Association of Leaders In Volunteer Engagement’s Post

Strategic Animal Funding Circle Request for Proposals, inaugural round. Up to $1,000,000 total funding. Applications close 20th September 2024. Support is offered for cost-effective and high-impact farmed animal welfare and protection nonprofits during a critical growth phase where targeted funding can have immense impact. Provides one-off support to innovative programs with renewal possibilities based on discretion. The intervention can be service delivery, policy work, or any other intervention type that delivers measurable impact in improving animal welfare outcomes. Preference is given towards organizations with less than 4 years of operating history, or less than 500k USD in annual budget. https://lnkd.in/dCWtFG57

In urban areas, street dogs face a silent struggle for survival. Recently, I reached out to multiple NGOs seeking urgent shelter and medical aid for these dogs. Unfortunately, most of my calls went unanswered, and those that did respond could only offer basic advice, not the direct assistance needed. This experience has prompted me to question whether these organizations should prioritize providing immediate help rather than just guidance. My attempts to secure aid for stray dogs in our community have been extremely disappointing. Despite contacting over 20 NGOs claiming to support animal welfare, only two responded, both unable to assist due to distance or lack of shelter resources. I contacted a very well-known NGO, urgently regarding street dogs needing medical attention, providing clear evidence of their distressing condition. Initially, their response was hesitant, questioning the severity of the dogs' situation despite the evident need for intervention in the photos. After persistent communication, they offered medical care but requested that I transport the dogs to their facility, which isn't feasible for a layperson like myself. This experience underscores a significant gap between our expectations from these organizations and the practical support they offer. While organizations like these are crucial for animal welfare, there's a pressing need for improved responsiveness and accessibility in times of distress. It's heartbreaking to witness these innocent animals suffering without aid. I question whether all these organizations are genuinely committed to their cause given their lack of timely response during critical moments. This situation has prompted me to reflect on their core mission. Shouldn't they be the bastions of hope for vulnerable creatures like street dogs, providing not just advice but tangible support and shelter? #AnimalWelfare #NGOs #Compassion #Responsibility #CommunityCare

🐾 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

Maddie's® Insights: Gabapentin and Behavior Modification for Shelter Cats 🐈🐾🐈⬛ Maddie's Fund 🐈🐾 🐈⬛ Cats entering shelters often experience fear, anxiety, and stress while in care. Mitigating negative states in cats is critical to their health and well-being, especially in populations of fearful cats that are already at risk for poor outcomes. One particularly at-risk population are fearful cats rescued from animal hoarding environments. In this presentation, learn about the results from a study using a standardized behavior modification program and daily gabapentin administration to treat fearful cats from hoarding environments. Further, instructions and resources for conducting behavior modification in shelters will be shared, along with a summary of a growing body of research and in-shelter experience demonstrating that many fearful cats from hoarding environments are treatable in shelters and can have positive outcomes in homes. 👩⚕️☑️📋 Presenter: Bailey Eagan, MSc, PhD Student, University of British ColumbiaBailey Eagan is a PhD student specializing in animal behavior and welfare in animal shelters. Bailey has a particular interest in conducting applied animal behavior and welfare research and incorporating research findings into animal shelter practice. Bailey’s current work focuses on anxiety-medication use in behavioral treatment plans of shelter animals. #MaddiesInsights #GabapentinForCats #ShelterCatBehavior #FearfulCats #ShelterMedicine #CatBehaviorModification #CatWellbeing #AnimalShelterInsights #FelineFear #CatCareTips

The Elmina B. Sewall Foundation seeks to create a healthier and more equitable Maine, where all people, animals, and environment thrive. The Foundation’s Animal Welfare Grants provide support to animal shelters throughout Maine, primarily through one-year operating support grants of $15,000 to $40,000 per year. Support is also provided for efforts working at the intersection of social services and animal well-being, including service and therapy animal programs, social service or other community organization-based programs that support animals to stay with their families and out of shelters (e.g. pet food pantries), programs that support families and animals together in times of crisis (temporary sheltering for animals and people facing domestic violence or other disasters), and those that otherwise address social justice issues as they pertain to animals. (Support for cat population control is provided to organizations which the Foundation has supported for cat population work in the past three years.)  Call 516.410.4895, or email [email protected] for a free fee quote to have us write your entire proposal, or edit your draft, for a reasonable flat fee. https://lnkd.in/e4N7xbhy Bev Browning Holly Rustick

For #PhilanthropyFriday we’re checking out Michigan Animal Rescue League 🐾 The Michigan Animal Rescue League (MARL) is one of southeast Michigan’s most established animal shelters, serving the community since 1953. Their history and experience combined with constant evaluation of trends in animal welfare and sheltering have made them a necessary and respected asset within the community. As, “A Different Breed of Shelter” they challenge the stereotypes of traditional animal shelters and believe that the, “Quality of the Wait,” can make all the difference in the future of an animal!❤️ The Mission of the Michigan Animal Rescue League is to provide the highest quality of life to dogs and cats through rescue, medical care, socialization and behavioral support, short- and long-term sanctuary, adoption, and community education and outreach. Adjusting to the shelter environment can be hard for dogs and cats. While MARL’s staff and volunteers make every effort to make their temporary home welcoming, the shelter is still often a place where dogs and cats find themselves confined in an unfamiliar environment, separated from their previous families, and exposed to much more noise than they’re used to. This is where MARL’a enrichment program comes in! Enrichment is a term that describes how shelter environments can be adjusted and enhanced to better benefit each animal. The goal of enrichment is to minimize stress levels by adding different kinds of stimulation and activities to each animal’s daily routine. Learn more about this amazing organization here: https://marl.org #rescue #animalshelters #dogrescue #animalrescue

Anyone who knows me (or has seen my Instagram account where 90% of the content relates to this!), knows that one of the areas I’m most passionate about outside of work is animal welfare. So when I came across a new certification program through Best Friends Animal Society and Southern Utah University focused on Dog Lifesaving, I jumped at the opportunity to participate this fall. Over the past two months, I’ve learned from experts in the field and explored ways to save the lives of dogs in animal shelters through adoption, dog behavior and well-being, foster programs, canine handling, shelter medicine and more. The ultimate goal of the course is to increase animal lifesaving nationwide. Aside from the deep understanding I gained of the complex animal welfare ecosystem, I was also charged with designing a pilot program as my culminating course assignment. It has been so rewarding to work on this practical and implementable pilot program for a local animal shelter. The process has reminded me yet again of the incredible power of feedback and collaboration–in this instance, through partnering with local shelter team members, as well as our wonderful course lead Caitlin Gill of Best Friends’ Learning Advancement Department, and program participants from all around the country in various roles at shelters. Where I had ideas, but perhaps not the inside industry knowledge or data points, they helped me advance the program objectives. Where I developed KPIs, they supplemented with additional ideas to prove the value of the program. And where I dove deep on how to amplify the program and participants through marketing, they shared end-user perspectives on what might make for the most engaging and impactful initiatives. Suffice to say, while this certainly falls into the “extra-curricular” activity category, there will be a few new tools in my toolkit to bring back to my full-time professional role too! I’m really looking forward to not only the next steps with the pilot program, but also exploring ways to incorporate the course lessons into my animal welfare volunteering work too. Thanks so much to Best Friends Animal Society and Southern Utah University for the impactful learning experience! If anyone is interested in learning more about the program and my experience, I’d be happy to chat: https://lnkd.in/g5-MSpZE Julie Castle Cathie Myers #animalwelfare #continuingeducation #volunteering #animalrescue

Great news! We finally got our nonprofit status, set up a bank account, and are open to receiving donations now!! Here is a little more information on why we have created this great new organization! Animal welfare professionals dedicate their lives to helping animals in need. However, the nature of their work can often lead to emotional and mental exhaustion. That's where peer support services come in - providing a safe and empathetic space for animal welfare professionals to share their experiences, struggles, and successes with others who understand the unique challenges they face. By supporting peer support services for animal welfare professionals, we can help prevent burnout and turnover in this critical field. It allows them to recharge, gain new insights and perspectives, and ultimately improve the quality of care they provide to animals in need. There are several ways you can help support this important mission. Consider making a donation to Humane H.E.L.P so we can provide peer support services to animal welfare professionals across Texas. You can also volunteer your time or skills to help with fundraising efforts or outreach campaigns. Consider becoming a member of our organization and start your journey to become a trained Peer! Finally, spread the word about the importance of peer support services and the impact they can have on animal welfare professionals and the animals they care for. Together, we can make a difference in the lives of both animals and those who dedicate their lives to helping them. Donations can be made through PayPal at the link below or by sending a check! Humane H.E.L.P. Inc 105-A Tradesman dr Hutto, Tx 78634 https://lnkd.in/gSJsfjix

Grants Facilitate Animal Sheltering and Adoptions Petco Love: Animal Welfare Organizations Application deadline: July 31, 2024 Description: Petco Love, formerly the Petco Foundation, seeks to change lives by making communities and pet families closer, stronger, and healthier. Petco Love’s application cycle for animal welfare organizations performing sheltering and adoptions is currently open. Support is provided to the following types of organizations in the United States and Puerto Rico: 1) animal control agencies and nonprofit organizations responsible for animal control sheltering; 2) SPCA and humane societies and other nonprofits that perform sheltering and adoptions of companion animals and operate primarily out of an animal sheltering facility; and 3) nonprofit organizations that are primarily foster-based rescues. (Other grant opportunities, available throughout the year or during specific application periods, focus on access to care, free vaccine services, and disaster relief.) #grants #mascotas #puertorico #corporategifts #Fundaciones #Animals #Animales #alberguedeperros #AlbergueAnimal #ONG #OSFL #tercersectorpr https://lnkd.in/eBxA5cb4

📈 Rising Costs for NYC Animal Care Centers: A Growing Concern 🐾 Recent reports highlight a significant budgetary challenge for Animal Care Centers of NYC (ACC). The organization, responsible for sheltering and caring for the city's stray and abandoned animals, has seen its budget nearly double in recent years. This increase, driven by rising operational costs and higher demand for services, underscores the need for sustainable funding solutions to ensure the well-being of both the animals and the dedicated staff working tirelessly on their behalf. With the ACC's budget ballooning to over $80 million annually, there is a growing urgency for city officials and stakeholders to address the financial strain and explore innovative approaches to managing and funding animal welfare programs. Balancing fiscal responsibility with compassionate care will be crucial as the city continues to navigate these challenges. Read more about this pressing issue and its implications for NYC’s animal care infrastructure in the full article here: https://lnkd.in/eYm3NBtW #NYC #AnimalWelfare #Budgeting #PublicPolicy #NonprofitManagement