Champ demonstrates in his own way that strength training for APOs is an important part of achieving no-kill in NYC.
Mayor's Alliance Strength Training Sessions Draw Keen Audiences
Since January, representatives from Alliance Participating Organizations (APOs) have been gaining new insights into a range of topics relating to their organizations' efforts on behalf of the animals in their care. Through a series of Mayor's Alliance Strength Trainings, occurring at an average of once a month, staff and volunteers from dozens of APOs are expanding their knowledge of topics ranging from preventing the spread of disease in the shelter to drafting more enforceable adoption contracts. And more such trainings are scheduled for 2008.
In January, APOs heard from the public relations team at M. Silver Associates, which works on behalf of the Mayor's Alliance to gain media coverage for the Alliance and NYC's homeless animals, about the coverage they have attained for the Mayor's Alliance, and tips on the kinds of stories that can be successfully pitched to the media. Included was a discussion about ways to acknowledge Maddie's Fund's valuable contribution to NYC's efforts to achieve adoption guarantees for all healthy and treatable cats and dogs in NYC shelters.
A concentrated follow-up session in March entitled PR 101, facilitated by Linda Ayres, who leads our PR team at M. Silver, focused on basic public relations and PR techniques to help promote APOs and their activities to print, broadcast, and online media in New York City. The session explored specific PR tactics, including writing effective press releases, listing events with event and calendar editiors, and successfully pitching story ideas to the media.
In early March, Dr. Louise Murray of the ASPCA's Bergh Memorial Hospital, tackled an entirely different topic — infectious disease in the shelter environment — to a standing-room-only crowd of APO representatives and partner veterinary practices at the ASPCA's East 92nd Street offices. Dr. Murray discussed in detail the risks and prevention of infectious diseases among shelter animals, emphasizing that lack of awareness among those who work with animals often contributes to the spread of disease.
Expert animal lawyer Elinor Molbegott, Legal Counsel for The Humane Society of New York and a member of the Mayor's Alliance Board of Directors, engaged an enthusiastic APO audience in April when she shared her valuable legal knowledge and anecdotal experiences in the area of adoption contracts, foster agreements, and other related legal issues pertinent to the care and re-homing of animals.
What's ahead: An upcoming strength training for APOs in May will include a panel of experts in expanding adoption capacity through the use of adoption vans, in-store adoption locations, and stand-alone adoption centers. APOs will hear from Animal Haven's Marcello Forte, Bobbi Giordano of Bobbi and the Strays, and KittyKind's Cathy Christel about how their organizations have increased their capacities and boosted adoptions through expanded adoption locations. APOs will receive an invitation via e-mail shortly.
In June, a special three-day training will instruct participants in the ASPCA's Meet Your Match and Feline-ality programs, which shelters and rescue groups across the country are using to increase successful cat adoptions, reduce the animals' length of stay at the shelter, and decrease returns. APOs will receive an e-mail invitation to the training, and will be required to register in order to attend. Questions about this training should be directed to Janell Granier, Director of Programs, at janell@AnimalAllianceNYC.org.
Following a two-month break to allow APOs to focus on summertime adoptions, our 2008 Strength Training Program will resume in September, when we expect to offer a workshop for APOs on developing a disaster plan. The ASPCA's Allison Cardona, whose experience in animal disaster planning is extensive, will facilitate the workshop. The year's final strength training, tentatively scheduled for late October, will feature instruction on emergency first aid for animals.
Helping Alliance member shelters and rescue groups expand their capacities by working smarter is one of the core initiatives set forth in the Mayor's Alliance's 10-year strategic plan. This year's lineup of training opportunities for APOs is an important aspect of our capacity building strategy, and we encourage our member organizations to take advantage and participate in these trainings.
For more information about Mayor's Alliance Strength Training events, e-mail info@AnimalAllianceNYC.org.
