SATURDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2019
7:30-8:00 am
Check-In
8:00-9:00 am
Minding the Gap: Using your Shelter Data to Maximize Lifesaving Impact – Brent Toellner
Implementing new programming takes time and effort, and it’s frustrating when that effort doesn’t net the desired results. This session shows you how to look at your data to determine which programs will maximize your lifesaving results, and focus resources on the pets most in need at your shelter. Case studies will show how real-life shelters have had success by using their data to guide their decisions – and how you can as well.
People Power: Building and Maintaining the Volunteer and Foster Programs You Need to Save Lives – Hilary Hager
Volunteer and foster programs are essential in our life saving efforts, and well-designed and well-run programs can help us meet our mission and extend our impact dramatically. Programs that aren’t well designed or executed, however, can make everything we do feel even more challenging than it already is. Program design and management is both an art and a science, and workshop attendees will gain a firm grasp of how they can build the programs they need, or tweak their existing programs to help meet the urgent needs that are always present in animal care environments.
Fear Free in the Shelter Environment* – Christine Calder, DVM, DACVM
Discussion of what Fear Free is and how can we implement the techniques in a sheltering environment.
9:10-10:00 am
Dogs Not Drama: The Importance of Rising Above the Fray and Collaborating – Mindi Callison
In a world where rescues and shelters are constantly competing for donations, volunteers and adopters, it is crucial to rise above the fray and work together for the greater good. During this session you will hear my personal journey with animosity in the rescue and advocacy world, as well as tips on how to take care of yourself, tips on avoiding compassion fatigue and how to prepare your board and leadership team for online slander.
Litterbox Issues and Solutions – Pam Hill
Cat owners can develop an incredibly deep bond with their cat. But what happens when the cat doesn’t use the litterbox? Cat owners feel confused at best, betrayed at worst; and the bond is in danger. In this session attendees will learn about cat elimination behavior and the problems that arise when what cats need conflicts with what owners desire. Attendees will acquire practical insights and tips on how to evaluate and address elimination issues that interfere with post-adoption success and drive cat owners to surrender. A brief question and answer session will be included.
Canine Behavior and the Shelter* – Christine Calder, DVM, DACVM
Discussion about basic canine behavior, common behavior problems in dogs, common behavior problems in the shelter environment and how to manage them.
10:10-11:00 am
Driving for No Kill by 2025 – Mandi Wyman
We all want fewer pets unnecessarily killed in shelters. In 2016, Best Friends Animal Society put its stake in the ground in helping the nation get to No Kill by 2025. Find out the progress that is made toward this goal through national, regional and statewide life-saving numbers and the what Best Friends is doing to support the work of local shelters & rescues toward their lifesaving goals.
ACFA Update for Shelters and Rescues* – Rachel Cook, DVM and Matt Rold
A review/overview of the regulations governing Missouri shelters and rescues.
Exotic Companion Mammals: The New Shelter Animals* – Antonia Gardner, DVM
As exotic companion mammals gain in popularity, the need for shelters to admit and adopt out a variety of species also grows. This presentation discusses a few of the most popular exotic companion mammals and some basic care and husbandry issues for those species. Surgical sterilization is also discussed. The goal of this presentation is to prepare the future veterinarian to see these species in a shelter setting, and to introduce them to the medical and husbandry issues commonly encountered.
11:10-12:00 pm
Coalitions for the Win: Building and Using Coalitions to Help Save More Lives
12:00-1:30 pm
Lunch and Round Table Discussions
Round table topics include: shelter behavior, open adoptions, feline upper respiratory disease, canine parvo, building foster programs, Adopters Welcome, community cat programs, leadership, coalition building, organizational transparency.
1:30-3:20 pm
Coalition Building Workshop
3:30 pm-4:20 pm
Winning the Day: Reducing Length of Stay in Your Shelter or Rescue – Brent Toellner
The biggest challenges facing open-admission shelters are time & space: the amount of space available at the shelter and the amount of times lost/stray animals spend in that space. This session provides practical tips for minimizing the amount of time animals spend at the shelter. By finding positive outcomes more quickly and minimizing road blocks to getting animals out in a timely basis can increase a shelter’s capacity for life-saving without being dramatically increasing shelter population and crushing the budget.
Shelter Cat Enrichment: Mitigating Cat Stress – Pam Hill
Feline enrichment is more than just a series of “nice if you can do it” activities. It’s a critical component of feline shelter care, But why? In this session, you’ll find out! We’ll talk about what feline enrichment is and how it enhances cat welfare and adoptability. You will also learn how to create an enrichment program that is easy to implement and impactful, even with limited time and financial resources.
Points and Pitfalls in Investigating and Prosecuting Animal Abuse* – Julie Brinker, DVM, MS
There are many aspects involved in investigating and prosecuting animal abuse. This presentation focuses on the details of abuse investigations that often go overlooked, but that could result in the inability to successfully prosecute abuse cases.
4:30-5:20 pm
Animal Legislation: Why You Need to Get Involved – Amanda Good
A recap of state legislation in Missouri and how it affects your work.
The Power to Positively Impact the Perceptions of Hard-to-place Pets – Casey Kleekamp
Understand why potential pet adopters are reluctant to adopt certain types of pets and what could possibly help them overcome their barriers to adopting what they define as hard-to-place pets. Research focused specifically on senior pets and those with a chronic illness. Dig into the results of the research which uncovered that the more imperfections associated with a particular pet, the more adopters believe they’ll have to invest additional time, money and emotion. And understand how you can positively impact these perceptions to help more hard-to-place pets find homes.
What’s New with Sneezing Cats: Updates on Feline Upper Respiratory Infections in Animal Shelters* – Amie Burling, DVM, MPH, DACVPM, DABVP
Feline URI does not have to be an unavoidable, resource-draining inevitability for shelters. We will discuss key updates in current thinking about how to prevent and manage this classic medical and welfare challenge for our shelter kitties.
6:00-8:00 pm
Hors d’oeuvres and Networking at Logboat Brewing Company – 504 Fay Street, Columbia, MO 65201
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2019
8:00-8:50 am
Ask the Experts: Leadership Panel
Ask the Experts: Veterinary Panel
9:00-9:50 am
Animal Sheltering Trends in the 21st Century – Steve Kaufman, CAWA
Animal sheltering has changed dramatically over the last decade. In this session you will look at the current and future practices in animal sheltering and its impact on animal welfare as a social movement. As the leading funder in animal welfare, PetSmart Charities has developed grant opportunities that will help agencies navigate some of these exciting changes.
Dog Play Groups: Part 1 – Dogs Playing For Life
Dogs Playing For Life, developed by renowned dog trainer Aimee Sadler, uses play groups to help socialize, evaluate, and change the lives of shelter dogs. The curriculum, taught by a visiting DPFL Team, involves three days of on-site training for shelter staff and volunteers, including a classroom presentation for participants, the demonstration of safe-handling techniques, and the fundamentals of successful play group experiences for all involved. Safety protocols for both people and animals are emphasized to ensure that play groups bring out the best in shelter dogs, with the least possible risk of injury or the spread of infection.
Nothing to Lose: Building a Lifesaving Parvo Program* – Shannon Wells and Rocio Bellido, DVM
When it comes to parvovirus, we know what the alternative to treatment is. There’s nothing to lose, and everything to gain by trying to treat parvo-positive dogs. But, saving more lives means outside-the-box thinking for shelters with limited space and limited resources, especially when it comes to treating contagious illnesses like parvo. KC Pet Project, located in Kansas City, Missouri, built a parvo ward in a tiny 100 sq. ft. locker room six years ago and has treated nearly 600 parvo-positive dogs using creative staffing, and a nothing-to-lose philosophy. In this class, learn how to build a comprehensive lifesaving parvo program in your shelter, including housing, treatment, staffing, animal enrichment and funding. All you need is passion, creative thinking and the will to try!
10:00-10:50 am
Safe At Home – Christi Metropole
Safe at Home empowers communities to be part of the movement to save animal lives by supporting them as foster care givers. This innovative program saves the lives of neonate kittens – the most often killed in shelters. These unweaned, newborn kittens are an estimated 20% to 60% of the cats impounded in shelters. Because they require bottle feeding and often extra medical care, the kittens are usually killed the day they are brought to the shelter. We work with communities by asking members bringing kittens to the shelter to foster. We provide these community members with training, coaching, education and materials (food, medication and more) to take care of the kittens and cats in their neighborhoods.
Dogs Play Groups: Part 2 – Dogs Playing For Life
Dogs Playing For Life, developed by renowned dog trainer Aimee Sadler, uses play groups to help socialize, evaluate, and change the lives of shelter dogs. The curriculum, taught by a visiting DPFL Team, involves three days of on-site training for shelter staff and volunteers, including a classroom presentation for participants, the demonstration of safe-handling techniques, and the fundamentals of successful play group experiences for all involved. Safety protocols for both people and animals are emphasized to ensure that play groups bring out the best in shelter dogs, with the least possible risk of injury or the spread of infection.
Access to Care Clinics: Wellness vs. Vaccine Clinics* – Anne Marie McPartlin, CVT and Ahne Simonsen, DVM
Access to veterinary care is an issue that affects all communities. It can also be one of the leading causes of pet relinquishment when considering shelter populations. During this session we will discuss the benefits of providing low/no cost vaccines within the community, types of clinics and services, and utilizing resources that may already be available. Topics included will be targeting at risk areas, developing protocols, and deciding on the most sustainable model.
11:00-11:50 am
Story Telling in Social Media – Natalie Thomson
Utilizing story telling in social media to generate public interest, raise funds, and get your community to rally behind you.
Dogs Play Groups: Part 3 – Dogs Playing For Life (session will run 11:00-12:30 pm)
Dogs Playing For Life, developed by renowned dog trainer Aimee Sadler, uses play groups to help socialize, evaluate, and change the lives of shelter dogs. The curriculum, taught by a visiting DPFL Team, involves three days of on-site training for shelter staff and volunteers, including a classroom presentation for participants, the demonstration of safe-handling techniques, and the fundamentals of successful play group experiences for all involved. Safety protocols for both people and animals are emphasized to ensure that play groups bring out the best in shelter dogs, with the least possible risk of injury or the spread of infection.
Fact or Fiction: Busting Myths about FIV/FeLV and Progressive Sheltering Strategies for FIV/FeLV+ Cats* – Amie Burling, DVM, MPH, DACVPM, DABVP
Retroviruses pose a daunting conundrum for shelters. To test or not to test? What to do with nebulous test results? What to do with positive kitties? Let’s consider some of the current controversies and evidence based strategies for navigating risk and improving outcomes with these diseases.
12:30-2:00 pm
Lunch and Networking
2:00-5:00 pm
WORKSHOPS (included in cost of registration)
Compassion Fatigue: What It Is and What You Can Do About It* – Hilary Hager
Workshop to explore compassion fatigue in sheltering and how to stay healthy.
Dog Play Groups Hands-On Learning – Dogs Playing For Life
Participants in the hands-on learning sessions will need to attend the three morning lectures. The afternoon workshop will take place at Central Missouri Humane Society.
5:00 pm
Conference sessions conclude. See you next year!
MONDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2019
9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Dog Play Groups Hands-On Learning – Dogs Playing For Life
Dogs Playing For Life and Central Missouri Humane Society (CMHS) have graciously invited conference attendees to continue participation in the hands-on training for dog play groups at CMHS. If you are interested in attending on Monday, please e-mail Abbie Knudsen at ak28b@mail.missouri.edu as space is limited.
REGISTER NOW!
*This program is approved by the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine Continuing Education Department for a total of 13 contact hours of veterinary continuing education with a maximum of 12 hours being available to any one veterinarian.