The Western States No Kill Conference takes place from

9am - 6pm on Saturday, September 14, 2013. 

  Sgt. K.W. Bailey, Seagoville Police Department, Animal Services Director in Seagoville, TX:         

The Little Shelter That Could (and DID!)

Delivered from the animal control officer's perspective, learn how Sgt. Karl Bailey along with a small staff and a small group of dedicated volunteers changed a high-kill shelter into a No Kill shelter in just 120 seconds. And learn how they have maintained their No Kill community's 98% live release rate for the animals in their care on a budget of less than $30,000 per year. (Time: 1.5 hrs)

Stacey Coleman, Executive Director, Animal Farm Foundation: Changing Perceptions: “Pit Bull” Dogs in Your Community

It has never been easier to make a positive impact for “pit bull” dogs in your community.  Learn how to recognize and overcome barriers and you will make better adoption matches, reduce length-of-stay, and change the way decision makers, potential adopters and community members think about “pit bull” dogs.  Your community is looking to you to be the expert!  Shed old language habits, drop discriminatory policies and feel confident in using fact-based information and materials that will better serve “pit bull” dogs and their owners.  Each attendee will receive pre-formatted, ready-to-use, full-color educational tools and the knowledge of how to use the tools with confidence.   Be prepared to learn, laugh and look beyond labels! (Time: 1.5hrs) 

Co-Presenters: Ellen Jefferson, DVM, Executive Director of Austin Pets Alive! and Aimee Sadler, Director of Behavior and Training at Southampton Animal Shelter Foundation:

Saving Lives Through Cooperative Medical and Behavioral Programs

The importance of the implementation of both Medical and Behavioral No Kill programming to achieve maximum life-saving success for homeless pets.

The truth is that shelter medical and behavioral programs often times run interference with one another. What typically attends to herd health management best will often times contribute to behavioral deterioration.  Similarly, attending to their behavioral needs ideally will often times wreak havoc on medical best practices. When does one defer to the other to best serve the whole animal? Hear from two of animal welfare’s most successful life-saving experts and how they envision the merging of critical medical and behavioral programs in shelters of all different levels of intake and function to best serve the animals.(Time: 3 hrs)

Cheryl Schneider, Director of Animal Services for the Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter (TX)

'Building, Directing and Sustaining an Open-Admission No Kill Shelter'

Learn how a rural county open-admission shelter started on their path to No Kill and how they continue to sustain their progress forward. (Time: 1.5 hrs) (Host note: The principals used to are the same no matter if you are working in a rural, suburban or urban community but this seminar will be delivered from the perspective of leading an effort in a rural community.)