Animal Welfare Federation of Connecticut (AWFCT) is a state-wide non-profit coalition of animal shelters, rescue organizations & professionals, and animal advocates.

Petsmart Charities offers July Webinars

You'll want to make sure to register soon for these sessions as they fill up very quickly. You can register at http://petsmartcharities.webex.com.

Building a Community TNR Program – Advanced

Presented by: Bryan Kortis, Executive Director, Neighborhood Cats

Tuesday, July 14: 6-7:30 a.m. Hawaii ; 9-10:30 a.m. pacific; 10-11:30 a.m. mountain; 11-12:30 p.m. central; 12-1:30 p.m. eastern

Thursday, July 16: 9-10:30 a.m. Hawaii ; 12-1:30 p.m. pacific; 1-2:30 p.m. mountain; 2-3:30 p.m. central; 3-4:30 p.m. eastern

This is the second topic in Bryan ’s TNR series You’re running a Trap-Neuter-Return program for your community and have the basic pieces in place, including low cost spay/neuter, traps and trappers. You’ve defined your mission, chosen a basic strategy to fit your resources and community’s needs and cats are being trapped and fixed on a regular basis. How do you now take your program to the next level and begin to turn the tide of the free-roaming cat population in a measurable and lasting manner? Building a Community TNR Program Advanced will help show you the way! Expanding on the lessons of the earlier webinar, Building a Community TNR Program 101, this class will explore issues which programs that are up and running and trying to grow are likely to face. We’ll take an in-depth look at the roles different stakeholders in the community can play in your program, including animal control, public health, other animal welfare agencies, the veterinary community and wildlife groups. Other topics will include making the best use of high volume spay/neuter clinics, liability issues, public outreach, developing fundraising sources unique to TNR, colony registration issues, creating and managing caretaker networks, and more.

Cats As Individuals – Tools for Identification and Adoption Matches(NEW AND IMPROVED! New illustrations!)

Presented by Kit Jenkins , Program Manager for Agency Enhancement, PetSmart Charities

Monday, July 20: 7-9 a.m. Hawaii; 10-12 p.m. pacific; 11-1 p.m. mountain; 12-2 p.m. central; 1-3 p.m. eastern

Thursday, July 23: 9-11 a.m. Hawaii; 12-2 p.m. pacific; 1-3 p.m. mountain; 2-4 p.m. central; 3-5 p.m. eastern

It’s important for staff, volunteers, and public to recognize the individuality of each cat. This session will address color, pattern, and body-type identification for cats. Using accurate physical descriptions will help you track cats and kittens (by database or by hand) for simpler record keeping. Even more important, when we note the physical individuality of cats, we can draw the public’s interest and help them understand the personality and individuality of cats as well. This presentation will last 90 minutes. We will then allow an additional 30 minutes for an open Q & A. (You are not required to stay for this additional time; however, we wanted to make sure to give attendees the opportunity to ask detailed questions after the presentation.)

National Leader of No Kill Movement Introduces New Book Calling For An End To The Killing Of Homeless Animals In Shelters

(Los Angeles) Almaden Books is proud to announce the release of Nathan Winograd’s groundbreaking book, Redemption: The Myth of Pet Overpopulation and the No Kill Revolution in America. Winograd, an attorney turned animal sheltering-guru whose work has been featured in Reader’s Digest, USA Today, Metropolitan Home, the Washington Post, and in local newspapers, radio and television around the country, has written the definitive book on animal sheltering in the United States, offering the formula to end the killing of up to 5 million homeless dogs and cats who enter U.S. shelters every year. "Redemption tells the story of animal sheltering in the United States - a movement that was born of compassion and then lost its way," explains Winograd, "But there is hope. Over the last decade, the success of the No Kill movement’s revolutionary approach to animal sheltering has proven that there is a blueprint to end the killing, and that it is incumbent upon animal lovers nationwide to ensure that they are implemented in every shelter in our country." The title is receiving critical acclaim from animal lovers and book reviewers from coast to coast, including:

"Millions of healthy and adoptable dogs and cats are put to death in animal shelters every year. That their deaths are unnecessary is the premise of Winograd's unique and important book, which establishes a blueprint for the creation of no-kill shelters." - Publisher’s Weekly, Library Journal.

"Powerful and inspirational... [this book will] have a truly transformative effect." - Taimie Bryant, UCLA Professor of Law and Author of the 1998 California Animal Shelter Law.

"For anyone who has ever loved an animal, this book, like no other non-fiction, takes you through the full spectrum of emotions: from sadness to anger, from fear to hope...This book deserves your immediate attention and our beloved animals deserve your immediate action." - Lee Rayburn, Air America Radio.

Winograd will begin a 16-city national book tour in Ithaca, NY, where, as Executive Director for the Tompkins County SPCA from 2001-2004, he created the nation’s first No Kill community, saving all healthy and treatable homeless animals. Each event on the tour will include an hour long multi-media presentation entitled "Building a No Kill Community," followed by a book signing. For those who cannot attend, Redemption is available for sale at Barnes & Noble, Borders, Amazon and other fine booksellers.

For more information, including a book tour schedule, print quality images of the cover and author, and other
background, author biography, and marketing material, go to www.nathanwinograd.com