8
| PET GAZETTE | PIF
VIEWPOINT
Nigel Baker, CEO of the Pet Industry Federation, discusses how the association has
evolved and adapted over time
T
oday’s Pet industry
Federation (PIF) is a very
different trade association to
the one that was formed in
1951. The types of businesses
that now make up the UK pet trade, and
indeed PIF, have dramatically changed since
its inception.
Today’s PIF’s members are sole traders,
partnerships, limited companies and PLCs and
include retailers, manufacturers, distributors,
kennels, catteries, home boarders, dog
walkers, pet sitters, consultants, media,
schools and colleges. In fact, nearly 2,000
businesses and their branches are PIF
members and their combined sales are in
excess of £1bn.
At the heart of PIF is raising standards
in welfare and business. PIF members are
accountable because by placing the annual
membership sticker on the door, the public
can trust them and register a complaint
to the Federation if they believe standards
have slipped. PIF members sign up to the
Federation’s charter and when they appear on
My Pet People (PIF’s public facing web portal),
there are secondary charters or promises of
what the public can expect from a PIF member.
Businesses that are part of PIF can also
benefit from membership benefits. Today
these number over 20, and range from PIF
Print, where members can obtain huge
discounts on their printing requirement, to a
free legal helpline, tax help for sole traders,
specialist insurance, telecom discounts
on calls and broadband, card processing,
templates for licensing compliance, discounts
on legal documents and many more. While
most of PIF’s benefits are aimed at businesses,
we felt it was important to introduce some
personal ones too, on wine and chocolate.
They are proving very popular.
PIF represents its members at local and
national government levels. Our Primary
Authority partnership with the Corporation of
London means that we are well connected
with local authorities, and you can join
Primary Authority for free as a PIF member,
www.petgazette.biz
which enables adjudication and help on
licensing issues. The association also sits on
the steering committee of the Canine and
Feline Sector Group (CFSG) which advises
Government on behalf of the sector on
strategically important dog and cat issues and
the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Animal
Welfare (APGAW). PIF was also invited by CFSG
to join DEFRA’s Expert Panel on Animal Activity
Licensing (AAL) and maintains its seat on the
panel to review and update the guidelines on
AAL. The assocation has recently published
the Professional Dog Walkers’ Guidelines in
conjunction with Dogs Trust and the RSPCA.
Professional Guidelines for Pet Groomers will
follow shortly.
At the heart of we are raising standards
in the pet industry, so that the industry is
professional and well informed. It is important
to the Federation that businesses flourish
while due regard is given to animal welfare
and best business practice. To this end, PIF’s
education department offers a range of
courses and qualifications for pet businesses,
and PIF also has a joint venture with Hadlow
College to manage their two pet grooming
schools. The association also has an exclusive
number of private schools where grooming,
and more recently, reptile welfare is taught.
PIF was instrumental in setting up the National
Reptile Welfare Centre at Hadlow College
before handing it over to The Pet Charity.
Pet businesses rely on personal contacts
with people – our trade is very people
orientated so the opportunity to
network is important. PIF’s
British Dog Grooming
Championships (BDGC)
and the Pet Industry
Federation’s Forum and
Awards (PIFFA) are two
events where people
can meet, learn and
discuss. However,
in April 2020 PIF
will do more
when it will
bring together
these two events, plus education and trade at
one event over two days in central England.
This will be the opportunity for all types of
pet business and people to interact, learn,
buy and have fun at our already renowned
awards evening. More information on this will
be available shortly.
And for manufacturers, PIF has recently
signed a joint venture agreement with a
Chinese company to help PIF members
access the Chinese pet market – a market
which is growing rapidly and with a strong
demand for UK pet products.
So, there is a lot going on at the Pet
Industry Federation. As a trade association,
we are there for our members and will
continue to provide benefits, education and
networking opportunities to raise standards
and help businesses flourish. The Pet
Industry Federation remains the hallmark for
professional pet businesses.
March 2019