In early July, I had the opportunity to attend the Best Friends National Conference hosted in Raleigh, NC. The experience was amazing and the amount of knowledge, excitement and hope that I took back home with me still hasn't dissipated. I was extremely fortunate to win a scholarship for a bachelor's degree from Best Friends Animal Society through Southern Utah University. To get my feet wet and to maximize my learning experience, it was suggested that I take the conference course instructed by Jessica Roper and I am so grateful that I did. One of the best things about this whole experience are the connections and relationships that I have gained.
One thing that I learned at the conference that I have started implementing is that my animal care team, is my behavior team. The daily interactions between staff and animals set the tone for their entire stay. We, as the care takers can take little steps to create a less stressful, less anxious and more rewarding environment for the animals. This will ultimately help them find a suitable home, faster.
I have begun going over, modifying and implanting a new standard of care for our residents. A future goal is to create and implement a new standard of training for staff and volunteers.
#EducationandTraining
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Annette Stricker
Director of Animal Services
Paws Humane Society
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