ADOPTION OPTIONS

ADOPTION OPTIONS
All attendees will receive educational materials, breakfast,
lunch, an Adoption Options t-shirt.
Join us! We’ve brought together some of the most popular presentations and speakers
in animal welfare and mixed them with plenty of breaks and networking opportunities.
DRESS CASUALLY AND BE COMFORTABLE.
AGENDA – Saturday, October 22
AGENDA – Sunday, October 23
BREAKFAST AND REGISTRATION
BREAKFAST AND REGISTRATION
9 am – 10 am
9 am – 10 am
WELCOMING REMARKS
WELCOMING REMARKS
10 am – 10:30 am
Petfinder & Speaking of Dogs
MARKETING YOUR PETS ONLINE:
TIPS AND TRICKS TO INCREASE ADOPTIONS
10:30 am – noon
Lynn Davidson, Petfinder.com
After a brief look at Petfinder.com’s free service to the animal welfare
community, Lynn will review the many benefits, resources and services that
Petfinder offers members.This will be followed by a few tips and tricks for
increasing adoptions, using Petfinder.com.
NOON – 1 PM
LUNCH
***1 PM – 2:45 PM***
CHOOSE FROM TWO SESSIONS
EXPAND YOUR REACH WITH YOUR FOSTER PROGRAM
Deb Edwards
A well-run foster program can increase the number of animals you can save
and improve the quality of life for those that you do. It allows you to devote
one-on-one attention to animals that would be difficult to care for in a
shelter environment – orphaned or feral kittens, animals recovering from
illness or surgery, or those that need more dedicated behavior rehabilitation.
Learn the keys to building a successful foster program for both shelters and
rescues that can have a lasting positive effect on the animals and the
surrounding community.
OR
CREATING SENSIBLE, LIFE-SAVING ADOPTION POLICIES
Sue Cosby, Pennsylvania SPCA
Do your adoption policies help you find new adopters? How long has it
been since you’ve reviewed your application? This interactive workshop will
have you discussing the best way to use your adoption applications and
policies to create great new homes for your adoptable pets.
2:45 PM – 3:15 PM
COFFEE AND NETWORKING BREAK
***3:15 PM – 5 PM***
CHOOSE FROM TWO SESSIONS
HOW TO HANDLE CATS
Sue Cosby, Pennsylvania SPCA
From physical handling in shelters to creative adoption promotions –
how can you improve your ability to save cats’ lives when faced with a
lot of cats and not much of anything else? After Sue shares her story of
improving the health and well-being of cats in a busy, urban animal control
shelter, she will review innovative adoption promotions to help cats get
new homes.
OR
MUNICIPAL SHELTERS AND PRIVATE PROGRAMS –
SAVING LIVES TOGETHER
Deb Edwards
The days of private organizations and animal control facilities being on
opposite sides are long gone. Today we see that both parties are crucial
to saving animals’ lives. Deb will review programs and policies that help
these partnerships run smoothly and efficiently.
10 am – 10:30 am
Petfinder & Speaking of Dogs
***10:30 AM – 12:30 PM***
CHOOSE FROM TWO SESSIONS
EVALUATING DOGS FOR ADOPTABILITY
Pia Silvani, St Hubert’s Animal Welfare
Through the use of videos, Pia will illustrate common dog behaviors
with reference to adults, children, resources and other dogs. She will
discuss what we are looking at and how to interpret what we’re seeing
to help us make the best decisions regarding training and placement.
OR
ALL ABOUT FELINE RESPIRATORY INFECTION
Dr. Stephanie Janeczko,The ASPCA
Frustrated by upper respiratory tract infections? Don’t know what
else to do? You’re not alone. Upper respiratory infections are the most
common infectious diseases seen in shelter cats. This workshop will
focus on the viruses and bacteria that cause URI, how they’re spread,
and how we can best prevent them and treat sick cats.
12:30 PM – 1:30 PM
LUNCH
***1:30 PM – 3:30 PM***
CHOOSE FROM TWO SESSIONS
TRAINING & BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION
IN SHELTER DOGS
Pia Silvani, St Hubert’s Animal Welfare
Wellness is a balance between medical, physical, emotional and
behavorial fitness. Living in a shelter environment or moving from
foster home to foster home can be very stressful for some animals. As
a result, behavior problems can develop or get worse. Maintaining balance in behavioral health is critical. The mind and body are not separate
entities but thoroughly interwoven and connected. The dog’s mind and
body produce a whole dog. Pia will demonstrate with shelter dogs how
to evaluate theirs needs as individuals in order to enhance behavioral
wellness, address common behavior problems and increase adoptability.
OR
BASIC HEALTH FOR SHELTER AND RESCUE ANIMALS
Dr. Stephanie Janeczko,The ASPCA
There isn’t always a veterinarian right on hand when animals come into
your program. This workshop will cover basic shelter animal health
exams and vaccination protocols. Feel free to bring personal examples
and questions.
3:30 PM – 4 PM RAFFLE WINNERS AND CONCLUSION
JOIN US FOR COCKTAILS AND LIGHT SNACKS
FROM 5 PM – 7 PM
Take this opportunity to network and talk with our speakers.
Petfinder.com is the oldest, largest and most successful searchable database of homeless pets on the Web. It provides more than
13,000 animal adoption groups with free home pages and technical support to spotlight their adoptable pets online as well as providing
networking platforms, discounts and gifts, and education for the groups. Visitors to the site, from the comfort of their homes, enter
search criteria to see animals available for adoption ranked by distance from their Zip codes. The site has facilitated over 17 million
adoptions since it was created in 1996.
SPEAKERS
LYNN DAVIDSON, PETFINDER.COM
Lynn is a member of the shelter outreach team and manages the Adoption Options program.
She has been involved in shelter and rescue work for over fifteen years and has served as
the manager of the state of New Jersey’s pilot low-cost spay/neuter program. She is a certified ACO and former board member of a local TNR program. Lynn is a graduate of Rutgers
University and an avid motorsports fan and lives in New Jersey with two dogs and six cats.
Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers and now the secretary of the APDT
Foundation. She is also on the advisory committee of the Animal Rescue League of Boston
and consults with various organizations around the company to enhance and improve their
training and behavior departments. Pia has been involved in rescue work for over 20 years. She shares her home with her three Belgian Tervurens and boss-cat Soldier. In her spare
time, she and her dogs successfully compete in obedience, Rally-O, agility and K9 Noseworks.
STEPHANIE JANECZKO,THE ASPCA
DEB EDWARDS
Dr. Janeczko received her D.V.M. from Cornell University in 2004. Following graduation, she
spent time in general small animal practice. Her experiences with the animals from shelters
and rescue groups strengthened her interest in the field of shelter medicine, and in 2006
Dr. Janeczko became the first resident in shelter medicine at Cornell.While there her time
was divided between seeing cases through the Cornell University Hospital for Animals and
working directly with shelters, particularly those surrounding Ithaca, N.Y. After completing
her residency as well as an M.S. in epidemiology, Dr. Janeczko served as medical director
for Animal Care & Control of New York City and is currently the senior director of community outreach shelter medicine programs for the ASPCA. She shares her home with her
furry family – four wonderful cats and the best dog in the world.
Deb Edwards has a long and distinguished career in animal welfare. She is a certified animal
control officer as well as a certified animal cruelty investigator and has received citations
from the Township of Parsippany and the legislature of the State of NJ. Most recently, Deb
was the director of operations for Mt. Pleasant Animal Shelter, where she oversaw all shelter
operations. She speaks frequently on animal welfare to various professional and public audiences. Deb shares her home in New Jersey with two dogs, two cats, two birds, a thriving
fish tank and a very understanding partner – all of them rescues in one way or another.
Pia is vice president of training and behavior at St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center in
Madison, N.J. Pia writes behavior articles for the shelter’s newsletter and library. She
lectures on animal behavior internationally and routinely consults with various shelters
around the world. She is past vice president of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers and
Sue Cosby is the CEO of the Pennsylvania SPCA, former executive director of the
Animal Welfare Association and former COO of Philadelphia Animal Control. After earning
a degree in advertising and working as a small business owner, she left the for-profit world
to work for animals. Her first animal sheltering job was cleaning kennels as a kennel attendant, and she has since worn many hats, working in various roles in the field. Susan is firmly
committed to lifesaving programs and compassionate, progressive philosophies that lead to
no-kill communities.
TORONTO DON VALLEY HOTEL & SUITES
416-449-4111
PIA SILVANI, ST. HUBERT’S ANIMAL WELFARE CENTER
SUE COSBY, PENNSYLVANIA SPCA
Lynn Davidson-Katz, 732-993-7838
QUESTIONS & ADDITIONAL INFO
Register online by Oct. 18 at www.petfinder.com/adoptionoptions
and pay by credit card using Paypal. You may also email
adoptionoptions@petfinder.com to arrange to pay at the door.
You may attend either day or both; there is no need to specify.
How to register
FROM AIRPORT: Follow 401 East to Don Valley Parkway. Travel south on Don
Valley Parkway to Wynford Drive exit. After exiting turn left (East) onto Wynford
Drive. Turn right at the next set of lights, and the hotel’s entrance is on the right.
FROM HWY 401: Take Don Valley Parkway South to Wynford Drive exit. After
exiting, turn left (East) onto Wynford Drive. Turn right at the next set of lights, and
the hotel’s entrance is on the right.
DIRECTIONS:
Lynn Davidson-Katz, Petfinder.com
28 Garden Street
South River, NJ 08882
TWO-DAY
SEMINAR
FROM QEW/GARDINER (DOWN TOWN ): Take Don Valley Parkway
North and exit at Eglinton Avenue East. Stay in the right hand lane, then exit at
Wynford Drive. Turn right at the light, then pass underneath the bridge and go
through the next set of lights. The hotel’s entrance is on the left.
Join us for a
Special thanks to Speaking of Dogs
sponsored by
PETFINDER™
SATURDAY & SUNDAY
OCTOBER 22 & 23
TORONTO DON VALLEY
HOTEL & SUITES
1250 Englinton Ave. East
Toronto, ON
416-449-4111
ADOPTION
OPTIONS
behavior, placement and promotion