Thank you to guest contributor, Brent Toellner, senior director of national programs, Best Friends Animal Society
Tawny Hammond, national no kill leadership advancement director with Best Friends Animal Society, believes how we treat companion animals is a direct reflection of our communities’ overall well-being. She cites studies that support consistent, compassionate, integrous contemporary animal services. Hammond asserts if the profession of animal services was elevated to a discipline, it would directly impact the well-being of the entire community.
Source: TEDx, September 2021. Link. Not only would it create consistency for the way we treat companion animals, but it would create equity for how their people are treated across all socio-economic strata.”
Remember that the way we treat companion animals has everything to do with our community wellness.”
INSIGHTS: Best Friends Animal Society and Southern Utah University have created the nation’s first contemporary animal services institute. Link. It will serve as a center for animal services certifications – executive-level certificates for top-level personnel, mid-level certificates for management leadership, shelter medicine leadership, dog lifesaving, cat lifesaving, animal control leadership and more. Plus, institute advisory members will teach courses that lead to the nation’s first associate’s and bachelor’s degrees in contemporary animal services.