Massachusetts Animal Coalition

02/12/2025

Happy 25th Birthday Massachusetts Animal Coalition! Yep, today MAC turns 25 - read all about it here:

https://conta.cc/4jVZPCV

02/05/2025

How Much Do You Know About Bird Flu?

You probably have seen recent news about cats infected by H5N1 avian influenza virus. Join Drs. Cynda Crawford and Julie Levy on Tuesday, February 11 at 12PM PT/3PM ET for the webcast, “How Much Do You Know About Bird Flu?”

Can this virus spread from cat-to-cat? Can cats spread infection to people? What is the risk for infected cats entering shelters, TNR clinics and community clinics? Drs. Crawford and Levy will talk about risk factors for H5N1 avian influenza infection of cats in outdoor and indoor settings; risk mitigation measures for shelters, TNR clinics, and community clinics; and what to do if you suspect a cat might be infected in a one-hour webcast. Please bring your questions.

Dr. Crawford is a Clinical Associate Professor in Shelter Medicine. Her areas of expertise include diagnosis, treatment, management, and prevention of infectious diseases in dogs and cats in sheltering facilities. Dr. Levy is the Fran Marino Endowed Distinguished Professor of Shelter Medicine Education at the University of Florida, where she focuses on the health and welfare of animals in shelters, feline infectious diseases, and humane alternatives for cat population control.

This webcast will be recorded. It has been pre-approved for 1.0 Certified Animal Welfare Administrator continuing education credits by The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement and by the National Animal Care & Control Association.
Date: February 11, 2025
Time: 12n Pacific / 2pm Central / 3pm Eastern (one hour)
Register here: https://forum.maddiesfund.org/.../special-webcast-on...

On-demand: This session will be recorded, register now to receive the link to the on-demand recording after the live event

UPDATE: Watch the on-demand recording of this webcast on YouTube: https://youtu.be/srGO-9SPtoU

How Much Do You Know About Bird Flu?

You probably have seen recent news about cats infected by H5N1 avian influenza virus. Join us on Tuesday, February 11 at 12PM PT/3PM ET for the webcast, “How Much Do You Know About Bird Flu?” hosted by Drs. Cynda Crawford and Julie Levy.

Can this virus spread from cat-to-cat? Can cats spread infection to people? What is the risk for infected cats entering shelters, TNR clinics and community clinics? Drs. Crawford and Levy will talk about risk factors for H5N1 avian influenza infection of cats in outdoor and indoor settings; risk mitigation measures for shelters, TNR clinics, and community clinics; and what to do if you suspect a cat might be infected in a one-hour webcast. Please bring your questions.

Dr. Crawford is a Clinical Associate Professor in Shelter Medicine. Her areas of expertise include diagnosis, treatment, management, and prevention of infectious diseases in dogs and cats in sheltering facilities. Dr. Levy is the Fran Marino Endowed Distinguished Professor of Shelter Medicine Education at the University of Florida, where she focuses on the health and welfare of animals in shelters, feline infectious diseases, and humane alternatives for cat population control.

This webcast will be recorded. It has been pre-approved for 1.0 Certified Animal Welfare Administrator continuing education credits by The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement and by the National Animal Care & Control Association.

Date: February 11, 2025
Time: 12n Pacific / 2pm Central / 3pm Eastern (one hour)
Register: https://forum.maddiesfund.org/discussion/special-webcast-on-february-11-2025-how-much-do-you-know-about-bird-flu
On-demand: This session will be recorded, register now to receive the link to the on-demand recording after the live event

02/01/2025

Here is a Feline Fix by Five Link to all of the resources your organization might need to promote this great campaign for the month of February. This is an incredible media kit with cut and paste talking points, video and graphics you can use to get the word out. It is designed for the individual, organization or veterinarian-so it should be very user friendly.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kXLPNlp6v1kt37c6y5rP7r0Cg2TusEnr/edit =h.gjdgxs

01/28/2025

01/28/2025

Guidance for Animal Control Officers Responding to Avian Influenza Mortality Events & Public Inquiries ~

https://www.mass.gov/doc/guidance-for-animal-control-officers-responding-to-avian-influenza-mortality-events-public-inquiries

01/08/2025

FREE live webinar (will be recorded) January 9th at 2 p.m. EST! Presentation and discussion on ways to change the animal welfare industry setbacks to successes.

In an environment where overcrowded kennels, limited funding and people in desperate need of pet support services are the norm, HASS is inviting you to be a part of the solution to issues like these 2025! In this webinar, Lee Ann Shenefiel, program director for the Hays County Pet Resource Center, will share proven research, programming and free resources for your organization to unite with HASS in changing animal welfare industry setbacks to successes.

For our new monthly webinar series built for shelter staff or volunteers of all titles, HASS will offer the opportunity to not only attend a live event, but join optional office hours with the keynote speaker for a continued discussion or problem solving session regarding the webinar topic. Those who register for the live event will also receive information on registering for the office hours as well, and we encourage you to share the link directly with your staff!

01/06/2025

Legislative Update for the Massachusetts Animal Coalition

On December 31 at 1:22 am, the 2023-24 legislative session ended. Animal advocates were in the House and Senate gallery until the end watching the final bills, including animal bills, get enacted and sent to Governor Healey. While the session started slowly, records were set with 5 stand-alone animal bills passing!

Here is a run-down:

“Ollie’s Law” requires reasonable rules and regulations of dog daycares and boarding kennels. It also adjusted some of the kennel laws and will require municipalities to send a list of kennels to the state, which will help understand the number and types of kennels that exist statewide. A licensing authority must now specify the maximum number of animals allowed in a kennel. A committee will soon be formed by MDAR to work on the regulations. See resources below for more information.
Decades in the making, the bill to prohibit the use of elephants, big cats, primates, bears, and giraffes in traveling shows in Massachusetts passed in July and took effect on January 1.
As of January 7, a dog’s breed can no longer be a factor to determine whether a family can adopt or foster children. This bill also removed restrictive language that hindered employees and contractors of human services agencies from reporting suspected animal cruelty.

and

On the Governor’s desk: S. 2552, a bill that bans the cat declawing unless for a therapeutic purpose.
On the Governor’s desk: S. 2908, a bill with provisions that ban the sale of animals under 8 weeks and prevent the roadside/outdoor sale of animals.
More info on these bills at www.mspca.org/currentlegislation
Weigh in with the Governor. She has until Friday the 10th to sign: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/email-the-governors-office

Also this year:
$100,000 was included for the Mass. Animal Fund in the state budget for the spaying and neutering of animals.
Recognizing the “link” between animal cruelty and interpersonal violence, harming or threatening to harm an animal was included as part of the definition of “coercive control” in “An Act to Prevent Abuse and Exploitation.” (This law updated and expanded legal language about abuse and also addressed new technology and its use in abusive behavior and sexual harassment.)
Advocates continued to pass laws in their cities and towns ending the sale of puppies from puppy mills and other animals raised in large-scale commercial facilities who are sold in pet shops, banning the sale of new fur products, and restricting the use of rodenticides.
The Governor allowed the beaver, “Nibi,” rehabilitated by Newhouse Wildlife Rescue to remain an educational beaver after attempts at release failed. The Governor’s interest in his fate is very encouraging and hopefully will stop harmful efforts to allow trapping with body-gripping traps and is a good indicator of her positions on other issues that impact wildlife.

The 2025-26 legislative session started on January 1. The deadline for bills to be timely filed is January 17. Hearings will start around May and run through the rest of the year. We expect bills to be filed on:

Pets in housing: bills will seek to increase pet-friendly housing in the state through several changes in our law, primarily impacting state-aided housing and prohibiting discrimination by insurance companies.
Animal Cruelty: bills will seek to ensure that animals are able to be removed from harmful situations, expand the use of citations for cruel conditions (that currently are just allowed for dogs), and prevent the possession of animals after a cruelty conviction.
Breeding: after the removal of minimum standards for dog breeders that was originally part of Ollie’s law, efforts to address this gap in our laws will continue.
Animal Mill to Pet Shop pipeline: dogs, cats, rabbits, AND guinea pigs will be the focus of bills that would prevent the commercial sale of these animals, but allow pet stores to partner with shelters and rescues.

What you can do:

1. Make sure you know who your state representative and state senator are. If you don’t, you can look them up at www.wheredoivotema.com.
2. Sign up for the MSPCA’s alerts at www.mspca.org/jointheteam to be notified about key dates, events, and when urgent action is needed.
3. Contact your legislators after January 17 and ask them to co-sponsor bills to protect animals.Learn about these bills as they are filed on the MSPCA’s or ARL’s websites, below.

Resources:

www.mspca.org/advocacy
www.arlboston.org/animal-advocacy
www.mass.gov/info-details/ollies-law-information

On September 20th, 2024, an Act to Increase Kennel Safety (AKA Ollie’s Law) was signed by Governor Maura Healey.

12/23/2024

Important information from Missing Dogs Massachusetts to keep you pets safe this Holiday season ~

With the holidays upon us many are taking vacations and leaving our loved ones with pet sitters, friends or family members. Dogs in unfamiliar places or situations should be considered Flight Risks.
Have you checked to see what your sitter is doing to ensure your dog will be safe?
- Are they following your wishes to not take your dog off leash while walking?
- Do you have your dog on a martingale collar?
- Is any fencing secure?
- Have you asked them to leash or crate your dog before opening doors?
-Is your dog's microchip registered?
- Does your dog have ID tags with your current contact information?
- In the sad event your dog goes missing, do you and your pet sitter have a recovery plan in place?

With the holidays upon us many are taking vacations and leaving our loved ones with pet sitters, friends or family members. Dogs in unfamiliar places or situations should be considered Flight Risks.

Have you checked to see what your sitter is doing to ensure your dog will be safe?

- Are they following your wishes to not take your dog off leash while walking?
- Do you have your dog on a martingale collar?
- Is any fencing secure?
- Have you asked them to leash or crate your dog before opening doors?
-Is your dog's microchip registered?
- Does your dog have ID tags with your current contact information?
- In the sad event your dog goes missing, do you and your pet sitter have a recovery plan in place?

Please consider safety when selecting someone to care for your precious family. No one can ever be too cautious when it comes to pet safety!

12/22/2024

MAC is now accepting applications for 2025 License Plate Grants ~

MAC offers grant funding to shelters, rescues, and nonprofit high volume spay/neuter providers, which are incorporated and licensed in the state of Massachusetts. Municipal animal control programs in Massachusetts are not required to be incorporated or licensed and are also encouraged to apply.

The deadline for submissions is January 15, 2025.

Email from Massachusetts Animal Coalition New Grant Cycle! MAC is now accepting applications for the 2025 License Plate Grant Cycle!! MAC offers grant funding to shelters, rescues, and nonprofit high

12/18/2024

Bird flu precautions:

The FDA is providing pet owners and animal caretakers with information about ways to reduce the risk to their animals of contracting HPAI (H5N1).

12/15/2024

Scholarship Applications and Early Bird Registration Open Next Week

https://sites.grenadine.co/sites/newenglandfed/en/nefhs2025/home

12/12/2024

MAC has been busy this year - look at what we have done in 2024! Please support our work.

Email from Massachusetts Animal Coalition It has been a busy year Dear Alana, MAC has been busy this year! Please support our work! Before Covid we were offering three in-person MAC meetings a year:

12/10/2024

The Center for Animals and Public Policy (CAPP) at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University invites you to

MS in Animals and Public Policy (MAPP) Informational Webinar with Dr. Megan Kiely Mueller

Thursday, December 12, 2024, 12-1pm (ET) on Zoom
If you're interested in human-animal interaction, passionate about animals, or curious about a graduate degree that will help you improve the lives of animals and people, you might be interested in checking out this free informational webinar with Megan Kiely Mueller, PhD, MA, Associate Professor of human-animal interaction and faculty in Tufts University's MS in Animals and Public Policy (MAPP) program at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University to learn more about the MAPP program as well as her areas of expertise.

Dr. Mueller leads the Tufts Pets and Well-Being Lab. She also is a Senior Fellow at Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life. Her research focuses on a developmental approach to understanding human-animal interaction, including both pet ownership and animal-assisted interventions, and on issues related to public policy regarding animals and the role pets can play in improving education, health, and other aspects of civic life.

MAPP is an intensive, 12-to-16-month graduate degree program that focuses on human-animal relationships and their implications for policy and community action. While students enter the program with different interests, skills, philosophies, and aspirations, all share a passion for understanding human-animal relationships and promoting the status of animals in society.
Register in advance for this meeting here. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

10/30/2024

New England Federation of Humane Societies November webinar ~
Title: Panleukopenia: How Your Shelter Can Prepare
Date & Time: Wednesday, November 13th at 11 am
Presenters: Lauren Fitzpatrick, CVT, B.S. Community and Shelter Medicine Veterinary Technician Supervisor, ARL Boston

Come learn about the latest updates in panleukopenia diagnostics, medical care and the most recent studies.

Presented by: Lauren Fitzpatrick, CVT, B.S. Community and Shelter Medicine Veterinary Technician Supervisor, ARL Boston Lauren graduated from Mount Ida College magna cm laude with her Bachelors degree in Veterinary Technology in 2014. After a short time working in emergency and Critical Care, Lauren began her career in shelter medicine at The Animal Rescue League of Boston, where she now manages 10 amazing veterinary technicians and assistants working in ARL's 3 shelter locations, and on the ARL's Spay Waggin and Wellness Waggin. In her free time Lauren enjoys spending time with her daughter, dog, 3 cats and 2 chickens, as well as gardening and reading.

https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_iuj0Qn9TRpWyL9snqEnC1A #/registration

10/23/2024

~ MAC’s Lunch & Learn ~

Fundraising 101
Friday, November 8, 2024 from 12pm-1pm
Part 1: Getting Started and Fundraising Fundamentals
Friday, November 15, 2024 from 12pm-1pm
Part 2: Why People Give, Making a Plan, Measuring Your Success and More!

So many of us have no formal training when it comes to fundraising. We just wing it and rejoice when we get donations that help us keep our doors open. But there are fundraising professionals who understand how to bring donations in and keep them coming in. We are very excited to announce that Jackie Smith, Vice President of Development at the Animal Rescue League of Boston, is going to share her knowledge and suggestions with you in a 2-part MAC Lunch and Learn series. This comprehensive series is an amazing opportunity for animal welfare professionals and volunteers in Massachusetts! Don’t miss it!

Register here:

So many of us have no formal training when it comes to fundraising. We just wing it and rejoice when we get donations that help us keep our doors open. But there are fundraising professionals who understand how to bring donations in and keep them coming in. We are very excited to announce that Jacki...

10/03/2024

Massachusetts Animal Coalition's October e-news ~

Current events in animal welfare in Massachusetts and beyond October 2024 What's Up With MAC? What AniMatch Learned from a Conversation with Massachusetts Certified Dog Trainers  MAC’s AniMatch team

09/24/2024

MAC's Whole Cat Workshop ~
October 20, 2024
Early registration now open for MAC members. Registration for non-members opens Sept 30.

Details & registration info:

This workshop will focus on planning considerations for cats, focusing on those whose behavior may put them in a category of difficult to house or difficult to place. Speakers will cover planning for cats prior to intake all the way through settling into their new homes and how adopters react to the...

09/16/2024

Shelter Animal Behavior Certificate Course ~

ONLY 15 spots open for the next session of the
Animal Shelter Behavioral Management Certificate Course
through the University of the Pacific starts on September 30, 2024


This on-line course is taught by Certified Animal Behavior Consultant and Shelter Animal Behavior Specialist Kelley Bollen, MS, CABC who also serves as the Director of Humane Network's
Alive & Thriving program.


This 8-week certificate course will give you the knowledge and skills to develop an effective behavior program at your shelter aimed at improving the welfare of the animals in your care.

For more information and to register click button below.

Sign up for certificate course from University of the Pacific.