September 2022
We hope this e-News finds you well and enjoying the last days of summer. The days are getting shorter, the nights are getting cooler and our shelter and rescue friends are all feeling the weight of increased intakes! In the last quarter of 2022 we plan to organize virtual meetings that will allow you to share what's going on in your community and how you are handling it. The Ohio Animal Welfare Federation (OAWF) is committed to encouraging cooperative, supportive and collaborative relationships across the animal welfare field in Ohio, so let's talk and support each other! Watch your email for details. |
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Progress on Senate Bill 164
We are pleased to report that SB 164, which seeks to ban the use of gas chambers to euthanize domestic animals and designate the most egregious felony and first-degree misdemeanor animal cruelty offenses as “violent offenses,” passed out of the Senate in the Spring! Time may be running out, but we remain hopeful that this bill will move quickly in the House and become law this legislative session. |
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Click here to read SB 164 |
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Pet-Friendly Housing
In our last update we told you about legislation being drafted by the Cleveland Animal Protective League that would incentivize landlords to offer pet-friendly rentals. The idea for this concept came from the work on housing insecurity and pets that the Cleveland APL and Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) are working on, and both HSUS and the Ohio Animal Welfare Federation conceptually support the bill.
Under the proposed legislation, landlords whose rental policies meet criteria set in the bill would receive credit per rental unit against their aggregate tax liability up to a capped amount. Examples of qualifying criteria for landlords would include not charging a nonrefundable deposit fee or additional rent related to the companion animals living at the property and not restricting dogs based on breed or size. A list of these pet-friendly rentals would be published on the Ohio Department of Taxation's website. Stay tuned for updates!
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.
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Meet Mark Finneran
We recently had the opportunity to meet Mark Finneran, the new Ohio State Director for The Humane Society of the United States. Mark was born and raised in Columbus, and has spent his career in public policy. Mark's experience in the Ohio legislature, his lifelong Ohio roots, and his passion for doing more for the animals positioned him well to hit the ground running as HSUS' next Ohio State Director. We look forward to working with Mark when legislative issues align with our mission. Did you know? OAWF has an advocacy policy that directs what legislative issues we get involved in. Click here to read it! |
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(l. to r.) HSUS Ohio State Director Mark Finneran, Ohio House Minority Leader Allison Russo, Columbus Humane CEO & OAWF Vice President Rachel Finney and OAWF Executive Director Colleen Evans.
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We are pleased to partner with 24Petcare for their first-ever Ohio Summit on October 6, 2022. This one-day event, hosted at Columbus Humane, will bring together current and future PetPoint software clients across Ohio discuss Ohio data and national trends; using PetPoint to its full potential; increasing RTOs and more. With dedicated session tracks for both current and future PetPoint users, and small session sizes to maximize learning, this FREE event is not to be missed! Click here for full agenda and details.
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Member Benefit: 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)
View all Ohio Fed Resources here. |
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WELCOME! Join us in welcoming our newest Ohio Fed member, the Auglaize County Dog Warden!
Click here for a list of all organizational members. |
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NEWS FROM AROUND THE FED
- Congratulations to the 31 people who successfully completed our Humane Society Agent Training in June. We are proud of you and are here to support you!
- We were pleased to select Alicia Strup of the Williams County Humane Society as the winner of a scholarship to attend the National Animal Care & Control Association's online ACO course. Keep up the great work, Alicia!
- Congratulations to the Cleveland APL for their successful Unleash the Dream campaign that led to the completion of their facility renovation and expansion. It looks amazing, and you guys throw a great party!
- OAWF Executive Director Colleen Evans recently hit the road and enjoyed visiting three OAWF members:
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- The Humane Society of the Ohio Valley in Marietta was chartered in 1888 and is the oldest organization of its kind in Ohio and one of the oldest animal-serving organizations in the United States! Karissa Reynolds and her team do a great job for the animals in Washington County and beyond.
- Carolyn Evans and her team assumed responsibility for Cincinnati Animal CARE two years ago. They have accomplished a lot in those two short years and have big plans for better serving the animals and people in their community.
- Animal Friends Humane Society in Hamilton recently hired a new operations director, is searching for their next executive director and is getting a new roof! Even as they navigate this transition, they continue to provide great care for the animals in their shelter, which they share with dog wardens from the Butler County Sheriff's Office.
Do you have news to share? Click here to submit your news for the next issue. |
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Karissa Reynolds (on left), Executive Director of the Humane Society of the Ohio Valley (Marietta, OH) and Colleen Evans, OAWF Executive Director.
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(Left to right) Meaghan Colville, Carolyn Evans, Troy Taylor and Colleen Evans after a tour of Cincinnati Animal CARE. |
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OAWF Executive Director Colleen Evans (on left) with Cindy Edens, who provides administrative support at Animal Friends Humane Society (Hamilton, OH). |
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Other upcoming programs (details and registration coming soon):
December 13, 2022 - Annual Ohio Animal Cruelty Law Update for Legal Professionals & Law Enforcement
Member Benefit: Ohio Fed members receive discounted registration fees on all of our educational programs. |
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Thank you! We wish to thank Petco Love for their continued sponsorship of our webinar program! |
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