Winter 2019
 PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
Good Day Everyone,

Following our semi-annual in person Board meeting in Atlanta and while flying back to snowy Wisconsin, I took some time to create an update on what has transpired over the past few months with the goals and recommendations set forth by the Board. 

As a Board, we meet in person prior to the annual conference in September and set the goals for the following twelve months. We then reconvene in March to assess the progress and make adjustments. The list you see below are the goals that were set in September 2018 and the progress of those to today’s date and time. 

Sept. 2018 - Sept. 2019 GOALS & Accomplishments:

  • Creation of On-Line CPCO Program with CANA – Completed! This is a HUGE deal! IAOPCC members and their staff can now become Certified Pet Crematory Operators online. This was previously only available as a in person class offered at the annual convention. Get your staff Certified today!
  • Creation of IAOPCC LinkedIn Page – Completed! LinkedIn has become one of the best platforms for B to B marketing. This is a way we are connecting with veterinarians and staff alike to bring awareness to the IAOPCC. Please, if you are on LinkedIn follow and share our content and we will do the same for you! 
  • Introduction of Monthly E-Newsletter – from your Executive Director to keep you well-informed of our association happenings in real time!
  • SWOT Goals: (Spring meeting 2018):
  • Membership goal of 600 - Ongoing
  • Current Membership - 240
  • International Membership Drive - Ongoing
  • Current International membership - 37
  • New Website Design! We are excited to be rolling out our brand new Website making it much more interactive for our Members! The new site is up and running and we encourage everyone to visit the site and update your company bio and information! 
  • More Communication with Members – Ongoing -- Obviously this is an ever-changing goal but our intent is to provide our members with more frequent updates and info regarding the industry and the association.
  • Creation of Corporate Membership Structure – Completed -- For members having more than one location we have created a pricing structure that will offer a discount for multiple locations. In the past each location had to have individual memberships to receive all the benefits. 
  • Accreditation Updates Out to Accredited Members – Completed -- As our accreditation continues to evolve it is vitally important to keep our accredited members up-to-date with the latest changes.
  • National Marketing Events Attended
  • VMX – January 19-23, 2019 -- This is a big step in a strategic educational effort to make the veterinary industry aware of the IAOPCC and why they should be using an IAOPCC member for their cremations needs. Be sure as a company you have and are distributing the IAOPCC brochures.

I’m truly excited to see what the next six months brings for our association. If you have any ideas, goals or would like to be a committee member please do not hesitate to reach out. 

And as always “Never let fear slow you down”  
FROM YOUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
TOGETHER.
SHAPING THE FUTURE OF THE PET AFTERCARE PROFESSION.

Dear IAOPCC Member,

I love Spring! The trees are turning green and the flowers are blooming. Spring marks the beginning of new growth and transformation! We just finished up our Spring Board of Directors meeting in Atlanta and I am so excited about the new growth and transformation happening for our association and its members!  First, if you haven’t checked out our new website, do it now!  As I stated in my previous newsletter, the benefits of our new website are many. While browsing around, make sure to update your business profile and check out our Continuing Education programs for you and your staff. Be sure to come back often as we continue to add upcoming events, classes, and the latest industry news. 

I am also excited to share with you that after only a few short months, our On-Line Pet Crematory Operator Program has been wildly successful! If you have not signed up your staff members, now is the time to do so!  This success means we will continue to add to our selection of on-line education classes. That’s right, we will be offering courses that will now help to educate and certify your staff members.  Now that’s exciting!

Another upcoming transformation for us, we have finalized the details of our Conference in Denver, and I can promise, You Do Not Want to Miss this Conference!   We’ve re-formatted our Agenda and added new education classes!  I encourage you to make your plans now for September 26-28.   The best opportunities for success happen at our conferences! Including:

  • Education on the top industry issues, concerns, and trends,
  • So many learning opportunities with NEW Continuing Education Classes including our new Occupational Safety Officer Certification (read more about it on our website!),
  • Expanded time and format for round tables and networking with your peers,
  • Seeking Accreditation “How To’s”,
  • Meeting with our Suppliers and learning about the newest products on the market! We’ve even added an additional Happy Hour with our Suppliers! 

Lots of growth and transformation on the horizon! I look forward to experiencing it together!
NEW IAOPCC WEBSITE LAUNCH
The new IAOPCC website has been launched. 

Login information was sent to each primary contact. When you login to the Member Center with your new login, you can access features such as past issues of News and Views, accreditation details, supplier information, best practices and more!  

If you have any questions, please contact us at info@iaopc.com or 800-952-5541.
NEW ONLINE COURSE AVAILABLE!
CERTIFIED PET CREMATORY OPERATOR WITH CANA CERTIFICATION
GET YOUR STAFF IAOPCC/CANA CERTIFIED TODAY!

We are excited to announce our ON-LINE Certified Pet Crematory Operator Program (CPCO) ! This prestigious and much sought-after certification is now easily available to you and your employees.

Click Here for more information and registration.
SAVE THE DATE - 48TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE

Please join us for the 2019 IAOPCC 48th Annual Conference on September 26-28, 2019 at the beautiful Gateway Rockies Resort & Convention Center. Registration will open in Spring 2019!
NEWEST IAOPCC MEMBERS
We would like to welcome the newest IAOPCC members:

Affiliate Members
John Mark Justice, Hobbs, NM
Denice Norton, DVM, Grand Junction, CO
Edward Yescott, Burlington, CT

Regular Members
Heavenly Creatures – a division of Veterinary Cremation Services, Yennora NSW Australia
Okanagan Pet Cremation, Oyama, BC, Canada
Pawsitive Pet Services, Lawton, IA
The Pet Memorial, Flora Vista, NM

Supplier Members
Pet Praise Products , Winston-Salem, NC
 Quick and Simple Imports , Wixon, MI
INTERNATIONAL NEWS with Martin Hopp, IAOPCC Board Member
The IAOPCC is truly an international association as we now have 37 members that have crematoriums outside of the U.S.! Our international members are a vital part of our association and it is important to us that our international members are able to receive all the benefits from being a member as any member in North America. To assist with this, our International Director and Board Member, Martin Hopp from Pets in Peace in Australia, is available by email at enquiries@petsinpeace.com.au to answer any questions you may have.
 
Good News! At this year’s conference in Denver, we are planning some special events for our International members and want you to be a part of it all! Please watch for additional information as we get closer to our conference. 
 
More Good News!  Congratulations to the Animal Welfare League pet crematorium in South Australia who has just received Accreditation in February and they will be attending the conference this year to accept their Plaque!
NEWEST IAOPCC ACCREDITED MEMBERS

Congratulations to the facilities and IAOPCC Members that have received IAOPCC Accreditation in 2019!

Animal Welfare League Pet Cremations , Edinburgh, Australia
Precious Pets Cemetery, Spencer, Oklahoma
The Standards Corner with Steve Woods & Keith Shugart, Co-Chairs of the IAOPCC Standards Committee

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@iaopcc.com

2018 IAOPCC Accreditation Workbook, May 2018  

An excerpt from the 2018 IAOPCC Accreditation Workbook printed May 2018.

Page 1 of the Accreditation Workbook states: Congratulations on your pursuit of excellence with our industry’s first and only Accreditation Workbook! You have chosen to be among the elite professionals dedicated to continuous improvement. Once you have completed the Accreditation Workbook, please send your completed original Workbook along with any pictures, CD’s, and other supporting documentation to the Home Office.

Wait a minute. Hold everything! This Accreditation Workbook has nine sections.  How am I ever going to get through all of this material, fulfill its requirements and become accredited all WHILE running my business day to day? It will take too much of my time, I’ll never be able to finish it, and what if I don’t have all that I need?   Whoa there! Stop and take a deep breath. It is actually a much easier process than you think. Below I’ve listed a few ideas and suggestions that others have found very helpful when beginning the quest for Accreditation.  

IAOPCC MEMBER NEWS
We want to hear from YOU! Please share your news with your IAOPCC peers! Send updates, articles and award announcements to   info@iaopc.com .
ASK THE PET CHAPLAIN WITH JOE DWYER
What are some ways to personalize a service for a companion animal?

  • Ask the family to share some personality traits and stories of their pet, and if possible, any pictures that may match the stories.

  • Suggest a photo board to include the pictures. When you preside at the service, any of the stories you reference will make the pictures that much more meaningful.

  • If possible, mention how one of their pet's traits can bring peace to a world situation.

  • If a scripture or poem is used, find a phrase or even a word that can be linked to a story or trait of their deceased pet.

Members are encouraged to submit questions to Joe at  info@iaopc.com , which will be answered in upcoming issues of the News & Views.
INDUSTRY NEWS
Have you ever wondered why some people seem to move ahead on the road of success so much faster than others do? Accomplishments seem to come easy to them. While they may experience problems and challenges from time to time, they never let them get the upper hand or dampen their positive attitude. These people manage to bypass all the obstacles that get in their way, and things always work out as they plan them to or even better. Being an entrepreneur is not just about having sass and style, it is most importantly about having success. While there are varying definitions of success, in this context success means accomplishing great things, achieving, progressing, and thriving. In order to accomplish great things, you must first decide to do so. In order to achieve, you must make that your intent. Progress by its very definition means to do measurably better than before, and to thrive means to enjoy the work and enjoy the rewards of it. You too can achieve all of your goals and more with these ten tips:

GET LINKED IN
Follow IAOPCC on Linked In to receive association updates!

Click the LinkedIn Photo to visit the IAOPCC Page.
RESOURCES
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 . 

ADVERTISE WITH THE IAOPCC
The e News & Views will now be 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!

ABOUT THE IAOPCC
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 !