HSVMA Hosts Educational Workshops for Sheltering Community at Animal Care ExpoMay 9, 2011 HSVMA recently hosted educational presentations for animal shelter and rescue group representatives during Animal Care Expo 2011, the world’s largest animal care conference and tradeshow presented by The Humane Society of the United States, in Orlando. The presentations offered the animal sheltering community an opportunity to hear from veterinary professionals on a variety of topics that are critical to animal protection efforts. Those topics included how to recruit and retain veterinary volunteers, how to provide temporary care for wildlife who are brought to shelters, and how to coordinate a Spay Day event. Maximizing veterinary relationships Dr. Richard Bachman speaks to a group of animal shelter and rescue group professionals at Animal Care Expo 2011 HSVMA More than 70 animal shelter and rescue group representatives attended a presentation on how to maximize veterinary partnerships. Speakers included Dr. Gary Block, from the HSVMA Board of Directors; Dr. Richard Bachman, an HSVMA Leadership Council member; and Dr. Susan Krebsbach, an HSVMA veterinary consultant. The HSVMA veterinary team offered tips on how to best reach out to and retain veterinary volunteers for spay/neuter, medical care and other needs. The workshop also provided an overview on how to hire a shelter veterinarian, including recruiting and advertising tips. Finally, the workshop provided examples of how shelters and rescue groups can establish partnerships with private veterinary clinics to improve the care for animals in their community. Click here for more information on this presentation. Wildlife care basics for veterinary clinics and sheltersDr. Roberto Aguilar, who serves on the HSVMA Board of Directors and is also veterinarian at the Cape Wildlife Center in Barnstable, Massachusetts, presented on the topic of providing temporary care to wildlife who are brought to clinics and shelters. Printed material from the Wildlife Care Basics handbook, which HSVMA is currently updating for publication, were given to attendees as helpful guides to keep on hand in a veterinary clinic. Dr. Aguilar, who addressed an audience of about 40 shelter workers, rescue group representatives and veterinary professionals, covered the basics of care—including exams, confinement and feeding—for a variety of species. He also addressed zoonoses and euthanasia issues. Click here for more information on this presentation. Organizing a Spay Day eventDr. Barb Jones, a shelter veterinarian who also serves on the HSVMA Leadership Council, was part of an Animal Care Expo panel addressing how to organize a Spay Day event. Dr. Jones has been a volunteer participant in the Spay Day event hosted by the Sacramento Area Animal Coalition in the Sacramento, Calif., area for the past few years. The event has included as many as 22 clinics and provided surgeries for up to 1,000 animals each year. During the presentation, Dr. Jones discussed the logistics, benefits and challenges of hosting large-scale Spay Day events. Click here for more information on this presentation. |