"Often, those of us in animal welfare feel weighed down with the seemingly endless animal welfare activities we do in our respective areas, until we see the wonderful work done, often under difficult environments, by other dear ones around the world. The conference was simply rejuvenating. Thank you, Humane Society International, for making it happen."
- Josphat Ngonyo, Youth for Conservation, Kenya
Fourteen hundred people from around the world descended upon Disneyland in March to save some animals. Don't worry – Mickey and friends are fine. The critters these folks were here to help are the homeless, neglected, and abused animals living in countries everywhere.
Welcome to Animal Care Expo 2006. This annual conference, organized by The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), brings together hundreds of animal welfare groups and individuals for four days of seminars, exhibits, lectures and workshops, all to benefit animals across the globe. Veterinarians, rescue workers, sheltering professionals, volunteers and others can learn how to improve their own organizations through sharing experiences.
"My experience at Expo this year was absolutely amazing. I feel I have grown with the knowledge gained and am totally thrown by the fact that I knew so little before. I hope I am able to help animals in Northern Peru towards attaining a better world for them, with knowledge gained at Expo."
- Rosemary Gordon, Associación Humanitaria San Francisco de Asis, Peru
Humane Society International's participation in Expo has grown progressively in recent years. The bulk of Expo focuses on domestic issues, but for the past five years HSI has brought people from all over the globe to participate in week-long training internships prior to the start of the conference. The internships are sponsored by U.S. humane societies and shelters with which The HSUS has worked closely. Staff from international animal welfare groups are awarded the training internships, and they also participate in Expo, where they are given guidance on a range of issues from community outreach to shelter cleaning.
Expo 2006 boasted 50 international attendees from 27 countries, including 12 interns sponsored by eight host societies. Interns traveled from Kenya, Ivory Coast, Armenia, Greece, Kyrgyzstan, Spain, Sri Lanka, Taiwan and the Cayman Islands.
"The Expo allows us to get very close with the most important organizations in animal welfare. Expo is the best example of how an international animal protection event should take place. It is an excellent opportunity to listen and learn everything of varied and important aspects that are present in animal protection."
- Cecelia Ochoa, Fundación Vidanimal, Colombia
One highlight of Expo is International Day, where attendees are offered specially designed seminars on animal welfare work in developing countries. At this year's conference, guest speakers from around the world addressed such pressing topics as international disaster preparedness and response, anti-cruelty legislation and enforcement, and the link between animal cruelty and human violence.
At other workshops in the the following days, more guest speakers talked about humane education and organizing effective campaigns in an international environment.
In addition to HSI, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals of New South Wales (Australia), the International Fund for Animal Welfare, the World Society for the Protection of Animals, The Brooke Hospital for Animals and the Mayhew Animal Home-UK were also present, with representatives providing seminars and lectures on International Day.
At the HSI Open Forum, conference attendees had a chance to learn about issues facing their international colleagues. Participants spoke about their programs and projects, the issues and obstacles they must overcome, and the solutions they found.
Though the issues varied from country to country, the wisdom these groups shared proved valuable across cultural boundaries and presented the opportunity for both the larger international welfare groups and the smaller, local international organizations to learn a wealth of information from the others' experiences. The sharing and networking that occurs during these forums is perhaps the most important aspect of the conference.
Another highlight of Animal Care Expo is the presentation of several special awards. The Animal Advocates program creates partnerships between HSI and animal protection groups, shelters, and individual activists around the globe, forming a network committed to implementing humane standards for animal care everywhere. The award recognizes international organizations that endorse, promote, and strive to adhere to certain basic policies of humane education in their local communities, and that reduce the overpopulation of companion animals by discouraging breeding and promoting spaying and neutering. These awardees also serve as examples for other developing groups. This year's recipients are The Bahamas Humane Society and the Animal Aid Society of Udaipur, India.
The HSI Award for Extraordinary Commitment and Achievement was presented to Princess Elizabeth de Croy of France, whose lifetime devotion to saving all creatures great and small is greatly admired around the world.
"I personally found Expo a thrilling experience... it was exhilarating to see so many people from the same field there."
- Kerenza Gayner, Cretan Animal Welfare Group, Greece
Animal Care Expo is sometimes the first opportunity people from around the world have to visit the United States. Many come from countries where animals are considered no more than trash, and sterilization is truly a foreign concept. Animals wander the streets, some with collars, but everyone or no one claims them as their own. Governments often do not provide the resources to care for them, or their country is in turmoil -- a heartbreaking reality for these voiceless victims.
HSI admires these local groups for encouraging their neighbors to open their eyes to the plights of these animals and find a compassionate solution. Many of these groups work on limited budgets and rely almost entirely on volunteer support. Realizing the necessity for each country to have its own individualized answers to animal issues, HSI will continue to support international animal advocates through training events like Expo.
