ALEXANDRIA, VA. — The Pet Industry Join Advisory Council (PIJAC) celebrated its 50^th anniversary on Dec. 7, marking five decades of representing the pet care community in legislative and regulatory spaces.

Since 1971, PIJAC has worked to advocate for and advance animal care policy, environmental stewardship, promote pet ownership, and generally serve as a voice for industry members.

“This is an important moment in history not only for PIJAC, but for the responsible pet care community as a whole,” said Mike Bober, president and chief executive officer of PIJAC. “This organization’s work over the past 50 years has made an immeasurable impact in so many ways, from positively influencing pet-related policy, to establishing critical productive relationships with domestic and international governing bodies, to collecting and sharing the expertise of animal health and care experts across disciplines and industries for the betterment of animal well-being, and so much more.”

To celebrate its 50^th anniversary, PIJAC will host commemoration events in 2022 at Global Pet Expo and SuperZoo. Both pet industry trade shows are expected to be held in-person next year, with Global Pet Expo scheduled for March 23 to 25 in Orlando, and SuperZoo returning to Las Vegas Aug. 22 to 25.

PIJAC will also post a series of social media content reflecting on 50 memorable moments from the organization’s history.

On March 22, the organization plans to make “a momentous announcement” as it looks ahead to another 50 years of pet industry representation.

“It is an honor to be serving as PIJAC’s chair of the board of directors during this significant milestone,” added John Mack III, board chair at PIJAC and chief executive officer of Reptiles by Mack, a reptile breeder and seller based in Xenia, Ohio. “The incredible accomplishments of this organization over the past 50 years are due entirely to the dedicated and hardworking members and staff past and present, and to the generous support of individuals and organizations who share our commitment to promoting opportunities for families to enjoy the incredible benefits of pet ownership with the well-treated pet of their choice.”

The organization shared that “the future is bright for pets,” as well as for their owners and pet care businesses, but there remain regulatory and legislative challenges to address moving forward.

“As we continue to monitor and engage on legislation and regulations at the local, state and federal levels, we at PIJAC remain steadfast in our goal of improving pet well-being and supporting opportunities to experience the human-animal bond throughout the next 50 years,” Bober concluded.

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