Animal Welfare Professionals

Hi, 

These last two weeks have been heartbreaking for our little rescue.   Our county is overwhelmed with animal issues.  We are frustrated that everyone works in a silo and talks at each other but not with each other about the problems we are facing. 

From over 50 puppies dumped this week, a cat left for 10 hours in a cardboard box, to the city shelter and local human society euthanasia list growing. 

So, I want to survey the Mayors (some have animal control, others do not) and the local ACOs about what is and isn't working for them.  For example, we have a county-wide spay and neuter ordinance, and no citation has been written in five years. 

I am looking for advice.  Questions that might be beneficial.  Suggestions on how to pull people together. 

For information - we are located in rural Northeast Arkansas. 

Consider hosting a community forum to bring together local mayors, animal control officers, rescue organizations, and concerned citizens in rural Northeast Arkansas. Form a task force to focus on enforcing the spay/neuter ordinance and improving communication. Establish regular meetings or an online platform for ongoing collaboration. Advocate for policy updates, launch educational campaigns on responsible pet ownership, and seek community support through volunteering and fundraising.

------------------------------
Avery Jones
Engineer
CraftyCreator
CA

Original Message:
Sent: 07-14-2024 01:09 PM
From: Connie Ash
Subject: Creating a Survey for Mayors and ACO

Hi, 

These last two weeks have been heartbreaking for our little rescue.   Our county is overwhelmed with animal issues.  We are frustrated that everyone works in a silo and talks at each other but not with each other about the problems we are facing. 

From over 50 puppies dumped this week, a cat left for 10 hours in a cardboard box, to the city shelter and local human society euthanasia list growing. 

So, I want to survey the Mayors (some have animal control, others do not) and the local ACOs about what is and isn't working for them.  For example, we have a county-wide spay and neuter ordinance, and no citation has been written in five years. 

I am looking for advice.  Questions that might be beneficial.  Suggestions on how to pull people together. 

For information - we are located in rural Northeast Arkansas. 

#CommunityPartnerships*
#FieldServicesandPublicSafety*

------------------------------
Connie Ash
Director
Mended Paws Sanctuary
AR
------------------------------

Hi Avery, 

Thank you for responding.  The meeting you describe is exactly what I want to host.  I want to gather information before the meeting to start the conversation.   I need to know more to be able to structure the meeting. 

What is working, what isn't working, what do they need.    Should I be asking anything else? 
Connie

------------------------------
Connie Ash
Director
Mended Paws Sanctuary
AR

Original Message:
Sent: 07-14-2024 07:03 PM
From: Avery Jones
Subject: Creating a Survey for Mayors and ACO

Consider hosting a community forum to bring together local mayors, animal control officers, rescue organizations, and concerned citizens in rural Northeast Arkansas. Form a task force to focus on enforcing the spay/neuter ordinance and improving communication. Establish regular meetings or an online platform for ongoing collaboration. Advocate for policy updates, launch educational campaigns on responsible pet ownership, and seek community support through volunteering and fundraising.

------------------------------
Avery Jones
Engineer
CraftyCreator
CA

Original Message:
Sent: 07-14-2024 01:09 PM
From: Connie Ash
Subject: Creating a Survey for Mayors and ACO

Hi, 

These last two weeks have been heartbreaking for our little rescue.   Our county is overwhelmed with animal issues.  We are frustrated that everyone works in a silo and talks at each other but not with each other about the problems we are facing. 

From over 50 puppies dumped this week, a cat left for 10 hours in a cardboard box, to the city shelter and local human society euthanasia list growing. 

So, I want to survey the Mayors (some have animal control, others do not) and the local ACOs about what is and isn't working for them.  For example, we have a county-wide spay and neuter ordinance, and no citation has been written in five years. 

I am looking for advice.  Questions that might be beneficial.  Suggestions on how to pull people together. 

For information - we are located in rural Northeast Arkansas. 

#CommunityPartnerships*
#FieldServicesandPublicSafety*

------------------------------
Connie Ash
Director
Mended Paws Sanctuary
AR
------------------------------

Hi, 

These last two weeks have been heartbreaking for our little rescue.   Our county is overwhelmed with animal issues.  We are frustrated that everyone works in a silo and talks at each other but not with each other about the problems we are facing. 

From over 50 puppies dumped this week, a cat left for 10 hours in a cardboard box, to the city shelter and local human society euthanasia list growing. 

So, I want to survey the Mayors (some have animal control, others do not) and the local ACOs about what is and isn't working for them.  For example, we have a county-wide spay and neuter ordinance, and no citation has been written in five years. 

I am looking for advice.  Questions that might be beneficial.  Suggestions on how to pull people together. 

For information - we are located in rural Northeast Arkansas. 

Hi, 

These last two weeks have been heartbreaking for our little rescue.   Our county is overwhelmed with animal issues.  We are frustrated that everyone works in a silo and talks at each other but not with each other about the problems we are facing. 

From over 50 puppies dumped this week, a cat left for 10 hours in a cardboard box, to the city shelter and local human society euthanasia list growing. 

So, I want to survey the Mayors (some have animal control, others do not) and the local ACOs about what is and isn't working for them.  For example, we have a county-wide spay and neuter ordinance, and no citation has been written in five years. 

I am looking for advice.  Questions that might be beneficial.  Suggestions on how to pull people together. 

For information - we are located in rural Northeast Arkansas. 

Connie - A noble cause to help the local animal services. What I've seen work nicely involves three steps:

1. Follow the money. Research how animal services are funded. Some are supported by city taxes per capita plus state budgets, while others are county mandates. You can find the data; although it might seem impossible, we've found that dividing your region into smaller chunks and advocating within those chunks shows progress on one or two initiatives.
2. Find the pain. While you mention spay-neuter, there might be other issues in your region. Before conducting a survey, check with the Arkansas Community Foundation, which is well-funded, and make a "make families better through animals" pitch. Funding details here. Or contact Tina Coots at Northeast Arkansas Humane Association funding details here. Interview them first to get the macro point of view.
3. Pick one initiative. Because you have great insights as "feet on the street," make a list of the top five things (elementary & middle school visits to educate, funding for spay-neuter mobile clinics, community outreach, etc.). From your top five list, think about what can be done in the next quarter. The HAAS Playbook has a great catalog of ideas and tools: HAAS Playbook. The one I really like for your challenges is picking a zip code and creating a local campaign for spay-neuter. If you go to your Mayor with a plan like this, you will generate goodwill and start building a relationship.

Let me know how it goes and I agree with @James Pawlowicz recommendations. 

BTW, if you have not worked with Best Friends, please connect with their team. If nothing else, their data on your region is helpful to make the case to the Mayor for whatever program you select. For example, Best Friends shows a 79.3% live release rate for your area of 2.7 million people compared to 83% nationally. The data shows 6,300 shelter animals euthanized in 2023, with the majority in Little Rock Animal Village and the Nashville Animal Control Shelter.

Hi, 

These last two weeks have been heartbreaking for our little rescue.   Our county is overwhelmed with animal issues.  We are frustrated that everyone works in a silo and talks at each other but not with each other about the problems we are facing. 

From over 50 puppies dumped this week, a cat left for 10 hours in a cardboard box, to the city shelter and local human society euthanasia list growing. 

So, I want to survey the Mayors (some have animal control, others do not) and the local ACOs about what is and isn't working for them.  For example, we have a county-wide spay and neuter ordinance, and no citation has been written in five years. 

I am looking for advice.  Questions that might be beneficial.  Suggestions on how to pull people together. 

For information - we are located in rural Northeast Arkansas.