December 2024

Wishing you a happy and healthy 

holiday season!

We hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and are excited for the holiday season! To kick things off, please join our 5th Annual Holiday Raffle. Purchase tickets by midnight on December 4th to win amazing prizes donated by our Board of Directors, including items for the Bourbon Enthusiast, the Wine Enthusiast, the Sweet Tooth and the Optimist. Winners will be announced December 5th. Good luck and thank you!

ADVOCACY UPDATE

Watching for movement on HB 277 and SB 268 during Lame Duck; Court rules ALL dogs and cats are "companion animals."

SUB HB 277 AND SB 268 

As previously reported, Sub HB 277, the Pet Friendly Rental Act that would provide tax credits to pet friendly landlords, was voted out of the House Ways & Means Committee in the Spring but has not yet been called for a vote on the full House floor. 

SB 268, a bill that would expand veterinary telehealth capabilities, had one hearing in November.

We are hopeful that these two bills can move forward during Lame Duck, but if not, they will be reintroduced during the next General Assembly. 

DEFINITION OF "COMPANION ANIMAL" 

In a unanimous decision, the Ohio Supreme Court ruled in October that R.C. 959.131(C) protects all dogs and cats. In a nutshell, the Court concluded that "'Any' means all, and R.C. 959.131 defines 'companion animal' as including 'any' dog or cat." The dog or cat does NOT need to be "kept" as argued in this case. It was a good day for stray dogs and feral cats, which were in danger of being omitted under the definition of companion animal. Click here to read the Opinion. 

Earlier this year the Ohio Animal Welfare Federation submitted an amicus brief in this case, which was signed by 39 of our members. We are thankful to all who supported this effort! This is a powerful example of the importance of having a statewide organization representing the interests of humane societies, dog wardens and other the animal welfare organizations and the work you do to protect the abused, neglected and homeless animals in our state.  

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.

FEATURED RESOURCE

NOW AVAILABLE:

2025 WEBINAR BUNDLE

Now through January 31, 2025, Ohio Fed member organizations can purchase a Webinar Bundle to cover unlimited webinar registrations for your organization in 2025 (certain exclusions apply).

We plan to once again offer 12+ webinars in 2025 on a wide range of topics. If your organization frequently supports our educational webinars, a Webinar Bundle can save your organization money; enable you to offer training to more of your staff and volunteers; and drastically cut down on time spent requesting or processing registration fee payments.

BONUS: Webinar Bundle also includes unlimited access to all recorded webinars in our online library (unless a speaker requests not to be recorded). Click here for details.

Member Benefit: The Webinar Bundle is only available to current Ohio Fed members. 

SHELTER ANIMALS COUNT COALTION REMINDER

Last year we announced the launch of a new coalition for Ohio Fed members through Shelter Animals Count (SAC). Have you signed up yet?

The Ohio Fed SAC coalition was designed to foster collaboration and provide data tracking and reporting among our members at a statewide level. Participating in the coalition will help us gain a better understanding of what's going on in Ohio and compare it to what SAC reports nationally. Send us an email to receive instructions on how to participate.

REDESIGNED RESOURCES PAGE

We recently redesigned the Resources page on our website, making it easier to find the resources you need to help the animals in your care. Visit the main Resources page to find links to Ohio resources; national resources; resources for shelter operations and animal care; and resources for law enforcement.

Do you have a great resource to add to the list? Let us know!

MEMBER NEWS

We had a busy Fall with 17 people successfully completing our Humane Society Agent Training and another 25 people completing Euthanasia by Injection Training. Congratulations to:

• Congratulations to the Licking County Humane Society on a super successful Fur Ball last month! The main focus of the evening was to raise money for updates to their isolation areas of the shelter, specifically to make it easier for them to care for pets with the most dangerous and easily spread diseases like parvovirus. The event was a huge success, and they plan to start updates to the isolation unit soon.

• The Humane Society of Summit County is celebrating the opening of their new purpose-built facility at 752 Portage Trail Ext. West in Akron. Designed with the well-being of their animals in mind, the new state-of-the art shelter features low-stress, fear-free housing environments and an expanded veterinary clinic equipped to meet modern standards of care and handle the complex needs of their rescue population. While they are officially open to the public now, their formal community open house is Saturday, December 7 and Sunday, December 8, from 10 am - 2 pm. Stop by and see this facility if you get a chance!

• Congratulations to the Humane Society of Richland County on their new addition . . .  a cat-io! Your feline guests are going to love it while they are there.

Do you have news to share? Click here to submit your news for the next issue.

Ohio Fed Board President and Cleveland APL CEO Sharon Harvey (left) enjoyed a hard hat tour of the Humane Society of Summit County's new shelter in October. Our thanks to President & CEO Nick Browning (center) and Director of Operations Kristin Branagan (right) for showing us around!

Ohio Fed Executive Director Colleen Evans (right), enjoyed a visit with Linda Chambers, Executive Director of the Humane Society of Richland County in October. Part of the tour included a peek at their new addition  . . . a cat-io (opening soon)!  

UPCOMING PROGRAMS

January 23, 2025 - Demystifying Insurance for Non-Profit Animal Welfare Organizations: Understanding Coverage and Mitigating Risks (free for Ohio Fed members!)

March 27, April 3, 10 & 17 - Euthanasia by Injection Certification (registration opens in January)

PROGRAMMING NOTE:

Humane Society Agent Training and Euthanasia by Injection Certification will each be offered two times in 2025 - Spring and Fall. Watch your email or our Events page for dates.

Member Benefit: Ohio Fed members receive discounted registration fees on all of our educational programs.

SAVE THE DATE!

Our 2025 Leadership Summit will be May 15-16, 2025, at Mohican State Park and Conference Center. Based on the positive feedback we received after last year's Summit we have decided to expand it to 1.5 days. Mark your calendars and watch for more information in your email or on our Events page. 

Mohican State Park and Conference Center in Perrysville, OH

SAFE CAPTURE TRAINING

We frequently get questions about chemical capture training. The San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance Academy now offers training in chemical immobilization and anesthesia of domestic and wildlife species in three formats: in-person, livestream or self-guided e-Learning. For more information click here.

A LITTLE INSPIRATION

Two weeks ago the Association for Animal Welfare Advancement awarded the Wagsies Animal Welfare Video Awards during their annual conference in New Orleans. The Wagsies honor outstanding marketing, promotional and storytelling videos created to help pets in need. View the winning entries and finalists here and take inspiration from these award-winning shelters! 

QUICK LINKS

Events

Resources

Member Resource Directory

Board of Directors

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