As we look forward to the warmth and renewal of spring, we're excited to share updates and news with our Ohio Fed members and friends. With the season of growth upon us, we also look forward to our upcoming Virtual Annual Meeting.
|
|
|
Please join us on March 26 at 3:00 p.m. when we will reflect on our shared accomplishments and legislative activity, elect members to our Board of Directors, and set the stage for another year of impactful work. Click here to register.
|
|
|
|
|
|
LEADERSHIP SUMMIT - MAY 15 & 16
Registration is now OPEN for our second annual, in-person Ohio Fed Leadership Summit! Based on the feedback we received last year, this year's Summit has been expanded to a day-and-a-half, May 15-16, 2025, at Mohican Lodge & Conference Center!
|
|
|
|
The Leadership Summit is an opportunity for leaders in animal welfare in Ohio to meet each other, talk about what is happening in their communities, discuss ways they are currently addressing community needs, share ideas, and, hopefully, lay the groundwork for future collaborations.
Day One will feature a 2-hour session that is sure to resonate with our leaders around the state: Drama + Tough Talk: Why Drama Happens at Work and How to Stop it, For Real. Is drama wasting your emotional energy and contributing to an unhappy group dynamic? Let's talk about it and how to address it with your team. After the session enjoy a relaxing evening with other leaders from around the state.
Day Two will be structured with three blocks of time for breakout sessions and share-outs. The sessions will be a free-flowing exchange of ideas where you can safely share your thoughts and ask questions among supportive colleagues.
Registration is limited to 50 attendees from Ohio Fed member organizations (non-members can be waitlisted) and is open to leaders who hold positions within the top two levels of their organization (no more than two people per organization).
We hope to see you there! |
|
|
|
|
Leadership Workshop Sponsor: |
|
|
|
|
The 136th Ohio Legislature is in full swing!
On April 2, we will be hosting our annual visit to the Ohio Statehouse where we will enjoy a full morning of meetings with legislators and staff to discuss bills of interest to our members. Check out our Advocacy Policy to learn what bills we follow. |
|
|
The bill that sought to expand veterinary telehealth capabilities in the last legislative session has been reintroduced as SB 60. The main change to this new version of the bill is that it excludes clients whose animals are used in any aspect of food production unless an in-person VCPR already has been established. This is one of the bills we plan to discuss with legislators on April 2 with the intent of gaining their support of the bill. Another bill that we are watching is SB 64, which seeks to enhance the penalties for animal abuse, neglect, and cruelty under ORC Section 959.131. We are looking forward to working with the sponsor to ensure that enhancements to existing law through this bill will serve the intended purpose of adding to the toolbelt of humane society agents, other law enforcement, and prosecutors and better protecting companion animals. Finally, the Pet Friendly Rental Act that Ohio Fed supported during the last General Assembly will be reintroduced during this General Assembly. There are many more issues and ideas floating around. We will be sure to share any updates as we receive them.
Member Benefit: If members would like to receive legislative updates as they happen, please email ohiofedhs@gmail.com and ask to be added to the list for advocacy alerts. |
|
|
UPDATED RESOURCES FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT
Both the Ohio Animal Cruelty Law Enforcement Manual and the Ohio Animal Law Handbook are being updated and the 2025 versions should be ready by mid-March.
Both resources were developed as reference guides for humane agents and other law enforcement officers. Visit the Law Enforcement section of our Resources page for details.
Member Benefit: Members receive a discount on both publications. |
|
|
|
|
HELP WITH CONFERENCE FEES
In an effort to support our members with their continuing education needs, Ohio Fed is offering to cover up to $250 of the registration fee to a non-Ohio Fed conference of your choice. Use this form to tell us about the conference you want to attend, and how attending will help you help animals in Ohio. We will select ONE person to support PER conference, until our scholarship budget is depleted for the year. If chosen you will be asked to share something you learned from the conference in the next issue of our Quarterly e-News! |
|
|
|
|
MICROCHIP DISCOUNT
Organizational members of the Ohio Animal Welfare Federation are eligible for these special PetPoint discounts: |
|
|
-
50% discount on new client on-boarding fee (retail ranges from $500-$1,500)
-
$5.95 for standard microchips on orders of 100+ (retail is $6.35)
-
$6.63 for 15-gauge chips on orders of 500+ (retail is $7.95)
Ask your PetPoint representative for details! |
|
|
|
|
DON'T MISS THESE NEW NATIONAL RESOURCES
Shelter Animals Count (SAC) Year-End 2024 Report
SAC's annual data analysis compares 2023 and 2019 (pre-pandemic) and includes data from more than 13,500 organizations nationwide. The report shows a decrease in community intakes; live outcomes the same as 2023; an increase in length of stay for dogs of all sizes; and animals still more likely to be adopted now then before the pandemic. However, transfers and return-to-home rates are declining, leading to greater risk of euthanasia when space and resources are limited. Read all about these trends and more here.
Agree? Disagree? Here May be Why
If you read the report and wonder why your organization's trends differ from the national trends, read "Why Animal Sheltering Organizations See Different Data Trends Locally vs. Nationally" for insights as to why.
Have you joined the Ohio Fed SAC Coalition? Email us for instructions on how to join.
SAC Data Basics Workbook
This workbook, part of the Data Foundations Series powered by Hill's Pet Nutrition, was designed to standardize data practices across the animal welfare industry and help you make the most of your shelter's data. Access the workbook here.
Fostering Connections: A Guide to Strengthening Volunteer and Foster Programs
Foster programs are arguably the single most important intervention to save dogs’ lives by reducing length of stay and preparing dogs for adoption. This new toolkit by the PEDIGREE Foundation shares tips and information to educate on the impact foster programs have on helping dogs find forever homes. Access the toolkit here.
Note: The PEDIGREE Foundation will be hosting a webinar to go along with this toolkit March 13. A panel will discuss best practices for building, growing, and maintaining a foster program, highlighting real-life situations, practical solutions, and recommended resources. Click here for details. |
|
|
|
|
WELCOME NEW MEMBERS!
The following shelters and organizations joined Ohio Fed during the first quarter of 2025:
- Arrowhead Reptile Rescue
- Hocking County Dog Shelter/Humane Society
- National Animal Care & Control Association
- The Healthy Hearts & Paws Project
Click here for a list of all organizational members. |
|
|
NEWS FROM AROUND THE FED
- The Humane Society of Harrison County would like to share a fundraising resource, Flower Power. Flower Power provides a website and materials for free, and the shelter receives 50% of sales over $500. Last year their crew of three TNR'd more than 200 community cats before running out of funds from their fundraiser. Here's hoping they surpass their 2025 goal!
- Two members of Gigi's Veterinary Team, Hayley Hadden, DVM, and Meghan Herron, DVM, DACVB, recently published ground-breaking research in the Journal of Shelter Medicine and Community Animal Health. Their study, "Effects of Deferred Puppy Intake on Incidence of Canine Parvovirus Infection and Survival: A Community Case Study," explores how delaying the intake of puppies into shelters, especially those like their rural, under-resourced partner shelters, can significantly reduce the spread of parvovirus – and ultimately save lives. Read the full article here.
Do you have news to share? Click here to submit your news for the next issue. |
|
|
|
THANK YOU!
|
We wish to thank Petco Love for their continued sponsorship of our webinar program!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Meet, Connect, Share, Collaborate |
|
Hope to see you all there! |
|
|
|
|
|
May 15-16, 2025 @ Mohican Lodge |
|
|
The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and Humane Society International are now Humane World for Animals. Read all about the new name and logo here.
|
|
|
|
