If you would like to help more shelter pets and improve the way your animal shelter or rescue is run, take a look at Academy for Canine (and cat) Education (ACE).
This free shelter and rescue course was created by Jeff Grognet, DVM, and Mike Annan, Canine Behaviorist and instructor. Their goal is to animals get adopted. They do this with a free online course geared to animal shelter workers and volunteers.
“Compassion fatigue is a reality that stops many talented people from continuing their effort with cats and dogs,” Grognet says. “Three times as many dogs die as a result of behavior problems as those that die from cancer. The figures are equally tragic for cats. For all of us who work with animals, it’s our job as ambassadors to help them gain a solid grounding in how to behave. It’s equally important for the new owners to learn what to do with their new family members.”
So Grognet and Annan got together to create ACE, their free online workshop for people who care about animals. Their program includes exams and a certificate. They also offer veterinary assistant and pet sitter courses for a fee. This program, however, is free.
The courses are geared to fix behavioral issues in cats and dogs. Grognet and Annan believe that the number one reason people relinquish pets is due to behavioral problems.
Another workshop that focuses on how to run a successful animal shelter or rescue is taught by leaders at Helen Woodward Animal Center in California. Their Business of Saving Lives Conferenceis an annual event for people who work in and volunteer at animal shelters. Their next Conference should be in February.
“We began offering workshops as a way of sharing the success that we’ve experienced here,” says Helen Woodward Animal Center President, Mike Arms. “Believe it or not, there are still animal care facilities right here in the United States that are euthanizing orphaned pets every day of the week, including holidays, simply because they have no space, or because the animals have ‘run-out-of-time’. Through our teaching how to run their organizations using a business principled approach, we’re helping them to put an end to that.”
These workshops teach participants more effective ways to find families for orphaned pets. This is one of the main reasons why animal shelter workers from worldwide locales have traveled to Helen Woodward Animal Center.
Read more about the Business of Saving Lives Conference.
Sources: Academy for Canine Educators, Helen Woodward Animal Center
