others when providing non-plastic containers, but consider how you offer options to your families for engraving or more personalized containers.
- Improve knowledge of cremation memorialization options and the decision-making process.
Kemmis closed her presentation with a challenge – what actions will you stop, what actions will you start and which actions will you continue as a result of learning these key insights about your pet families?
Joe Weigel is currently the principal and owner of Weigel Strategic Marketing, marketing firm focused on the funeral profession that delivers expertise and results across three interrelated marketing disciplines: strategy, branding, and communications. Joe possesses a deep passion for funeral service and is often sought out to speak at conventions and give interviews to the media. Before starting his marketing firm, Joe held senior marketing and communications positions at Batesville Casket, Wilbert Funeral Service, and Genesis Casket.
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IAOPCC ACCREDITATION WORKBOOK |
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The Accreditation Workbook is available.
Being an accredited facility allows you to demonstrate to your community and your clients your ongoing commitment to excellence. Request your Accreditation Workbook today! Email info@iaopc.com for more information. Commit today to being among the top in excellence of standards for our industry.
Note for our Accredited Members: we are continuing to conduct our Virtual On-site inspections for Accredited facility Members. Please watch for an emailed letter outlining all the details.
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Welcome to Our New Members
(New members since April 2022)
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IAOPCC would like to welcome their new members.
Affiliate Members
R. Anderson, Escalon, CA
A. Boyd - Fayeteville, GA
A. Fox - Newport, AR
Fur Eternity Pet Cremations - Ontario, Canada
Furry Family Cremations, Richmond Hill, GA
Illinois Pet Funeral Services & Cremation - Skokie, IL
D. Maduro - Aruba
E. Sacharewitz - Yorktown Heights, NY
Serenity - Benson, NC
D.Taylor - Australia
Regular Members
Almascotas - Chile
Bitu's Pet Crematory Services - Ontario, Canada
Caring Pet Crematory – Sacramento, CA
Faithful Companion Pet Cremation - Charlotte, NC
Faithful Pet Memorial – Toronto, Canada
Furever Friends Pet Cremation - Thomasville, GA
Heavenly Pet Cremations - Denison, TX
Littleton & Rue Funeral Home and Crematory - Springfield, OH
Never Forgotten Pet Cremations - Boise, ID
NZ Pet Cremate Limited Trading as Pet Farewells - Hamilton, New Zealand
Paws in Heaven - South Salt Lake, UT
Paws Prints in Woodland - Pinetop-Lakeside, AZ
Peaceful Paw Pet Mortuary - Lugoff, SC
Peaceful Pets - Arlington, TX
Pet Cremations - Glen Richey, PA
Whispering Willow Pet Funeral - Rockford, IL
Supplier Member
Angel Paw - Temecula, CA
Beloved Pet Software - Cuyahoga Falls, OH
Carneum LLC - Cincinnati, OH
Kelco Supplies - Big Lake, MN
Let Your Love Grow - Wildwood, MO
Pulvis Art Urn - Phoenix, AZ
Samuel Mitchell's Design - Wilmington, DE
Solutions Vetceterra Ontario, Canada
Wolfie's Wish - Gainsville, FL
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ATTENTION SUPPLIER MEMBERS |
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The eNews & Views is distributed to members three times a year along with a special printed Conference edition of the News & Views in July/August. The IAOPCC offers several advertising options to fit every budget!
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The International Association of Pet Cemeteries & Crematories (IAOPCC) is an organization dedicated to advancing the standards, ethics, and professionalism of pet cemeteries and crematories around the world. With Members in more than 10 countries, we are the Recognized Leader in the Pet Aftercare Profession!
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Our goal is to provide a list of resources that you can draw from to provide to your staff and clients for educational and informational services. If you have a resource that you would like to submit for consideration, please email us info@iaopc.com.
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The eNews & Views is distributed to members. The IAOPCC offers several advertising options to fit every budget!
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