Robins Named Top Pet Journalist for 2013

Congratulations to Sandy Robins for being selected as 2013 recipient of Global Pet Expo’s annual “Excellence in Journalism and Outstanding Contributions to the Pet Industry Award.”

Global’s organizing partners the American Pet Products Association and Pet Industry Distributors Association unveiled her selection on Monday. She will receive her award during a media reception during Global Pet Expo.

“With such dedication to spreading life-enhancing information on behalf of pets, we couldn’t be more confident and pleased with our decision to award Ms. Robins,” said Bob Vetere, president and CEO of APPA. “Her enthusiasm and passion for both pets and the journalism profession is what this award is all about and we’re thrilled to honor her.”

She certainly deserves recognition for her prolific writing about pet topics and other activities, including serving as a spokesperson for Petco, a pet safety advisor for Toyota, and a featured blogger of Sergeant Pet Care Products’ Pet Health Central blog. Incidentally, Sergeant’s has generously sponsored the Global Pet Expo press room and the official APPA press conference for many years running, helping many journalists to provide coverage of the trade show.

Robins is vastly more deserving than some past selections, notably Rachael Ray and Ellen DeGeneres. With no disrespect intended toward either of those women, to honor them as “journalists” borders on the absurd. It is akin to awarding me the Miss Congeniality Award. I understand bestowing those two with the “Dick Van Patten Award for Best Celebrity Owner of a Pet Food Company” or “Pet-Friendly Media Personality of the Year,” but for journalistic contributions to the pet industry, I don’t think so. But maybe I’m just a bit of a scold about what it means to be a journalist. Or perhaps I'm bitter that I've never been selected for either the Global award or Miss Congeniality.

I greatly admire (and know) most of the recipients of the award for what they have done for the benefit of animals and their people through their work. Past recipients such as Dr. Marty Becker and Steve Dale are both larger-than-life icons that have inspired me deeply on a personal level. I have a tremendous amount of professional respect for Gina Spadafori, Janice Brown and Victoria Stilwell.

With all that said, I wish Global Pet would retire or rename the award.  It is a generous and well-meaning gesture that inadvertently places the most deserving recipients in the awkward position of accepting an award for contributions to an industry rather than contributions to their readers. Most journalists seek to serve their readers and, in this field, their readers’ animals.

And those journalists are indeed who this award is intended to recognize: “…individuals in the media who have the power to influence millions of people and use this to positively promote the joys and benefits of pet ownership. Whether via print, broadcast or internet mediums, these distinguished members of the press produce stories that highlight responsible pet ownership and all the exciting services, products and activities that make spending time with our pets even more enjoyable,” according to the sponsors.

So here’s to Sandy Robins winning the final Global Pet Expo “Excellence in Journalism and Outstanding Contributions to the Pet Industry” award.