Risks for Rewards presentations
Vote for select Conference attendees to win $1,000 from Petco Love!
We want everyone to be inspired by the risks their peers have taken and to hear authentic, firsthand accounts of what that looked like, why it mattered to their organization and the community they serve, and what it may look like to rise above a failed risk and use what was learned later.
Conference attendees submitted their stories and those selected to present will share those risks and rewards Saturday from 2:00 to 2:45 p.m. in the breakout session rooms. In these rapid-fire sessions, you’ll hear about risk-taking and how stepping outside of your comfort zone can save more lives. At the end of the session, you will have the chance to vote in the event app for which presenter should win $1,000 from Petco Love. Winners should be chosen not just on the quality of the presentation, but also on the risk taken, the outcome and lessons learned. Winners will be announced at the closing session.
Add the session of your choice to your schedule so that you can vote for who in your session room should win $1,000.
Here are the presentation options:
Option 1
Location: Room 301AB
Host: Elizabeth Oreck
Jaime Archer, Mutts of the Midway in Illinois - overhauling adoption policies
Kelly Furnas, Operation Kindness in Texas - opening a kitten nursery
Meaghan Colville, Cincinnati Animal CARE in Ohio - transforming their county shelter
Melissa Felts, Return 2 Home Lost Pet Resources in Virginia - making a bold career change
Please note: to be able to vote, you must add this session to your schedule.
Option 2
Location: Room 302BC
Host: Leah Long
Denice Bain, DenMar's Animal Refuge Network in Texas – becoming a 501(c)(3) to fill resource gaps
Cheyanne Cleary, Kanawha Charleston Humane Association in West Virginia – establishing a program to save dogs diagnosed with parvo
Weng Horak, CARE STL in Missouri – privatizing an urban shelter
Kelly Hines, T-Town TNR in Oklahoma – launching a TNR organization
Please note: to be able to vote, you must add this session to your schedule.
Option 3
Location: Room 305AB
Host: John Graves
Karen Conover, Beau’s Bridge Club in Virginia – figuring out how to keep pets with the families who love them
Stephanie Lewis, Fort Benning Stray Facility in Georgia – defying red tape and outdated standards to save more lives
Anna Johnson, One Tail at a Time in Illinois – rethinking foster recruitment processes
Denton Hawk, Montgomery Humane Society in Alabama – enacting a variety of cat lifesaving programs in a community fearful of change
Please note: to be able to vote, you must add this session to your schedule.
Option 4
Location: Room 306BC
Host: Bethany Heins
Jewell Horton, Pender County Animal Shelter in North Carolina - using transparency through social media to build community support
Courtney Lockey, Franklin County Animal Services in North Carolina – establishing a new TNR program
Alysia Martinez, Pensacola Humane Society in Florida – clearing the shelter for the holidays
Jodi Sirotnak, City Dogs & City Kitties Rescue in Washington D.C. - getting creative to save cats with FIP
Please note: to be able to vote, you must add this session to your schedule.
Option 5
Location: Room 402
Host: Josè Ocaño
Jill Gilbert, Lee County Humane Society in Alabama - taking a leap of faith into a new career
Kevin Zhu, Hearts & Bones Animal Rescue in Texas - bringing dog transport efforts in-house
Megann Smith, Wood County Humane Society in Ohio - evaluating the adoptability of cats to open the door to more lifesaving
Heather Owen, One Tail at a Time in Illinois - shifting focus based on data
Please note: to be able to vote, you must add this session to your schedule.