In September 2017, G2Z conducted four Workshops – Shelter Animal Behaviour, Social Change, Animal Management and Shelter Medicine with a record- number of attendees.
The 7th biennial G2Z Summit was AWLQ’s biggest yet and welcomed those from the government, not-for-profit welfare, shelter and rescue sectors, research, academic and veterinary professions and the pet industry. The Summit covered topics ranging from disease control and prevention, reuniting lost pets, to reducing intake and keeping people and their pets together before they need the services of a shelter or pound facility.
The biennial G2Z Summit presents a wonderful opportunity for Council animal management, shelters, rescue groups, veterinarians, the pet industry and interested community members to connect, learn and network.
International speakers included:
Brigid Wasson, President of Missing Pet Partnership, who discussed how owners and finders of lost cats and dogs can be helped to get these lost animals back home.
Katenna Jones, animal behaviourist, who has been director of educational programs for the American Association of Professional Dog Trainers, and Animal Behaviourist for the American Humane Association. Katenna presented a full day workshop on effective training and behaviour modification strategies for dogs and feline carers in shelters, and how to keep cats and dogs in their homes.
Dr Aleisha Schwartz, who works with shelters across the United States as Outreach Veterinarian for the University of Wisconsin Shelter Medicine Program, presented creative solutions for prevention and management of disease in shelters, as well as managing free roaming cats in Hawaii.
Dr Myles Chadwick, Vice President of Emancipet, presented how his not-for-profit organisation has developed a national, affordable vet care system to serve low income families and their pets.
City of Gold Coast Gets to Zero!
At the Summit, AWLQ presented a film on how the City of Gold Coast got to zero!
AWLQ’s team of over 160 staff and 3,000 volunteers has been working to achieve an end to the killing of healthy and treatable cats and dogs in a whole city i.e. the City of Gold Coast (population over 560 000).
In 2009, AWLQ became the first large shelter in Australia to achieve a zero euthanasia rate of healthy and sociable animals, and in 2016 extended this achievement to treatable animals.
