Dogged Blog

What a dog can do that Michael Vick can ' t

I know you're all jealous of my life. Don't try to hide it. Jetting from one exotic location to another, mingling with the pretty people, entre to the most exclusive events, access to the power brokers... who wouldn't envy me?



Perhaps anyone who could have been a fly on the wall when I had to stop an interview in mid-stream yesterday to unwind all the Borzoi hair from the base of the keys on my keyboard. Two years of accumulation meant I'd hit critical mass and lost the "S" and the shift keys.



Fortunately I was interviewing someone who is as much a dog person as they come, Marthina McClay of Our Pack, the rescue group that turned ex-Vick dog Leo into a therapy dog.



I was interviewing her for my column on SFGate.com, but she made some great comments that won't fit into that piece, so I thought I'd share them with you here. Believe me, they make better reading than the story of how I had to use a knitting needle to untangle Borzoi hair from my keyboard.



I asked her about Michael Vick talking to at-risk youth about dog fighting on behalf of HSUS. She responded by telling me about a visit Leo made to a school for youth who have been in trouble with the law in San Jose, Calif. -- some of them with dog fighting in their backgrounds:

We heard the kids going, "Oh, that's a bad ass pit bull," when we walked in. It's like a cool thing to have a pit bull.



When we got into the classroom, I just took off Leo's leash and let him walk around and do his thing. I let Leo speak for himself. He just connected with everyone, these kids. They went from hard to soft within 20 minutes.



Then the teacher said, "By the way, would you guys like to know where this dog came from?"



The kids said, "Where?"



She told them, "This dog used to belong to Michael Vick."



You could hear a pin drop. Their mouths were open, their eyes were riveted on this dog. They said, "What?" They couldn't believe it.



I could hear one of the kids being interviewed by a reporter from the Washington Post, and he said he'd assumed a dog like this, a Vick dog, would be aggressive and mean. Instead, he said, he's a nice, sweet, friendly dog. "I really like him," he said.



We're not a farming culture anymore. We have lost our connection with animals. We almost never work hand in hand with our dogs anymore. We go to work in an office or cubicle, or we go to school, but there's nothing to give us that feeling of how we fit into the world of animals.



So you bring a dog into the classroom and say, "Would you really want something like that to happen to this dog?" Before Leo showed up, I don't think they cared. The Vick dogs were distant and not connected to them. But after they met Leo, all that changed. It mattered to them.



So what I'm saying is, don't bring Vick to talk to at risk kids. Bring his dogs. His dogs will do a lot more for people who need to see the light that these are sentient, feeling, loving beings, and that it's our job to care for them, than Vick can ever do.

By the way, Marthina told me that Leo has found his forever home... with her. As if anyone thought it would end any differently.

Liveblogging HSUS town hall with Wayne Pacelle

The closure of the Bay Bridge here in San Francisco has made our city streets impassable and probably prevented a fairly large number of the Humane Society of the United States' natural constituency as well as their foes from turning up tonight.



I'll be liveblogging the town hall meeting, so just a couple of reminders: This is live, so there will be typos. Only things in quotations marks are direct quotes; everything else is a paraphrase. I'll update now and then, so if you come across this post while the event is still in progress, just hit "refresh" to see new material.



Here we go. :)







This town hall is part of a series of events across the nation. Jennifer Fearing is head of HSUS here in California, and she is speaking first.



This is Wayne's first California town hall, in "America's most humane city," San Francisco. This is Wayne's fifth year as CEO of HSUS. So much has changed so rapidly in those years.



Wayne takes the podium.



Thanks audience for coming, thanks Jennifer. "We're very blessed to have so many people devoted to changing the world."



Thank you all for supporting the organization. For 10 years before becoming CEO, was in charge of communications and before that, head of Fund For Animals. Has spent his whole life focused on animals.



As a little kid, he knew animals were different -- in good ways. Beautiful, thick fur, ran fast... I thought, this is magic. These animals are incredible. I didn't need a degree in animal science or philosophy to know I needed to be decent to animals. I think kids naturally understand this. It's about reclaiming that instinctive reaction to animals.



We don't really argue that humans and non-humans are equals. Frankly, we are not all equal in terms of our abilities as humans. We have diversity within our own communities. We don't give more attention or respect to the people who do something better. We realize everyone matters. A civil society works when we all work together.



We aren't just concerned with our own ends. We interact with each other, with other nations. We have to be good to each other. That is what makes society work. And we want to extend that to animals, too.



That doesn't require equality, but there are ways in which animals are our equals. They want to live, care about family members. They don't have to be just like us, though, for us to care about them.



When it comes to animals, we (humans) hold all the cards. Look at how we dealt with the buffalo, for example -- attitude of dominance. In just a few decades we eradicated 40-60 million bison. Now have only 5000 animals surviving in Yellowstone Park.



The passenger pigeon used to fly in flocks so large they would "blot out the sun." The last one died in the 40s.



We have incredible destructive power if we don't impose some limits. We want to balance the interests in society, and prove we can have a good, decent life without hurting animals.



Says bless everyone who cares about rabbits, pit bulls, feral cats, wolves... we have incredible pluralism when it comes to animals. It adds up to a powerful movement.



HSUS has a particular role in this movement. We want to care for animals on the ground. We want hands on care. We want to combat animal cruelty on any level. But we also want to take a big picture approach.



Wayne brings up Center for Consumer Freedom, says it's a badge of honor that they attack HSUS. He says they say HSUS does not run all the animal shelters in this country.... Wayne says nowhere on their website do they say they do, but they do help shelters who do this vital work.



Eight million dogs and cats enter shelters every year. 3 million of them are euthanized even though they are healthy and treatable. We have nearly tripled the number of animals in people's homes, and the number euthanized has gone down dramatically.



We're very excited about the project we've launched with Maddie's Fund, the Shelter Pet Project. It is pointing out that just because an animal is in a shelter doesn't mean the animal has a defect. Maybe there was a divorce or illness.



Shelter animals are fabulous. They're vaccinated, sterilized, wonderful. We need to address the needs of those 3 million healthy treatable animals.



But what about the hundreds of millions of animals killed for fur, used in medical testing, harmed in inhumane agriculture. HSUS will never restrict itself to just those dogs and cats.



The fate of animals raised for food must be the focus of anyone concerned about animal welfare. Agriculture doesn't just operate at high volume, but so many in agribusiness view them as meat, milk and egg producing machines. Connection between farmer and animal has been severed. How do you have a connection with animals when there are 150K laying hens or 17K pigs in confinement. Very little labor input, great mechanization. How do you have that connection?



We feel a duty to address animal issues related to ag. The genetics of how we have transformed these animals to turn them into meat, milk and egg producing machines.



So many of you who worked on Prop 2 here in California, and our friend, Senator Dean Florez who is here tonight -- we addressed this issue through the initiative process, and we faced  a wide range of opponents. Egg, pork, veal industry. We were saying animals that are built to move should b3e allowed to move. It's not about eating animals or not eating animals, but IF animals are going to be raised for food, they should not be treatedin this inhumane way.



A lot of us who care about this issue get overwhelmed with the idea that there is so much abuse, but this was an example of how the majority of people decided we should be better to animals. And despite the claims of opponents that food prices would soar, people still thought we should be decent to animals.



It's had a long tail already. Maine and Michigan have adopted measures to protect farm animals, too. Michigan is seventh state in last 3 years to restrict these inhumane egg producing practices.



We need to think about our food  choices. We need to care about how these billions of animals are treated. And it's not sustainable -- water, soil, environmental issues.



I want to address the subject of Michael Vick. Some of you have written to me about this. I have listened to all the voices. This is a very personal one for me. I talked to a friend of mine who is a court certified expert on dog fighting in Sacramento (Eric?). He told Wayne there are 5 states where cock fighting is legal, mostly a misdemeanor.



Dog fighting, including street fighting, is on the rise. Young kids, mostly African American and Latino, are fighting their dogs in alleys and streets.



Wayne said they had to do something. At that point we said we're going to ratchet up our dog fighting and cock fighting campaign. Cock fighting is now illegal in all states, and dog fighting is a felony in all 50 states. Also banned interstate travel of fighting animals, which is one of the things Vick was charged with.



Vick should not have gotten off. We pursued that case with vigor. We provided a key confidential informant, campaigned to get the NFL, Nike, the Falcons to drop him. We took that anger and immediately began to channel it into action.



We upgraded the federal law, and now 27 states have upgraded their laws, including California. We have a tip line and a rewards program. Vick was convicted, of course -- federal prosecutors took it seriously. He pled guilty. He got a strict sentence and served two years in prison. (Note from Christie: but not for anything he did to the dogs. For racketeering.)



Vick came to HSUS, the organization that helped send him to prison. They talked for a long time. "I said Michael, you want to be involved in anti dog fighting work, and that's great. We're always looking for recruits. But I don't want you to do a PSA. I want you to talk to the kids we're not having much of a discourse with."



Vick started fighting dogs when he was 8 years old. Those kids never hear from someone like me, and they never hear from an athlete telling them these things are wrong.



Are we about endlessly flogging an individual, or are we ab out societal change. It's very easy to get a Jennifer Fearing involved. But can we take people who take terrible things and make them a contributing member of society, to reach audiences we have never reached?



If he doesn't fulfill his obligations, if he doesn't live up to this, we'll be the first to criticize him. But I've seen Michael Vick telling people who never listen to me, don't do what I did. Be good to animals.



"The proof is in the pudding. N9othing good comes from just isolating him." I want him to contribute with his labor to combat the ongoing scourge of street fighting...."



Our movement is too fractured. We're not having the impact we could have. On my second day as CEO, I told Mike Markarian, we can be stronger if we unite. Merged with Fund For Animals. Pour savings into new programs and activities.



Made same pitch to Doris Day. Said it would be her legacy. Want an organization as powerful on our issues as NRA is on theirs.



We've merged with several organizations not becuase we're on ap ower kick, but because the animals need a powerful group. Need best lobbyists, communications specialists, veterinarians.



I'm heartened by the change. I see more cruelty and suffering than most of youcould contemplate. I see it on the ground, I see the footage from all sorts of terrible operations. I see the worst sides of humanity. But I also see the best. I see people like you, who take money from your pocket and time from your schedule, who expose yourself to the emotional pain and resolve to take action to make this world a better place.



This year we broke the record for new animal protection laws... 117. In four years we've nearly doubled the output. We have more traction with congress. 47 lawyers working in our litigation department.



Burgeoning awareness, surge of lawmaking -- things are changing. With animals is not all or nothing.



Animal abuse, and poverty, and violations of human rights will always be with us. But it doesn't mean you give up. All these things we do change the lives of individual animals, and every life saved is a 100 percent victory for that animal.



If you ever feel overwhelmed, think about that one animal.



Each of us has the power to change the life of one animal. And together as a group as large as HSUS, we have the power to change billions.



Introduced Sen. Dean Florez, Humane Legislator of the Year. Audience gave standing ovation.



Florez: Very proud to receive award. My county is the biggest factory farming area in the state.  Barack Obama lost overwhelmingly there. Prop 8 passed humongously. But Prop 2 passed big time. If you've got Kern County, you've won.



Said I'm Latino, and I want to talk about Michael Vick. That's a message we just don't hear anywhere. Our kids are learning what Michael Vick learned at a very young age. It makes a difference when a Michael Vick, where you never see people of color address this issue -- if Wayne can get Michael Vick to go into these areas, we will change California in a very big way.



Applause.



(They showed a video I'll have more to say about later. Taking opportunity to fix some typos.)



Open to questions from audience, mixed with questions submitted in advance through website.



Q: What are we going to do about "crush" videos.



A: Bob Stevens is a publisher and videographer of dog fighting video. We got a law passed making it illegal to sell images of animal cruelty. We used them against "crush" videos, and "crush"industry went away under threat of federal felony. Bob Stevens was convicted and appealed. Court overturned statute and said it was overbroad and vague and interfered with free speech.



Bush's lawyers appealed up to Supreme Court, and then Obama's solicitor general stayed with the case. 36 state attorneys general sided with us; none against us. Media organizations took position it was against free speech.



Did not go well and he expects they'll affirm overturning, but will give guidelines on how this can be accomplished if it goes back to Congress.



Q: Database of animal abusers?



A: Is in progress.



Q: You say you're a threat to agribusiness, but what about animal research? Interest and energy has waned. What is HSUS doing to end animal research?



A: Animal research is the toughest issue. We are focusing on animal TESTING. We're working with P&G, DuPont, many other orgs. We see by perhaps 2020 a worldwide end to animal testing. In Europe, 4.5 million animals will be saved from chemical testing.



I don't quite see the political pathway to ending animal research. We are seeing alternatives being effective. Our approach is refining techniques to elminate pain and distress; reduce numbers; replace with non-animal approaches. Many instituations are embracing this "3 R" approach.



Q: Can anti-trust laws be used against agribusiness?



A: You see fewer producers, more animals. I do think there are issues here, and opportunities. We want to work with companies to change their practices, but we'll look at all legal options -- anti-trust, environmental, anti-cruelty.



It is folks in rural communities who suffer the most from factory farming. Groundwater polluted. Can't walk out of their homes. We want to make alliance with farm workers and residents of rural areas.



Recc'd Pollan's "Omnivore's Dilemma," "Fast Food Nation."



Q: National law about transporing horses for slaughter for human consumption.



A: Horses are going to Mexico, Canada. We definitely have notes in the US House to pass this, and we're encouraging Nancy Pelosi. Very confident we'll psas in House, but we may need 60 votes because there may be a filibuster. Ask your lawmakers to get behind this legislation and fight for it. I'm cautiously optimistic.



Q: Wild horses are being harassed. HSUS is supporting a law that will basically eradicate those horses. Land set aside to protect these horses has been whittled away. Rome Act passed House in July, stuck in Senate. Please re-think supporting this horrible, horrible proposition.



A: According to BLM there are 35K wild horses and burros in US. In 1971 Congress passed law to protect them as living symbols of our heritage. We suppor that but are disappointed in its implementation.



BLM manages the land, and the cattle industry and other resource users in the west don't like the fact that wild horses and burros eat grass and forage on our public lands. They want to graze cattle there. Big push to round up the horses, by helicopter or other means. Remove them from the range, then adopt them out.



The problem is, they have removed more horses than they can adopt, and now have 32K wild horses and burros in short term holding facilities. Using money to care for captive horses that was supposed to go to care for them on public lands.



We supported the Rome Act. But we see the fact that it's going to be very difficult in Congress to reclaim those lands. Political power in Senate will fight that. Unless we change the dynamic, I fear we'll be on the treadmill with it.



HSUS spent millions of dollars to develop a contraceptive vaccine to delay or stall reproduction in horses. We're been using it in the East on island to slow growth of population. More human population control



So what we embraced from Salazar was his pledge that they were going to re-orient this program and focus on contraception rather than round up and eradication. We are going to work in the House to get the right provisions.



They want to move the captive populations to Eastern and Midwestern states. The lands in the East have more grass and forage. We want fewer round ups and fewer removals, and more contraception. Details will be sorted out in Congress, and I assure you we'll be advocates for the wild horses and burros.



Q: Status on mandatory spay/neuter bill, SB 250. Meant to have fines on backyard breeders and ban puppy mills.



A: That's Dean's bill. It's not mandatory spay/neuter. It's differential licensing, and you'd pay a higher fee if you had an intact animal. (From Christie: ummm, no.) Presumption in bill is to encourage s/n but not mandatory s/n. It didn't have anything to do with puppy mills. There are no fines for backyard breeding.



Person in audience: I got my information from the head of the Santa Cruz SPCA. I guess I got bad information.



Q: Fighting aerial hunting of wolves.



A: Doing this in wilderness areas where there aren't even any human-wolf conflicts. I'm very disappointed in Obama administration on the wolf issues. De-listed wolves in Northern Rockies and tried to de-list Great Lakes wolves. De-listed in Montana and Idaho, and some of the Yellowstone wolves who strayed out of the park were killed by a hunter. Obama admin has done some good things for animals but has some problems as well.



Q: Im against breeding animals, as most are in this room. I started doing volunteer work for Guide Dogs for the Blind, and I encourage people to do up there and have a tour. They do breed the dogs there for a specific purpose. I'm proud of how the animals are treated there. What is position of HSUS on that?



A: There are around 165 million dogs and cats in people's homes. 3 million healthy and treatable euthanized. Around 20 percent of dogs and cats come from shelters, 80 percent from other sources. THere are not enough dogs and cats in shelters to satisfy the demand. Breeding is necessary at some level. It needs to be done in a responsible sort of way.



We have been targeting the puppy mills, breeding activities that cause genetic problems in purebreds, that lead to chronic phytsical problems. They need to engage in proper breeding so these animals don't suffer as they get older.



As regards service animals, our policy is on our website. We like to have shelter animals used ,  but we are not opposed to it either way.



Q: How do we help animals without resorting to ballot initiatives and infighting?



A: We don't want to do ballot initiatives, but agribusiness has too much power to fight any other way. Tail docking of cows, veal confinement, no standards of human slaughter for poultry -- we are very eager to talk to the ag community. I'll talk to anyone about these problems. I want to talk to hunters about ending canned hunts, to animal researchers -- a lot of good people are involved on the other side, and we want to move them in our direction. I want to nurture the best instincts in everyone we deal with.



Audience comment: "If it's a woman in a fur coat speaking out against veal, I'll take it."



Question: Do yuou have a timeline on when shelter deaths will go down to zero?



A: I'm hoping by 2015. I'm hoping the Shelter Pet Project will be part of that. The research done  for that campaign showed there are 41 million Americans planning on getting an animal who haven't decided where they'll get that  animal yet. 17 million will get one in the next year. We only need to turn 3 million of f hem.



This is research driven. It's statistic driven. We spend a lot of money on rescue, but look at Pfizer or whoever, now we all know what erectile dysfunction is, why don't we have advertising for animals to drive the message? (Applause)



You now, we are all coming at this from different positions. You know, hunters love their dogs. For someone, they might change overnight when they visit a slaughterhouse. For others, it will be a gradual thing.



Q: Those three million dogs and cats being killed in shelters. I see cooperation wtih you and Maddie's Fund here and with the ASPCA  in the Helmsley lawsuit, but I don't see it on the community level. There is so much infighting. Can you devote your influence to healing the gap between people in the community (re: no-kill)?



A: The no-kill movement has caused us to question the use of euthanasia as a tool to manage excess population. We (HSUS) have embraced no-kill as a goal. Killing animals is a bad thing.



I have seen many traditional shelters who have embraced this 2020 viasion to eliminate euthanasia in this country. I don't see this divide between traditional and no-kill shelters anymore.  Maddie's Fund has been a leader in that area. But there are difficult personalities who cloak their antagonism in an ideological difference.



Audience: It might help if you could reach out and heal that divide, too. (Applause, laughter.)



(I missed a question re: declawing -- sorry.)



Q: Greyhound racing. 10K dogs being killed each year, not humanely. And greyhound racing often comes under state gaming, so with muscle of HSUS, what can you do? (She is from Greyhound Friends for Life.)



HSUS: We support the end of greyhound racing, And greyhound racing is dying. It's being overtaken by other kinds of gambling. Tracks not pleasant, people wagering less. We see key as Florida. We are working to de-couple gambling and racing, as a first step.



Wayne: Invited everyone to read his blog. Applause, thanks, end.

Breaking: Kyrie Borzoi gets a new raincoat

I could have written up my thoughts on the No More Homeless Pets Conference, with cogent analysis and provocative commentary.



I could once more dig into the pressing issues of pet food safety and how the regulatory agencies and industry are failing our animals, and us.



I could give you an overview of the interview I'll be doing with HSUS head honcho Wayne Pacelle this evening, or my plans to liveblog his town hall here in San Francisco.

But instead, I'm going to share with you the single most important news story of the day, a critical development in the world of animal issues: My Borzoi Kyrie's new raincoat. Enjoy.

And in case you're wondering, I got it from HoundTogs.com and they couldn't have been nicer and more helpful. And I'm just a regular customer -- I don't take freebies for review. (Well, I take them, but I don't keep them after I've used them enough to review them.)



And that other stuff? Later. I promise.

Another Wysong recall

The recalls keep rolling. A notice sent by Wysong to its distributors and retailers today, identifying additional foods that are being recalled:

To: Wysong Distributors and Retailers

10.27.2009



Dear Valued Wysong Distributors and Retailers,



In light of our recent recall, we have been conducting thorough retesting on all dry products.



Some additional products have been found to be suspect in terms of moisture and water activity and we wish to recall them just to be on the safe side. These lots include:



Maintenance™ (lot#090817)

Senior™ (lot#090811)

Synorgon™ (lot#090629)



The in-house examination of many bags from these batches has turned up no sign of mold. But we believe there is that potential and so we would like you to help us recall these as a precaution.



As with our previous recalled batches of product, we have no reason to believe that these products present an imminent hazard to animals.



Nevertheless, please do not sell any of these products that you have in stock, and withdraw the products from store shelves as soon as possible.



A credit for all such product that you have in stock and withdrawn from stores will be issued. As possible, customers should be told not to feed the product.



We ask that you please act promptly. Let us know if we may be of any assistance contacting stores. The number one complaint we have received thus far is from customers who were not notified.



It is important to note that although the issuance of further recalls may give the impression that this is a current or going to be an ongoing problem, please understand that the subject of all of these recalls are past Wysong batches of product from a defined time period. And although we cannot be certain, we are confident that this will be the last of our recalls pursuant to this past summer’s mold problem. With the measures we have put in place we have no reason to believe there will be problems moving forward, just as there have not been for the past 25 years at our facility.



We know this is a great inconvenience and certainly not something you need with the current economic state of affairs. We are devastated in the thought that we have troubled and disappointed you. As we move forward and this is behind us, we will figure out a way to make it up to you.



Thank you for your continued efforts.



Sincerely,



Linda Sue and staff,

Wysong Corporation

Looks like they took down their original recall notice, but never fear... on the Internets, everything is forever. The update to that page is still there, but I couldn't find this new one even with a lot of poking around the site. It might be there, but if a recall notice is posted in the woods and there are no bears there to see it... does it make a sound?



[UPDATE:] There is a link to info on the new recall on the front page of their site now -- it goes to an expanded version of their last update.

Liveblogging No More Homeless Pets: Building a no-kill community

It's Sunday morning, the final day of Best Friends Animal Society's No More Homeless Pets conference in Las Vegas. I'm sitting in the second part of Bonney Brown of Nevada Humane's "Building a no-kill community" session.



I didn't see part one yesterday, but I've seen Bonney do this program before, both at Maddie's Fund's day-long seminar at HSUS' Animal Care Expo last spring, and at the No Kill Conference in Washington DC in May. She's a dynamic speaker, but it's her experience bringing her community -- not her shelter, but Washoe County, Nevada (where Reno is located) -- to no-kill.



Although Bonney is director of the private Nevada Humane Society, she shares a facility with, and the no-kill achievement with, the county animal control agency. This is a COMMUNITY effort and a COMMUNITY success.



Bonney: Why do we ges upset about "impulse adoptions"? How many here have SAVED an animal on impulse? Not all impulses are bad. And not all impulses are temporary. People have charitable impulses, and people fall in love or make other changes on impulse, and have it be lasting.



We encourage people coming to our shelter or adoption events to interact with the animals, touch htem, spend time with them. Old school sheltering experts will tell you to minimize contct with animals and people, but what do they do when you walk into a car dealership? They want you to drive the cars.



Comparing car to an animal, well... what's wrong with using these things we've learned from retail to save animal lives?



Sure, we can spread disease, but we have hand sanitizer everwhere, and if we see anyone touching an animal, we ask them to sanitize hands before going to the next, because we ant our animals to stay healthy. We tell them what we want, and we tell them why.



It often helps animals to be touched, makes them feel more comfortable, less stress knowing there is love and affection coming to them. And lower stress has benefits to animals.



Design adoption area to lower stress on the animals AND make it easy for people to see the animals and interact with them. Animals behind bars and glass have a harder time getting adopted. Have cat colonies.



Within minutes of coming in the door, every animal is vaccinated immediately. Not doing that leads to disasters.



Bonney just came from the University of Florida's Maddie's Shelter Medicine Program, where a vet said that some immunity (not total) starts forming immediately, and vaccinating on admission does reduce number of illnesses in shelter.



Our ability to save lives depends on how quickly we can move animals through the building. If an animal is on stray hold at AC, and you want that pet, we'll put your name on it, and on the last day, at 7 AM we'll call you, let you know you can have the pet, then go get the animal, vaccinate, and get the animal into the adopter's home that afternoon -- that's how seriously we believe in keeping their stress, exposure to disease etc to a minimum.



They fast track harder to adopt animals, like seniors, into the cat and dog colonies. Easier to clean, faciliate adoptions, less stress and healthier on animals. More natural environment. Can move around. Cages bad for cats. We provide toys, chairs for people.



Creating cat colony rooms is not expensive. Had converted non-animal holding rooms into colony rooms. One of them does the most adoptions of all their areas. Bright lighting helps with adoptions.



No carpet because cannot be sanitized. They use bedding that can be washed and sanitized in laundry process.



They encourage volunteers to walk the dogs outside, but also inside the shelter. They have a walk buddy program where people can take the dogs out for a day hike, especially long-term residents. But the best is walking the dogs around the shelter, with an "Adopt Me" vest on. Also minimizes some of the over-exciteability some dogs have through barriers.



The other idea hand in hand with "impulse adoptions are bad" is the idea we have to charge a lot so people will value the animal. I understand the idea and the sentiment, but if you look at Saks, sure they're shirts are expensive, but they sell very few of them.



Our business is lifesaving. We cannot fail to use these business models to move our animals like they lose their merchandise. We lower our prices, but we don't lower our screening. We talk to people.



I'm sorry, but don't you all rescue animals for free, and not only that but then invest money into taking care of them? Do you value them less? And if all it required was spending a lot of money, we'd never get expensive purebred dogs surrendered at our shelters because they chewed the sofa.



Shifting the business model from adoption revenue to donation revenue when you're known as the shelter that saves lives, not the shelter that kills animals.



Great programs: Seniors for Seniors, adoptions are free. They still go through screening process. We have donors who underwrite this process -- great program with benefits to the animals and the people, too. That's why it gets to much support.



We also reduce feeds for special needs and homeless pets. Richmond SPCA have "Angel Pet Programs" where they say to the right person, we'll treat that condition in that animal for the life of that animal. Not ALL the expenses but for treating that condition. We do that on a limited basis, but we do reduce the adoption fee.



We work hard to streamline the pet adoption process. Waiting periods cost lives. At vet conference, was just told that every day an animal is in the shelter increases chances of disease. Plus, takes up space need for other animal. And this is a culture of immediate gratification. Making people wait just so you can see if they're "serious" is silly.



Make the forms user-friendly. There will of course be paperwork and interview, but make it as friendly as you can. Many people are alienated by rescue workers or shelters that are so eager to protect this one animal that they alienate adopters.



Maddie's Fund research has shown there are far more people looking for pets than we have in shelters, and they are launching a national campaign to drive people to shelters -- because the fact that most people don't get pets in shelter can be changed. It doesn't have to be that way.



What makes adoptions stick: Matching pets, helping them develop realistic expections and goals, improve the bond. Not adherence to a rigid set of rules, relentless drilling -- those do not correlate to successful adoptions.



we do adoptions all day long, but they only do it a few times in their lives. It should be a great experience, not an interrogation. The person is saving a life, helping this animal, this should be one of life's truly great, truly rewarding experiences. We have the opportunity to make it that.



They won't want to let you down. They'll want thi s to succeed.



Another factor of success is to make staff easy to identify. All wear same color shirt if you don't have logo shirts. And give them some kind of badge.



Barn cat adoptions. Trap-neuter-return is always choice one for feral cats, but there will also be a few cats where that is not possible, so in those extreme cases we take those cats in and put them through our barn cat program. Spayed/neutered, vaccinated, ear tipped. Makes it easy for animal services to know to let those cats go or return them to their area.



We do not charge for barn cats but we do have requirements. Recc'd Barn Cats, Inc. out of Dallas, great all-volunteer organization.



Finding problems and solving them. We do at least one follow-up call on adoptions, and more if there's even a hint of a problem. Then we have the most skilled person on staff for that problem call them back and talk to them about it. It's most our Animal Help Desk staffer, but it could be a volunteer. Our help desk turns around 70 percent of problem adoptions.



Perhaps the most important thing is aggressively and continuously promoting pet adoption. We do it with fun events and promitions and ideas that get media attention. We brainstorm with staff, and borrow/steal ideas from other shelters. We do news releases and PSAs to local media, and create posters. We use templates available on Internet.



Did Valentine's Day "speed dating," the media loved it. Use all holidays -- St Patrick's Day, Mardi Gras -- to create a promotion. The inspiration can come from anywhere. Someone complained, "What's next with you guys, Adopt a pet for Arbor Day?"



"Our goal is to keep this guy as annoyed as possible. So we did it -- Adopt a Pet for Arbor Day at a local nursery." And the nursery was thrilled.



(Huge laughter and applause.)



They do trick or treating at their shelter on Halloween. Brings a lot of people to shelter fo rthe first time. Have dogs dressed in costumes.



Tie into local events.



The power company CAME TO US and asked us to give their energy saving lightbulbs with every adoption!



Stole great idea on "Certified Pre-owned cats" from Michigan Humane. Desperate Housepets. "The Real Housepets of Washone County." "Petzillas: They're cranky and cross and ready for forever homes. Are you ready for the challenge?" Cats with attidues and Chihuahuas that want to snap at everyone. Huge media attention.



Fat cat adoptions: More love per pound. Adopt a plus-sized cat for $10.



Key to our scuess is seeing challenges as opportunities. Example, hoarding cases. Great opportunity to get new donors and new adopters. Make these cats into "celebrities." We once called them "Eviction cats." We try to play down the negative. Nothing to be gained from painting these people as evil demons. They're either good people who got in over their heads or they have a mental illness.



She stresses having great relationships with media.



Took idea from bookstores, and let staff pick "Staff Picks" of available pets.



Highlight individual pets the longer they are in the shelter. Also highlight special needs animals. We tell their story and promote them as individuals.



Barn cats promoted in classified ads as "Non-toxic pest control." Lots of farmers and ranchers love having spayed/neutered vaccinated cats around.



Staying flexible is one of the biggest factors in our success. Lifesaving is always more important than rules.



Old school sheltering is that we don't have enough homes, and we have no choice but to kill these animals, esp the old and ugly and badly behaved. But it's not true, as we and many other communities are learning, there is somebody out there for virtually every animal, it's just a matter of marketing and taking down barriers to adoption and making it easy.



(Note from Christie: Best Friends will be taking this presention and putting it on their website and will have all the wonderful ads and posters. We'll link from Pet Connection when that's available. They're very much worth seeing, and some of them are really hysterical.)



Question from audience: How will someone who can't afford to adopt a pet (free adoptions) pay to care for that animal?



Bonney: There are lots of people out there who don't have health insurance, but no one is out there euthanizing them. So think about what you have to offer THEM. And if the alternative is death... well, things can always get better if you're alive, but not if you're dead. Also, just because someone can't spend $3000 on specialist care doesn't mean that's a bad home. Not saying to place animals in abusive or neglectful homes,but most homes aren't.



Audience Q: Tips on developing foster network.



Bonney: I was just at the Univ of Florida and they had a great presentation on foster programs, and all that will be on the Maddie's Fund website in a couple weeks.

Liveblogging No More Homeless Pets: What can we learn from Calgary and NYC?

If Calgary was in the US, it would be the 11th largest city in the US. But over 94 percent of all their cats and dogs who enter the system come out alive -- without any tax dollar funding at all. How have they done it? Animal control director Bill Bruce joined with Jane Hoffman of the New York Mayor's Alliance for Animals to examine how these two huge cities have handled their animal related problems.



Bruce said that when he took over, they had shameful numbers of animals being put down, high dog bite rates, no revenues, low license compliance.



Jane said that in 2002, New York had a terrible situation, too. 74 percent of cats and dogs in city shelters were killed. The ASPCA had turned back the animal control contract, and it had been given to another private non-profit. Intakes at AC&C in NYC more than 46K in 2003. Adoptions at city shelters under 5000. Adoptions by private shelters and rescue groups less than 8K in 2003. Little sense of cohesion between rescue groups. "That's really understating it."



Bill: Same in Calgary. No cohesion, lots of conflict. We suggest you attend Karen Kelly's presentation tomorrow on conflict resolution, it's what we used.



We wanted to create a responsible pet owner community. A safe healthy environment for people and their pets through ordinances etc that reflect community values.



Said it's like carving a duck out of wood: You carve away anything that doesn't look like a duck. You do that with your ordinances, policies etc that don't serve that goal.



Jane: When we got rid of Giuliani, we knew Bloomberg would be more open to a community collaboration that we could get funding for from Maddie's Fund. Our goal was to end the killing of healthy and treatable dogs and cats at NYC's shelters.



We wanted that Maddie's Fund money. We don't get a dime from the city. We are not a gov't agency. Although she found if she said "I'm from the Mayor's Alliance really fast, people thought I said 'Mayor's Office' and it opened a lot of doors." (Laughter)



Bill: Understand we are dealing with a community problem that will take the collaborative resources of the community to solve.



Need everyone at the table: Vets, AVMA, breeders, trainers, pet stores, city, humane groups.



Jane: Our partners were New York City government, animal care and control of NYC, rescue community, veterinarians, boarding partners, Maddie's Fund, the public. AC&C is contracted with Dept of Health, and it's kind of a "bunker mentality." Rel with mayor's office very helpful. Then signed memorandum of understanding with AC&C.



Animal Care actually did not want to kill animals, but needed to be shown that could be done without interfering with their cruelty, rabies and other AC missions.



NYC had around 5 brick and mortar limited admission shelters and rescue community. ASPCA, Humane Soc of NY, others. There have been some new smaller ones since then. And bring in others involved: Maddie's Fund, vets, public.



Bill: First thing we did is boil down 4 principles of responsible pet ownership:



• License and provide permanent ID. Return to owner without even going to shelter... ride home.

• Increase spay/neuter but do not mandate it.

• Training, physical care, socialization, medical care.

• Do not allow pet to become threat or nuisance.



Our feeling was that if we could have this, we'd be by definition a responsible pet owner community.



Jane: NYC is the largest city in the state, but our government in Albany has a strong antagonism towards us. We don't have "home rule." Our dog license law is set by Albany. Bill's licensing ability is astounding to me.



Maddie's Fund told us we had to do a strategic plan. I was like, oh jeez, can't believe you're going to make us do that... turned out to be the best thing I ever did. Even if you're not going to get a MF grant, you should do the things they want you to do. Because we need to professionalize ourselves in this industry.



We came up with 10 year strategic plan:



• Increase adoptions

• Decrease animal homelessness

• Raise awareness

• Strengthen resources



Worked on marketing, foster homes, infection control. Some dictated by applying for a Maddie's Fund grant. A lot of the work was driven by that.



Bill: What's working in Calgary:



• Marketing. Educate and market.

• Partnerships; working together. Money devoted to fighting should go to animals. May need to bring in outside mediator. I found some of conflict was around things that happened 25 years ago. "The people who had that fight are dead. Let's move on."

• Remove barriers to responsible pet owners. Mandatory spay/neuter is a barrier. Does not take us down path of no more homeless animals. It's the wrong thing to do. Pet limits the same -- you end up alienating your most responsible pet owners, and decrease licensing. What is the problem you're trying to solve, and how will this solve it? What problem will pet limits solve? No one can ever tell me. 93 percent of my dog owners have their dogs licensed. MSN also turns my responsible pet owners against me, interferes with licensing. People don't like to do what they're told to do -- human nature. Make it clear to them the value of doing it, why it's a good idea.

• Education, school programs.

• Drive-home program. Great licensing program, on board computers connected to central computer, looks up dog's tag or chip, up comes info, gets on cell phone, calls you: I've got Buddy in my truck... before most people realize the dog is gone. Over 30 percent go straight home, never go to the shelter.

• Clear, well-understood rules. Enforcement is your last step, not your first one.

• Licensing program -- $5 million a year, don't need tax dollars, don't have to beg for money. Own revenue source, and community knows their money goes to help animals, so high compliance. License cats. People asked, where will money go? He said, free spay neuter. Public found out every penny would go to help cats. Also, wanted their cats to come back as quickly as possible. Saw value. Audience asked if this only works because they're Canadian? Why isn't this working in Los Angeles? He said people have a false image of Canadians, said Canadians are obstinate, will not be pushed even if polite. People comply when they feel CONSULTED and SEE THE VALUE, like the driving home. If dog or cat is hit by car in Calgary, vet will just start working on it because he knows animal control will pay the first $500 at least, doesn't even have to ask, vet will never get stuck with the bill. If you know you're investing in a Cadillac program like that, that will help your dog and your cat, you'll be glad to buy in. Result is that 82 percent of cats are saved, 94 percent of dogs.



Audience asked why bite rate is so low.



Bill: We take dog aggression very seriously, train postal workers, don't let people tether dogs on city streets, heavy-handed on fines when owners let dangerous dogs out -- fines in excess of 10K. But we don't wait until the dog bites. It starts with lesser behavior. We have ordinance against teasing a dog. Someone calls, send officer to sit in backyard, catches kids, fines them and/or parents.



We believe next year an ongoing study we'll be releasing will show what we do that makes dogs bite, or prevents it.



Jane: Recc'd book "Pit Bull Placebo" and Animal Farm study showing pit bulls not the big bite culprits so many believe.



We have mandatory s/n for shelters in NYC, I am not as much in favor of it for people until we can do free or low cost/accessible s/n. Our capacity cannot fill the need in NYC. People want their animals fixed and CANNOT AFFORD IT. Some people feel its not a huge priority, so we remove barriers.



Audience said people take advantage when they're really not low income.



Jane: ASPCA runs 5 mobile s/n vans 7 days a week. It's totally free if you're on public assistance, and if not, it's $75. Maddies's Fund will do $10 cat, $20 a dog s/n for those on public assistance, with is expanded beyond just Medicaid. And we run s/n for any cat other than ferals (who are well taken care of by ASPCA). If you come to East New York with an owned cat, I don't care what your income is, I'll s/n that cat.



We'd be even further ahead in NYC if there was a law that required pet stores to s/n pets they sell, but the pet store lobby fought that successfully.



I think pet limits are foolish and we have none in NYC, and NY state bans BSL. But our NYC housing authority has banned several breeds and mixes -- there is a suit being prepared.



[One update lost here due to Internet malfunction.]



Picking up what Jane says works in NYC, mostly working with rescue through various methods. Collaboration, communication, cooperation.



They give grants to increase capacity for rescues, to build kennels, do better infection and disease control. One rescue group was able to up capacity by a third.



Give groups help with temporary boarding and some medical care.  Picasso Medical Fund established by Mary Tyler Moore and Bernadette Peters and Broadway Barks. A very morale building thing for staff -- can't save them all, but sometimes we can save the one who really gets them.



Low cost and free s/n. We're very intent on getting every animal in NYC microchipped. Good way to return to owner, will help if another disaster like 9/11.



Deal with pets of the homeless and victims of domestic violence. Enormous cost. City needs to do co-sheltering where they allow people to stay with their pets. We're working on that. Also getting food banks to accept pet food.



Also, PR, marketing and advertising do wonders for us. Lots of slides of the Maddie's Fund "Maddie" mascot. Parades, etc. Bark in the Park Day, Maddie throws out the first pitch. "Adopt Me" vest, given to groups free so everyone's dogs go to events wearing matching vests. Petfinder module for our website.



Adopt a cat event with Cat Fanciers Association, adopted out over 200 cats in one day.



Posters with "vacancy" signs. PSAs for adoption and for spay/neuter.



NYC Feral Cat Initiative -- I wish I had five times as much money to deal with that, it's our biggest issue in NYC right now.



Bill: If I impound an animal, that animal's picture is on our website in 15 minutes. We DO NOT charge fees to rescues to take dogs and cats. (This in response to someone in the audience pointing out Los Angeles charges rescues "adoption" fees. Jane added that NYC doesn't charge, either.) I will even do whatever medical, including dental, before the rescues take the animal. I also contact the breeder of purebred dogs. They will ALWAYS take the dog, even send me a check to fly the dog home to them.



Most cats I get are turned in as strays or nuisance. I know what neighborhood the cats came from, so we post a notice about that cat and send it with a picture to all the addresses in that area.



Bill: "The only dogs we euthanize are too sick or way too aggressive to ever be safely adopted." Last year, euthanized 145 cats, says he "guarantees" none of those cats was suitable for TNR or adoption -- too sick, injured.



Enforcement is the weakest source of revenue. Have 91 percent dog and around 48 percent cat licensing compliance.



Eighty five percent of dogs are reunited with their owners!!!!!!!!!!!!



We use "Safer Test" only to know what the dog needs, not to make a decision about that dog's fate. Dogs who have issues get special training and behavior help and are placed appropriately, even if the dog is resource guarding, dog-aggressive. "Most of the dogs are going home."



Jane: In NYC, we measure progress by measuring euthanasia as a percentage of intake. We don't play games with adoptable, healthy, treatable, etc. In 2002, 74 percent euthanized or killed, end of 2008 39 percent, projecting 34 percent this year. And adoptions have more than doubled, intakes have remained level. Did not get going early enough on s/n. I agree we need to do a better job on adoptions and marketing, but if we do not do a better job on s/n won't have success.



Recc'd Pet Point. [Bill uses Chameleon and raved about it in the bit I lost.]

Liveblogging No More Homeless Pets: From the Obama campaign to your shelter

Scott Goodstein, who ran the social media platforms for the Obama campaign, is telling the audience here at the No More Homeless Pets conference that he thinks the lessons learned in that and other political campaigns apply to animal welfare, too.







The world has changed -- TV viewership is going down. Viewing habits have changed. "Programs" like the news or weather have been replaced by cable news and the weather channel.



Also, people are multi-tasking -- checking email, TV on in background, etc.



Similarly, newspapers changing, closing. Radio, giant decline.



What has increased? Internet up around 25 percent. Mobile up 260 percent. So it was not hard for my team on the new media campaign for Obama to point out we need to use mobile, Internet to catch eyeballs.  We may not know people that well in our geographic community, but it doesn't mean we don't have a community, a different kind.



Recs  book "The Long Tail." Change from bigger audiences to a larger number of smaller audiences.



We keep moving down the tail and figure out new ways to organize. Society will change over a period of time... "That's my brief history lesson."



First, they revamped the Obama web presence. Needed to integrate with overall campaign themes... TV show, events and rallies, website. Same fonts, make landing page on site look the same as the events, etc. Plus, everything has to keep changing.



You can fall in love with your website, but it needs to be changed up every few months. Happens a lot more in corporate America than non-profits.



Had the primaries to try out new things, see what worked. Eventually came up with the "Yes we can" website. So don't be afraid to experiment. MySpace was an experiment for the campaign, Twitter was an experiment, but over a period of a time we could see what we got out of it. Did the people who friended us in Facebook come out to events?



We thought MySpace would work out for us, but how many of these people would show up and vote?  A million people don't want to hear about a campaign event in Iowa. So we created sep MySpaces for small communities... LGBT, Dog Lovers for Obama, local groups.



Facebook is different. Very local, but harder to organize nationally.We can't change these platforms.



Shameless plugs for Best Friends Network; says it's a great one. "Not too many organizations take the time build their own social network out." We built our social network, MyBarackObama.com, out. We built it because the tools we needed weren't on MySpace or Facebook., eg phonebanking tools.



Best Friends Network has 80,000 in network.



Audience Q: What's difference between "network" and website?



Interaction. Members who take a deeper step, sign up, build a community, discuss things in a deeper way. Message boards, blogs, building a relationship, comments on Flickr or YouTube, if there is a social dialogue happening.



5-10 years ago, political campaigns were one way messaging. You put your ad or press release out to the voters. Now, there is real time interaction. You even sometiomes change your message on the fly.



Social networks have deeper level of communication. People felt connected to Obama because they got their questions answered.  Becomes authenic piece of communication. We were also very transparent that it wasn't Barack Obama sitting around late at night answering questions on his MySpace. Always signed by name from Barack Obama campaign. Transparent that we had thousands of campaign workers/volunteers.



Each platform has a different set of tools. For a setting like this Flickr would be a great tool. You all love animals. Do you need to spend thousand building great YouTube video? No. Flickr can do it.



Don't think about how sexy the tool is. It's about how real the engagement is.



When people come to your website, they know why they came. Now you have to start a conversation with them. What's the next step of action you can take to organize? Disaboom, BlackPlanet -- 10 million AAs on it -- AsianAve.



Says listing at Eventful.com will get new people involved you were not otherwise reaching. Zip code based. Gave examples from Obama campaign.



Says, allow consumers to engage and validate. Put up Shephard Fairey's famous Obama poster and Will I Am's "Yes we can" music video and pointed out that neither came out of the campaign. Famous, iconic Obama elemetns, but not "official." Over 30 million people saw the video.



Obama put it up on their website, and asked Fairey to do a poster for the campaign.



People felt they could engage however they wanted to engage. Dogs for Obama, voter-made artwork, videos.



Says we have to move with the marketplace. It was an honor to let him work on a campaign playing with a tool that came out during the campaign itself -- the iPhone. Why would the campaign get involved in iPhone apps? Maybe it shoudln't, but we did it with volunteers. Obama app was built by volunteers over a month and a half. Then campaign pulled it in to make sure it worked with the rules and image of the campaign.



Young college students on way back to school were able to get a free iPod Touch with a Mac computer. Plus iPhone much cheaper. Everyday users, more using iPhone store. Had over 500,000 downloads and generated over 5000 calls through the iPhone app.



He searches Twitter to watch breaking news, real time searches, than Google. Iran's election.



He did a Twitter search of dog rescue -- lots of discussions. Can make search localized by adding name of town. People are searching for your issues. Talking about your issues.



Craigslist is free, easy. Replaced local newspaper.



"Good old fashioned message boards." Not new and sexy, but works.



Those are fun and free tools. You can advertise on Facebook very inexpensively. Google AdWords.



Mobile matters. Some of us don't sleep anywhere, we just check email on our iPhones. Entrance into mobile not easy. Twitter easy and free, but more people will open your text messages. Start thinking about mobile.



You'll see more vids on phones. Things are happening. "My mom finally figured out how to use the camera in her cell phone." 25 percent of people over 65 use text messaging. Nephew teacxhes grandma how to use text messages. Happening all over the country.



42 percent of teenages believe they can text while blind-folded. Growth in society in text messageing is late adopters.



Put in your emails to say, "Text message your friends to join our organization!" Easy cheap way to get into that stream.



But keep thinking about how people are communicating. How they talk to their friends.



Open to questions.



Observation from Christie: Seems like a much more tech-savvy crowd than others at this conference.

Liveblogging No More Homeless Pets: Planning, business skills to save lives

Day two at the No More Homeless Pets conference in Las Vegas, and "talking in the hallway" syndrome has continued to put me late into the sessions. This morning, it was a fascinating discussion with Best Friends Animal Society co-founder Gregory Castle. Some of what we talked about will be in an upcoming article I'm doing for Bark Magazine, but we also talked about feral/community cats,  which I'm starting to see as the "hot" issue at this conference -- we're at a real watershed moment in the animal weflare community as regards these cats, who account for such a huge percentage of the animals who die in America's shelters.



So, picking up the session "Plan? I don't need no stinkin' plan!" a bit late...



The speaker, Mike Arms of the Helen Woodward Animal Center in southern California, is blaming killing in shelters on the fact that shelters don't operate as a business. They don't keep good records, don't have a strategic plan, don't have or don't know what to do with their mission statement, may not even have business cards.



At his shelter, everyone always knows what thegoals are, and the goals are to save more lives, do more adoptions, speuter more animals. Compares it to retail -- projected sales. People being aware what their job is.



Volunteers want to save lives. We all want that. But what is our goal today. It can't be "To save as many lives as possible." We have to give people an achievable goal, something to work for.



Walk into most shelters and ask, how many animals did you adopt this day last year? Most don't know. How many are you projecting you'll adopt today? Most don't know.



You need a written action plan, and everyone has to be involved in putting it together.



Sometimes boards put together strategic plans, but that usually fails if they don't get input from the staff. Use the business minds on the board, but get input from everyone.



Most organizations that fail, fail because of problems at the top, often the boards.



Recounting his experience when he took over his shelter, 300K in debt three years ago. Now have a new $7 million in endowment, hundreds of employees, do it as a business. They have profit and loss meetings, budgets, schedules. And he says he not only pays well, but he gives bonuses.



Why is it, he asks, if you work for retail and you meet your quota you get a bonus, but when you reach a quota of saving lives, you get a pat on the back? I beleive in rewarding. I believe those who clean the kennel and take care of the animals -- I need them. They can do their work without me, but I can't do my work without them.



"I am not here to win a personality award, I'm here to save lives. "



He runs a boarding facility with a monthly 200 pet waiting list, and nets $500,000 a year on it. So in his new expansion, he's doubling the occupancy and going to take some of the suites and SELL THEM AS TIMESHARS! I'm in the BUSINESS of saving lives; it takes money to do it.



I own our veterinary hospital and all its equipment, but  I lease it to someone else, so I get rent, plus a share of their revenues. I even own an equine hospital. There are 50 equine vets who use it. Has suites, emergency room, etc.



They partner with Meals on Wheels to provide free meals to their clients with pets.



He says shelters have to monitor external things -- social trends, etc. We are not each other's competition. Backyard breeders and puppy mills are our competition. He says we have to market better.



We have to change what we're doing. We have to market better, promote better. The lay person thinks we just play with puppies and kittens all day long.



I hate the words "animal control" with a passion. It was created in response to a rabies epidemic. Catch and kill. We provide animal care, welfare, well-being. That's what we should be recongized for. Perfect example: I was in New Zealand last year. I looked in the yellow pages under animal control, it said "go to pest control." Because the lay person thinks animal control is killing animals. Why would you want to be perceived that way?



The industry has to change. We are professionals, business minded. The reason I get support from corporations is because I think LIKE A BUSINESS. I would do anything to save animals, but I do it with a business mind.



They had an event called the "Surf Dog Surf-a-thon," got 5000 attendees and international television coverage. Next year, he's going to do a "world's cup" competition. "Trust me, I will make money. And that money will go to help animals, where it belongs."



"We don't have to prove to our animals that they have ourhearts. We have prove they have our minds. They need our brilliance to save their lives. They can only get that from our minds, not our hearts."



He recommends the book "Search for Excellence." Teaches you how to think like a business.



"We're in the business of selling used dogs and cats. We are."



Says some people come apply for jobs in shelters, and you ask why they want to work with animals: "Because I hate peple."



But you need people who like to chat with people. In fact, people woh like to talk talk talk so much that people will adopt that animal just toshut them up.



Don't put the puppies up in the front. Put the puppies in the back so they have to walk past all the adult dogs before you see the puppies. We have someone at each station so if someone stops and looks at the dog, the associate walks right over to them and say, "Isn't Bingo a wonderfual animal?" Then she'll ask them to take the dog out to potty, because the associate is not allowed to leave the station but the dog is "crossing his paws." And it works!



He says you have to pu t ateam together to create a strategic plan. That team is not only of  senior management, but junior management, too. We don't have multi-million dollar ad budget; we need to use public relations. The staff working with the animals have the best stories, the stories the media wants. But they often sit on them.



We give staff $25 bonus if they bring us a story that makes print media, $50 if it gets on television.



Use the team.



Someone has to set the mission. People often don't know who is the leader -- the board? The director? The CEO?



Everyone has to buy into the mission.



You have to have core values. Everyone has to buy into those, too.



Identify internal strengths and vulnerabilities.

Liveblogging No More Homeless Pets: In the halls, plus fundraising

I came into the current session at the No More Homeless Pets conference late, because the hallways in this place? Full of folks I want to talk to.



In this case, it was a long, impassioned conversation with Nathan Winograd, who was hoping I'd write about the current problems at the San Francisco SPCA in my SFGate.com column, and who has started thinking that saving all healthy and treatable animals isn't enough -- he's thinking we need to save them all. He has a new book coming out next month, too.



Then I snuck into the back of a session that was supposedly on building your membership's organization in order to save lives. I'm not quite sure how it opened, but it seemed to be just a fairly mundane review of direct mail strategies. What I found interesting is that several of the ideas she was putting forward are things that particularly annoy me. For instance, I detest getting a snail mail thank you note, because it wastes so much paper. (She also suggested calling, which I think is a great idea.)







Frankly, I hate direct snail mail. I only donate online. Email me. And don't follow up an online donation or email with snail mail. Stop killing trees kthnx.



She named a recent fundraising mailing that sent everyone a nickel as a particularly good idea-- when I got that, I nearly screamed in annoyance. What a waste. I'm sorry, this just did not mesh with how I see things.



Then Elizabeth Doyle from Best Friends was introduced, to discuss how to "write for money" -- how to write to get donations. I honestly didn't realize this was about fundraising. That's not what I think of when I hear "building your membership to save lives."



[Slight gap here.]



Elizabeth gave some very funny examples of bad fundraising ptiches. You can't sound desperate, can't sound like you're always on the brink of closing, etc. Be positive, list successes, then ask for help in continuing journey. I agree with this -- and she's a really good presenter.



Now she makes an excellent point" Animal folks are sensitive. Don't upset them. Really upsestting appeals just make me shut down, and that goes triple for gory or disturbing photographs.  She said this will make people never open your emails or visit your website again. WORD.



I hope her examples of bad fundraising appeals are published somewhere; they're hysterially funny. I'll try to find out.



Gina would love this, she's talking about strong opening paragraphs, getting to the point, short paragraphs, lots of white space on web pages -- NO DENSE TEXT ON THE WEB! Lots of tiny paragraphs. This is more true of the web, but true to a certain extent in print, too. Again: WORD.



Another bad exmple, this one from the "Boring You To Tears Animal Coalition." I'm probably more amused by this than most of the people here. I think some of them are laughing nervously, wondering, "Do I do that?"



"Keep it short," she says. ""It's alwasy good."

Liveblogging No More Homeless Pets: What ' s new in feral cats?

This workshop is titled "thinking outside the shelter," and it's a big theme here at the No More Homeless Pets Conference in Las Vegas: Keep feral cats out of the shelter system.



I was a bit late for this session because I had to re-charge my laptop battery. It's being led by Cimeron Morrissey of The Bay Cat Project in Foster City, Calif., a suburb of San Francisco. Her project is a groundbreaking collaboration between a local cat rescue group, the city, and... are you sitting down?... the local chapter of the Audubon Society to protect both endangered birds and feral cats.







They set up feeding stations, and have found that cats usually spend their whole lives within 400 feet of the feeding station -- so they just locate them far from the areas where the birds are.



She also says not to "hide your colonies" -- that publicizing the colonies cuts down on abandonments. The city paid for signs warning that abandonment is illegal and would be prosecuted, and they've had only 3 abandoned cats in 5 years.



She talked about the book "Getting to Yes" and how you have to establish INTERESTS rather than develop positions. For instance, in Foster City, everyone wanted to protecxt the birds, and yet the bird advocates were surprised to discover that. Also, she sid their goal was to reduce the feral population to zero -- they'd assumed they wanted a permanent sanctuary.



She said she has the Project Bay Cat toolkit on her website at www.cimeron.com (click on PBC Tool Kit).



She says feral advocates need to be professional, optimistic, punctual – make them want to be part of your team. They expect crazy irrational cat ladies, so the bar is low. Basically, though, you’re telling them there’s a big problem and you’re going to fix it… that’s good news!



Don’t be defensive or combative. Show compassion for other animals that might be affected.



Things to avoid: Cat motif clothing, jewelry, etc. Do not ignore people’s concerns. Don’t make emotional appeals or arguments. Be detached… if they say they’ve done catch and kill, ask how did that work? “Oh, they came back? Well…”



Audience question about working with purebred fanciers.



Cimaron said she writes for Cat Fancy and works with breeders. She says she has a weird thing about people breeding cats when there are so many homeless cats, but so many of them, like Golden Gate Cat Club that just donated a thousand dollars to them, just care about cats. They really do. They take in cats to foster, and most are very supportive. Try to work with them.



Asked about non-surgical sterilization – she will welcome that day, but not yet.



Audience asked: The goal is eradication over time? The colony will just die out?



Cimaron said, don’t say eradicate. All of us would love the day when there are zero feral cats throughout the US. Population shrink over time. But yes, to zero. And it is possible.



She also warned repeatedly and strongly to never, ever work with PETA, which she said was horrible, horrible on feral cats. Some in the audience seemed surprised, so she repeated it again. And then again.



Next was Rick DuCharme from Jacksonville, Florida's Feral Freedom Program. Saves lives of nearly 5000 cats each year. Has one of the large s/n clinics in the country -- does 495 surgeries per week. Also Scott Trebatos from Jacksonville Animal Control. Live release rate went from 10 to 50 percent, due in part to a coalition with local rescue groups and humane society.



How Jacksonville, Florida was able to jump off the eternal treadmill of catch and kill. Rick says, catch and kill does not solve the problem.



Scott said he came to Jacksonville because he wanted somewhere open to new ways of doing things.



Aggressive s/n has led to 26% decrease in shelter intake, but still thousands dying in shelters. He said he once thought ferals would be the last animals dying in shelters after we figured out how to adopt and save the others, but he now knows that's not true.



In Feral Freedom Program -- community initiative -- Scott says would not have been possible without help and support of Best Friends, and also have gotten more and more of the community to accept this. Best Friends helped fund the program with 162 thousand dollars, and commited to funding for next year.



Rick said it was the year of big solutions. Working with city of Jacksonville, came up with plan of returning all ferals to area from which they came after sterilization, ear tipping, and vaccination. They budgeted for 3000, because that was how many ferals they were killing. But then they realized that many of the cats coming into the shelter in traps were not feral. Ironically, the obvious true ferals -- unhandleable -- were being released, but purring cats were often killed in the shelter when couldn't be adopted.



He said many of these aren't exactly feral, but were community cats. So they started fixing, ear tipping, vaxing and releasing those cats, too.



Has decreased shelter killing around 25 percent (I missed the exact number).



Scott spoke in favor of the "community cats" concept, or "free-roaming" instead of feral. Not just animal welfare is seeing change in thinking, but also animal control.



Feral Freedom has seen 6002 cats; only 45 euthanized; 296 to rescue. 430 trapped more than once. 59 percent decrease in adult cats; 19 percent in kittens. Live release of adult cats went up 360 percent, adoptions up 50.6 percent.



(Sorry, lost some here when Internet ate an update.)



Audience asked if cats were treated -- parameters of those 45 euthanized cats. They treat dental problems, lacerations, put in drains, sutures. Euthanize body score of 1, which suggests serious disease.



Audience asked about FeLV and FIV positive cats. Rick: We don't test them. (Applause.) Said Dr. Levy at Univ Florida has found ferals have same very low rate of those diseases as owned cats, less than 3 percent, and transmission in spayed/neutered is very rare.



In 5 years have had only 24 complaints about program, mostly in the beginning when were promoting it more. Have come to conclusion that these are community cats, and people have been living side by side with them, and most people pretty much ignore them, or take care of them. If there is a problem, they will try to find a solution, but it really hasn't been that much of a problem.



Audience asked about costs. Saves city around 10K per year, and frees up animal care resources to work with adoptable pets. Didn't eliminate any positions, so hard dollar savings are minimal, but resources are better allocated.



Have stopped chipping all the cats, but they do check for chips.



Rick said sometimes vets call with new pets as clients, cats with their chips in them who have been adopted by community members! Some discussion of this in audience, because it protects cats from being brought to shelter by disgruntled community members, and end up being killed. But in Jacksonville, since animal control won't kill cats under those circumstances, it's not necessary.



Ordinance in Jacksonville says that it's illegal to feed any pet outside, but it exempts feral cats in its language. Not pets.



Rick shouted out to PetCo Foundation for donating their feral transport van.



He said that feral cats are NOT HOMELESS. They have a home.



Has to be cooperation between organizations if you want to make a difference -- animal control, rescue groups, etc. This is a big step in the ending of killing dogs and cats in shelters. Rick said to keep statistics, you have to be able to demonstrate that this accomplishes that goal.



He said he started this organization with just him.



Someone from Los Angeles asked about legal issues re: TNR.



Scott said he wasn't sure he had any advice, and said that in much of the state of Florida, there are ordinances prohibiting TNR. (Ealier speaker had said you have to do it city council by city council.) Scott said it's a community issue and has to have a community solution.



Rick said they are working with group from Charleston SC to get a program started there. Have 12-13 communities. Biggest city just changed ordinance, and several others decided their existing ordinances didn't really prohibit this. (Applause.)



Audience asked, what is next step? Rick said their next goal is to get dying animals down from 12K to under 10K. Said the problem there is very bad. And there are still colonies that need help. They're doing a lot with cats, 15-20K surgeries on cats a year. Have to look at where animals are entering animal control from, and solve at that point.



Scott: "What's we've been doing hasn't been working. Isn't it time we tried something else?"