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| HSI |
| HSI exhibit booth at Expo 2008. |
by Carly Ikuma
Nearly 1,800 animal lovers descended on Disney's Coronado Spring Resort in Orlando, Florida in May to celebrate animals, connect with old friends, learn about the latest in animal welfare issues, and meet new people in their field. Each year, Humane Society International hosts multiple-day workshops at The HSUS’s Animal Care Expo geared towards assisting animal protection organizations working in developing countries. More than 60 participants from Kazakhstan to Kuwait attended these events, some traveling as far as 9,000 miles to be there. More than 20 countries were represented.
Making Valuable Connections
Conference participants had the chance to learn about everything from using the Web to enhance publicity and fundraising to how to effectively work with local law enforcement on cruelty cases. The international workshops and activities also served as a way to connect with others around the world who face the same challenges and isolation in what they do. Fun networking opportunities included a competitive game of bingo and contests that aimed to get participants to learn more about each other.
“I was able to share with people from other countries and now we can continue to work together,” said Natalia Vallejo of Sociedad Protectora de Animales de Medellin, Colombia.
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| Michelle Riley/The HSUS |
| Costa Rican attendees visiting the Expo Exhibit Hall. |
International Day of Discussions
On International Day, some of the presentations focused on the issue of street animal welfare, a topic that often makes its way into the media when governments around the world use culls in a misguided effort to control both disease outbreaks and animal overpopulation.
Discussion topics included the use of science-based evidence and statistics to promote humane methods of animal management, and how to reliably estimate the number of free-roaming dogs in a community to maximize the impact of sterilization and vaccination efforts.
The issue of global wildlife trafficking, what’s being done to stop it and how local organizations all over the world can get involved was also presented during International Day.
Introducing humane euthanasia as a protocol in government run shelters in developing countries was talked about in a special plenary workshop, providing insight on how animal protection groups can work with their local authorities to move toward using more compassionate methods.
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| Michelle Riley/The HSUS |
HSI CEO Dr. Andrew Rowan presents Ms. Gordon with
her award. |
Recognition Given
This year, two organizations with which HSI has worked on several projects were honored with an Animal Advocates award.
Gente por la Defensa Animal from Mexico City, Mexico and the
Afghan Stray Animal League from Kabul, Afghanistan were presented with awards thanking them for their hard work in promoting the protection of animal in their countries and serving as an example for other groups in their regions.
In addition, an award for Extraordinary Commitment and Achievement was presented to Rosemary Gordon of Asociacion Humanitaria San Francisco de Asis, who has worked to save animals by educating and involving the community in and around Colán, Peru for more than 20 years.
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| Michelle Riley/The HSUS |
HSI VP Kitty Block presents GEPDA's
award. |
Reactions from Attendees
All of the attendees were excited to be a part of the conference, and many spoke of taking their new knowledge back home to their colleagues. “This has been an unforgettable experience for me. I enjoyed every minute thoroughly...so educational and inspiring! I'll find a way to share what I’ve learned here with my fellow animal welfare volunteers in China,” said Zhang Dan of China Animal Rescue.
“It's my first year and I hope to be in Las Vegas next year,” said Wilma Rivera-Diaz, Puerto Rico Office of Animal Control. “I'm going back to my country with my 'luggage' full of new ideas. Thank you all for the opportunity that you gave me to be part of this incredible conference!”
Everyone is looking forward to 2009!
