Spring is finally here, and hopefully everybody is doing well!
There has been a lot going on behind the scenes at the IAOPCC home office. We continue to make significant strides in our on-line CE courses. Be on the lookout for some great training modules for your employees in early 2020. With that said, the current CPCO (certified pet crematory operator) online course has been very well received. If you need more info on how to certify your employees for crematory operation, please check the web site or call the home office.
With the annual conference in Denver fast approaching, I wanted to let everyone know that we will have a session regarding Alkaline Hydrolysis for the first time ever. Albeit not the newest technology it is still very unknown in the pet sector. Samantha Sieber from Bio Response has committed to be there to shed some light and answer questions.
Thanks largely in part to BOD member Martin Hopp’s efforts, our international members are growing at a fast pace, and we expect to have a good presence in Denver. I’m very excited to have them at the conference. Every time I speak to someone operating a business in another country on the differences and similarities, I learn something that can be applied here in the US.
Also, if you haven’t noticed there have been new Suppliers joining our organization on a frequent basis. Please take a look at the supplier list and if there are products your business needs, please support those who support us.
The new web site is up and running, if you haven’t updated your company profile, I urge you to do so.
As always “Never let fear slow you down”
Respectfully,
Robert Blosser
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FROM YOUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
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TOGETHER.
SHAPING THE FUTURE OF THE PET AFTERCARE PROFESSION.
Dear IAOPCC Member,
Can you believe we are almost half through another year?
September (and our Conference) is just around the corner!
The beginning of June marks six months into 2019, and like every year, we review the goals your IAOPCC Board has set since our last conference. I must say,
“The IAOPCC is rocking it!”
So many goals have been accomplished over the past year with
even more to come!
A few things to look forward to:
- Our new website provides an easier Conference Registration process! Have you checked it out yet? While you are registering for the conference, make sure you update and review your business profile – your clients and peers are!
- Additional On-Line Education Courses to be added. We will continue to add on-line courses to our educational offerings. Have you signed up your employees to be Pet Crematory Certified? What are you waiting for? Having your staff certified brings a pride that can only be accomplished through an intense certification process – Commit to signing your staff up and proudly display your staff's accomplishments!
- A brand-new Occupational Safety Certification Course to be offered in Denver. Be sure to check out this new course and all its benefits. If you are a business owner, this is must have knowledge - get yourself certified while at our Denver Conference this year!
- Accreditation Updates – Hard to believe that our Accreditation Program is now in its FIFTH year! This program has continued to set the bar for our industry with unparalleled success! On-Site Inspections begin this year, and we are excited about the success we’ve already seen. If you haven’t begun the process, request your Accreditation Workbook and bring it to the Conference with your questions!
- A Conference jam-packed with great speakers, educational round tables, new certifications, and TWO pet facility tours. Our conference promises to be the best one yet -- You don’t want to miss Denver!
I look forward to seeing you there in September!
Donna Shugart-Bethune, IAOPCC Executive Director
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REGISTER NOW - IAOPCC 48TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE
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2019 CONTINUING EDUCATION CLASSES
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The IAOPCC offers continuing education classes prior to the 2019 Conference in Aurora, CO. Take advantage of special package pricing for you and your staff. Come a day early and earn certifications to enhance your professional knowledge. The
Registered Pet Funeral Director course is back and we are also offering a
NEW CERTIFICATION course - Occupational Health & Safety.
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ATTENTION SUPPLIERS: EXHIBIT INFORMATION
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Exhibit opportunity information is available and registration is now underway for the IAOPCC 48th Annual Conference on September 26-28, 2019 at the Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center in Aurora, CO.
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THE STANDARDS CORNER
with Steve Woods & Keith Shugart, Co-Chairs of the IAOPCC Standards Committee
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Welcome to the Standards Corner! Follow along as our Standards Committee Chairs answer questions and discuss excerpts from our IAOPCC Accreditation Workbook offering sound advice and standards when working towards achieving accreditation. Questions regarding accreditation may be sent to the Home Office at
info@iaopc.com
This edition will deal with Safety which is found in Section One of the IAOPCC Accreditation Workbook. It was very important to start the workbook with Safety as it is the single most important thing to us, our employees and clients.
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When we as professionals think about our practice of our pet aftercare business, we often think of everything working at the status quo until something happens.
We are surrounded by potential hazards on the job every day. We have employees that hurt their backs from improper lifting techniques, failing to use a back support or asking for help. They can get burns from not using enough caution or proper safety equipment around crematories.
Do you have a fully stocked first aid kit, in your vehicles as well as your facility? Do you have an eye wash station? Do you have emergency telephone number lists near your facility telephones?
Where do we shut off the power? What breaker boxes do we go to shut off the power? When was the last time we had a licensed electrician inspect our facility wiring? Where is the main gas shut off valve? When was the last time we had a licensed and qualified plumber in to do a safety inspection of our gas lines? If you do not know the answers to the above items then you should know where the building evacuation plan is located in your facility!
On September 26, 2019 at the
IAOPCC Annual Conference in Denver, Colorado,
we will have an excellent opportunity to review the Safety Section of the IAOPCC Accreditation Workbook. You will also learn important information regarding the health and safety of our employees and clients in our pet aftercare facilities.
The course is called
Occupational Health and Safety Certification Level I
and will be presented by
Richard Hobart, DVM
. The fact that we have Dr. Hobart opens the door for us to learn more about zoonotic and infectious diseases and what we can do about them and how we and our employees should handle within our facilities.
This course can help us all benefit by practicing good safety habits in relation to our business, learning how to best protect our employees, as well as teaching us how to better interact professionally with our clients and veterinary hospitals. As business owners, this course is a must do.
I look forward to seeing you all there in Denver in September!
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NEWEST IAOPCC ACCREDITED MEMBERS
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Congratulations to the facilities and IAOPCC Members that have received IAOPCC Accreditation in 2019!
Pet Cremation Services of Kansas City
, Kansas City, Missouri
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The 2018 Accreditation Workbook 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!
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We would like to welcome the newest IAOPCC members:
Affiliate Members
Cholla Afterlife Care for Animals
, Yuma, AZ
Interstate
, Caldwell, ID
Mike Graham,
Challis, ID
Regular Members
F
airview Presbyterian Pet Cemetery
, Raton, NM
Forever Angels Pet Cemetery At Abbingdon Hill, Inc.
, Wallkill, NY
Haile Plantation Animal Clinic
, Gainesville, FL
Precious Pet Cemetery Ltd.
, Antigonish, NS, Canada
Supplier Members
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INTERNATIONAL NEWS
with Martin Hopp, IAOPCC Board Member
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My wife Bev and I started Pets in Peace in Brisbane Australia in
1999, and we joined the IAOPCC in 2014. We went looking for
someone who could confirm that we are operating correctly and
would be able to help us grow. The IAOPCC has been more than
that to us over the last 5 years.
We use the IAOPCC logo in all our advertising and it give us a lot
of credibility with the vet clinics in our local area. We thought it
would give us a marketing edge over our competitors and I am
sure it does by adding to our professional credibility.
Being a member of the IAOPCC has given us a lot more then that it's given us access to other pet cremation businesses that are more than willing to help. It's given Bev and I four trips to America to attend conferences and visit other crematoriums, as a genuine work expense and we have certainly grown our business with the knowledge we have gained.
In 2015, we had our facilities fully accredited by the IAOPCC and this exercise alone has been worth the membership we have paid. The IAOPCC workbook made us look at all aspects of our business in a much more professional way.
Joining the IAOPCC was one of the best business decisions Bev and I have made. If anyone wants to know more about being a member outside of America, please call me anytime on my mobile:
+61 407 964 092 or email me at enquiries @petsinpeace.com.au
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D.C. Is Getting Its First Pet Cemetery
Right across from a naturally occuring spring at Congressional Cemetery in Southeast, landscapers are readying the first plots for pets. The “Kingdom of Animals,” as the new section will be called, is slated to open by the end of June.
It will be the first cemetery for pets in the District of Columbia, according to Paul Williams, the president of Congressional Cemetery.
“I know there’s a lot of interest in pet cemeteries. People want a place to put their urn … to come and remember their pet,” Williams says. “And there are none in D.C. It’s a nice service. It’ll be an option for people when they lose a pet instead of putting [the urn] on their shelf or in their closet.”
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ASK THE PET CHAPLAIN WITH JOE DWYER
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A Funeral /Memorial Service:
Having presided at many weddings, baptisms, and funerals, it became clear to me that funerals are, by far, the service where you have the best “teaching opportunity.”
People are not usually thinking about an after party, or anything else except the loss of their loved one. Therefore, the level of focus is higher. In addition, more so than a wedding, baptism, or prayer service, those gathered at a funeral are looking for comfort and direction from the presider (Animal Chaplain).
The question then comes to what are the “teaching opportunities”?
As the partnership between Animal Chaplains and After Care Providers continues to grow, my suggestion is to try and discuss this before the service. Some possibilities could be:
- What we can learn from the Animal who has passed away?
- A deeper respect for all creation.
- How the loss could be a way to increase the level of compassion in the world?
If you have any questions on this perspective, or on a specific service, please feel free to contact me.
Peace, Joe Dwyer
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CALL FOR IAOPCC MEMBER NEWS
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We want to hear from YOU! Please share your news with your IAOPCC peers! Send updates, articles and award announcements to
info@iaopc.com
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Our goal is to provide a list of resources that you can draw from to provide your staff and clients for educational and informational services. If you have a resource that you would like to submit for consideration, please email the Home Office at
info@iaopc.com
.
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ADVERTISE WITH THE IAOPCC
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The
eNews & Views
is distributed three times a year along with a special printed Conference edition of the
News & Views
each Summer. 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 15 countries, we are the
Recognized Leader in the Pet Aftercare Profession
!
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