Spring brings many opportunities to get involved in animal welfare
Here are just two to put in your calendar!

SAVMA Symposium - HSVMA Networking Dinner

HSVMA is excited to announce we will be hosting a special networking event with dinner and drinks at a local Irish pub the evening before the official start of SAVMA Symposium.

In addition to dinner, it is our pleasure to have University of Minnesota veterinary student Heidi McDevitt discuss her successful effort to create the Student Initiative for Reservation Veterinary Services (SIRVS). SIRVS is a non-profit student group that provides free veterinary care to rural communities in Minnesota while providing training for future veterinarians.

Admission is complimentary for all students attending SAVMA, but space is limited so advance registration is strongly encouraged.

Learn more about the event and sign up today»

Humane Lobby Days

If you’ve ever wanted to get involved in legislation but didn’t know where to start, Humane Lobby Day offers a fantastic opportunity to get started. The annual event is co-sponsored by the American Society of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) and our parent organization, The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS).

Humane Lobby Day is an opportunity to learn about and influence legislation that will have a positive impact on the lives of animals. No prior experience or knowledge is necessary. Experienced animal welfare advocates will be there to provide you with information on the bills and teach you how to effectively advocate for animals. In addition, this is a great way to network with likeminded veterinarians and potential mentors.

A typical schedule for a Humane Lobby Day event is a morning Lobbying 101 mini-course providing an overview of the lobbying process and the pending legislation, followed by afternoon breakout sessions during which teams of advocates visit three or four legislative offices to meet district representatives and their staffers to lobby for our positions. The day may end with an optional networking event or Humane Happy Hour.

As a developing veterinary professional, you will be increasingly looked upon as a leader in your community. Legislators view veterinary professionals as experts in animal health and welfare issues, so there is tremendous potential for you to influence their positions and improve the lives of animals outside the clinic—even as a student!

This year, state bills address ending the cruel practice of fox penning, passing needed regulations on dangerous exotic animals, improving animal cruelty and animal fighting laws, supporting spay/neuter programs, and much more.

HSVMA plans to set up HSVMA veterinary lobbying teams for 2012 Humane Lobby Days in certain states. Please email [email protected] if you are interested in joining a team.

For more general information about Humane Lobby Days and specific details about the Humane Lobby Days in your state, visit the Humane Lobby Days page on The HSUS website. For specific information about your state’s Humane Lobby Day, click on your state in the map provided. Then, to get more details about the event, click the "RSVP" button. You can also find more information about upcoming Humane Lobby Days on The HSUS Facebook events page.

If you are unable to take the day off to attend your State’s Humane Lobby Day, but would still like to learn how you can get involved in humane legislation, please email us!