Agenda – CarolinasUnite

2024 AGENDA

10:15am - 11:30am | Palladium B
It's Not About Please & Thank You

SPEAKER: Gina Knepp | Michelson Found Animals
SUGGESTED AUDIENCE: All
Customer Service training in Animal Welfare has often been an afterthought. Seldom do we see curriculum on this topic at most conferences and when we do, it's nothing new. We all assume everyone knows how to be nice, but it's not about being nice, it's about being effective in our communication with one another, volunteers, customers, and anyone else we come into contact with through the course of our work. It's about legitimizing the feelings of others, finding words that impact the psyche and leave the other person feeling cared for, even when our answer might be no. This session will inspire attendees to really evaluate the training given to all staff/volunteers that interact with others (that would be everyone). Often, we presume customer service is something our parents should have taught us, but that is not always the case. This session will be unique in that we will walk through conversations that we have routinely, but often fall short in doing so. This session is intended to provoke conversation, thoughts, and action. Not your normal customer service class.

12:00pm-1:00pm | Palladium B
From Punishment to Support: Incorporating Access to Care Into Your Local Laws

SPEAKER: Vincent Medley | Human Animal Support Services
SUGGESTED AUDIENCE: All

Traditionally, companion animal welfare programming (in shelters and in the broader movement) has relied heavily on punishing individuals and families who struggle to care for their pets as a means of increasing animal protection. This punishment has typically been doled out either directly through punitive and carceral legal action or through messaging and fundraising about animal "neglect" and "cruelty," namely in low-income and BIPOC communities. In recognition of the myriad root causes that cause people to struggle to care for pets, often forcing families to relinquish pets they love, animal shelters and rescues are increasingly focused on increasing access to resources to keep pets and their families together, regardless of socioeconomic factors. In this presentation, we'll discuss how our traditional intense focus on punitive and carceral laws is counter to programmatic access to care goals and attempts to align animal welfare with other civil rights movements, which many in our industry are prioritizing today. HASS has conducted audits of state and local laws for 21 pilot shelters across the country. We'll share what patterns we found in punitive laws and how they inhibit community-centric sheltering opportunities; how we're re-writing local laws to reduce or remove punitive language and increase provision of services; and offer best practices and template language for those across the country looking to do the same, including examples for how human and animal services coordination can be codified in local laws to better reflect the intersectional nature of our work.

1:00pm-2:00pm - LUNCH BREAK

2:00pm - 3:00pm | Palladium A
Best practices for sending your SOS!
SPEAKERS: Melissa Knicely | Charlotte-Mecklenburg Animal Care & Control
SUGGESTED AUDIENCE: Management, Marketing
In the current animal welfare climate, learning when, where, how, and to whom to send your shelter's SOS is critical. Leave this training with 10 "tried and tested" tips and all the bells and whistles to ensure your staff, volunteers, media, and the public are all working towards the same goals with appropriate and consistent messaging that attracts attention and ends with an achievable call to action.

2:00pm -3:00pm | Palladium C
Wildlife Rescue & Handling
SPEAKER: Dave Pauli | HSUS
SUGGESTED AUDIENCE: All
This interactive presentation covers the planning, response and then handling/transport of regional wildlife species. It will include segments on when NOT to rescue, and on the ten rescue items every rescue vehicle should have on board.

2:00pm -3:00pm | Lands End
National Trends in Animal Sheltering
SPEAKER: Heidi Marston | Petsmart Charities
SUGGESTED AUDIENCE: All
In this session, key data and trends will be presented that challenge commonly repeated myths about the state of animal sheltering, in particular since 2019. Topics will include reasons for surrender, shelter intake, adoption trends and suggestions for keeping challenges in perspective.

3:30pm-4:30pm | Palladium A
Return-To-Home: How some agencies are achieving extraordinary success and others are falling behind
SPEAKER: Gina Knepp | Michelson Found Animals
SUGGESTED AUDIENCE: All
Return to Home, formerly known as Return to Owner, is the easiest and most affordable step in life saving. Many agencies have achieved incredible success and improvements, yet the vast majority of shelters remain stagnant in this area. The adoption of robust reunification programs will showcase what success is possible, how it’s being accomplished and what every animal welfare agency in the country can do to make this topic a priority. Also, the pivotal role of the Animal Control Officer will be explored. Return to Home, long an afterthought, has finally been given exposure. However, as an industry, we are failing to modify the behavior of pet owners across the country. This session will look at the powerful ways in which we can impact human behavior, what steps need to be taken and the potential impact of doing so. Attendees will leave inspired to effect change in their communities and join a crusade of others willing to challenge the status quo in America’s media and marketing when it comes to pet identification.

3:30pm-4:30pm | Palladium C
Community Animal Welfare - Building the Best Foundation
SPEAKER: Sara Pizano, DVM | Team Shelter USA
SUGGESTED AUDIENCE: Shelter Workers, Management
This session will cover high level recommendations for an effective animal welfare system in a community beginning with community programs including access to care (vet and spay/neuter) and Safety Net, public policy, population management and flow, enrichment for shelter pets and designing programs to remove barriers to outcome. Suggestions for discontinuing fear-based decisions based on known data will be discussed.

WED, MAR 6 SESSIONS

9:15am - 10:30am | Palladium B
Bridging the Gap: Results, Analysis & Discussion of 2022 RTH National Survey
SPEAKERS: Lorien Clemens | PetHub, Inc.
SUGGESTED AUDIENCE: All

Is there a gap between the work animal welfare organizations do for lost pet recovery and their communities actually recover lost pets? This was the question we sought to answer in a joint effort by the National Animal Care & Control Association, PetHub and ‘cause Digital Marketing. Together they conducted a national survey to both animal welfare professionals and pet parents to: 1) explore how U.S. pet owner perceptions and animal welfare worker perceptions of lost-dog prevention and reunion strategies are similar or different, and then 2) determine what lessons can we learn from comparing the two that can help bring more lost pets home. The survey measured resources and strategies used by pet parents when faced with looking for their pets, against those used by the animal welfare agencies when attempting to reunite lost/stray pets with their owners. Presentation will include survey results that clearly indicate significant gaps that could be directly linked to the pressure and high numbers that some shelters/animal welfare organizations are currently experiencing. By sharing the results with animal welfare professionals, together as an industry we can start to have an impact on significantly increasing reunification across the country.

11:00am-12:00pm | Palladium B
Building Resilience Through Work-Life Balance
SPEAKER: Lindsay Hamrick | HSUS
SUGGESTED AUDIENCE: All
While the needs of animals don't fall neatly into a 9-5 workday, there are short and long-term ways to ensure that individuals need not be available 24/7 in order to help pets and their families. In this session, attendees will learn concrete ways that both individuals and organizations can build a culture where time away from work is considered normal, without sacrificing quality programs to help animals.

12:00pm-1:15pm - Lunch Break

1:15pm - 2:30pm | Palladium A
The Data-Driven Guide to Pet Adoption Marketing
SPEAKER: April Huntsman | Adopt-A-Pet
SUGGESTED AUDIENCE: Shelter Worker, Management
Millions of people are searching for pets online every month. This session will share data on what pet attributes potential adopters search for and how to improve your pet profiles to increase adoption rates. You'll learn 5 simple changes to take your adoption marketing to the next level, while also being mindful of diversity.

1:15pm - 2:30pm | Palladium C
When Pigs Fly: Using the Power of Partnerships to Address Animal Concerns in Disasters
SPEAKER: Clint Ganus | ASPCA
Using the Power of Partnerships to Address Animal Concerns in Disasters

1:15pm - 2:30pm | Lands End
Quick Wins - Easy Steps for BIG Impact!
SPEAKERS: Cameron Moore | University of Florida Maddie's Shelter Medicine Program
SUGGESTED AUDIENCE: Shelter Workers, Management
In this session, many examples of simple solutions to chronic problems will be presented that are budget neutral or cost savings and will not require more staff. The speaker will give real-life examples from a wide range of shelters with varying resources.

3:00pm - 4:30pm | Palladium B
Roots and Bones: Root Cause Analysis in Animal Control and Animal Services
SPEAKERS: Spencer Conover | Pasco County Animal Services
SUGGESTED AUDIENCE: All
Across the country, the landscape of animal control and animal services is changing daily, and team members are facing tougher, unique challenges every day. We as leaders need to ensure we are looking out for our people first and setting up our team for success in the face of unprecedented hardship. In this session, we will focus on assisting animal care and control professionals with skills and tools necessary to meet the needs of today’s diverse communities. With a focus on seeking the root cause, asking the five why’s, eliminating unnecessary processes and determining data to better drive success – this session will provide tangible tools, case studies, and examples for how to use the established method of process improvement to enhance the animal care and control experience for officers, animal care professionals, agencies, and the communities they serve.

THUR, MAR 7 SESSIONS

9:00am-10:30am | Palladium B
Back to Basics: Essentials to Unlock Your Shelter's Potential (Before the Word Basic Was Featured in Urban Dictionary)
SPEAKER: Chelsea Staley | Petco Love
SUGGESTED AUDIENCE: Everyone
In the early 2000s, a handful of open-admission shelters creatively and courageously developed innovative programs that have become the cornerstones of lifesaving: Adoptions, foster care, rescue transfers, shelter medicine for non-veterinarians, proactive redemptions, and technology. The best part about these revolutionary programs? They had low barriers to entry, meaning any shelter could execute them – and did. Shelters everywhere accepted and adopted the programs, resulting in a dramatic increase in the national save rate! Once the cornerstones of lifesaving were set, the animal welfare industry continued to innovate. Daily playgroups, new technologies, broadening services to include low-cost spay/neuter and wellness, and pet retention counseling continued to increase the national save rate. And we haven’t looked back. Until now. Animal Welfare Organizations industry-wide are feeling the heat this peak-intake season and beyond. While post-pandemic intake has yet to rebound to 2019 levels, shelter pet adoption has stalled, resulting in shelters and rescues alike experiencing critical in-care numbers. For the first time in history, the national save rate declined in 2022 and is tracking to decline again in 2023*. What changed? Nothing - except our focus. Covid-19 birthed many beautiful lifesaving programs – most of which happen outside a shelter’s walls. Community centered-lifesaving is the future of sheltering, but we can’t turn our focus outward until we’re consistently saving the lives of pets in our care. If you’re new to animal welfare or overwhelmed at where to begin on your org’s journey to lifesaving – this session is for you! Attendees will be encouraged to unlock their shelter’s potential by getting back to basics. We’ll review sheltering 101 essentials, including program highlights, decision making for impact, capacity for care, and lifesaving on a budget. Attendees will have a chance to win grant awards!

11:00am-12:00pm | Palladium A
Rethinking Your Adoption Process
SPEAKER: Jessica Krueger | Best Friends Animal Society
SUGGESTED AUDIENCE: Shelter Workers, Management
Overcoming the fear of conversation-based adoptions. Co-presenting with an Horry County staff member

11:00am-12:00pm | Palladium C
Dog Foster Volunteer Retention
Speaker: Laura Reese, DVM | Michigan State University
SUGGESTED AUDIENCE: Shelter Workers, Mangement
Retaining volunteers that provide foster care is critical to the mission of animal shelters. The presentation will be based on a survey of over 600 dog foster care volunteers and identifies the types of support that volunteers need to be satisfied and retained. Specific shelter practices to aid in retention will be presented.

11:00am-12:00pm | Lands End
No Kill South Carolina... 2024!
Speaker: Abigail Appleton, PMP, CAWA | No Kill South Carolina
SUGGESTED AUDIENCE: Everyone
South Carolina is set to be the first no kill state across the southern US, from Atlantic to Pacific, and across America’s Heartland. Hear how we've come this far, what we still have to do, how you can help us cross the finish line, and how other communities can do it too.

12:00pm-1:15pm - Lunch Break

1:00pm-2:00pm | Palladium B
Shelter Dog Activity: What are they doing when nobody’s looking?
SPEAKER: April Huntsman | Adopt-A-Pet
SUGGESTED AUDIENCE: Everyone
Adopt a Pet launched a study to put 5000 activity trackers on shelter dogs to find out what they do when we're not watching. We will share insights from the data and case studies on how shelters can use the data to guide program implementation. We will also share the results of the partner study in which we did 5000 DNA tests on shelter dogs.

REGISTRATION DESK HOURS

EXHIBIT HALL HOURS

MEALS AND RECEPTIONS

TUES MAR 5
BREAK 11:30am - 12:00pm | Exhibit Hall
LUNCH 1:00pm - 2:00pm | Palladium B
BREAK 3:00pm - 3:30pm | Exhibit Hall
VIP RECEPTION* 5:30pm -7:00pm | Vista Room at Embassy Suites
*by invitation only

WED, MAR 7
BREAKFAST 8:00am - 9:00am | Exhibit Hall/Palladium B
BREAK 10:30am - 11:00am | Exhibit Hall
LUNCH 12:00pm - 1:00pm| Palladium B