QCOSTARICA – A survey provided by Unimer shows that 70% of Costa Rican families have at least one pet, a figure that has increased in recent times due to the pandemic.
For example, according to data from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, in the United States, 1 in 5 households adopted a dog in the last two years. With these increases in pets, companies and businesses could begin to see an opportunity to increase their value proposition, considering pet care within their services.
According to Euromonitor International (2011), companies must generate customer experiences with human attributes in their practice, from loyalty, kindness, friendliness, familiarity or humor. Being a Pet Friendly establishment goes beyond the fact that pets are welcome in businesses where they are allowed to enter and stay, it is about offering quality and safe treatment to people and their pets, without affecting the comfort of the people who visit without pets.
“With the certification, it is intended that pet owners feel the peace of mind that they are in a place where they have verified the safety, quality and cleanliness protocols, for the well-being of their furry friends, but also to maintain comfort and the safety of those present who are not necessarily comfortable with pets,” said Felipe Calvo, Director of Innovation at INTECO.
The Pet Friendly certification scheme was developed in an INTECO – FOGAUS union, who are an expert foundation in animal psychology and have been working in the country taking this message to businesses and even university institutions.
Calvo emphasized that obtaining the certificate means that the business or company passed the evaluation with a score higher than 75% of compliance with the protocol, which will be valid for one calendar year, during which time the business will have the differentiation in the market to provide a validated experience, beyond just an advertisement to allow pets into the facility.
From educational centers to public institutions, hotels, transportation, residential, commerce and banking, health centers, offices, events, even thematic clubs, they are the ones who can opt for this service, and thus achieve recognition by an independent third party.
Benefits for the State
The Pet Friendly certification is also a benefit for the State since it will find in it a form of control of pet admission policies in public establishments. It will also serve as a model in the design and legislative development established in the country, in addition to being a means to have greater control of animals at the municipal level.
On the other hand, it promotes responsible pet ownership by reinforcing and promoting a more educational culture parallel to greater awareness of animal welfare by society.
How to be Pet Friendly?
The interested organization must request from INTECO the document of requirements to be implemented in order to subsequently be evaluated and thus obtain the Pet Friendly certification, once the evaluation has been passed. Among the considerations that the establishment must have, is to assess whether it has personnel who have the knowledge to implement the requirements or if it requires some type of support to train its personnel and implement them.
Once the requirements have been implemented, the requesting organization for the Pet Friendly certification will contact INTECO to start the evaluation process, by means of an offer of services, signing of the contract and coordination of dates for the evaluation and at the time for the delivery of the certificate when you have satisfied the established requirements.
By Revista Summa
