At PetSafe, we believe in supporting our communities. PetSafe is actively engaged in helping communities become better places to live, for animals and people alike. Our parent company, Radio Systems Corporation, funds philanthropic projects and organizations dedicated to improving animal welfare. Read more about how PetSafe gives back to communities and pets.
Dog Parks | Shelters & Rescues | Research & Education | Health
With this annual competition, PetSafe is helping communities across America build their own PetSafe Dog Parks. Cities across the US submitted plans to build a dog park in their community, hoping to be chosen to receive funding to complete their project. Huntington, West Virginia was the first recipient of a PetSafe park in 2011. Texarkana, Arkansas was our grand prize winner in 2012, with Oak Forest, Illinois and Derby, Vermont as runner-ups. The competition will continue in 2013, so be on the lookout for updates this spring, and start getting your community leaders together to start planning your city’s dog park.
PetSafe is doing its part to make sure that our pets are highly respected citizens. We are making our community the Pet Friendliest in the nation! The City of Knoxville, Knox County, Young-Williams Animal Shelter, the University of Tennessee, and PetSafe are working to make the Knoxville area recognized as the nation's Pet Friendliest Community. Learn how and join the Pet Friendliest Community effort.
PetSafe committed the funds to create five dog parks throughout Knox County. All five dog parks are now open, and because of the efficient use of funding, we’re planning to open a 6th dog park soon. The parks help to further the expansion of green space throughout the city while offering pet parents additional locations for outdoor pet recreation. We’d love to be able to help more communities create dog parks across the country; our annual Bark For Your Park contest is a huge hit, and we’d love to see it continue to grow.
The PetSafe Village Dog Park, located in West Knoxville across from our corporate headquarters, has just gotten some major upgrades. We’ve added nicer walking paths, larger grassy areas for chasing and fetching, more picnic tables and , and an enclosed area just for small dogs. Your day out with your dog doesn’t have to end with a walk in the park—walk next door and visit the PetSafe Village. The PetSafe Village Pet Spa & Resort offers professional or do-it-yourself dog grooming, certified dog training, and 24/7 boarding services, plus a special Doggie Day Camp for dogs in need of extra socializing and exercise.
Bark in the Park After Dark is the Humane Society of the Tennessee Valley's annual fundraiser. As "East Tennessee's Biggest Party for Dogs and Their People," this annual event has included silent auctions, games for dogs and people, and prizes. Invisible Fence and PetSafe Village have been regular sponsors of the event.
PetSafe, Randy Boyd, and Young-Williams Animal Shelter have partnered to create the Young-Williams Animal Village in the Bearden Hill area of Knoxville. The Bearden Hill facility is now complete and includes a satellite adoption center, a stand-alone spay and neuter clinic, and a pet day care center, along with Invisible Fence of East Tennessee products. This new facility has more than doubled the capacity for performing spay and neuter procedures in Knoxville. The addition of this Animal Village has more than doubled the capacity to performing spay and neutering procedures in Knoxville and will continue to greatly reduce the number of unwanted and euthanized pets in Knoxville and surrounding areas. Since its opening, the new facility has placed thousands of animals into loving new homes.
Ethos means character. It’s what you’re made of. At PetSafe, our character is helping pets and owners live in harmony. Our Ethos Fund provides support to animal welfare groups for the care and rehabilitation of homeless pets, making them more adoptable.
Jim Tedford serves as PetSafe’s Director of Animal Welfare Initiatives and Alliances. In this role, Jim facilitates partnerships with animal welfare organizations, commissions animal behavior research to help us improve new and existing PetSafe products, and advocates for our training, lifestyle and behavior enrichment products worldwide.
Working on the front line of animal welfare for over 20 years, Jim has served as CEO for organizations in New York, Louisiana, and Tennessee. Prior to joining PetSafe, he provided marketing and fundraising services to animal welfare organizations nationwide. Jim holds a degree in animal science from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. He and his wife Ann share their “empty nest” in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains with two Labs, Bodie and Sam, one corgi, Lila, and a blue and gold macaw, Gipper – all adopted!
PetSafe provided funding to the Campaign for Compassion to help the Blount County Animal Center complete construction of its new facility.
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has launched a national Animal Relocation Initiative for shelter animals. The idea is to relocate animals from areas of the US where they have little chance at adoption to regions where adoption rates are high and animal “supply” is lower. More than half of the four million dogs entering animal shelters each year are euthanized, many simply for lack of space. Through collaboration with partner agencies across the country, animals will be given a life-saving ride to a brighter future.
Beginning in May 2012, our associates began volunteering time with AnimalWorks in Alcoa, Tennessee to set up a monthly “way-station” for transports of animals from Louisiana en route to New Jersey. While this program was temporarily suspended as of February 2013 due to lack of funds, through the program we saved 391 lives (390 dogs and 1 cat) and completed 391 families in New Jersey. These dogs would have been euthanized due to lack of space in overcrowded shelters. All of the animals were adopted, many within days of arriving in New Jersey. The Louisiana SPCA is partnering with various Florida organizations and will continue transporting animals out, but over shorter distances.
In a great use of funds RSC sets aside for targeted donations, the Philanthropy Committee at RSC voted to provide emergency funds to the Clairborne Animal Shelter which will go toward expenses associated with housing these animals.
The annual Mardi Growl Parade and Festival, hosted by Friends of Young-Williams Animal Center and the City of Knoxville, includes a costume parade, prizes for best owner/dog look-alikes, and discounted vaccinations. RSC has donated funding for Mardi Growl celebrations, whose proceeds go to Young-Williams Animal Center.
Through this program, PetSafe products are distributed to qualifying animal rescue groups in the greater Knoxville area. By offering training products, beds, and toys to non-profit animal groups, we’re giving needy animals a helping hand.
PetSafe funded one of the few veterinary school behaviorist positions in the country, within the Small Animal Clinical Sciences department of the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Tennessee (UT), Knoxville. The ultimate goal of an animal behaviorist is to help protect the bond between a human and companion animal. There is a terrible lack of clinical research in animal behavior and as a result of this initiative PetSafe hopes to improve understanding of pets and thus improve their welfare.
Our partnership with Morris Animal Foundation since 2011 is national in scope. MAF is organizing a series of K9 Cancer Walks throughout the United States in support of their Canine Cancer Campaign. A team of RSC associates has become heavily involved in the Knoxville walk. In 2012, the walk was re-named the PetSafe K9 Cancer Walk Benefiting Morris Animal Foundation.
In 2012 we created the first annual PetSafe Black Tie & Tails Gala to benefit grants from the Morris Animal Foundation to the University of Tennessee.
Established by the American Pet Products Association, Petco and Pfizer Animal Health, HABRI is a pet industry trade association formed for the purpose of consolidating, organizing and sharing existing scientific research into the Human-Animal Bond, and ultimately to use results of that research to help support further research and make informed decisions to improve both human and animal health. We have a seat on HABRI’s steering committee.
RSC is a sponsor of the 3rd International Veterinary Social Work Summit event, which will include presentations by internationally recognized experts Dr. Temple Grandin (“Understanding Animal Behavior”) and Dr. Hal Herzog (“Why Do Humans (And Only Humans) Keep Pets?”).
The manufacturer of PetSafe products, Radio Systems Corporation, is a founding member of the Electronic Collar Manufacturers Association (ECMA). This European group promotes the use of humane static correction products for pet training – products which respect the wellbeing of animals and enhance communication between companion animals and owners. It is the organization’s aim to help owners understand how to properly use static training tools. Members of this association have a passion for improving the wellbeing of pets, promoting harmony, and integrating animals into everyday social life.
In 2009, Boyd helped start tnAchieves, a non-profit organization that has sent over 3,200 public high school graduates in the Tennessee area to community college free of charge with mentors. Of those students, 68 percent are the first in their families to attend college, and over 65 percent have family incomes below $50,000. tnAchieves serves 26 counties providing universal college access to those high school graduates. tnAchieves Scholars are required to give back 8 hours of community service to their community each semester they receive funding.
Junior Achievement of East Tennessee is dedicated to bringing entrepreneurial thought to young people throughout the Tennessee region. CEO Randy Boyd was inducted into Junior Achievement’s East Tennessee Hall of Fame in 2008.
PetSafe and its associates are involved in countless other volunteer and philanthropic ventures benefiting both people and animals in the community, including Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon, Race for the Cure, and Dragon Boat Festival.
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