Developing No-Kill Communities: The No More Homeless Pets Conference

By Sister Jeanne Minier, the Georgia Center, USA. Adapted from an article in Critter Chatter, Atlanta, GA (Originally in English)

On October 25 - 27, 2002, about 350 animal welfare advocates and 20 of the nation's most prominent experts gathered at the Sheraton Atlanta Hotel for the No More Homeless Pets Conference to discuss ways in which communities can save shelter animals by providing homes for all their dogs and cats. The event was sponsored by the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary of Utah and hosted by the Lifeline Animal Project of Atlanta.

Prior to the Conference, Michael Mountain, president of Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, said, "There's a growing movement across the country to bring an end to the killing of homeless pets. This conference will bring people together from all over the country who want to help achieve this goal."

Along with Mr. Mountain, the speakers included Ed Boks, director of one of the largest animal control agencies and the largest adoption agency in the U.S.; Becky Robinson, the country's foremost expert in techniques for controlling feral cat populations; and Richard Avanzino, who made San Francisco a no-kill city and who now heads Maddie's Fund, a 200 million dollar California foundation dedicated to bringing an end to the killing of animals in the U.S.

The event was open to the public and was designed for animal care professionals as well as any other individuals concerned about homeless pets. Conference topics included coalition building, the marketing of shelter animals, the creation of special adoption events, ways to increase the spaying/neutering of dogs and cats, fundraising for animal organizations and strategies for increasing public awareness.

Additional information on the No More Homeless Pets Conference is available on the Best Friends website at: www.bestfriends.org

Note: Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, the nation's largest no-kill refuge for abused and abandoned animals, is home to over 1,500 cats, dogs and other domestic animals. In addition, Best Friends offers adoption and foster care programs, low cost spaying and neutering services and educational programs. The organization also sponsors a national network of animal lovers, spearheads the national "No More Homeless Pets" campaign and publishes Best Friends magazine.

 

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