FRIENDS FOR LIFE
STAKEHOLDER TOOLKIT
PFMA HEALTH & WELLBEING ‘FRIENDS FOR LIFE’ CAMPAIGN 2013: STAKEHOLDER TOOLKIT
CONTENTS
1. Campaign Introduction
2. Vets and Veterinary Nurses
2.1
Why should I get involved?
2.2
How can I get involved?
3. Pet Food Manufacturers
3.1
Why should I get involved?
3.2
How can I get involved?
4. Pet Retailer, Groomer, Charity or Welfare Organisation
4.1
Why should I get involved?
4.2
How can I get involved?
5. What support is available?
5.1
Campaign Logo
5.2
Campaign Poster – Vets
5.3
Campaign Poster - Retailers
5.4
Website Banner
5.5
Pet Size O Meter (PSOM): Cat
5.6
Pet Size O Meter (PSOM): Dog
5.7
Pet Size O Meter (PSOM): Rabbit
5.8
Pet Size O Meter (PSOM) ‘How To’ Video
5.9
Did you know poster
5.10 Family Pet Pledge
5.11
Top Tips for feeding your dog/cat
5.12
Top Tips for feeding your rabbit
5.13 Pet MOT
5.14 How to run a Weigh in Wednesday (retailers, groomers, charity, welfare
organisations)
5.15 Weight/body condition logs
5.16 Food Diary
6.
Contacts
1.
CAMPAIGN INTRODUCTION
Thank you for taking the time to read this toolkit. In it you will find everything you need to tell you
about our new campaign, ‘Friends for Life’ and outline how you can get involved.
Our Campaign
 You may know from experience that almost half of all pets seen by vets in the UK are
overweight
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Our research shows that most pet owners are surprised by this which is why, starting from
Tuesday 7th May, the PFMA is launching the campaign ‘Friends for Life’

‘Friends for Life’ is an ongoing nationwide campaign that will be a leading force in the
education of current and potential pet owners on good, responsible feeding and wellbeing
to improve longevity of the UK’s pets

Research has shown that by keeping a pet to the ideal body condition a pet’s lifespan can be
extended by up to two years so we are providing you with simple, easy to use tools so you
can help pet owners change how they care for their pet
Our Call to Action
 Each Wednesday in May the ‘Friends for Life’ campaign will encourage pet owners to get in
contact with their local vet or pet care specialist to get advice on weight management and
how to keep a check on their pet’s health. We are calling these days ‘Weigh in Wednesdays’

Information and a downloadable toolkit is available on the PFMA website for pet owners to
use, so help and advice will be available to all – however they choose to seek it out
Ongoing Support to Pet Owners
 After the initial launch in May, the PFMA and other leading experts in the pet food field will
be offering tips, answering questions and inviting you to share your experiences with them
on and offline

It is our hope that you will be inspired to spread the word and make this a regular event by
running a Weigh in Wednesday, supporting us on social media and putting up posters so pet
owners can find out more and keep up their good work

There will be an additional month of Weigh in Wednesdays in August so pet owners can
keep a check on their pet’s progress. If it works for you, Weigh in Wednesday doesn’t have
to stop there – it can be ongoing.
We look forward to working with you. With your help we can really make a difference and help pet
owners keep a friend for life.
Richard D. Kealy et al., JAVMA, Vol 220,2002
2.
VETS AND VETERINARY NURSES
2.1
Why should I get involved?
We know you are passionate about pet health and almost half of all pets you see are
overweight. Our research also shows that 97% of you will have an open conversation with
the owner about it, but the most common reaction you get is that the owner is aware but
feels uncomfortable and ignores the problem. Some of you run free weigh ins for existing
clients and it is our hope that you will offer this service as a Weigh in Wednesday to help pet
owners to take control in an easy, friendly manner but also as a benefit to your business.
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2.2
You can make a real difference to pet wellbeing
Could help recruit new clients should you decide to open it up to non-existing clients
Drives existing non-regular clients back into your surgery in May, for the follow up
phase in August and empowers them to keep up the good work by providing tools to
use at home
Asks pet owners to contact ‘their local vet’ in advance so they can find out what
services you offer - making it manageable for you
Raises awareness of the services you offer and gives you a unique selling point
Creates a community event you can make as big or small as suits your needs
Provides social media content for you to engage your friends/followers with
Gives you a reason to contact all old clients and invite them in
How can I get involved?
You already speak to pet owners, educating them on good body condition on a daily basis
and we hope we’ve made it easy for you to become as involved in the campaign as you can
be. We can help you to continue the education process by providing you with the tools you
need to give pet owners to continue making changes at home, such as our Pet Size O-Meter.
Our nationally recognised series of days will encourage pet owners to get in contact with
their local vet.
You can become involved in the following ways:

Display a campaign poster in your waiting room

Ensure everyone at your surgery knows about the campaign so they can tell clients
about it
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Run a dedicated Weigh in Wednesday service (or your existing weigh service, on a
Wednesday)
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Give clients a Pet Size-O-Meter to take home with them
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Speak to pet owners about the campaign
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Share your experiences and photos of Weigh in Wednesday on Facebook and
Twitter
3.
PET FOOD MANUFACTURERS
3.1
Why should I get involved?
As members of the PFMA we know you back our campaign and work individually to combat
pet weight issues and educate pet owners. We need your support through social media
networks and marketing channels to reach as many pet owners as possible and get them
involved with ‘Friends for Life.’
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3.2
Provides you with a cause to champion
It’s easy for you to become involved - we have marketing materials to support the
campaign for you to use
We will be providing you with content for your social media networks and customer
communication
Engages your customers with your brand and shows you care
How can I get involved?
Online and social media will play a key role in how you can become involved in the
campaign. Any means of communication used to target your customers can include
campaign information, signposts to the PFMA website and the campaign logo to help drive
pet owners online and to their local vet surgeries or pet care specialists.
You can become involved in the following ways:
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Add a campaign web banner to your website from the 10 April
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Include a campaign logo and link to the PFMA campaign webpage on your website
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Signpost our campaign in any newsletter you issue to customer databases in
April/May
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Engage with us on social media
4.
PET RETAILER, GROOMER, CHARITY AND WELFARE ORGANISATIONS
4.1
Why should I get involved?
Current and potential pet owners come to you for their pet care needs and you are in a
unique position to get them involved in ‘Friends for Life’, making a real difference to the
wellbeing and longevity of your clients pets.
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4.2
Easy to use materials are available for you to give to your clients
Provides you with a cause to champion
Gives clients a reason to repeat visit
Allows you to create a community event at your premises
Equip potential pet owners with all the information needed to ensure they can meet
the welfare needs of their pet
How can I get involved?
We can support your involvement in many ways. We can provide you with the tools you
need to tell your clients, customers and staff all about our Weigh in Wednesdays and the
‘Friends for Life’ campaign. Some of you can hold weigh ins and create your own events
around these, or simply support us on social media and through telling people about the
campaign and urging them to visit the PFMA website to get more information.
You can become involved in the following ways:

Educate your staff on the campaign and encourage them to communicate the key
messages to pet owners
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Display a campaign poster
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Give pet owners a campaign leaflet and Pet Size O Meter (PSOM – please see 5.3)
when re-homing or at point of sale
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Signpost our campaign in any newsletter you issue in April/May
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Engage with us on social media
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Hold your own Weigh in Wednesday event – see 5.10 or contact the PFMA team for
more information
5.
WHAT SUPPORT IS AVAILABLE?
In this section you will see what campaign materials are available for you to use in your support of
our campaign. Please visit the PFMA website http://www.pfma.org.uk/weighinwednesday for
downloadable versions of these materials, or please do call the PFMA for more information.
5.1
Campaign Logo
5.2
Campaign Poster – Vets
5.3
Campaign Poster – Retailers
5.4
Campaign Website Banner
5.5
Pet Size O Meter (PSOM) - Cat
5.6
Pet Size O Meter (PSOM) - Dog
5.7
Pet Size O Meter (PSOM) - Rabbit
5.8
PSOM How to Video
Vet Marc Abrahams appears in a series of downloadable ‘How To’ videos aimed at showing you how
to correctly use the PSOM’s. Available from www.pfma.org.uk/pet-size-o-meter
5.9
Did You Know Poster
5.10
Family Pet Pledge
5.11 Top Tips for feeding your dog/cat
NB. Should be tailored for either dogs or cats
1.
Clean, fresh water should always be available to all pets
2.
Opened cans and pouches of petfoods should be stored in the but allowed to warm up to
room temperature before serving and used within two days
3.
Dry pet food is available in re-sealable packets, or can be stored in an air tight container up
until the best before date. Food may become less palatable if opened for more than 4-6
weeks
4.
Always be responsible when feeding treats and don’t be tempted to give table scraps –
reduce the size of the meal accordingly and don’t feed so much that the nutritional balance
of the diet is disrupted
5.
Always keep food and water bowls clean, wash and rinse them well, separately from human
food dishes. Plastic bowls may have to be replaced periodically
6.
Feed an amount to maintain good body condition - use our Pet Size-O-Meter to check your
pet's size and shape.
7.
Make looking after your pet family fun – sign up to the PFMA Family Pet Pledge
POTENTIAL HEALTH RISKS
Many foods that we find delicious just aren't good for dogs/cats; here are some foods you should
avoid feeding your dog/cat.
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Alcohol
Bones
Chocolate intended for humans
Coffee/Caffeine
Raw Egg
Excessive fat
Green parts of tomato plants
Grapes/Raisins
Human vitamins and supplements
Licorice
Milk/Lactose
Mouldy food
Onions, chives and garlic
Raw or undercooked meat
Yeast
HOMEMADE DOG OR CAT FOOD
Any homemade pet food you provide will need to be tailored to your dog’s/cat’s individual needs
and should take in to consideration factors such as lifestage and lifestyle, for instance how old are
your dogs/cats? Are your dogs/cats active? As it is a tailored approach, you will need to find a vet or
animal nutritionist who can help you with this.
5.12
Feeding Tips for your rabbit
Here are our top 10 feeding tips for your rabbit.
1.
Buy specialist rabbit food – ask your vet or pet shop for advice.
2.
Ensure your rabbit has plenty of hay- it is the best form of fibre for rabbits
3.
Provide them with access to dried or fresh grass- another great source of fibre but avoid
feeding lawn mower clippings
4.
Feed leafy vegetables– good for their teeth!
5.
Include a few root vegetables (carrots should be avoided as they actually aren’t that good
for rabbits!)
6.
Carrot tops can be fed as a treat– but only a few because they’re loaded with calcium and
your rabbit doesn’t need too much of that.
7.
DON’T give them sticky or sugary treats – a real no-no for their teeth
8.
Rabbits are quite sensitive so if you change their food do so gradually
9.
Always provide access to fresh water – they like it best from a metal tipped feeding bottle.
Check the bottle regularly to make sure it’s working properly
Rabbits can get fat quickly if they're not eating the right food or taking enough exercise. Use the
Rabbit Pet Size-O-Meter every four weeks or so to check your rabbits body condition.
5.13 Pet MOT – Health Check Up
The Pet MOT is a document available for children and can be downloaded from
http://www.pfma.org.uk/pet-mot-health-check-up/
5.14
How to run a Weigh in Wednesday event
It’s easy to hold your own Weigh in Wednesday event for your clients.
If you already offer a free weigh service then use Weigh in Wednesday to promote it in store to
existing and new clients/customers.
If you do not offer this service you can still be involved by putting up our posters that promote your
advice service. Some customers may be unaware that you offer advice on weight management and
good nutrition and this will help let them know.
You can use the materials in this Toolkit such as the Pet Size-O-Meter, ‘Did you know’ poster, weight
log and food diary to provide them with materials to take home – or simply tell them about the
PFMA website where they can download these tools easily.
5.15
Weight & body condition logs
5.16
Food Diary
6.
KEY CONTACTS
For all PFMA enquiries please contact:
PFMA:
Michael Bellingham, Chief Executive, 0207 379 9009, michael@pfma.org.uk
Nicole Paley, Communications Manager, 020 7379 9009, nicole@pfma.org.uk
For all media enquiries please contact:
TASTE PR:
Tel: 0207 242 2844
Amy Thorne, amyt@taste-pr.com
Edwina Bagge, edwinab@taste-pr.com
Jessica Filby, jessicaf@taste-pr.com