PIJAC's Mission

PIJAC’s mission is to promote responsible pet ownership and animal welfare, foster environmental stewardship, and ensure the availability of pets. It is a nonprofit, service-oriented organization comprised of Members who care about pets and the pet industry.

PIJAC Action

During the 2007-2008 legislative session, PIJAC’s governmental affairs division, screened 33,000 laws and regulations (from local to national levels), identified 2,000 issues of concern, and closely monitored 730 measures classified as “hot.”

When necessary, PIJAC distributes information alerts, provides expert testimony, drafts model laws and regulations, networks with key legislators and legislative committees, and serves on numerous task forces involving animal welfare, invasive species, animal diseases, and pet store and breeder regulation.

Examples of ways PIJAC protects responsible pet ownership:


DOG/CAT LAW

Opposing:
  • Mandatory spay/neuter
  • Mandatory identification systems
  • Bans on certain breeds of dogs
  • Unreasonable limits on number per household
Promoting:
  • Fair license fees
  • Generally-accepted animal welfare standards
  • Reasonable pet purchaser protection (warranty rights)
  • Sensible dangerous dog laws

DID YOU KNOW?! There are localities across the US that have proposed laws limiting how many pets you can have in your household, some as few as two.

WILDLIFE LAW

Opposing:
  • Laws based on a lack of/poor scientific evidence
  • Unnecessary and/or overly burdensome licensing requirements
  • Excessive restrictions on animal ownership
Promoting:
  • Good environmental practices (environmental stewardship)
  • Industry and consumer education on animal welfare standards
  • Reasonable human and animal health guidelines

DID YOU KNOW?! The majority of pets in the US are not native to this country (aka did not evolve here) and could be considered “wildlife” by regulators.

Find out more here!