PET NIGHT 2002

Version française

• 55 million households in the EU have pet animals

• Hundreds of organisations throughout the EU are involved in developing and making the most of the relationship between humans and animals.

• Millions of citizens across the EU rely on animals for their day-to-day comfort, work, health and emotional, spiritual and physical well-being.

BUT!

• Organisations are often fragmented across national borders and across their specific tasks

• Most have charitable status and rely on personal donations for their funding.  Thus, funding for anything but the core activity is limited, meaning there is little for external education and information programmes.

So by …

• Informing on the concrete, day-to-day benefits that the animals bring to EU citizens:

- Mobility
- Life chances
- Employment
- Financial independence, …

• Highlighting the role that the animals play

• Highlighting the role that the organisations play

• The challenges faced by:

- The organisations
- The end-users

MEPs can do something about it, e.g. …

• Raising political awareness of the people, the animals and the organisations

• This could lead to positive steps to eventual:

- Harmonisation national differences between the EU member states 
   (e.g., access laws to facilities in the Member States for service dogs …);
- Increased consideration of these questions when laws are under discussion;  and
- Increased visibility of the benefits, maybe eventually increasing funding / rebates 
  from national healthcare systems.

What is “Pet Night”?

• A week-long educational exhibition held in the European Parliament.

• Aimed at the Members of the European Parliament (MEPs)

• Provides information on ways in which animals help improve the lives of EU citizens – posters, literature and the people involved.

• An evening event (a cocktail reception, the “Pet Night”)

• MEPs, the organisers, other interested organisations and the media come together to highlight the message:  “Animals are Good for You – Be Good to Them!”

• Pet Night aims to bring together, unite and connect:

- MEPs and the EU citizens who depend on their animals
- MEPs and the organisations holding Pet Night;
- The different animal-related organisations;
- Other interested parties – media, public, etc.

Who GEts Involved in “pet night”?

Organisers

• Any organisation active in the field of human-animal relations; in particular those who use animal-related therapy or service animals to improve the life of EU citizens on a daily basis.

That means…

• Open to all such organisations – NO ‘criteria’ to participate!

Above that…

• Charitable groups do not contribute to organisational costs.  Thus, participation not dependent on ability to pay…

Guests

• Target group = MEPs:
• Educational exhibition in the Parliament encourages MEPs and their assistants to “drop by” 
  on their way to and from offices, etc.
  
•  Parliamentary assistants can also visit
•  Personal invitations to attend cocktail
•  Followed up by personal telephone calls, etc.
• People or organisations interested in this theme.
• VIPs; HRH Prince Laurent of Belgium with his organisation ‘the Prince Laurent Foundation’ in 2001.

When and Where?

• BRUSSELS, BELGIUM

• Educational exhibition will be held in the European Parliament from Monday 30th September to Thursday 3rd October 2002.

• Evening event will be held in the ‘Bibliothèque Solvay’ (just behind the European Parliament) on Tuesday 1st October from 18.00-20.00 hrs.