June 2006

Society of Animal Welfare Administrators

6/05/2006

Top Dog Message
By Harry Dates, CAWA, SAWA President

The SAWA disaster committee is moving forward, gathering information by attending almost every forum held to discuss Katrina/Rita related issues. The fall conference will have disaster related session(s) but will not be the only topic covered during the conference. The Gaylord Opryland Hotel has been chosen as the conference site for the 11th, 12th, 13th and 14th of November.

Our SAWA Network has provided an excellent exchange of information and ideas that could make needed conference topics. For Example, the pit bull topic was highlighted at the HSUS Conference and stimulated much discussion, especially on the SAWA listserv. I’ve asked the SAWA Executive Committee to assist me in forming a committee to address the subject of pit bulls. Identifying problems and finding solutions may be facilitated by gathering a group of experts willing to share their knowledge but also willing to listen to the volume of opinion and knowledge of our membership. We have a responsibility to work together in this critical matter.

We have changed management companies with the help of Past President John Nagy and Treasurer Bob Downey. The SAWA Board is confident in the choice of KARE, Inc. As our membership grows and our programs expand we are working to provide the best possible service to our members and maintain a cost effective relationship with the management firm.

As Chairperson of the Conference Committee, Cheryl Naumann made a personal visit to Nashville to assess conference sites. Nashville Humane Association's Mary Pat Boatfield was the tour guide and I tried my best to be objective, considering cost and convenience. The choice was not easy as Nashville presents much to see and do. We are certain you will enjoy Nashville and the 2006 SAWA Conference.
Certification News
By Nancy B. McKenney, MNPL, CAWA

SAWA remains committed to elevating the professionalism and prestige of managers and directors in the field of animal welfare. Leading an organization of any size and achieving results requires a lot of stamina and vision as well as understanding about best and current practices in such areas as human resources, finances, animal husbandry, public relations and working with boards or commissions.

The CAWA certification program is the only one of its kind that was developed to objectively test for understanding of the core competencies of animal welfare administrators. It was made possible by our charter sponsors, AVID The Microchip Company and Hill’s Pet Nutrition. The test
development process was overseen by CPS Human Resource Services, an accredited testing, licensing and certification company in California.

Your next opportunity to take the certification exam will be November 11, 2006 in Nashville, Tennessee. Whether you see yourself as a veteran or just a rookie in the field of animal welfare, it is important to sign up and participate in this certification process. Why put yourself through the rigors of studying and taking an exam? Although your participation is kept confidential (only the participants who pass are announced), your presence in the exam room shows how much you value the accreditation process and concept. Anne Oneha, CAWA, Director of Technology for The Humane Society for Seattle/King County, says that “this exam offers a first-of-a-kind certification opportunity in a field that I have worked in for quite awhile. And although
I felt stressed and did worry about the amount of information to study, I was surprised when taking the exam by how much I already knew about the various areas of animal welfare.” Achieving certification status can only help you in your career, not hinder it.

SAWA hopes that more employers will show a preference for applicants with the CAWA credentials and include a mention of certification in the job recruitment postings and job descriptions. “CAWA gives the field a standard,” emphasizes Elizabeth Fourar-Laidi, Executive Director of the Cocheco Valley Humane Society. “Many still view those in this field as dog catchers or even farm hands with little education or experience. Many of us have advanced degrees, but nothing that ties into animal welfare. This makes our field more professional in the eyes of those we have to deal with in the community,” she adds.

Shelly Stuart, CAWA and Director of Development at the San Diego Humane Society and SPCA, shares her thoughts on the importance of the certification program: “Earning the CAWA certification has built my confidence as a leader in the animal welfare industry. The CAWA certification lends credibility to my role as a member of the senior management team, above and beyond that of my primary role as Director of Development. I believe that anyone who is planning a career in animal welfare would benefit by working toward CAWA certification.”

So, commit now to taking the test in 2007! By doing so, this gives you plenty of time to obtain the suggested reading
materials and read through them (at least once) before the end of October. The readings, moreover, can be found on the
Internet, through your library or perhaps a fellow SAWA member will loan you his/her copies. If it helps, take notes while you read the materials to record and later review the key points in the chapters. The test preparation booklet (available on the SAWA Web site) provides you with a list of the type of subjects that will be on the exam and shows you a few sample questions.

Christie Smith, Executive Director of the Potter League for Animals sums it up by stating: “As we professionalize our
industry, it just makes sense to that we should elevate our professional standards. Becoming a certified animal welfare
administrator is good for your organization, good for your fundraising, good for your personal credibility, and in the long run is good for the animals.”
 
2006 Conference in a Beautiful Resort with Great Program
By Cheryl Naumann, SAWA Board member/Chair of the Conference Planning Committee

The 2006 SAWA Conference will be held at the beautiful Gaylord Opryland Resort in Nashville, Tennessee from
November 11 – 14. On Saturday morning, November 11th, The CAWA (Certified Animal Welfare Administrator) exam will be held and then our opening reception will be that evening. The conference sessions will begin Sunday morning, November 12th.

The Gaylord Opryland is recognized around the world for its extraordinary service, luxurious accommodations and first class entertainment. Under majestic, climate-controlled glass atriums, you’ll be surrounded by nine acres of lush indoor gardens, winding rivers and pathways, and sparkling waterfalls where you can unwind, explore, shop, dine and be
entertained to your heart’s content. Highlights include a 44-foot waterfall, laser-light and fountain shows, and tours aboard flatboats that travel on the river, right inside the hotel.

You can come early or stay late – our special conference rates will be available to registrants for 3 days before, and after, the conference on a space-available basis. While in Nashville you can visit the Grand Ole Opry, play at Nashville’s premier golf course, Gaylord Springs, enjoy a lunch or dinner cruise aboard the General Jackson Showboat, or walk to the nearby mall, Opry Mills, access to the fitness center (it’s AMAZING!), USA Today delivery, and two bottles of water daily.

Your 2006 Conference Committee is also working on a number of exciting topics that are sure to interest CEOs/Executive Directors, animal control executives, and all shelter managers. Here’s a “sneak peek” at the topics we’re working on for the conference:

1. Disaster Preparedness: thanks to significant sponsorship funding from the ASPCA, attendees will enjoy a session that focuses on the ABC’s of Incident Command and provides real-life, practical tips for animal shelters on disaster preparation. This session will filter down most of the big-picture discussions that have been held in the last year at other conferences, and will provide tools each of us can put to use right away in our own communities.

2. Pit Bulls - Shelter Strategies: We’ll present current data on pit bulls in animal shelters and have a variety of speakers to prompt some healthy discussions about this dilemma. We want to highlight what “problems” exist, if any, with current pit bull practices and how we as an industry can come to a consensus on this important topic for the benefit of the animals, and the communities we serve.

3. Alternative Sources of Revenue: Do you ever feel that your government contracts aren’t producing enough revenue for your operational needs? Concerned about your organization’s heavy dependence on donor dollars in fluctuating economies? We’ll explore alternative revenue streams through cause-related marketing, formations of affiliated 501(c)3 fundraising arms, and business enterprises that can add money to your bottom line.

4. Your shelter as a destination and educational tool: We depend on the public to visit our facilities to adopt our animals. Are our shelters a place where people want to come? What do we do to influence behavior and change mindsets while people are with us, to improve the lives of the animals they encounter? We’ll discuss ways to reach the public through educational methods, and to attract people to your facility, whether your education and outreach budget is $500 or $500,000.
Keep watch for an upcoming e-mail, and a Save-the-Date card, in the months to follow – but, block out your schedule
NOW for what is sure to be one of SAWA’s best annual conference yet! The location is also a chance for you to combine a great conference and networking opportunities with a fabulous family vacation, or just some much-needed R&R!

The group room rate for the conference will be $129 (single or double occupancy, kids under 12 free), with a $10/day
resort fee per night that includes high-speed Internet access, access to the cyber café, local and toll-free calls up to 20.
 
New Management Firm Selected

As mentioned in the President’s Message, SAWA has selected Karen M. Renshaw, CAE, President of KARE Association Management Services, Inc., to manage the administrative functions for our professional association. A mailing recently went out with the new contact information, but just in case you don’t recall seeing it, please update your records:

SAWA
2170 South Parker Road, #255
Denver, Colorado 80231
303-337-6419 or toll free at 888-337-6410
303-750-0085 (fax)
Updates from HSUS

The next issue of Animal Sheltering magazine, devoted to the efforts of local organizations in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, will be the largest ever produced. At 88 pages, this issue features interviews, essays, and profiles not only about rescues and reunions but also about the challenges faced by local organizations in responding to a disaster of this magnitude. Interviews with new HSUS disaster staff explore what went right and what went wrong during the disaster--and also map out a plan for future national disaster animal response. If you aren't already a subscriber, visit http://www.animalsheltering.org/subscribe  to order by credit card.

Humane Society University presents the following professional development opportunities for the animal care and control community. Upcoming HSU Workshops cover such topics as Combating Compassion Fatigue in the Animal Care Field, Wild Neighbors: Humane Solutions to Conflicts with Wildlife; Euthanasia of Dogs and Cats in the Animal Shelter Environment and Illegal Animal Fighting Investigations. HSU Noncredit Online Courses are also available. You can even earn a degree online from HSU and Duquesne University! To learn more, please visit www.HumaneSocietyU.org.
 
SAWA Listserv Tip/Reminder
By Nancy B. McKenney, MNPL , CAWA

All SAWA members are added to the SAWA listserv which is a great resource for seeking advice or information from other SAWA members. Please keep in mind that when you post a question or comment, it is automatically sent to all listserv members. If you want to continue your electronic conversation with a particular responder, please cut and paste their individual email address out and send the message directly to them. Recently we had a lot of “thank you” and “you’re welcome” type of messages going back and forth, but it filled up everyone’s email box with unnecessary email.

If you have any questions about the listserv, please contact Karen M. Renshaw, CAE our listserv moderator, at Karenr@sawanetwork.org.
 
Mark Your Calendars for These Great Training Opportunities

SAWA Directors and Managers of Finance and
Administration Joint Conference
June 15-17, 2006 Pasadena, CA

American Humane Association’s Annual Conference
September 28-30, 2006 Schaumburg, IL

SAWA Annual Conference
November 11-14, 2006 Nashville, TN

Petfinder.com’s Adoption Options® Workshops
various locations and dates go to
http://petfinder.com/adoptionoptions for a complete
schedule of workshops through the year

HSUS’ Animal Care EXPO
May 9-12, 2007 Dallas, TX
 
New Board Member Elected

The nominating committee is pleased to announce the election of Martha Boden, Executive Director of the Humane Society of Indianapolis, to the SAWA Board of Directors. Martha was elected to fill a vacancy left when Nancy McKenney resigned from the board in January.
 
SAWA Disaster Committee Update
By Dr. Becky Rhoades, CAWA, SAWA Board member

The Disaster committee is made up of the following SAWA members: Dr. Becky Rhoades, Patti Mercer, Julie Morris, Laura Maloney, Dr. Mark Goldstein, Cal Morgan, JoAnne Roman, Melissa Rubin, Kathy Warnick, Cheryl Naumann, and Carter Luke.

Our primary goal is to enable SAWA members to better prepare and lead the animal welfare response when disaster
strikes in their communities. One of the first steps is for all of us to have a good understanding of local, state and federal roles in the event of a disaster. Established local and state plans delineate lines of authority for the animal welfare
response in our communities. If you are not involved at the local and state level for developing your community’s disaster response, we encourage all members to act now and get involved to maintain authority for your community’s animal welfare needs.

Our fall conference will include a session on the development and organization of disaster response and how all these players work together with the National Incident Management System. We would like to thank Julie Morris and the ASPCA for helping fund this session at our conference and our resource guide project described below.

Another step is for us to know each other’s capabilities so that we can better prepare and respond together when disaster strikes. The committee is working on the development of a new website: sawadisaster.org which will be a resource guide for members to use both for disaster preparation and response. Soon, all SAWA members will be receiving a questionnaire electronically to describe their organizational and individual capabilities. These profiles will be on the new website and available to members. We would like to thank Les Schlain, of ESX, Inc. for offering to develop this website for us.

Finally, a key component is for SAWA members to have working relationships already established with colleagues and neighbors before disaster strikes. The committee is also working on a template of a Memorandum of Understanding
(MOU) which will define roles and working relationships in the event a member needs assistance or is no longer able to
serve their community because of a disaster. We are also working on templates of a shelter disaster plan and a
Community Animal Response Team (CART) plan.
 
Welcome New SAWA Members
By Dr. Mark Goldstein, CAWA, SAWA Board member/Chair of Membership Committee

As you can see below it was an exciting two months for SAWA. I would also like to thank those SAWA members who share information regarding SAWA and CAWA at their regional meetings around the country. Anyone who would like collateral materials or membership applications can e-mail both me and now Karen Renshaw (our new management firm representative) for materials to disseminate. We will be glad to send them to them. The following new SAWA members were approved by the Board of Directors in March and April:
Executive:

1. Tim Adams, Executive Director - Young-Williams Animal Center - Knoxville, TN

2. Debra Boswell, Executive Director - Mississippi Animal Rescue League - Jackson, MS

3. Joyce Garrity, Executive Director - Dutchess County SPCA - Hyde Park, NY

4. Laura Langham, Society Manager - Jeff Davis County Humane Society - Fort Davis, TX

5. Kate Myers, Executive Director - Sebastian County Humane Society - Ft. Smith, AR

6. Kerry Vinkler, Executive Director - Dupage County Animal Care & Control - Wheaton, IL

7. John Bowen - Animal Rescue League of Boston - Boston, MA

8. Joan Brown - Humane League of Lancaster County - Lancaster, PA

9. Joseph Cannon - Jacksonville Humane Society - Jacksonville, FL

10. Suzanne Low - Kitsap Humane Society - Silverdale, WA

11. Bob Marotto - Orange County Animal Services - Chapel Hill, NC

12. Mark Plyter - Wayne County Humane Society - Lyons, NY

13. Carolyn "Nicky" Ratliff - Humane Society of Carroll County, Inc. - Westminster, MD

14. Elaine Walker - Chemung County Humane Society & SPCA - Elmira, NY

15. Barbara Snow – Humane Society Charlotte – Charlotte, NC

16. Jeffery Philpot – Humane Society of Yuma – Yuma, AZ
Manager:

1. Mary Bahneman, Operations Manager of Animal Care - The Humane Society for Companion Animals - St. Paul, MN

2. Robert Busch, General Manager of Operations - British Columbia SPCA - Vancouver, BC

3. Ingrid Healy, Director of Operations - Central Pennsylvania Humane Society - Altoona, PA

4. Shannon Laukhuf, Director of Development - SPCA of Westchester - Briarcliff Manor, NY

5. Julie Matthews, Director of Operations - The Humane Society for Companion Animals - St. Paul, MN

6. Stacy McDonald, Special Programs Manager - The Humane Society for Companion Animals - Woodbury, MN

7. Jorge Ortega, VP of Shelter Services - Houston SPCA - Houston, TX

8. Michelle Piotrowski, Exam Coordinator - The Humane Society for Companion Animals - St. Paul, MN

9. Renee Rude, Operations Manager - The Humane Society for Companion Animals - St. Paul, MN

10. Cheryl Albach-Dunakin - Jacksonville Humane Society, Inc. - Jacksonville, FL

11. Genny Allen - Capital Area Humane Society - Lansing, MI

12. Julie Chirillo Feeley - Animal Rescue League of Boston - Boston, MA

13. Kerry Flanagan - Humane League of Lancaster County - Lancaster, PA

14. Patricia Jacobs Warner - Capital Area Humane Society - Lansing, MI

15. Julie Knapp - Houston SPCA - Houston, TX

16. Elise Leitch - Fargo Moorhead Humane Society - Fargo, ND

17. Jenny LIndamood - Animal Rescus of Boston - Boston, MA

18. Cynthia Lynn Nason - Humane Society of Missouri - St. Louis, MO

19. Julia Palmer - Capital Area Humane Society - Lansing, MI

20. Janet Smith - Capital Area Humane Society - Lansing, MI

21. Courtney Thomas - Wayside Waifs, Inc. - Kansas City, MO

22. Danya Parks-Freel - Jacksonville Humane Society, Inc. - Jacksonville, FL
Associate:

1. Andrew Rowan, DVM, Executive VP of Operations - Humane Society of the United States - Gaithersburg, MD

2. Kim Cady - New Humane Movement "Advocacy & Fundraising" - Nashville, TN

3. Kim Intino - The Humane Society of the United States - Washington, DC

4. Kay Mayfield - United Animal Nations - Apple Valley, CA

5. Sarah Hayes – Monroe County Humane Association, Bloomington, IN

6. Randall B. Covey – HSUS, Washington, D.C.

7. Karen Schaver - Lake County Animal Services - Lakeport, CA
Business:
1. Connie Monk -Alpha Dog Marketing, Inc. - Lincoln, NE

2. Kelly Welch - Spray Master Technologies - Rogers, AR
Heard it Through the Grapevine:
  • The following have recently resigned their positions--Larry Hawk, MSPCA President/CEO; Phil Olson, CAWA, Executive Director of the Humane Society for Southwest Washington and Deborah Biggs, Executive Director, Peninsula SPCA (VA).
  • Martha Armstrong, consultant, has joined the new Alpha Dog consulting team. She writes, “Check out the new website for Alpha Dog Marketing and see the news about me and the wonderful Ms. Jan Elster! Go to www.alphadogmktg.com and click on Alpha Dog Strategies and News.”
  • Kate Hurley and her colleagues at UC Davis have just completed an incredible new shelter medicine website, www.sheltermedicine.com.
  • Carter Luke was elected as the new Chief Executive Officer of the MSPCA-Angell.
  • After 31 years working in the field of animal welfare, John Merritt, Executive Director of the Animal Humane Association in New Mexico, has announced his retirement. He and his wife, Katey, plan to move back to Florida and be closer to an aging parent. John will remain with the AHA until his replacement is found. If you have candidate to recommend or want to wish him well, please contact John at johnm@ahanm.org or 555/255-5523 ext. 107.


On February 18, 2006, animal welfare professionals
from across the nation honored Mr. Bill Garrett, Atlanta Humane Society’s President (and past SAWA board member) during a retirement banquet held at the Capital City Club located in Atlanta.

Over 200 guests attended the stately affair. During the
program, 12 notable attendees, including several SAWA members, presented commending speeches congratulating Mr. Garrett for dedicating 31 years to the successful improvement and growth of Atlanta’s oldest charitable, non-religious, animal organization. Most notably, Ms. Mary Green, Director of Animal Protection for the Georgia Department of Agriculture, read a commendation letter from Governor Sonny Perdue praising Mr. Garrett’s unprecedented achievements in the animal welfare industry and applauding him for his compassion of homeless and abused pets. In addition, Mr. Garrett was named an Honorary Assistant Commissioner by Thomas T. Irvin, Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture.

In November 2005, Mr. Garrett was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the American Humane Association and the Glenn Summerlin Service Award at the SAWA Annual Conference in Denver, Colorado.

Mr. Garrett plans to enjoy his retirement by spending quality time with his loving wife, Val, his two children and four adorable grandchildren. There are also travel plans, coupled with some long deferred writing projects and serving on the
Atlanta Humane Society’s board of directors. Congratulations Bill.


 
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If you have a comment, concern or question for the SAWA Board or management firm, please contact us:

Society of Animal Welfare Administrators
c/o SPCA Cincinnati
3949 Colerain Avenue
Cincinnati, OH 45223

Toll Free Number: 888.337.6410
Direct Line: 513.542.SAWA (7292)
Fax: 513.542.7375
Email: info@sawanetwork.org