Small Animal Workshop
On Sunday, November 6, 2011, the New England Fed hosted our first-ever small animal symposium at the Dakin Pioneer Valley Humane Society in Springfield, MA. Attendance was impressive despite a record-breaking storm the previous weekend that left much of the region without power. More than 40 staff members and volunteers from area animal welfare organizations chose from the two tracks of programs offered and the feedback from attendees was extremely positive.
Despite the growing presence of rabbits, Guinea pigs, ferrets and “pocket pets” in our shelters, these small animals are often overlooked by the public. The goal of the workshop was to improve our knowledge of how to care for and successfully place these pets in adoptive homes. Presentations included:
- Rabbit Basics 101, by Tracy Lotko, adoption chairperson of House Rabbit Connection. This program covered very basic rabbit care, diet, housing, playtime, and the importance of spaying and neutering rabbits prior to adoption.
- Pocket Pet Basics, by Sherri Gustafson and Bill Havice, members of the Small Animal Task Force at MSPCA, Nevins Farm. This presentation provided must-know information on housing, feeding and understanding the behavior of the most common small animals in shelters.
The day was capped by a joint session for all attendees on marketing and adoption programs for small animals. Focusing on the value and importance of collaboration between organizations in finding creative ways to find and support adopters of small animals, the session was led by:
- House Rabbit Connection’s Joanne Kosiorek and Julie Niedzwiecki
- Dakin’s Eliza Fischer
- Animal Rescue League of Boston’s Debby Vogel.
The NEFHS strives to provide training programs, such as the Small Animal Workshop, that capture the interest and meets the need of our constituents. Suggestions for programs are always welcome, so if you have a topic you’d like to learn more about, (or perhaps you have an area of expertise you’d like to share with your peers in animal welfare), please let us know. Send your comments and suggestions to info@newenglandfed.org.
