Connection & Collaboration

Connection & Collaboration Strengthening community for pets and people OCTOBER 27-28, 2018 9:00am ~ 4:30pm Registration October 27 : 8:30am AN INITIATIVE OF SATURDAY, October 27, 2018 8:30 Registration 9:00 Welcome & Introductions 9:15 Lori Weise Downtown Dog Rescue, Los Angeles 10:15-12:15 Presentations & Workshops (choose one) WORKSHOP A: Community Solutions for Community Cats 10:15 Peter Wolf, Best Friends Society 11:15 Break 11:30 Maria Soroski, VOKRA; Shelly Roche, Tiny Kittens WORKSHOP B: Community Solutions for remote and underserved communities 10:15 Jan Hannah, International Fund for the Welfare of Animals 11:15 Break 11:30 Alistair Schroff & Valerie Ingram, Lakes Animal Friendship Society; James Rodgers, Coastal Animal Rescue & Education (CARE) Network 12:30 Lunch 1:30 AWANBC Update 2:15 AWANBC Project Updates Current Projects: Rescue Standards of Practice & Remote/Community Mapping 3:15 Break 3:30-4:30 Anna Pipus, Animal Justice Paws for Hope Animal Foundation www.pawsforhope.org 604-396-9297 info@pawsforhope.org

SUNDAY, October 28, 2018 9:30 Welcome 9:45 Tracy Porteous, Ending Violence Association of BC 10:45 Break 11:00 PANEL: Breaking silos, working together to support people and pets Tracey Porteous, Ending Violence Association of BC Diane Simmons, Pets Matter Foster Care Society Kim Monteith, BC SPCA Bill Briscall, RainCity Housing and Support Society 12:30 Lunch 1:30 Sheila Donya Kouhkan, Austin Pets Alive (Hurricane Harvey experience) 2:30 Lisa Hutcheon, Small Animal Rescue Society 3:30 Carol Hine, SAINTS (Senior Animals in Need Today Society) 4:30-6:00 AWANBC Member Meeting The purpose of the Animal Welfare Advisory Network of British Columbia (AWANBC) is to enable organizations to work together and to support strategies around specific projects and initiatives associated with companion animal welfare. AN INITIATIVE OF Join AWANBC: www.awanbc.com Purchase Conference Tickets: www.pawsforhope.org Paws for Hope Animal Foundation www.pawsforhope.org 604-396-9297 info@pawsforhope.org

PRESENTATIONS Lori Weise KEYNOTE: First Home Forever Home When Lori Weise started working at Modernica Inc., a furniture factory on the edge of L.A.'s skid row, she couldn't get to work without seeing the homeless being bullied and their dogs and countless other strays being abused. She created Downtown Dog Rescue in 1996 and began talking to the homeless community, one person at a time, convincing them that their dogs would be better off spayed or neutered. To date, her nonprofit has spayed or neutered thousands of dogs that live in some of the most underserved neighbourhoods of Los Angeles County. In addition to her urban spay/neuter outreach model, she developed an owner retention program called the South LA Shelter Intervention Program in 2013, to keep pets from entering shelters. To date, the program has prevented more than 10,000 cats and dogs from entering shelters by offering their owners alternatives to surrendering their pets. With bi-monthly spay/neuter clinics, wellness and other medical services provided via mobile clinics in South Los Angeles and Compton, she believes connecting with the community is the most important aspect of her ongoing program development. In 2016, Lori collaborated with Inner City Law Center and LA Animal Services to open the first pet resource center in the Skid Row community. Assisting more than 2000 homeless and formerly homeless pet owners on a weekly basis, the goal is to do more than offer free pet services the goal is to connect with people and help them get into housing, as part of the mayor s no closed door policy to end homelessness in the City of Los Angeles. Her organization rescues and adopts out dogs pulled from local shelters. DDR owns and operates their kennel in South Gate, CA. Tracy Porteous Understanding Lethal Risks Associated with Domestic Violence Toward Keeping Women, Families and Pets Safer Tracy Porteous is a Registered Clinical Counsellor has been actively involved in a leadership capacity for 35 years, developing resources, programs, policy, and training to many sectors related to sexual assault, intimate partner violence and child abuse. Tracy is a three-time Governor General of Canada medal recipient, the most recent in 2014 when she was honoured with the Governor General s medal in recognition of the Persons Case for exemplary contributions towards the equality of women in Canada. Tracy was a member of BC s 2010 and 2016 Domestic Violence Death Review Panels, has testified in front of federal Parliamentary committees related to violence against women, a Coroner Inquest into a BC murder/suicide tragedy and recently assisted the Canadian Chiefs of Police with the development of national best practices related to IPV. In 2012, Tracy attended the United Nation Commission on the Status of Women in New York as an official delegate from Canada and spoke at a global session about prevention of violence against women. Tracy is the Executive Director of the Ending Violence Association of BC, a provincial association that supports over 300 anti-violence programs and initiatives across BC that specialize in responding to and preventing sexual and domestic violence, child abuse and stalking. Tracy is also the co-chair of the Ending Violence Association of Canada, the national entity that is working with the CFL on its national Violence Against Women Policy. Tracy is regularly invited on local and national media as a subject matter expert on issues related to gender-based violence. Domestic violence homicide is considered THE most preventable of all homicides. Risk identification and safety planning are critical processes those who work in the area of responding to domestic violence use to increase the safety of all involved. Effective risk identification can substantially increase safety for women and their families, including their pets. It is critical to point out that no abused woman has control over her partner s actions; she cannot stop the violence, however when all systems and relevant community services join together, the steps

that you collectively take can substantially help to reduce risks and increase safety. This session will provide an overview of the lethal risk factors associated with domestic violence and begin to lay out the importance of a collaborative approach to responding to domestic violence. Anna Pippus When Your Colleagues Eat Your Clients: Finding Common Ground and Working Together for Animal Protection Anna Pippus is an animal rights lawyer specializing in laws and policies that impact animals farmed for food. She holds degrees in law from the University of Toronto and psychology from the University of British Columbia. She serves as director of farmed animal advocacy for Animal Justice and strategic advisor for We Animals. Anna frequently speaks and writes about animal rights issues in mainstream media and legal publications, and at universities, bar associations, governmental committees and meetings, and community events. Anna is a mother of two and an enthusiastic plant-based cook. Carol Hine Rescue The Journey to Professionalism Carol Hine is a Registered Nurse providing post-surgical, senior and palliative care to human patients in the community. She is the Executive Director for Senior Animals In Need Today Society (S.A.I.N.T.S.) a fully staffed facility for 190 senior, palliative and special needs multispecies animals in sanctuary care or in permanent foster care. Carol and the work of S.A.I.N.T.S. has been featured in CBC s The National, Modern Dog Magazine, and The Vancouver Sun. After more than 25 years in nursing and in rescue, Carol advocates for the compassionate and dignified care of vulnerable seniors and the terminally ill of all species. Peter Wolf Community cat programs Better for cats, better for communities Peter J. Wolf is a research and policy analyst for Best Friends Animal Society, one of the largest animal welfare organizations in the U.S. and a leader in the development and operation of community cat programs. Wolf s role involves the analysis of science and public policy related to community cat issues, a topic he s been researching and writing about since 2010 through his blog, Vox Felina. Wolf holds a bachelor s degree in mechanical engineering and master s degree in industrial design. His professional/industry experience has focused on the acquisition, analysis, and synthesis of quantitative and qualitative data. As a lecturer in The Design School at Arizona State University, Wolf taught courses in product design, visual communication design, design thinking, and qualitative research methods. James Rodgers Community Solutions for remote and underserved communities Six years ago, James and a small group of neighbours cofounded the CARE Network in Tofino. The team and network has expanded over the years and now provide regular and emergency animal care and control support services in the rural and remote west coast communities of Ahousaht, Opitsaht, Tofino, Ty-Histanis, Esowista, Ucluelet and Hitacu. As CARE s volunteer executive director for the past few years, James oversees the non-profit s development and staff. James other work has included developing empathy for animals using emerging technology, and creating social, often vegan enterprises.

Jan Hannah Understanding Why Comprehensive Dog Management is Key to Sustainable Dog Management in First Nations Communities As IFAW s Humane Indigenous Communities lead, Jan Hannah works with Indigenous communities and NGOs in North America to build humane and sustainable programs that improve the health and welfare of both animals (particularly dogs) and their people. Jan s focus on companion animal welfare merges her long-term interest of working with animals and communities in culturally applicable, empowering and creative ways. Community partnerships, along with tools such as education, capacity building, and service provision, are cornerstones to IFAW s work that prioritizes on-the-ground solutions that focus on each community s unique set of challenges and opportunities. Janice holds an Honours BSc in Wildlife Biology from the University of Guelph, Canada, and a Masters in Education and Teaching Certificate from Niagara University, Niagara Falls, US Sheila Kouhkan Hurricane Harvey: Minding the Gap Sheila Kouhkan is Maddie s Fund Executive Leadership Fellow at Austin Pets Alive! and Austin Animal Center. Sheila started her career in animal welfare working on compassionate legislation for the City of Los Angeles in 2009. There, she assisted with passage of items such as the bans on the commercial sale of puppy mill dogs, cat declawing, and the use of bullhooks on elephants in traveling shows. Sheila entered the world of animal welfare nonprofits in 2015 when she joined the team at Best Friends Animal Society as the NKLA Manager, working with local rescues to make Los Angeles a no-kill City. In 2017, Sheila accepted the Maddie's Fund Executive Leadership Fellowship and joined the teams at Austin Pets Alive! and Austin Animal Center where she learned the ins and outs of animal welfare leadership. Sheila spent the end of 2017 working on Hurricane Harvey relief in Houston. She looks forward to sharing this tremendous learning and growing experience with others. Lisa Hutcheon Little, But Not Less Lisa Hutcheon is a co-founder and volunteer with the Small Animal Rescue Society of BC (SARS BC). Seventeen years ago, with an interest in walking a dog, she began volunteering for her local SPCA. Animal-less at the time, Lisa had no idea that after starting up the Burnaby SPCA's volunteer, adoption, foster and dog walking programs, that she would actually end up adopting a rabbit herself. Just like potato chips, "you can't just have one" and years later, SARS BC continues to help some of the smallest, most neglected and most abused animals find forever homes. Shelly Roche Making Community Cats Cool Shelly founded TinyKittens Society in 2015 to change global perceptions about community cats. Prior to TinyKittens, Shelly built software and database applications whilst co-founding technology startups in Silicon Valley. Mark Zuckerberg used one of her Facebook applications in his keynote speech at his annual Facebook conference.

Since moving to Canada, Shelly has merged her lifelong love of animals with her experience in Silicon Valley to engage a global community of more than 1.75 million social media followers. She uses a combination of video storytelling, 24/7 uncensored rescue livestreams and social media to create emotional connections between everyday people and the feral cats rescued by TinyKittens. These emotional connections have the power to change subconscious bias from indifference to compassion, which leads to more spaying and neutering, volunteers, adopters, advocacy, resources and support for Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) within communities. Shelly lives with three healthy four-legged cats (Pantsaroo, the Most Delightful of Bunnies and Bartlett), one two-legged #MiracleKitten (Cassidy), Grandpa Mason (ancient feral with terminal kidney disease who LOVES kittens) and an assortment of foster cats and kittens who need a little extra care until they find their homes. Maria Soroski How to start a grassroots TNR program from the ground up Maria Soroski and Karen Duncan co-founded Vancouver Orphan Kitten Rescue in 2000. They saw a need for bottle-feeding orphan kittens when they were volunteering for the BC SPCA hospital foster program. They started small, taking all the newborn kittens from the shelter and segregating them in foster homes away from disease. Maria tells us the first few years grew in numbers when they also took in older kittens and tame moms with kittens as so many were being dropped off at the shelter. It came as a surprise to them that these kittens were all coming from the same locations every year. Maria decided it would be a good idea to go to these locations and see why the mother cats were not being brought into the SPCA along with their kittens. The answer was clear, the moms were still there and were so scared and untouchable they could not catch them. Most of these locations had 30-50 cats, of all ages, that were unsocialized feral cats who gave birth twice a year. The locations residents were only able to pick up the tiny kittens over the years and take to the SPCA shelter leaving the mothers behind. It was then VOKRA s Trap-Neuter-Return TNR program was started. VOKRA immediately started TNR of the entire colonies and also took in all the kittens, feral and tame moms with kittens, fixing the moms, returning the feral moms and finding adoptive homes for all the kittens and tame adults. Fast forward to present and rarely do any kittens fill up SPCA shelters in Vancouver. TNR works. The past few years VOKRA has been helping the Surrey Community Cat Coalition and other remote areas by accepting stray tame and feral pregnant cats, moms with kittens, and kittens. Kim Montieth Helping People & Pets Kim Monteith, BC SPCA Manager, Animal Welfare, has worked in animal shelters for the past 18 years starting as a volunteer dog walker and quickly advancing to a full-time staff member working in areas such as animal care, emergencies, cruelty investigations and behaviour and welfare in various shelters. Supporting shelter staff in animal care, handling and training is a personal passion. Kim has implemented a wide array of shelter welfare programs for both staff and volunteers from Capacity for Care, the Canadian Standards of Care in Animal Shelters, Dr. Sophia Yin's Low Stress Handling and HSUS Adopters Welcome to helping improve welfare, decrease length of stay and increase live release rates across the province of B.C. In her spare time, Kim has spent the last 19 years helping the homeless care for and train their pets in Vancouver and across Canada. Volunteering her time to manage the BC SPCA weekly Charlie s Pet Food bank, Kim is also credited with starting and managing a free monthly volunteer-run Veterinary Clinic for the past 12 years. Kim is a professional dog trainer and behaviour consultant a graduate of leading dog expert Jean Donaldson s Academy for Dog Trainers.

Diane Simmons Pets Matter! How do we define 'family'? Diane Simmons is the president of Pets-Matter Foster Care Society, founded in 2011. She has been actively involved in the animal welfare community in BC since 1987, working, volunteering and serving on the boards of Wildlife Rescue Society of BC and Little Paws Rescue Society. Diane has Certification in Wildlife Rehabilitation and Negotiation/Conflict Resolution. While involved in rescue, she became aware of the lack of support for families with pets in times of crisis. It seemed a shame that pets with loving homes were being surrendered or worse, due to a lack of options. "Someone should do something!" Bill Briscall Communications Manager, RainCity Housing Bill has been working in the nonprofit sector since 1991, from frontline work to managing housing programs to pursuing funding so housing programs can continue and grow. The last ten years has seen him overseeing communications and public relations for RainCity Housing, a nonprofit housing provider that operates in seven different municipalities and provides homes to over 1300 people all of their housing welcomes pets. Bill is welcomed home each day by Harriet, a Scottish Terrier. The purpose of the Animal Welfare Advisory Network of British Columbia (AWANBC) is to enable organizations to work together and to support strategies around specific projects and initiatives associated with companion animal welfare. AN INITIATIVE OF Join AWANBC: www.awanbc.com Purchase Conference Tickets: www.pawsforhope.org Paws for Hope Animal Foundation www.pawsforhope.org 604-396-9297 info@pawsforhope.org