No Kill Conference is next weekend!

No Kill Conference Online Updates

The nation's biggest No Kill event of the year is taking place next weekend, on May 2 and 3, in Washington, D.C. I will be there along with a few other local advocates. I'll be reporting on what we learn and experience at the conference via this blog next Saturday and Sunday and also via The No Kill Nation's national forum. Others will also be posting their reports to this forum, including one of the featured speakers at the conference and founder of The No Kill Nation--shelter director Susan Cosby.

Everyone who is anyone in the area of No Kill will be speaking and presenting at this conference, led by Nathan J. Winograd, the director of The No Kill Advocacy Center and author of "Redemption". Other speakers and presenters include Richard Avanzino, president of Maddie's Fund; Bonney Brown, executive director of the Nevada Humane Society; and Karen Delise, the director of the National Canine Research Council and the leading expert on fatal dog attacks and bites.

When we return from this conference, we hope to hold a public panel discussion about No Kill and share the materials/ideas we bring back with us. As soon as I know the date and time for this meeting, I'll post it here as well.

Apache Memorial

A memorial will be held in honor of Apache, the wolf-hybrid that was owned by Rev. Scott and was a local staple at our farmer's market. Last year, Apache's owner suffered a great loss when she came home to find her dogs had gotten out of the yard and Apache was implicated in a dog bite incident. Because he was considered a wild animal that was not legally allowed in the City, the dog's owner was forced to put him down.

Friends of Apache are holding a memorial in the dog's honor at Pioneer Park on May 17 from 1 to 3 p.m. If you'd like to pay your respects or show your support of Rev. Scott and her impending case against the City over this tragedy, please come out. Learn more about the alternatives to how this case could and should have been handled and help advocate for more progressive approaches to animal care and control. There are more modern, common sense ways to guarantee public safety and health while also protecting and caring for animals at the same time.

APA Starting Pet Food Bank

ACTion Programs for Animals--APA--is being converted into a non-profit whose mission will be bettering the lives of pets and their guardians. Our first project will be the launch of a pet food bank, which we hope will help people who are struggling financially to feed their animals and not have to give up a member of the family because of hard times. At first, we will be distributing food once a month on a set day/time, but we hope to grow this bank into one that can partner with other groups already administering people food banks and other assistance so that we can reach all segments of the population in our area in need.

APA will also be looking toward the day we can offer other items that pets need, such as dog houses, cat litter boxes and litter, leashes, collars, ID tags, alternatives to chaining dogs, etc. Other future plans are establishing wellness clinics to get pets vaccinated and microchipped at a low cost. All the while, APA will be working on outreach and respectful education to the public so that every pet guardian can learn how to provide for their pet's basic needs and beyond -- helping people see how much of a special bond they can develop with their dogs and cats.

If you are interested in helping in these efforts, contact APA at actionprogramsforanimals@yahoo.com. We need help from businesses and other locations that will allow pet food donation bins or jars at their locations as well as individual volunteers to pick up food and take it to storage locations and help with the monthly distribution. Also, part of this work is learning which organizations/groups are already administering help to people so that we can partner in future efforts to include pets as part of the families being given assistance. Lastly, if you run a store that can offer pet food donations directly, please let us know.