PLPA Co-Chairs Quoted in Online Article

PLPA Co-Chairs Coleen Ellis and Bill Remkus are quoted in a recent article in Tails Magazine (www.tailsinc.com). Read the article now by clicking here.

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State of PLPA

Hello Fellow PLPA Members, 

As the Chairs of the PLPA, we have been hard at work in putting together the next steps of our wonderful group! We have compiled the information from the surveys that were handed out at the meeting a few weeks ago in San Antonio and are ready to come together, report these findings and establish next steps. 

Per our strategy that we outlined at the San Antonio meeting a few weeks ago, we are ready to form the committees that will continue to move our organization forward. Furthermore, we are ready to provide some answers to you for your needs with the PLPA given the other compelling answers on the surveys! 

We come to you with two requests:

1) Did you sign up for a specific committee—or is there one that you would still like to be a part of? Please do so now and reply to Coleen@TwoHeartsPetLossCenter.com with your requests. The current committee selections are:

Standards/Accreditation/Ethics
Jon Remkus
David Remkus
Antoinette Girod
Kelly Clem
Christine Engh
David Brown
Ross DeJohn
Nancy & Gary Piper
Skye Stevens
Elleanor Starks
Barry & Debbie Mulrine
Jen Melius
Bill Remkus
Ellen Agee
Mike Fuss
Bernadette Peters
Terry Branson
Blake Kelley
Jimmy Hughey
Robert Blosser
Jocelyne Monette
Joey Casada

CPLP/Education
David Martin
Dedrick Gantt
 Amanda Currin
 Roberta Knauf
David Remkus
Debbie Mulrine
Kate Moore
Brett VanDeWoestyne
Coleen Ellis

Marketing
Tom Parmalee
Peggy Rouzzo
Jocelyne Monette
Coleen Ellis
Cay Dalrymple

If your name is not on here—this is your chance, NOW, to have yourself heard. I know that we heard from many of you in San Antonio that you wanted to be involved—please make the choice for the committee that’s right for you to be a part of! 

Thanks to all of you for your exciting comments and willingness to participate! What an exciting time right now—and we can only make all of this happen with YOU! 

We look forward to hearing from all of you!
Coleen Ellis and Bill Remkus

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Pet Loss Professional Alliance Hosts Successful Inaugural Conference

More than 70 pet loss professionals gathered in March for the First Annual Conference of the newly formed Pet Loss Professionals Alliance (PLPA). Participants included owners and managers of pet funeral homes, cemeteries and crematories; owners and managers of traditional funeral homes, cemeteries and crematories that have added pet products and services to their businesses; and veterinarians interested in learning more about pet loss services.

"Our first conference was a great success and provides a strong foundation for this emerging organization," said PLPA Chair Coleen Ellis, president of Two Hearts Pet Loss Center in Greenwood, Indiana. "There is a growing need for caring, dignified pet loss care in today's society, and our organization and this conference are dedicated to raising the bar to ensure excellent service to families."

The Conference was held March 10-13 in San Antonio, Texas. Among the educational sessions:

• Meeting the Needs of Today's Pet Caregivers—Jane R. Shaw, DVM, Ph.D., an assistant professor of veterinary communication and director of the Argus Institute at Colorado State University, conducted an interactive workshop on strengthening veterinarian-client-patient communication and supporting relationships between pets and pet owners;
• "Ask the Veterinarian" Roundtable Discussion—Shaw, as well as Dawn Fradkin, DVM, veterinarian at Bergheim Pet Hospital & Clinic, Bergheim, Texas, and Sharon Gregory, executive secretary of the Veterinary Medical Association of Bexar County, Texas, offered their perspectives on how pet loss providers can best work with veterinarians to improve service to families suffering the loss of a pet;
• Toward Standards in Pet Loss Care—Ellis and Bill Remkus, owner of Hillside Animal Cemetery & Crematory in Willowbrook, Illinois, laid the groundwork for the PLPA to work toward setting standards in pet loss operations, procedures and services;
• Pet Cremations: Legal and Liability Issues—Attorney and funeral director Poul Lemasters examined potential liabilities related to pet cremations and advised attendees on how to protect themselves and their companies through record-keeping measures, operations protocols and more.
• Grief: What Your Team and Pet Parents Will Want to Know—Ellis shared specific techniques for working with families and helping them manage their grief;
• Pet Loss Center Best Practices—Jocelyne Monette, chief executive officer of Eternal Companions Pet Memorial Centre in Rigaud, Quebec, and Nancy Lohman, owner of Lohman Pet Cemetery and Cremation in Daytona Beach, Florida, discussed new technologies, public education programs and the latest products and services available in the pet loss market.
• Founded in 2009, the PLPA is dedicated to providing education and opportunities for professional growth for providers of pet-related death care services. It is a committee of the International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association (ICCFA), and its conference was held in conjunction with the ICCFA's 2010 Convention & Exposition. PLPA members were included in all ICCFA functions and activities, including the 369-booth exhibit hall, which included numerous companies showcasing pet loss products and services. 

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Membership 

Click here to view the PLPA introductory flier and membership application form.