Danielle Bays, HSUS community cats program manager, is no stranger to these questions. Trap-neuter-return programs have long challenged the animal welfare field’s notion of what constitutes an acceptable home for cats. Given that many feral cats can’t adjust to indoor life (and there aren’t enough available homes for them in any event), community cat advocates need to focus less on removing cats from their territories and more on “what you can do to make the situation better for them,” says Bays. That means ensuring the basics of food, shelter, sterilization and shots, as well as mediating any neighborhood conflicts to create a safer environment for the cats. Of course, you will encounter animals who need new homes. But how do you distinguish them from the animals who simply need a little intervention to improve their current living conditions? There’s no set formula, but making these distinctions will help you avoid situations where your best intentions don’t serve an animal well. And it will help you conserve your limited resources for those animals who truly need rescuing. Join us for this thought-provoking workshop, which will help you navigate the no-easy-answers world of animal rescue. FREEDOM FROM PAIN, INJURY AND DISEASE: ENSURING ALL PET OWNERS HAVE ACCESS TO VETERINARY CARE Thursday, May 11, 9:00 a.m.–10:30 a.m. The need is undeniable: An estimated 23 million pets in the U.S. live in poverty, and millions more are in families who are just a paycheck away from financial disaster. If you work in a shelter, you see the consequences: sick or injured pets surrendered by heartbroken owners who can’t afford veterinary care at market rates. Meanwhile, for every litter of parvo puppies or kittens with upper respiratory illness your shelter takes in, there are untold numbers more in your community who die from easily prevented diseases. 16 �� animalsheltering.org/expo Community cats often challenge our notion of what qualifies as an acceptable home. But with the right intervention, these cats can lead happy, healthy lives in their outdoor territories. So who could object when shelters and other nonprofits work to end this suffering? The answer may surprise you. In some states, veterinary associations and a vocal minority of veterinarians have become outspoken opponents of subsidized veterinary care. Under the misguided notion that nonprofit clinics are affecting the bottom lines of private practices, they’re pushing for laws and regulations to shut down or limit these lifesaving services. And as more animal welfare organizations seek to bring medical care to animals who otherwise won’t receive it, tensions are rising around the country. The stakes are huge, warns HSUS senior state director Kimberly Kelly, who has been on the front lines of the ongoing fight to preserve nonprofit vet care programs in South Carolina. If proposed laws to restrict these services are successful, she says, “it would set us back decades.” She’s joined in this workshop by veterinarian Michael R. Moyer, a private practitioner in Bensalem, Pennsylvania. Moyer admits that he once had the attitude that “if people couldn’t afford pets, they damn well shouldn’t have them.” Now, as a member of the Access to Veterinary Care Coalition (led by the Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association), he’s working to expand nonprofit services in his state and quell the controversy within his profession. Learn about the economic issues and misconceptions that are fueling the conflict over subsidized vet care. Find out how you can win allies among your local veterinary community and prevent tensions from escalating into time-consuming legislative battles. And get strategies for defending your lifesaving programs if these battles erupt in your state. FREEDOM TO EXPRESS NORMAL BEHAVIORS: CREATING TRULY “LIVABLE” LIVING SPACES Thursday, May 11, 2:00 p.m.–3:30 p.m. When it comes to shelters, bigger isn’t always better—or at least that’s what presenter Denae Wagner says. The staff veterinarian at the UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program in California has worked At the Animal Humane Society in Minnesota, portals between adjacent cages give resident felines more space for exercise and help satisfy their innate desire for separate sleeping, eating and litter box areas.
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