Pet Advocacy Network

What Pet Advocacy Network does

Pet Advocacy Network, legally known as Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council (PIJAC), is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit trade association incorporated in the District of Columbia and headquartered at 1025 Connecticut Avenue NW in Washington, DC, with a secondary office in Alexandria, Virginia. Founded in 1971 and rebranded under its current name in March 2022, the organization serves as the unified policy voice of the responsible pet care community, representing pet businesses (retailers, breeders, distributors, manufacturers), pet hobbyists (aquarium, avian, reptile keepers), and pet industry service providers (groomers, veterinarians). Its operations center on legislative advocacy at local, state, federal, and international levels — including participation in CITES Animal Committee meetings — with five standing committees covering Aquatic, Canine, Herp, Small Animal, and Zoonosis issues.

The organization's offerings span policy advocacy (Legislative Defense Fund, Florida Legislative Defense Fund, Aquatic Fund), member education resources (Advocacy Toolkit, webinars, Pulse Newsletter, issue materials, factsheets), animal health programs (Bd Free Phibs, Habitattitude, Avian Certification, Disease Prevention), and grassroots mobilization through its Network of Advocates program. There is no proprietary technology product; the underlying infrastructure consists of a member portal at members.petadvocacy.org, a public website, and standard email/CRM communications. Recent operational investments include a 2022 website and portal rebuild and a series of 2024 strategic partnerships with aviculture organizations (BEAK, AFA, OPA) and aquatic industry partners (Segrest Farms, 5D Tropical, Josh's Frogs).

Pet Advocacy Network generates revenue through four streams: annual membership dues (board-approved applications), a four-tiered corporate sponsorship program (Bronze $5K, Silver $10K, Gold $100K, Platinum $250K minimums), donations to specialized legislative defense funds, and event sponsorships at industry trade shows including SuperZoo, Global Pet Expo, and Zoomark International. The organization maintains 1-10 employees with leadership including President & CEO Mike Bober, Executive Vice President Bob Likins, Senior Director of Government Affairs Alyssa Miller-Hurley (joined November 2022), and Director of Government Affairs Ashley Brinkman (joined August 2022). Note: a June 2026 op-ed in Pets+ Magazine is authored by Sandy Moore as CEO, suggesting a recent leadership transition that is not yet reflected in the management team listing.

Name

Pet Advocacy Network

Legal name

Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council

Website

https://petadvocacy.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1971

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Pet Advocacy Network (legally Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council) is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit trade association founded in 1971 that advocates for the responsible pet care community — including pet businesses, hobbyists, and service providers — across local, state, federal, and international legislative venues. It funds operations through membership dues, tiered sponsorships, and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Trade Association Services

NAICS

Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Advocacy, Policy & Public Awareness (Animal Welfare) (BPAGAIAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Education & Community Outreach (Responsible Pet Ownership) (BPAGAIAK)

Keywords

• Pet industry advocacy
• Trade association services
• Legislative defense
• Membership organization
• Policy advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Alexandria

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees for pet businesses, hobbyists, and pet industry professionals. Membership applications require approval by the Board of Directors.
2. Sponsorship Programs: Four-tiered corporate sponsorship program (Bronze $5,000+, Silver $10,000+, Gold $100,000+, Platinum $250,000+) providing visibility and partnership benefits to supporters.
3. Legislative Defense Funds: Donations to specialized funds including General Legislative Defense Fund, Florida Legislative Defense Fund, and Aquatic Fund for defending pet ownership rights and fighting restrictive legislation.
4. Event Sponsorships: Sponsorship opportunities for industry events, webinars, and trade shows including SuperZoo, Global Pet Expo, and Zoomark International.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Pet Advocacy Network is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit trade association that serves as the policy voice of the responsible pet care community. It provides legislative advocacy at local, state, federal, and international levels, membership services for pet businesses and hobbyists, specialized defense funds, sponsorship programs, and educational resources on animal health, welfare, and ownership rights.

Product overview

Pet Advocacy Network operates as a 501(c)(6) nonprofit trade association representing the responsible pet care community. The organization's offerings are structured around advocacy services, member resources, and fundraising programs. The core product portfolio includes policy advocacy (Legislative Defense Fund, Florida Legislative Defense Fund, Aquatic Fund), member education (Advocacy Toolkit, Webinars, Pulse Newsletter, Issue Materials, Resource Documents), animal health programs (Bd Free Phibs, Habitattitude, Avian Certification, Disease Prevention), and sponsorship tiers (Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum). The Network of Advocates program provides grassroots mobilization for legislative action. The organization also offers member-only portal access with event registration, legislative updates, and professional development resources.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Pet Advocacy Network Membership Annual membership program providing pet businesses, hobbyists, and industry professionals with access to policy advocacy, legislative tracking, advocacy toolkits, member newsletters, webinars, and direct engagement opportunities with lawmakers.
• Legislative Defense Fund Donation fund dedicated to promoting and advancing pet ownership while defending against legislative and legal attacks on the rights of pet owners and pet businesses.
• Florida Legislative Defense Fund State-specific donation fund focused on protecting pet owners and pet businesses in Florida against restrictive legislation.
• Aquatic Fund Fund maintained by the Aquatics committee for actions defending against legislation, litigation, and matters affecting aquatic pets, hobbyists, and aquatic pet businesses.
• Bd Free Phibs Animal health program focused on preventing chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis) infections in amphibian populations and supporting amphibian conservation in the pet care community.
• Habitattitude Environmental stewardship program providing guidance on responsible pet ownership and preventing the release of non-native species into the wild.
• Avian Certification Certification program for avian health and welfare practices within the pet care industry.
• Network of Advocates Grassroots mobilization network that enables pet care advocates to take action on legislative issues at local, state, and federal levels, supported by print-friendly in-store advocacy banners.

Quantifiable outcome

• Successful advocacy resulted in Delaware legislature rejecting attempt to close pet stores under House Bill 131
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Segrest FarmsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 April 2024Panel participation in webinar on invasive species policy impacts on pet care community, specifically addressing aquarium and aquatic pet industry concerns.
• 5D TropicalminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 April 2024Industry expert panelist in invasive species policy webinar representing amphibian and reptile pet sector concerns.
• Josh's FrogsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 April 2024Panel participation on Habitattitude campaign and invasive species prevention, representing amphibian and reptile pet industry.
• Bird Enjoyment and Advantage Koalition (BEAK)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 February 2024Collaborative partnership with BEAK for advocacy and education regarding avian regulations. Organizations jointly participate in webinars and policy discussions on USDA enforcement of bird regulations.
• American Federation of Aviculture (AFA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 February 2024Partnership with AFA for advocacy on avian-related regulations and industry standards. Joint participation in educational webinars on bird care regulations.
• Organization of Professional Aviculturists (OPA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 February 2024Collaboration with OPA on avian industry advocacy efforts and regulatory compliance education for bird breeders, distributors, and transporters.
• USDA-APHIScoreOthersParticipation in USDA-APHIS Small Pet Welfare Symposium addressing animal health and welfare concerns for small pet species including guinea pigs, hamsters, rabbits, ferrets, chinchillas, hedgehogs, and sugar gliders.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• American Federation of Aviculture (AFA): Long-standing aviculture trade and advocacy organization. PAN has a documented core partnership with AFA, and both organizations operate as nonprofit advocates for avian owners against restrictive species regulation.
• American Kennel Club (AKC): Registry and advocacy organization for purebred dogs and dog breeders. Highly comparable to PAN's canine-committee mandate: state-level legislative defense, breeder rights, and opposition to restrictive dog-related laws.
• National Animal Interest Alliance (NAIA): Coalition of pet breeders, veterinarians, and enthusiasts focused on responsible animal ownership and opposing restrictive legislation. Highly comparable in mission, advocacy style, and grassroots orientation to PAN.
• Pet Food Institute: Trade association representing U.S. pet food manufacturers. Directly comparable to PAN's sponsorship-tiered nonprofit advocacy model, focused on regulatory and legislative engagement for the pet industry.
• World Pet Association: Producer of SuperZoo, the largest pet retail industry trade show in North America. Directly comparable as an event- and community-driven pet industry association that PAN both partners with and co-sponsors alongside.
• American Pet Products Association (APPA): Largest pet industry trade association in the U.S., running the Global Pet Expo and conducting industry research. Directly comparable to PAN as a nonprofit industry body representing pet manufacturers, distributors, and retailers on policy and market issues.
• Pet Industry Distributors Association (PIDA): Trade association for pet product distributors. Directly comparable as a nonprofit advocacy body serving a vertical slice of the pet industry with similar member-funded engagement in policy and education.
• Bird Enjoyment and Advantage Koalition (BEAK): Core PAN partner advocating for pet bird ownership and opposing restrictive avian legislation. Directly comparable in niche advocacy role for avian hobbyists and a member of PAN's coalition network.

Broad incumbents

• American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA): The largest U.S. veterinary professional association with broad policy engagement on animal health and welfare. Comparable as a large, established pet-care advocacy body but operates at far greater scale across the professional veterinary segment.

Regional players

• Canadian Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council: Canadian counterpart trade association for the pet industry. Comparable in mandate to PAN but operates primarily in Canada, offering a regional benchmark for cross-border advocacy models and potential partnership.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/PetAdvocacy
• Facebookfacebook.com/PIJAC
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pet-advocacy-network

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Pet Advocacy Network