Talkin Pets

Program aims to reduce shelter intake, increase live outcomes through collaboration

NEW YORK—Together with local agencies and city officials in a press conference at Metro Hall, the ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) today launched its ASPCA Partner Community program in Louisville, Ky. in an effort to save the lives of more at-risk and homeless pets through a collaborative effort called The ASPCA Partnership.

The ASPCA Partnership includes the following Louisville-area animal welfare agencies: Louisville Metro Animal Services or LMAS (an open admission public shelter); The Kentucky Humane Society or KHS (a private, non-profit animal welfare agency that focuses on pet adoption, spay/neuter efforts and education); and Alley Cat Advocates or ACA (a local TNR group).

“By continuing to collaborate – as these agencies have already done with joint adoption events and spay/neuter clinics – we know our partners will be able to affect positive changes for animals most at risk in the Louisville community,” said ASPCA President & CEO Ed Sayres. “They’ve displayed tremendous potential for progress and we look forward to the future success of the program.”

“Homelessness is the number one risk factor for companion animals in the United States,” Sayres added. “To reduce this, the ASPCA believes that all animal welfare organizations in a community must work together. Both the public and private funded organizations must buy in to collaboration and share resources. By understanding that it’s the community’s animals that are at risk—not just the animals in the care of one agency or another—the community can save the most lives possible.”

The ASPCA Partnership will include annual planning meetings with Louisville partners to determine and monitor goals, strategies and needs. It also includes a grant allocation process, where partner agencies will have the opportunity to apply for substantial grants to address the community’s needs and implement targeted, sustainable programs aimed at increasing live outcomes for animals. The agencies will also have access to ASPCA resources, expertise and guidance, as well as strategic planning support, statistical analysis, training and participation in ground-breaking research projects.

“As the largest pet adoption agency in the state, the Kentucky Humane Society is pleased to join Louisville Metro Animal Services and Alley Cats Advocates in the ASPCA Partnership today,” said Lori Redmon, president and CEO of the Kentucky Humane Society. “Working together, we will improve the lives of cats and dogs in our community, ensuring every healthy, adoptable pet is offered a second chance at finding happiness.”

“Louisville Metro Animal Services is honored that our city is the newest ASPCA Partner Community,” said Justin L. Scally, director of Metro Animal Services. “This partnership demonstrates our city's commitment to working together to ensure a better quality, more humane life for all in the community. With the resources the ASPCA is bringing to our community, we will move closer to our goal of ending the euthanasia of healthy, adoptable animals.”

“Alley Cat Advocates is thrilled that Louisville is now an ASPCA Partner Community,” said Karen Little, founder of Alley Cat Advocates. “We are certain that this collaboration will help us raise awareness about the need to spay and neuter our community cats, and we’re confident our community will be healthier and happier as a result.”

Last year, nearly 20,000 homeless animals entered the Louisville partner agencies. Aside from overcrowding in its shelters, some of the other challenges facing Louisville are the need for more lost animals to be reunited with their owners, an increase in targeted spay/neuter, and more pet adoptions.

Since 2007, the ASPCA has been lending its support, financially and through training and other human resources, to communities around the country with the goal of helping them save more animals. The ASPCA’s work focuses a collective effort on sustainable, data-driven plans and programs that engage the community in providing positive outcomes for these animals. Since the ASPCA began its Partner Community program in 2007, more than a quarter of a million animals have been adopted, returned to owners, or spay/neutered as a result of the exceptional collaboration among partner agencies in each community.

In addition to Louisville, Ky., the ASPCA’s current Partner Communities are Buncombe County, N.C.; Charleston, S.C.; Cleveland, Ohio; Miami-Dade County, Fla., Oklahoma City, Okla.; Sacramento, Calif.; Shelby County, Ala.; Spokane, Wash.; and Tallahassee, Fla. The ASPCA’s investment in these partnerships—in the form of direct grants, capacity-building, training, ASPCA staff expertise, and strategic planning—varies from a one- to five-year period to address homeless animal issues in each community.

About the ASPCA®
Founded in 1866, the ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) is the first animal welfare organization in North America and serves as the nation’s leading voice for animals. More than two million supporters strong, the ASPCA’s mission is to provide effective means for the prevention of cruelty to animals throughout the United States. As a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation, the ASPCA is a national leader in the areas of anti-cruelty, community outreach and animal health services. For more information, please visit www.ASPCA.org, and be sure to follow the ASPCA on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

About Kentucky Humane Society
The Kentucky Humane Society (KHS), founded in 1884, advocates the humane treatment of companion animals through leadership and proactive solutions to pet overpopulation, including adoptions, education and spay/neuter efforts. KHS is the largest pet adoption agency in the state, finding loving homes for 6,000 cats and dogs a year, and the oldest animal welfare agency in Kentucky. The KHS S.N.I.P. Clinic provides high-quality, low-cost spay/neuter surgeries to 10,000 owned pets a year. In addition, KHS provides fun and informative educational programs to more than 7,000 children annually, teaching them to be animal advocates and humane pet owners. A private non-profit organization, in 2011 KHS was named one of the top 10 most fiscally responsible charities in the nation by Charity Navigator and Worth Magazine. For more information about Kentucky Humane Society, please visit www.kyhumane.org.

About Louisville Metro Animal Services
Louisville Metro Animal Services has a fundamental mission to protect public health and safety, ensure the humane treatment of animals and provide quality, professional customer service to the public. The open admissions facility houses and cares for over 11,000 animals each year. LMAS offers a number of programs and services including: Animal House Adoption Center, volunteer opportunities, outreach and much more. LMAS is the largest animal control agency in the state of Kentucky. For more information, please visit www.LouisvilleKy.gov/animalservices.

About Alley Cat Advocates, Inc.
Alley Cat Advocates, Inc. was founded in 1999 as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide for the humane treatment of stray, free-roaming cats in the metropolitan Louisville, Kentucky area. The volunteer organization has spayed/neutered over 23,000 cats through their Trap-Neuter-Return program. For more information on Alley Cat Advocates and its programs, call 502-634-8777 or visit www.alleycatadvocates.org.

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Board of Directors of Leading National Animal Welfare Organization Engages Executive Search Firm

NEW YORK—The ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) today announced that President and CEO Ed Sayres has notified the Board of Directors of his intention to step down from management by year end after nearly a decade at the helm of one of the nation’s leading animal welfare organizations. A committee of the Board has been formed to oversee the process to identify the next chief executive to lead the organization. The Board committee has retained executive search firm Korn/Ferry International to manage the search process.

Chair of the Board Tim F. Wray stated: “Everyone at the ASPCA is extremely grateful to Ed for his immense contributions to the organization on behalf of our nation’s animals. During his tenure, Ed has established the ASPCA as a leader in providing sheltering expertise, enforcing animal welfare laws, and rescuing and rehabilitating animal victims of cruelty. Under Ed's leadership, the organization's membership base has tripled to more than 1.2 million and our revenues have quadrupled to $148 million in 2011. The Board will engage in a process to identify a strong successor to lead the ASPCA and our executive team as we continue to enhance all of our efforts to improve the lives and welfare of animals.”

“It has been my honor and pleasure to work with the many talented people at the ASPCA and serve this vital organization,” Mr. Sayres said. “I joined the ASPCA to bring the life-saving model I championed in San Francisco to NYC and beyond. Through collaboration and very hard work, together we have achieved what we set out to do, creating some of the most innovative programs – from our anti-cruelty initiatives to our national transport efforts – that have contributed to saving many millions of animals. The ASPCA team is deep and strong, and I am confident that this great work will only continue.” Mr. Sayres added: “I am a builder by nature and by training, and now is the perfect time to consider other opportunities in the non-profit arena where I can make significant contributions. I look forward to working with the Board to ensure a smooth transition.”

Under Mr. Sayres’ leadership, the ASPCA has risen to new levels of national prominence in the fight to end homelessness and cruelty toward animals and has been operating and funding some of the most important animal welfare programs in the country. As a pioneer of the “no-kill” model of animal sheltering, which exhorts community groups to collaborate to stop the killing of healthy or treatable dogs and cats in animal shelters, Mr. Sayres was recruited to the ASPCA in 2003 to bring no-kill to New York City. At that point, only 33 percent of the animals in New York City’s shelters made it out alive. By the first quarter of 2012, that figure had risen to approximately 80 percent. Mr. Sayres has been the guiding force behind the ASPCA’s effort to build collaborative partnerships across the country with municipal and non-profit animal welfare agencies so that they may end the killing of healthy and treatable dogs and cats.

During Mr. Sayres’ tenure, the ASPCA created a transport network to help transfer adoptable animals in high supply to areas of low supply and high demand and developed a robust grants program, which awarded over $15 million in funding to animal welfare organizations around the country in 2011. The organization developed a field investigation and disaster response program following its work during Hurricane Katrina, where it aided animal evacuation efforts and provided critical funding and expertise. Since then, the ASPCA has been on the ground in areas devastated by natural disasters such as Joplin, Mo., where it established an emergency shelter and provided food and supplies to help rescue pets injured and displaced by the deadly tornado.

The ASPCA also developed a program dedicated to assisting federal and local authorities crack down on dog fighting. In 2007, the organization worked closely with federal authorities during the Michael Vick dog fighting case, where the ASPCA's general consultation and specific role in processing the forensic evidence were key elements that resulted in Mr. Vick and the three other defendants pleading guilty to felonies. Most recently, the ASPCA played a leadership role in the removal of 50 dogs from a Bronx dog fighting ring.

About the ASPCA®
Founded in 1866, the ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) is the first animal welfare organization in North America and serves as the nation’s leading voice for animals. More than two million supporters strong, the ASPCA’s mission is to provide effective means for the prevention of cruelty to animals throughout the United States. As a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation, the ASPCA is a national leader in the areas of anti-cruelty, community outreach and animal health services. For more information, please visit www.ASPCA.org, and be sure to follow the ASPCA on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

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Winners Include a Surfing Dog and Brave Mother Cat 

NEW YORK—Seven outstanding animals and people—including a badly burned cat who refused to abandon her kittens and a six-year-old boy who raised more than $28,000 for his local animal shelter—will be honored at this year’s ASPCA® (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) Humane Awards Luncheon in New York City. The ceremony recognizes animal heroes as well as individuals who have made a significant impact on the lives of animals during the past year.

“The ASPCA is humbled by the commitment and compassion displayed by this year’s Humane Awards winners,” said ASPCA President & CEO Ed Sayres. “The distinguished achievements of these advocates are prime examples of the ASPCA’s mission of preventing cruelty to animals. This year’s event will be a celebration of all that has been done to bring us closer to our goal while reminding us that there is still much work ahead.”

The ASPCA’s Annual Humane Awards Luncheon—sponsored by the Hartville Group, Inc., one of America’s oldest pet health insurers and provider of ASPCA Pet Health Insurance—will be held on Thursday, November 17, from noon to 2 p.m. at the Pierre Hotel in New York City. 

Following a nationwide call to the public for nominations in February, an ASPCA-appointed committee reviewed hundreds of entries and selected winners in six categories.

The 2011 ASPCA Humane Award winners are:

ASPCA Dog of the Year
A beautiful Golden Retriever named Ricochet was chosen as a puppy to be a service dog for a person with a disability, but as she advanced through her training program, the fun-loving pup developed an affinity for chasing birds, putting her future as a service dog in jeopardy. Refusing to give up on her, Ricochet’s owner Judy Fridono soon discovered that her dog’s talents for patience, balance and coordination were better suited for a life riding the waves. On August 20, 2009, Ricochet was surfing next to Patrick Ivison, a quadriplegic surfer, and decided to abandon her board and jump onto his as they neared the shoreline. Ricochet’s true life mission was revealed: She is now a ‘SURFice’ dog for disabled surfers. Her fundraising initiative, Surfin' for Paws-abilities, allows Ricochet to act as a canine co-pilot for numerous adults and kids alike while raising money to help those in need. To date, Ricochet has helped raise more than $125,000 for more than 150 human and animal causes, including childhood special needs, arthritis, breast cancer, canine cancer and of course, animal rescue.

ASPCA Cat of the Year
On a cold night in Baltimore last January, two teenage boys trapped a young mother cat in a milk crate while she was nursing her kittens, doused her in lighter fluid and struck a match. The brave feline managed to escape from the crate, extinguish the fire and return to tend to her newborn kittens. Mittens, as she was named, was rescued by local police as well as Baltimore City Animal Control officers, and, along with her kittens, was brought to the Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Shelter (BARCS), where she slowly recovered from the loss of her ears as well as third and fourth-degree burns covering 70 percent of her body. Despite her severe injuries, Mittens continued to care for her kittens during recovery and was very affectionate toward the BARCS staff. Mittens’ inspiring story resulted in extensive media coverage and she became the unofficial face of the fight for animal protection laws in the state. Due, in part, to Mittens, the 2011 Maryland Congressional Session achieved unprecedented success as new laws were passed that had previously failed, finally giving a stronger voice to animals in need across Maryland. She now resides in the loving home of Cindy Wright, while the primary perpetrator in the case pled guilty to felony animal cruelty.

ASPCA “Tommy P. Monahan” Kid of the Year
Last year, Stevie Nelson’s two black Labs went missing just two days before his fifth birthday, and he was completely crushed. His family searched tirelessly in their hometown of Tilden, Nebraska as well as across three states, hired an investigator and even offered a reward to anyone who might know of the dogs’ whereabouts. Stevie’s only birthday wish was to have his dogs back, but the beloved pets never turned up. Shortly after the holidays, after seeing an ASPCA television commercial, Stevie decided he wanted to help other needy animals find homes. Instead of asking for toys and games for his sixth birthday, he set out to raise $6,000 for the Northeast Nebraska Humane Society (NNHS), which was launching a capital campaign to build a new animal shelter. By his birthday on March 16, Stevie had surpassed his initial goal, and to date, he has raised more than $28,000 for NNHS to continue to help even more animals in need.

This award is dedicated to Tommy P. Monahan, a nine-year-old Staten Island boy who perished in 2007 trying to save his dog from a house fire.

ASPCA Public Service Award
A court-recognized expert on dog fighting who has testified before Congress, Sgt. David Hunt of the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office in Columbus, Ohio has served as a leader in uncovering the link between animal cruelty and other serious crimes such as drug dealing, gambling and racketeering. Since 2002, Sgt. Hunt has executed 51 search warrants resulting in 67 felony dog fighting arrests. He has trained law enforcement officers in 28 states, and has been instrumental in demonstrating the value of investigating blood sports while also helping to shift the opinions and perspectives of law enforcement, law makers and other elected officials to take crimes against animals seriously.

ASPCA Henry Bergh Award
Headquartered in Brewster, New York, Green Chimneys was founded in 1947 by the Ross Family to help children with emotional, behavioral, social and learning challenges through educational and therapeutic services. A leader in animal-assisted activities, Green Chimneys operates an innovative special education school and residential treatment facility with programs to strengthen the emotional health and well being of children by promoting a harmonious relationship with animals and the environment. Today, the agency serves youth from New York State and western Connecticut and houses 200 farm animals, wildlife, horses and a small number of service dogs in training. The farm’s domesticated animals are the root of Green Chimneys’ treatment approach, in which trust is cultivated between all residents, human and animal alike.

ASPCA Presidential Service Awards (two recipients)

Caroline Griffin
In 2009, Phoenix, a female pit bull, was doused with gasoline and set on fire in West Baltimore.  After hearing about this horrific incident of animal cruelty, Caroline Griffin, who previously had a private law practice, devoted her life to advocating for changes in Baltimore's policies and procedures to better protect animals and prosecute their abusers. Caroline was appointed to chair a task force to examine the extent of animal abuse and neglect in the city and to develop ways to improve the coordination of all the agencies and individuals concerned about the problem. Her leadership of the Mayor's Anti-Animal Abuse Task Force led to heightened media and public awareness of animal issues and an unprecedented level of cooperation between groups. She has helped to create a dramatic change in the way the citizens and officials of Baltimore view our duties to protect animals. In recognition of the effectiveness of this task force, the Baltimore City Council in October 2010 officially voted to make it a permanent standing Anti-Animal Abuse Advisory Commission, the first of its kind in the country. Through Caroline’s unrelenting work, the Commission has not only helped Baltimore become a more humane community, but also serves as a model for other cities across the country.  

Subaru of America, Inc.
Inspired by their customers, close to 70 percent of whom have a pet, Subaru has built a strong, long-term partnership with the ASPCA to help bring people and pets together. The company’s unprecedented commitment to animal welfare has made a real difference in the lives of homeless pets. Through the Subaru “Love a Pet” Adoption Drive program, the ASPCA works with Subaru dealers across the country to team them up with local shelters to host co-branded ‘Love a Pet’ adoption events.  Since the inception of the program in late 2008, hundreds of events have been conducted through Subaru’s network of more than 600 dealerships, helping place thousands of animals in loving homes and raising awareness and desperately needed financial support for local animal welfare agencies.

Subaru’s commitment goes well beyond funds to support a host of mission-centric initiatives, including their development of a Crime Scene Investigation vehicle customized to ASPCA specifications, cars for several partner communities and sponsorship of the National Spay Neuter Project and Team ASPCA.

About the ASPCA®
Founded in 1866, the ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) is the first humane organization established in the Americas and serves as the nation’s leading voice for animal welfare. One million supporters strong, the ASPCA’s mission is to provide effective means for the prevention of cruelty to animals throughout the United States. As a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation, the ASPCA is a national leader in the areas of anti-cruelty, community outreach and animal health services. The ASPCA, which is headquartered in New York City, offers a wide range of programs, including a mobile clinic outreach initiative, its own humane law enforcement team, and a groundbreaking veterinary forensics team and mobile animal CSI unit. For more information, please visit www.aspca.org. To become a fan of the ASPCA on Facebook, go to www.facebook.com/aspca. To follow the ASPCA on Twitter, go to www.twitter.com/aspca.

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