Agenda Set for the 2011 Regional Summits April 13-19

Great Presenters. Compelling content. Stimulating conversations.
The 2011 Regional Summits will deliver all this and more!  

'Collaboration, change and progress' are not words usually associated with the many challenges we face in the companion animal industry. Yet they are now being used to describe the various initiatives resulting from conversations that started at the October 2010 International Summit for Urban Animal Strategies (ISUAS) and are continuing in communities across Canada!
   
We invite you to attend the 2011 Regional Summit (RSUAS) event in the community nearest you. The Regional Summits are the 'Reader's Digest' version of the International Summit. These events allow you to gain insight on what transpired at the International Summit, review industry metrics and and to join in conversations that are moving the companion animal industry in exciting new directions!
  
This year's Regional events will focus on the ever-challenging issue of 'animal homing'. A line-up of dynamic speakers will deliver a synopsis of presentations from the 2010 ISUAS and an interactive 'Open Spaces' program will be facilitated by Karen Dawson, Create Now Inc.  Open Spaces is a proven networking strategy that puts all industry stakeholders in one room and fosters a spirit of respect, trust and open communication. Karen's role as moderator is to support us as we get 'unstuck' and engage in meaningful and productive conversations. 

The 2010 International Summit for Urban Animal Strategies is on now!

THANK YOU TO OUR VALUED SPONSORS!

CLICK HERE for more info on the International Summit For Urban Animal Strategies.

Posted by Terri Perrin, Online Communications Editor

2010 Summit Speaker Synopsis Part XIII

The International Summit for Urban Animal Strategies Presents:

High Volume Spay/Neuter Clinics

Presenters: Kate MacDonald and Jim Sykes, Ontario SPCA

This session will tell the story of how the high-volume spay/neuter model was introduced in Ontario … and more importantly, of the impact the model has had in the brief period of time since its inception.

FixYourPet.ca … It’s the kindest thing you can do.

A legacy for Animal Welfare in Ontario

Learn the key components of developing the model including forming strategic partnerships, establishing the goals and objectives, working within regulations and engaging our communities and the public in the cause.

By the end of the session, you will have gained a synopsis of the program’s impact to date and future projections, the key components of the business plan and budget for one site, and an overview of the marketing messages and communications strategies for the promotion of spay/neuter.   

ABOUT KATE MACDONALD

Kate MacDonald has 25 years experience in the non-profit sector, specializing in strategic planning, capital campaign management, financial analysis, non-profit administration and donor relations.

Currently, Kate serves as Chief Executive Officer for the Ontario SPCA, supporting over 50 active communities across Ontario. Kate’s main emphasis is on re-focusing the organization’s cultural vision to concentrate on collaborative service delivery, including establishing strategic alliances, strengthening brand recognition and developing province-wide fund development programs.  Since joining the Ontario SPCA in 2007, the organization has achieved the strongest financial position in recent history, has strengthened provincial legislation with the first substantive change in 90 years, and has introduced the first high-volume spay/neuter services in the province, along with the award winning public service campaign FixYourPet.ca.

Kate looks forward to contributing to the Year of the Cat in 2011 by engaging communities across the province to promote the campaign and by being an active member of the Care for Cats Advisory Council, chaired by Dr. Liz O’Brien.

Kate is proud of the contributions she has made to organizations including United Way, Canadian Living Foundation, Sunnybrook Foundation, William Osler Health Centre Foundation and Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

Kate is an active volunteer nationally and within her rural community, has taught fundraising at Mount Royal College and is a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

ABOUT JIM SYKES
 
Jim has spent his entire career working with grassroots community groups and large national organizations.  He spent ten years as a faculty member at Hamilton’s Mohawk College teaching urban politics and psychology.  After a career of more than twenty-five years as a community development and management professional in the Canadian YMCA Jim decided to re-challenge his skills by working with the Hamilton/Burlington SPCA as its President and CEO from 2004–2009.

During this time the Hamilton/Burlington SPCA expanded the scope of its programs and services, pioneering the ASPCA© Meet Your Match™ family of adoption related programs in Canada, created a range of new youth/humane education programs, re-launching a greatly enhanced Pet Encounter Therapy program, and successfully brought Therapeutic Riding programs under the HBSPCA’s umbrella.  In the Fall of 2009 the HBSPCA successfully accredited a new Companion Animal Hospital within its existing 28,000 square foot facility.  In 2007 at the National Summit for Urban Animal Strategies, Jim was selected by his colleagues to receive the prestigious “Summit Award for Individual Achievement”  This award recognized Jim’s leadership in Animal Welfare at both the Ontario SPCA and Hamilton/Burlington SPCA.

In October of 2009 Jim accepted the position of Chief Operating Officer for the Ontario SPCA where he had previously been the volunteer President and Chairman of the Board of Directors for almost four years.

Jim’s current work with the Ontario SPCA focuses on assisting the CEO and Board with a renewed vision for the organization to be shared with the fifty communities that it currently serves under the OSPCA Act.
 
Jim’s family includes four dachshunds all adopted from the SPCA over the past six years.
 
For information on other Summit speakers and topics, check the agenda.


Learn more about the Summit For Urban Animal Strategies. Click here.

Posted by Terri Perrin, Online Communications Editor

Delegate Feedback Appreciated

Your Summit organizers were thrilled to receive several congratulatory emails from satisfied delegates within hours of the event wrap-up on October 16.

Here is a snippet of what some people had to say about the event:

"I just wanted to send along a quick thank you on the this year's Conference. Again PetLynx has gone over and above on this event."

G. Potter ~ Alberta Animal Services

"I can’t tell you how many delegates were raving about the Summit! The most frequent sentiment expressed was that the event just keeps getting better and better. Congratulations on a great event!"

P. Cameron ~ Calgary Humane Society

"On behalf of everyone who worked so hard to create and deliver the [Summit] programs, thank you! By all accounts, it was an excellent Summit. Our thanks to PetLynx for providing national leadership. Everyone is looking forward to 2010."

K. McDonald ~ Ontario SPCA

While we really appreciate this unsolicited feedback and show of support, we still encourage all delegates (who have not already done so) to complete the 2009 Summit for Urban Animal Strategies Delegate Survey.

Yes, we work hard to make this event better each year, but we can't do that without your honest evaluation. The deadline to provide delegate feedback is Friday, November 6.

We would also like to take this opportunity to encourage those of you who wish to have the complete North American Urban Animals Survey (NAUAS) for the Canadian and/or US markets to contact Cindy Kreutzer (cindy.kreutzer@petlynxmail.com or 403.219.1088).

Cindy will provide you with the NAUAS Subscriber Contract and the discount voucher you will receive as one of our important clients.