On 15th June, nearly 40 GAPFA members from all over the world joined the discussions of the first virtual GAPFA Technical Congress. They were presented with an overview of the OIE (World Organisation for Animal Health) animal welfare strategy made by Dr Leopoldo Stuardo from the OIE, including highlights about activities to support the implementation of the strategy and of the animal welfare standards and policies.  In addition, the participants welcomed Mr Steven Feldman from HABRI (Human Animal Bond Research Institute), who provided insights about recent HABRI projects and highlighted the importance to continue feeding the human-animal bond for a successful future as part of the HABRI-GAPFA partnership. Finally, Dr. Siraya Chunekamrai, WSAVA (World Small Animal Veterinary Association) President, provided an overview of the association, the current projects and initiatives and explored possibilities for collaboration. 

The GAPFA General Assembly 2021 took place on 16th June as a virtual meeting and covered statutory requirements only. The following GAPFA Officers were re-elected by the GAPFA General Assembly to serve another term until the next elections in 2022: Robert Kaczmarek (Mars Petcare) as GAPFA President, Carlos Gonzalez (PFAC) as GAPFA Vice-President for Member Associations, and Michelle Lang (Nestlé Purina PetCare) as GAPFA Vice-President for Member Companies.

Open to GAPFA members and invited guests, the GAPFA Technical Congress and AGM 2022 will be held from 20th June to 22nd June, kindly hosted by FEDIAF in Brussels, Belgium, as part of FEDIAF’s 50th anniversary celebrations.