Best Friends Animal Society National Conference 2017

The alarm clock blared.  Through blurry eyes, I read the time:  1:45 a.m.  It was time to begin our 14 hour journey.

My husband and I were heading to New Jersey to attend the Best Friends Animal Society National Conference.  I have always been passionate about animals and their welfare.  To be able to spend three whole days with others who share that passion is truly amazing.

With Polar Pops in hand, we hit the road!  The trip took us through the states of Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.  I loved getting to see gorgeous mountains looming against the night sky surrounded by stars.

I must admit that we were a bit overwhelmed when we reached Atlantic City.  We were not used to all of the lights, extremely tall buildings and valets on every corner.  Stepping into the Harrah’s hotel and casino was like walking onto a movie set.  Plush carpet gave way to luxurious marble floors.  Lights flashed continuously in the casino as music and game sound effects blasted forth.

A bellhop followed us to our room pushing our luggage on a golden cart.  The elevators required a room key card for activation.  The view from our room was breathtaking.  Skyscrapers gave way to the Jersey shore.  Seagulls lazily circled the rooftop below.

Our view of New Jersey!

After settling in, we decided to take a tour of the place that was to be our home for the next three nights.  We discovered numerous dining options, an incredible indoor pool complete with a DJ and multiple specialty shops, including a jewelry store!  There was also a cooking school, Elizabeth Arden Red Door Spa and a fitness center.  Talk about paradise!

The conference started bright and early at 7:30 a.m.  Did I mention that the New Jersey time zone is an hour ahead of our usual time?  Caffeine was a must!  After we nibbled on fresh fruit and bagels, we went to the opening session.

So excited for the first day!

Gregory Castle, the founder of Best Friends Animal Society, gave a truly empowering presentation.  He is leading the movement to make all animal shelters across the United States no-kill by 2025.  Several states have already put this policy into practice.  I am going to do everything that I can to make my home state of Illinois part of the no-kill solution.

I am proud to have signed the 2025 piece!

My husband and I made constant use of the conference app.  We could mark which sessions we wanted to attend, receive notifications, and share photos using the hashtag #BFNC.  The app also contained detailed maps so that we could easily find our way to the next event.

We attended four sessions on our first day.  Even though we were tired, we headed to the Exhibitor Hall to do some shopping.  I was beyond excited to see a BOBS by Sketchers booth!  Not only were they sponsoring the conference, but they also brought adorable dog and cat themed shoes to sell!  The best part?  Conference attendees received a 20% discount!  I bought three pairs.

BOBS was also hosting a scavenger hunt.  Cut outs of BOBS shoes were hidden all around the conference area.  If you found a shoe, you earned an entry into a drawing to win several prize packages.  I was lucky enough to find a shoe on the first day of the conference!  We had just finished reading the placard about the 2025 piece.  I turned around to say something to Matt and there was the shoe hiding behind the placard!

I found a shoe!

I also loved getting to speak with representatives from animal rescue groups and shelters across the country.  Some of my favorites included: Alley Cat Allies, My Pit Bull Is Family, and Wayside Waifs.  I picked up some awesome swag to proudly show my support for these amazing groups.

I am seriously loving all of my new shirts!

Aside from shopping, I gained a great deal of knowledge.  I learned about the Million Cat Challenge. Per their website, “The Million Cat Challenge is a shelter-based campaign to save the lives of one million cats in North America over the next five years. 

The core strategy of the campaign will focus on five key initiatives that offer every shelter, in every community, practical choices to reduce euthanasia and increase live outcomes for shelter cats.”  (http://www.millioncatchallenge.org/)

Hanging out with Frank the Feral at the Alley Cat Allies booth.

Maddie’s Fund, a sponsor of the conference, dropped some major knowledge.  They have created a free app that allows shelters and rescue groups to track all of the animals that they have taken in and adopted out.  The database keeps a detailed log of each animal from the date of intake through adoption.  The shelters/rescue groups receive updates in real time including medical alerts.  I cannot believe that such a valuable app is free!  #ThanksMaddie

Maddie was so sweet!  I even got a hug!

Maddie’s Fund was also handing out tokens to all conference attendees.  You could earn additional tokens by stopping by their different booths and learning about their numerous animal welfare projects.  The tokens then earned you a spin on the Maddie Wheel, where you could win awesome prizes.  Some attendees walked away with $1,000 grants for their shelter/rescue group!  My husband and I both won luggage tags.  (www.maddiesfund.org)

One of my favorite conference moments was getting to meet Aladdin.  This adorable Pitbull had been found severely emaciated, his back legs and tail were broken and he was missing 12 teeth!  Aladdin has since recovered and is now a therapy dog, spreading joy and smiles to everyone he meets.  This amazing pooch is now in the running for a Hero Dog Award.  We were lucky enough to see Aladdin meet Maddie from Maddie’s Fund.  My husband recorded the adorable event.

Aladdin relaxes at the conference on his favorite bed.

Matt and I left our mark on the Petco Foundation map!

Wayside Waifs has created their own anti-bullying curriculum that features real dogs!

The second day of the conference was just as busy.  My favorite session was Working with Shy and Fearful Dogs.  This session ended up being standing room only!  The speaker was amazing!  The tips and tricks that she provided were truly helpful and the training videos were so touching.  Seeing dogs that were once shy and fearful blossom into happy pooches was an emotional experience.

I am very glad that I brought my husband with me.  There were so many sessions that I wanted to attend, so we did a bit of tag teaming.  He ended up leaving one of the sessions early to assure that we would get our copy of Catify to Satisfy signed by Jackson Galaxy.  I am glad that he did.  By the time my session ended, the line was out the door!

My husband, Matt, and Jackson Galaxy!

My favorite session was presented by the Cat Daddy himself!  He was so dynamic and passionate.  I loved how he totally immersed himself in the topic and completely lost track of time.  When the Best Friends volunteers held up the 10 minute warning sign, he said, “Is that all the time I have?  For the whole presentation?  SH*T!”

He would have talked to our group the whole day if he could have.  I loved watching the video for his new Cat Pawsitive shelter program.  This is a system of training techniques and care to make cats more adoptable.  The program teaches cats how to high five, jump through hoops and more.  The video was so emotional that Jackson was even crying!  Seeing him whip out a blue handkerchief and dab his eyes made my heart swell.

I was so inspired by the conference that I became a Guardian Angel Member of the Best Friends Animal Society!  My monthly donations will go toward saving animals across the country.  The Best Friends staff and volunteers were absolutely amazing!  Their passion for animals and their welfare was evident in everything that they did.  Some volunteers danced as they held signs that guided the attendees toward key locations. They were always available to answer any questions that we might have had and did so with a smile on their face.

I am so proud to be a Guardian Angel Member of the Best Friends Animal Society!

  The closing session was beyond motivating.  Legend Gloria Gaynor surprised the audience by singing her epic hit “I Will Survive.”  We then listened to an impassioned presentation about how we can all make a difference in the no-kill movement. 

I left the conference feeling more inspired and motivated than I have ever been before.  My commitment to be a voice for the animals has been renewed.  I am going to work tirelessly to ensure that the United States of America becomes a no-kill nation by 2025! 

Join me in this powerful movement and together, we can Save Them All!  Take the pledge by clicking here:  http://bestfriends.org/about-best-friends/our-mission/no-kill-2025

They All Saw a Cat Book Review

They All Saw a Cat by Brendan Wenzel tells that tale of a cat walking through the world and how the creatures he/she encounters perceive him/her.  Everyone that the cat meets views him/her very differently.  Some see the cat as skinny, while others see him/her as fat.  Some think the cat is friendly while others think the cat is mean.

Could all of the creatures be looking at the same cat?  Could all of their perceptions be correct?  Most importantly, how does the cat view him/herself?

I absolutely loved reading this book!  Wenzel takes the complex concept of personal perception and makes it easily attainable for children to grasp.  The illustrations are simply stunning!  It is very clear to see why the book won a Caldecott Honor Medal.  Each illustration represents a new perspective and incorporates a mixed media style.

I also love how Wenzel incorporates science into the book.  The illustration of the worm's perspective of the cat highlights the fact that worms "see" by feeling the vibrations in the ground.  Still another scientific illustration appears when the cat passes a bat.  This illustration demonstrates how bats use echolocation to see the world.

This book is a must read for book lovers of all ages.  Children will especially delight in the colorful cast of characters that the cat meets along his/her journey.  I believe that this book could also be incorporated into school curriculum to help teach children about respecting the opinions of others.

Hope on RecreoViral Animales

Lazy Leaders

Tears were streaming like waterfalls down the woman’s face.  Her hysterical sobs wracked her body so hard that she shook.  Redness flushed her face until she looked like a spring ripened tomato.

A stunned Jackson Galaxy stared on from a corner of the woman’s bedroom.  What had caused her to go into such hysterics?  One of her cats had become spooked and let out a small “Meow.”

“I hate to see them upset,” she sobbed.

“Whoa!  This has got to go,” said Jackson as he pointed to the woman’s face.  He informed her that she could not fall to pieces every time her cats appeared moody.  She needed to be the pack leader.

In the same episode of “My Cat from Hell,” Jackson met with a family who refused to help care for their two cats.  As a result, their single mom became the soul caregiver.  He also told the worn out mom that she needed to take charge and be the leader.

This woman made every excuse that she could possibly think of for her children.  One daughter had dance lessons after school.  The other daughter was heavily involved in sports.  And the son had worked hard all day at school and needed to rest.  I was ready to throw something at my television.

Due to the carelessness of the children and the mom’s fear of angering them, one of the cats began to bully the other.  The bullying was so bad that the victim cat had to have his litter box placed on the kitchen counter.  Yes, you read that right.  The cat’s litter box was on the same kitchen counter where the family’s food was placed.

Just as in a family dynamic, our furry family members need to understand exactly who the pack leader is.  If this leadership is not established, they will take it upon themselves to fill the role.  Without proper training and guidance, these loving creatures can create havoc of the worst kind.

One of my friends received a Corgi puppy as an anniversary gift from her husband.  She fell completely in love with the ball of fur.  Her Facebook page became flooded with selfies of the inseparable pair.

Just two short weeks later, I received a text asking if I would be interested in keeping the pup.  I could not understand it.  She had seemed so smitten.  What had gone wrong?

Since both my friend and her husband work, the puppy was left home alone for hours on end every day.  When he was finally released from his crate, he would run amuck.  He chewed on the carpet and delighted in peeling wallpaper off of the walls.  Marking became an issue as the playful pooch seemed to think that everything in the house belonged to him.  He also refused to sleep through the night and had begun howling.

I asked my friend what types of training techniques she had been using.  There was a lengthy pause before she admitted that she had not done any.  No wonder the puppy was behaving poorly!  He had no idea what kind of behavior was expected of him.

Unfortunately, my grandmother was the same way.  She owned a Shiz-tsu that she had had since he was a pup.  As grandma aged, she stopped requiring her dog to behave.  She was no longer quick enough to get to the door to let her pooch outside to potty.  Instead, he would simply go wherever he felt like.  I tried showing grandma different options including a doggy door but she just wanted to adore and cherish her furry companion without rules.

I believe that many pet parents feel that they are being cruel if they establish dominance over the animals in their lives.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  Showing that you are in charge does not mean that you are using force or being malicious.  You are giving your pets the gift of stability.  They will know exactly where they stand within the family hierarchy and take pride in their role.

The easiest way to set boundaries is through obedience training.  There are four basic commands that all dogs should master.  The commands are:

1.      Sit

2.      Stay

3.      Down/Off

4.      Come/Heel

My in-laws have had huge success in clicker training their Min Pin, Kallee.  They combined positive reinforcement while using the clicker device.  She can do tons of amazing tricks in addition to following the basic commands listed above.

If you live in a multiple pet household, chances are you know exactly who the pack leader is among your furry bunch.  For our family, the leader is Theo, our long-haired Chihuahua.  He automatically took to the role as we began to adopt more precious pets.

Theo, our fearless pack leader!

Watching Theo meet his new siblings was like watching a lion with his pride on National Geographic.  He would immediately walk up to the new dog/cat and begin sniffing.  Theo would then sit a few feet away and stare directly into the dog’s/cat’s eyes.  Amazingly, each dog would lower him/herself to the ground and roll over on his/her back.  The cats would turn their backs and just walk away.

Theo established dominance without any use of force.  He never barred his teeth or tried to bite.  Instead, he exuded confidence that the other animals could literally see.  His status among the pack has never been questioned.  He rules with a soft paw and only lets out a growl if he thinks the other dogs are playing too rough with each other. 

The same is true of our cats.  Miracle is our majestic queen.  We rescued her from the middle of Main Street in our town when she was just two weeks old.  She very quickly became one of the dogs.  Two years later, we adopted Olaf.  Miracle was less then pleased. 

The initial meeting was somewhat tense.  Olaf gave her a sniff…and she hissed in his face.  For the first few days, Miracle did her best to avoid Olaf.  She made sure that she always sat on the highest perch possible.  In doing so, she was showing Olaf that she is the boss.  He soon learned that Miracle wanted her space and he respected her authority.

Sven entered our lives in April of this year.  He was drawn to Olaf immediately.  Being one year old, Sven still has a lot of kitten-like behaviors.  He sauntered up to Olaf and tried to rub up against him.  This was met with a hiss and a smack in the face with a quick paw.  Miracle had a similar reaction.

To the woman on “My Cat from Hell,” this would have been a sign that the three would never get along and more hysterical tears would have ensued.  We knew that all our cats really needed was more time to get adjusted.  In a matter of weeks, Miracle, Sven and Olaf were all drinking out of the same water dish.  Olaf even started licking Sven’s face!

The key to being a good leader is to have patience.  Nothing lasting is ever achieved overnight.  Goals need to be set along with a plan for how to reach them.  The next step is to follow through on the plan every day.  Nothing is worse than initiating training and then immediately stopping for several days.  The dog or cat that is being trained will become totally confused and any learning that has taken place could go right out the window.

Another quality that is essential to leadership is authority.  This means truly taking charge of the situation.  Every action taken must be done with certainty.  Dogs and cats will sense the confidence and soon learn where they stand in the family.

We have found the word “no” to be a very powerful tool.  When one of our cats decides that he/she wants to pick a fight, we sharply say the cat’s name followed by a loud “NO!”  This typically curtails any mischievousness right on the spot.

With our pooches, we found that using a water bottle filled with cool water works like magic.  We NEVER spray the dogs in the face.  Just one quick spritz on the behind is all it takes.  Our dogs have become so used to the bottle that they hardly even need to be sprayed anymore.  Once they see me or my husband shake the bottle, they snap to attention.  Chaos is stopped and order is restored without the use of force or cruelty.

Without established rules and a pack leader, more than just the furniture can get ruined.  A pet’s very life may be in danger.  In a more recent episode of “My Cat from Hell,” one formerly feral kitty almost took the tail off of his new litter box mate!  This cat had severe territorial aggression.  Had his cat guardians not taken steps to rectify the situation, they might have ended up with a very injured (and tailless) cat.

Being a pet parent is not all about snuggles and kisses.  By adopting these amazing creatures, we have vowed to give them the best life imaginable.  This includes setting boundaries and enforcing rules.  Providing leadership is essential to ensuring that our beloved furry family members have an outstanding quality of life where they will be protected and respected.  Step up and be the leader for your pack today!