Stories and messages influence what people think is true. They trigger our brains to ask: What's the problem, who is responsible, and what's the solution? They power thinking about critical issues like overwhelmed shelters, access to care, cruelty, and pet ownership. The problem is that mainstream stories give us the wrong answers. We're stuck with stereotypes, shaming, villainizing, and burnout. We must messa...

We all want successful adoptions, and part of making that happen includes preparing not only the adopters but the animals, too. This important, but often overlooked, preparation helps reduce stress (and stress-related illnesses) when animals leave shelters or foster homes and move into new homes with new people. Happy, healthy, less-stressed, and better-prepared pets also mean happier adopters, fewer returns, and better chances for family bonding and positive life-long relationships. This ses...

This session will delve into essential topics such as governance, strategic planning, fundraising, and board member engagement. Participants will gain insights into navigating the unique challenges faced by animal welfare organizations, fostering collaboration, and building a cohesive, mission-focused board that stays engaged and effective. We will discuss successful recruitment strategies, the critical role of organizational by-laws, and provide Executive Director...

This presentation will talk about the history of the Community Cat Program at the Animal Welfare League of Arlington (AWLA) in Arlington, Virginia including where we were, where we are now, and how we got there. We will discuss how to garner successful support and buy-in for a jurisdiction-wide program, how to resolve the most common community cat conflicts, and what additional suppor...

It's time to shift perspectives and realize that fundraising is not just the responsibility of a single department but a collaborative effort involving everyone in the shelter.In this inspiring session, I'll share my personal success story of how I significantly boosted monthly donations through innovative fundraising tactics.Through this session, participants will learn:How to integrate fundraising into different shelter departmentsHow to increase the acq...

When organizations launch access to care programs like Pets for Life, we often think of them as standalone programs. The MSPCA and Wisconsin Humane Society have access to care programs that have impacted nearly every aspect of our orgs. In this session, we'll share how our outreach teams got to know people in our communities, that perspective and information spread across the organization. Bringing the community's perspective into our organizations has helped us to rethink organizational appr...

Biases based on our upbringing, beliefs, and worldview influence how we interact with others. For those in the public service profession who deal with people across different walks of life, these biases shape how the job is carried out. This session explores biases and cynicism – how they develop and their unconscious influence on our decisions and actions, and how to overcome or work around them with awareness of these variables in animal care and control.