NJ.com - "By expanding the availability of service dogs to include those with mental illnesses and providing for canine training as part of veteran health programs, we anticipate that this law will have a substantial positive impact of the health and well-being of suffering military personnel, and even help mitigate veteran suicides," said Mike Bober, president and chief executive of the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council.
Spectrum News NY 1 - Mike Bober, president of the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council, said small pet store owners build their business around establishing connections with customers. Once they sell someone a pet, that customer is likely to come back to buy food and other supplies, sicne these small stores have a harder time competing with box stores when it comes to price.
Spectrum News NY 1 - Mike Bober, CEO of the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council, a trade group that represents retailers like pet stores, says the issue is one that should be addressed on the federal level. The group maintains that, at the state level, the legislation will actually be more hurtful than helpful.
Researchers in Spain made headlines this week with a study concluding that dog walking raises the risk of contracting COVID-19 by 78%, giving rise to speculation that dogs might touch contaminated surfaces in public and bring the virus home. Read the article here.
An industry coalition came together quickly to ensure America's pets had uninterrupted access to food and supplies to survive an unprecedented global crisis.
The Philadelphia Inquirer - ..."There is misconception that grooming is basically haircuts for dogs," said Mike Bober, president and CEO of Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council. "The reality is that grooming is much closer to a health service for pets."
People.com - ... The Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council echoed that sentiment in a statement Wednesday. "It is important that the public remain confident in the USDA and CDC guidance that there continues to be no evidence that pets play a role in spreading the virus in the United States...
Today.com - On March 16, dozens of store owners and managers submitted an open letter to federal, state and local goverment officials regarding pets and coronavirus precautions. The letter praised governments for the decisive action being taken to slow the pandemic but asked that the well-being of pets be considered.
The Washington Post - On Tuesday, the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council echoed that. "This is a positive move toward restoring transparency that will allow the regulated individuals and facilities to demonstrate that they are responsible and accountable animal caretakers," president and CEO Mike Bober said. "We are concerned, however, that the database was restored in a way that offers no protection for the privacy of individual breeders."
The Buffalo News - "We believe people who bring up these bills do so for a noble reason. We don't beleive they want to put New Yorkers out of business or jobs. But hte bill doesn't address the breeding issues they claim to," said Mike Bober, president of the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council, a Washington, D.C., group that represents pet shop companies, pet produce firms and wholesalers and distributors.