2009 NM State Humane Conference - Santa Fe Animal Shelter

Biological Risk Management in Companion Animal Shelters, LeMac’ Morris, DVM, MPH, Fort Dodge Animal Health
Biological Risk Management (BRM) is a method to minimize the impact of infectious diseases on a population. The concepts of BRM are based on the fact that all infectious diseases are spread by one or more of the following ways: fomite, direct contact, aerosol, oral, or vector. Controlling contagious veterinary diseases such as canine distemper or parvovirus requires more than increasing the numbers of times an animal is vaccinated. Strategies utilized to control the spread of transmittable diseases are varied and include simple interventions such as proper hand washing techniques to more complicated veterinary interventions such as vaccines. “Biological Risk Management for Companion Animal Shelters” examines common infectious companion animal diseases and interventions to minimize their impact.

Cats Are Complex Individuals, Dr. Grant Gugisberg, Park View Cat Clinic
Cats are complex individuals. While we once thought them to be solitary animals, we now know cats develop complex social groups. In this discussion, we'll look at steps to make cats lives better prior to entering your care, while in your care and when they arrive in their new homes.

Difficult Conversations I, Lauren Glickman
If you have ever had a difficult conversation and you just weren’t sure what to say, this session will provide you with some powerful ideas. You will learn to see through a variety of lenses to give you insight into what approach could work in any given situation. This workshop was given last year and is back by popular demand. Even if you were in it last year, feel free to review it to prepare for Difficult Conversations II.

Difficult Conversations II, Lauren Glickman
This class will allow you to practice communication techniques so that you can enhance your ability to have successful conversations even when discussing difficult topics. This class is interactive in nature and will provide you with the opportunity to really dig into some of the techniques in Difficult Conversations I. If you can’t make it to Difficult Conversations I, don’t worry – this is a stand-alone class and is not dependent upon your participation in Difficult Conversation I.

Fundraising for Fido through Direct Marketing, Mike Monk, Alpha Dog
In this course you will learn how to use direct marketing in your community to make friends into donors while creating unrestricted operating cash flow.

The Goal is in Sight, Judah Battista, Best Friends Animal Society
With national attention on spay/neuter and adoption we have made amazing strides for the animals in the last 25 years. National euthanasia rates have dropped by over 70% annually to less than 5 million. Puppies Aren’t Products, Focus on Felines, First Home Forever Home, and Pit Bulls: Saving America’s Dog…these four campaigns spotlight innovative programs around the country that are working on behalf of those 4-5 million to achieve a time of No More Homeless Pets.

Legal Issues for Horse Shelters, Laura Allen, Esq., Animal Law Coalition
Laura Allen will address legal issues that are important to horse shelters such as zoning and land use laws and rules, other state and local regulations that affect horse shelters and animal cruelty laws. The course will address the issues both from a New Mexico specific angle, and a general legal perspective. The course will also include a Question/Answer session so that participants can raise the questions that they've been wondering about.

Legislative and Animal Sheltering Board Updates, Steven Suttle, Esq., Assistant Attorney General; Heather Ferguson, Legislative Director, Animal Protection Voters, Judy Babcock, Chair, Animal Sheltering Board
The speakers will discuss legislation that became law as a result of the 2009 Legislative Session including a bill that sets up an indemnity process for animals that are impounded at shelters pending the resolution of legal issues and a bill that will allow shelters to register with the DEA and State Pharmacy Board using a euthanasia technician’s prescriptive authority. The discussion will also include an update on the Animal Sheltering Board’s rules and its licensing process.

Managing Feral Cat Colonies, Kathy Pierce, Animal Humane New Mexico
The course will address why we manage feral cat colonies (the problem and the solution); how we manage them (the nuts and bolts); and, present rebuttals to the conventional arguments opposing Trap Neuter Release (TNR) programs.

Marketing Your Pets Online: Tips and Tricks to Increase Pet Adoptions, Kim Saunders, Petfinder.com
After a brief look at Petfinder.coms free service to the animal welfare community, Kim will review the many benefits, resources and services that Petfinder offers members. This will be followed by a few tips and tricks for increasing adoptions, using Petfinder.com.

Nutritional Issue for Equine Shelters, Richard Patton, PhD
The course will address the following issues: a) A horse that ultimately ends up in the hands of a shelter can be assumed to be of no value in the usual markets: can't be ridden (safely), can't be sold for dog food, can't get a clear bill of health. This is most often due to advanced age. 2) After gaining custody, health status is first established. This entails a check for parasites and dental health, the two primary concerns, as well as any and all other health afflictions, common and otherwise. 3) Remedial nutrition is based on an ad libitum (free choice) diet of quality (stress quality) grass hay. With poor teeth, other adjustments are required, such as pre-grinding, grain supplements and enzymes addition. 4) If possible, pasture and running with a herd is an important part of mental health. Recovery can take months, and sometimes there appears to be no progress at first, despite correct nutrition.

Open Adoptions, Lasting Relationships, Nick Gilman, Humane Logic
The adoption process gets people off on the right paw toward enjoying a responsible, loving and long-term relationship with an animal. It should also be the beginning of another important relationship between the adopter and the adopting organization. This workshop will discuss effective tools for making adoptions and building relationships with adopters so that we can both help them now and ensure they will always come back to us.

Reading Dog Behavior, Sue Sternberg, Rondout Valley Animals for Adoption
This workshop emphasizes how to understand and recognize sociability in order to identify traits of the most adoptable dogs. This can help organizations choose which dogs to pull from an overcrowded facility or feature at adoption events or as a pet of the month.

Shelter Medicine, Sandra Newbury, DVM

The Skinny Horse on the Side of the Road: What We All Need to Know about Horse Rescue!, Georgia Smith, The Horse Shelter; Laura Allen, Esq., The Animal Law Coalition; Richard Patton, PhD; Sherry Mangold, Cruelty Complaint Administrator, Animal Protection of New Mexico
We’ve all seen numerous stories on the television news about horses that are found starving by the side of the road, yet cases of neglect or cruelty are more complex than the catchy headline and navigating through the system when a case is found can be confusing for the public. The speakers will discuss what types of issue horses face in New Mexico, including neglect and starvation, what types of complaints are reported to entities that receive calls about cruelty and horses, and what to do about it so that we can go back and educate our own staff and constituencies about the issues.

Spokesperson Training for Rookies, Regulars and the Reluctant, Mike Smith, Vice President, Fenton Communications
In this session, participants will learn the best practices for improving their confidence and skills in media interviews and public speaking. The trainer will discuss how to mentally approach and prepare for being a spokesperson, as well as provide tips to handle common and tough situations. If time allows, some participants will be able to role-play the skills they’ve learned.

Turning Dog Fighting Around, Tio Hardiman and Jeff Jenkins, HSUS
The Humane Society of the United States’ End Dogfighting campaign works to prevent dogfighting in inner-cities using a five pronged approach consisting of: youth anti-violence methods, free dog training classes (known as the Pit Bull Training Team), community outreach, humane education and law enforcement partnerships. Tio Hardiman, special consultant to The HSUS’ End Dogfighting campaign and Jeff Jenkins, End Dogfighting’s Pit Bull Training Team founder, will discuss how to change the hearts and minds of inner-city youth who see dogfighting as a social norm.