Animal Welfare Professionals

Updated 8/7 at 2:35pm - Recording now available to watch on-demand!

We hope to see you on August 7, 2023 at 11am PT for our next Community Conversations call! We will be joined by @Lucy Fernandez, Positive Alternatives to Shelter Surrender Manager at Austin Pets Alive! We will learn about the innovative Positive Alternatives to Shelter Surrender (P.A.S.S) program that Lucy oversees at APA. 

With over 35% of pets coming into shelters labeled as owner surrender, ramping up on proactive strategies and resources  in your organization can save more time, money, pets, and people!  Originally launched in 2010 as one of the founding recommendations of making Austin, TX a no-kill city, the Positive Alternatives to Shelter Surrender program through Austin Pets Alive manages over 10,000 cases throughout Texas to help keep pets out of the shelter system.  Lucy Fernandez, the PASS Program Manager, can guide you through the basics of getting started on community collaboration, data collection, and intake diversion.

#AdmissionsandIntake(includingIntake-to-placement)
#CommunityPartnerships*
#PetSupportServices*
#Rehoming

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Maddie's Pet Forum Admin
Maddie's Fund
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Excited to see everyone to share the PASS Program start up guide!  

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Lucy Fernandez
Austin Pets Alive
Austin TX
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Thank you to the 180 attendees who joined us on today's call and a huge thank you to our guest speaker, @Lucy Fernandez from Austin Pets Alive!  The recording is now available to watch on-demand.  Below you'll find a recap of the agenda, resources and highlights from the chat. I've also attached a PDF of the presentation slides. If you have any additional questions you'd like to ask Lucy, please leave them in the comments below. 

AGENDA

• Welcome from Hosts:
  • @Clare Callison , Director of National Operations, Austin/American Pets Alive
    https://www.austinpetsalive.org/about/leadership/clare-callison
  • @Nadia Oseguera-Ramon, California Program Manager, UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program https://www.sheltermedicine.com/about/our-personnel/nadia-oseguera-california-program-manager/
• Question of the day: "What does community mean to you?"
• No meeting next week, August 14.  Back on Aug 21 with Pets and People: Safe, Together, Connected with BestyBnB
• Congratulations to our July 2023 Community Conversation Winners of $2,500 each:
  • Stephanie Root (Humane Society of Greater Dayton)
  • @Julie Smith (SAGE Compassion for Animals)
• Congratulations to our July 2023 Maddie's Pet Forum Winner of $3,000:
  • @Laura Pelegrin (betterTogether Forever)

• National Updates: (starts at 09:34)

• • Fauna Connections, an annual remote symposium for animal advocates -  September 14, 2023! Learn about the latest research that will bring their advocacy to the next level in helping animals. This event is made possible by a grant from Maddie's Fund, #ThanksToMaddie! Learn more and register now for this FREE event: https://faunalytics.org/fauna-connections/
  • The Community Cats Podcast is setting up interviews for the 2024 season.  If you have ideas or would like to be considered to be on the show, feel free to go to https://www.communitycatspodcast.com/podcast-guests
  • Everything TNR Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLd6QBidLDxPNvrgl7qZYobZJ4fGJz0ECP          
• 
  

  
  
  
  • Midwest Animal Sheltering Conference October 27-29, 2023, Springfield, MO: https://www.missourianimals.org/aboutmasc
  • Cal For All Animals: Removing Barriers campaign focused on keeping people and pets together. Learn more at californiaforallanimals.com/together
  • UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program - RSVP for the "Roundtable Series: Collaborative Approaches to Removing Barriers" here: https://sheltermedicine.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_xEvcITQPSHale7-9mKFvLg#/registration
  • Maddie's Insights webinars: Practical tips based on current research to help pets and people
    • Coming on Thursday, September 14, 2023 at 12:00pm : "Social Behavior and Implications for Bonded Pairs in Group-housed Shelter Cats"
    • Register here: https://maddies.fund/MIwebcasts
    • Attendees will learn to: 
      1. Identify positive social (prosocial, affiliative) behavior in cats
      2. Understand that being surrendered together is not adequate evidence for bonding
      3. Recognize the link between behavior and social bonding in cats
      4. Why this can impact your adoption rate
      
  • Maddie's Fund Monthly $$ Giveaways: Open to all who are watching live or on-demand. https://www.maddiesfund.org/weekly-community-conversations-aug23-giveaway.htm
    
  • Maddie's Pet Forum Monthly Giveaway:  Maddie's Fund® is giving away a $3,000 grant each month to one lucky Maddie's® Pet Forum member. You'll automatically be entered to win each month when you start a new discussion or reply to a post. More info: https://chewonthis.maddiesfund.org/2022/11/new-monthly-grant-opportunity/

PRESENTATION: Intake Diversion for Everyone! (starts at 14:20)

• @Lucy Fernandez, Positive Alternatives to Shelter Surrender Manager, Austin Pets Alive!

• With over 35% of pets coming into shelters labeled as owner surrender, ramping up on proactive strategies and resources in your organization can save more time, money, pets, and people! Originally launched in 2010 as one of the founding recommendations of making Austin, TX a no-kill city, the Positive Alternatives to Shelter Surrender program through Austin Pets Alive manages over 10,000 cases throughout Texas to help keep pets out of the shelter system. Lucy Fernandez, the PASS Program Manager, can guide you through the basics of getting started on community collaboration, data collection, and intake diversion.
• Related links
  • Priority List of Animal Services Implementation Plan Recommendations: https://www.austintexas.gov/sites/default/files/files/Animal_Services/priority_recs_0211.pdf
  • Austin Pets Alive! PASS website: https://www.austinpetsalive.org/resources/pass
  • Austin Pets Alive@ Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/groups/PassAPA
  • PASS Pet Support Services request form https://form.jotform.com/doobertrescue/apa-pass-form
  • Email:  pass@austinpetsalive.org
  • Here is a website template made by the UC Davis team: https://sample-shelter-site.squarespace.com/
  • Resource Guide https://docs.google.com/document/d/1FJohE56xb7xj9sXbQ6bpdbOaeKZUvxyhjcSWUVKWLPo/edit?pli=1
  • Resource Flyer  https://www.austinpetsalive.org/assets/images/austin-resources-flyer.pdf
  • Know Your Neighbors Next Door Campaign  https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1V38EA1ZnuU5Cw7uPLmYH_xesanb3dgnV
  • Email inbox template  https://docs.google.com/document/d/1KF1cCiDJ6a2lwZs3w47GmJDAdNdErkLV/edit
  • Doobert Case Management SOP https://docs.google.com/document/d/1cPhcpGcPlx1iNshsV8pF3JP3AyXNMf6nUYy1rPrg1aI/edit
  • Doobert info:   @chris roy, Founder, chris@doobert.com ; Rachel Wondra, COO, rachael@doobert.com
  • Dallas Pets Alive! @Sarah McGoldrick-VP of Animal Ops/PASS Director, sarah.mcgoldrick@dallaspetsalive.org
  • Best Friends Conference, 8/10/23, 11:15am, Sugarland Room
  • Instructor Led Course on Maddie's University:  "Rehoming: Inexpensive and Easy Community Support" https://university.maddiesfund.org/Online-Instructor-Led-Courses

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE CHAT

• "As many as 75% of our intake is strays. We have a mandatory impound of stray dogs and cats to our open municipal shelter.  Finders have 24 hours to turn in animals to the shelter. TODAY at 6pm our County Council will vote to extend the time to 72 hours to allow a Return to Owner effort by the finder." - Anne George
• QOD: "What does Community mean to you?"
  • "Baltimore MD - Community means where people come together to make things better" - Jennifer Brause
  • "Endless possibilities of potential support = community" - Lucy Fernandez
  • "Opportunity to share ideas and best practices allows continual improvements" - Elaine Edington
  • "Group of people with shared goals that supports its members" - Kathryn McCloud
  • "Community = a sense of belonging" - Kelly Clardy
  • "Community to me means coming together to support one another." - Holly Bendily
  • "A place where I can be vulnerable" - Karen Vandersall
  • "A place where you feel supported, comfortable, and have shared goals/ideals" - Linda Rubin
  • "Safe place with like minded people" - Shannon Roebuck
  • "To me community means a sense of shared responsibility for a place and the people who live there." - Steph Kendrick
  • "A woven net of everyone who interacts with the organization from transferring pets, caring for them and supporting them in the home. Volunteers, fosters, partners, supporters all" - Sara Price
  • "Shared, respectful diversity" - Brenda Trainor
  • "Morning from San Diego Humane Society, CA! Community means a shared feeling of partnership and goals to me." - Marissa Armijo
  • "I have to share Nadia's post on community - it's so good! What the "Pizza Co Cats" Taught Me About Community: https://www.californiaforallanimals.com/news-stories/what-pizzeria-cats-taught-me-about-community/" - Elise Pollard
• "This is beyond exciting and we cannot thank you enough! Could not have come at a better time!" - betterTogether Forever-Christy Schilling
• "Amazing work offering community resources!!!" - Jessica Gleason
• "Hello! I'm Johanna with Jamie Brianna's Legacy Fund. Our main focus is intake diversion. We raise money to help shelters keep pets and their people together. This is right up our alley!" - Johanna Spielman
• "We use Doobert for our transport logistics.  Currently working on a new process using Doobert Case Management module to accept and process animal submissions for transport from our Coalition members." - June Thomas
• "These resources are fantastic." - Michelle Russillo
• "Thank you, these resources are great! I'm from Hand2Paw in Philly and we do a lot of surrender prevention work with community members in North Philadelphia with our youth interns leading these efforts." - Sara Schwartz
• "and a delightful presenter" - Michelle Russillo
• "So much great info, thanks Lucy!" - Ivy Ruiz
• "Amazing, thank you Lucy" - Tracy Mcquarrie
• "Great vibes, Lucy!!" - Jessica Gleason
• "Woohoo, Lucy! Thank you!" - Alison Martinez
• "Thx very much Lucy! Great ideas, programs, resourcing & presentation!" - Claudie Labbe
  

     

     

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Kim Domerofski (she/her)
Community Manager
Maddie's Fund
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This message was posted by a user wishing to remain anonymous

Unanswered question from the chat: 

"Are there any HASS programs to develop seniors? Retired folks have time to help just need help to do so...Everything you are saying "QR codes, online templates, copy/paste, website this and that" can be very intimidating to non-techs. Think about non-tech only solutions."

Thanks so much for bringing up that question!  Having flyers and a hotline/text messaging option (affordable options through Google voice or Vonage) are great opportunities to connect support to/from non-tech folks.  Example for the flyer we use in the PASS program.  Include the hotline/text number along with the link to the Pet Help website.  

Get the flyer posted on NextDoor or in the local community paper.  I work with case managers from Meals on Wheels and Eldercare in Austin to meet the needs of seniors in the area and their pets.  My volunteer lead for the pet pantry rolls her eyes when I bring up integrated Slack into our protocols so I definitely try to meet everyone where they're most comfortable. 

The HASS Supported Self Rehoming group offers consultations by me or another member of the working group so we can assist directly according to your org and community's ecosystem: https://forms.gle/xBfpuBTrwF5X6UGw9

We've got templates and can help with customizing materials for you.  

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Lucy Fernandez
Austin Pets Alive
Austin TX
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Original Message:
Sent: 08-07-2023 02:56 PM
From: Anonymous Member
Subject: Community Conversations - 8/7/23 - Intake Diversion for Everyone!

This message was posted by a user wishing to remain anonymous

Unanswered question from the chat: 

"Are there any HASS programs to develop seniors? Retired folks have time to help just need help to do so...Everything you are saying "QR codes, online templates, copy/paste, website this and that" can be very intimidating to non-techs. Think about non-tech only solutions."

Hello! I just watched the recording of this presentation, and noticed that the url for the giveaway is for July 2023. Could you please post the August link? Thank you.

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Pamela Adelmann
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Although the  link at the end of this sentence is for July, I tried the hypertext link and that one worked. :)

After you watch the recording or attend the call live, be sure to complete this new August entry form to enter to win a grant: https://www.maddiesfund.org/weekly-community-conversations-jul23-giveaway.htm

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Pamela Adelmann
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Original Message:
Sent: 08-14-2023 10:05 AM
From: Pamela Adelmann
Subject: Community Conversations - 8/7/23 - Intake Diversion for Everyone!

Hello! I just watched the recording of this presentation, and noticed that the url for the giveaway is for July 2023. Could you please post the August link? Thank you.

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Pamela Adelmann
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Good catch, Pamela! I just edited the original post and switched out that URL so the correct one for August is showing now.  Thanks for the heads up!

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Kim Domerofski (she/her)
Community Manager
Maddie's Fund
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Original Message:
Sent: 08-14-2023 10:10 AM
From: Pamela Adelmann
Subject: Community Conversations - 8/7/23 - Intake Diversion for Everyone!

Although the  link at the end of this sentence is for July, I tried the hypertext link and that one worked. :)

After you watch the recording or attend the call live, be sure to complete this new August entry form to enter to win a grant: https://www.maddiesfund.org/weekly-community-conversations-jul23-giveaway.htm

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Pamela Adelmann
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Original Message:
Sent: 08-14-2023 10:05 AM
From: Pamela Adelmann
Subject: Community Conversations - 8/7/23 - Intake Diversion for Everyone!

Hello! I just watched the recording of this presentation, and noticed that the url for the giveaway is for July 2023. Could you please post the August link? Thank you.

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Pamela Adelmann