Doreen Cooper-Medina’s Post

Let's talk about a heartbreaking reality: Animal abandonment. Every day, countless animals are left behind, forced to fend for themselves without a loving home or proper care. As a community, we can make a difference! Let's work together to raise awareness about animal welfare, support local shelters, and promote adoption over shopping for pets. Small actions can add up to make a big difference in the lives of these innocent creatures. Share your own experiences or tips on how to prevent animal abandonment in the comments below! #AnimalWelfare #AdoptDontShop #MakeADifference

🌐 New on the NACA Blog! 🌐 At NACA, we know that animal welfare is more than just a profession—it’s a community. Our latest blog post, "Building Connections and Community," dives into the power of collaboration within our industry and the ways we're strengthening bonds to create safer, more compassionate communities. 🐾✨ From fostering new partnerships to providing resources for growth, we’re committed to helping animal control professionals succeed. Whether you’re just starting out or are a seasoned veteran, this post offers insights on how working together can elevate us all. 👉 Read more on our blog! https://lnkd.in/dkeE2kRJ #ThankstoMaddie

In Minnesota, it's easier to find inspection data on your hairdresser than the 100+ dog and cat breeders. The Dog & Cat Transparency Bill will provde much needed transparency around breeders, and ultimately, advance animal protections in our state. Learn more about how you can help AHS advocate for this important bill:

𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬: 𝐀𝐒𝐏𝐂𝐀𝐩𝐫𝐨’𝐬 𝐍𝐄𝐖 𝐄𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞 𝐇𝐮𝐛! Pro is excited to announce the launch of our 𝐧𝐞𝐰, 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐞ℎ𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐨𝐨𝐥𝐬 designed to enhance integrated animal care, empower staff and volunteers, and engage the community! Whether someone is new to animal welfare or a seasoned shelter professional, our resources and tips offer accessible learning that will help improve the lives of shelter animals! Bookmark this amazing resource today for future reference and make sure to share it with your animal welfare colleagues and partners! Our goal with this critical resource is to help place Pro's best "back to basics" pieces in an easy-to-find hub. The content was curated from an audit of thousands of pages and intended to be comprehensive and yet not overwhelming (as it could have easily included a hundred potential resources). Additionally, Pro has identified a few gaps where we could use more content or where pieces could use updates. So, the hub will continue to evolve in the near future. AND, there's an easy-to-use feedback form on the page, and submit your feedback! https://lnkd.in/g5jDGf-f

🐾 Last night, I urged San Antonio city leaders to prioritize an independent investigative assessment for our city’s Animal Care Services. 🚨 For years, we’ve been hearing about the systemic issues plaguing ACS - unanswered 311 emergency calls, aggressive dog cases closed without resolution, countless strays roaming our streets, spay and neuter goals falling short, and an insanely high number of animals being killed daily ... it feels like the whole system is broken. 🔔 So here are a couple thought provoking questions: 1️⃣ Given the history of underperformance from ACS operations, how can we ensure that concerns are accurately represented with ONLY internal audits? 2️⃣ Do our city auditors really have the specialized knowledge and experience in the field of animal welfare and shelter operations to successfully address ACS’s systemic problems? 3️⃣ Are we really willing to risk the continued suffering of animals and potential health safety hazards for our residents by continuing with ONLY internal audits? 🚨 We need an outside, unbiased, independent perspective - to evaluate ACS’s policies, protocols, staffing, resources, data, practices, and overall effectiveness. 🤨 And you know what? ONLY an external deep dive can provide the credibility and transparency that the public is craving, when it comes to the care of our community and welfare of our animals. 💔 Because, let’s get real - we’ve tried only the internal approach before … and it clearly isn’t working. Public trust has been eroded. Something needs to done showing that we’re serious about accountability and finding strategic solutions…. 💪 It’s time for transparency, accountability, and action to address the systemic issues affecting our city’s animals. 👀 For anyone reading this, I invite you to join the fight for San Antonio’s Animal Care reform - Please click the link below, to stay in the loop on our future initiatives: 🔗 https://gforms.app/mkAMKaz . . . #SanAntonio #AnimalWelfare #CommunityAdvocacy #satx #saacs #sanantonioanimalcareservices #animaladvocate #publiccomment #cosa #citycouncil #dobettersa

If you’re in animal welfare, especially in the trenches of shelter work, this one’s for you! In my latest blog, I’m diving into the graphic created by Kristen Hassen, breaking down each element and adding context to help clarify the key policy options for intake and outcomes. Whether you’re looking to refine your shelter’s approach or just want a clearer understanding of the big picture, this post has got you covered. Huge thanks to Kristen for creating this resource and sparking such a crucial conversation! Read more here: https://lnkd.in/etn2gaqc

Let’s make a difference in animal welfare and dog lifesaving. Best Friends Animal Society and Southern Utah University offer a Dog Lifesaving Course for people interested in furthering their expertise in the field. We dive into topics that are seemingly simple but so important — like canine enrichment, which when invested in, really enhances the wellbeing of dogs in shelters and rescues. There are cost-effective ways to prevent stress and boredom, and safeguard their well-being, that this course explores. The course is broken out into modules, each of which offer clear and actionable steps to increase dog lifesaving efforts and empower animal welfare workers to create lasting change. It’s designed for everyone committed to improving the lives of dogs in shelters: seasoned career professional, dedicated volunteer, foster caregiver, you name it. Learn more about this course and apply at bfas.org/DLC. Questions? Put them in the comments and I’ll do my best to answer. Not ready to dive into a full course, but want to learn more about canine enrichment? Here’s our Best Friends Canine Care and Enrichment Playbook: bfas.io/idtt

"If somebody is committing violence to a human, then it is statistically more likely they are committing violence to a companion animal as well." — Kathleen Wood, Animal Legal Defense Fund. This is an article in this month’s edition of the National Link Coalition's letter. The quote by Kathleen Wood of the Animal Legal Defense Fund underscores the significance of recognising the link between animal abuse and domestic abuse. Recognising this link has significant implications for policy development and intervention strategies aimed at addressing these intertwined issues. In recent years, there has been a growing recognition of the need to integrate animal welfare considerations into the broader framework of domestic abuse prevention and response. This holistic approach acknowledges the impact of animal abuse on the well-being of both human and animal victims, needs coordinated efforts to provide comprehensive support and protection. By enhancing the capacity of judges to consider the implications of animal cruelty in cases of domestic abuse, this educational initiative contributes to a more comprehensive and informed approach to adjudicating such complex matters. Additionally, integrating this awareness into judicial decision-making processes can lead to more effective interventions and protective measures for both human and animal victims. #AnimalWelfare #AnimalAbuse #DomesticAbuse

By prioritizing effective intake and outcome strategies, and making data-driven decisions, we can create a more humane and effective #animalshelter system that truly benefits animals and the communities we serve.

Public policy aimed at managing community cat populations has generally improved in recent years. However, so far too little consideration has been given to the people who care for community cats. As the journal articles in our recent posts have highlighted, evidence suggests that community cat feeding is much more widely practiced than previously believed. Additionally, feeders make significant scarifies, both financially and personally, for the cats they care for. As we continue expanding our understanding of the human-animal bond, it is imperative we don’t forget about caretakers and the free roaming animals they feed. Feeders aren’t going away, and if we are to humanely manage free roaming animal populations, we need to understand the dynamics that support these populations. https://lnkd.in/ds3Kt2_G