PIJAC Committees

PIJAC utilizes various committees to focus on specific areas of interest or issues. 

All PIJAC Committees are chaired by a member of the Board of Directors. Any PIJAC member may serve on the Government Affairs Committee or one of its sub-committees. From time to time, PIJAC invites non-members to participate in committee deliberations to provide expertise regarding species biology, husbandry, and trade.

Government Affairs Committee:

The Government Affairs Committee is comprised of a cross section of pet industry leaders representing all segments of the pet industry. The Committee relies on its sub-committees to provide input on issues within their area of expertise.

Sub-Committee Operations:

All committee and sub-committee meetings and discussions are conducted subject to certain ground rules, such as adherence to PIJAC’s Antitrust Guidelines and a desire to make decisions by consensus. In addition to all meetings being chaired by the Chair or Vice Chair, one of PIJAC’s attorneys must be present during all deliberations. Minutes of all sub-committee meetings must be recorded and submitted to PIJAC’s headquarters.

Meetings are scheduled as needed. A majority of the meetings are conducted via conference calls and occasional meetings held regionally or in conjunction with a pet industry trade show.

A sub-committee is a resource for developing responses to proposed laws and regulations at all levels – international, federal, state, and city/county. PIJAC’s Government Affairs unit monitors international, federal and state proposals. Because there is no mechanism to monitor activities at the county or city level, PIJAC depends on a grass roots network of concerned individuals who identify issues as they arise at the local level. PIJAC will post information online and prepare PetAlerts as the information is received.

PIJAC provides guidance on how to respond at the local level when resources are available.