Two national speakers will address these questions (and more!) at Michigan Pet Fund Alliance's No Kill Conference,  Getting to the Goal , on  September 27-28 at the  Radisson Plaza Hotel at Kalamazoo Center .

Dr. Linda Harper

Linda R. Harper, Ph.D. is a lifelong animal lover and advocate and has been a clinical psychologist in the Chicago area for over 30 years. As the founder of Blessed Bonds, a foster-based program that keeps people and pets together, she understands the physical, mental, and emotional stress that comes with this heart-driven work. Linda is a frequent speaker at animal welfare conferences and gives workshops throughout the country, including at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary. Linda leads a pet loss support group sponsored by the Chicago Veterinary Medical Association and is the author of four books including The Power of Joy in Giving to Animals. Linda lives in Palos Park, IL, with her husband Mario and a variety of furry friends. Her pet walker affectionately refers to her home as "the land of the misfits."

Dr. Harper will conduct this session on both Thursday and Friday:

• The Care and Feeding of Staff and Volunteers - Working in animal rescue IS STRESSFUL. Shelter staff, AC officers and volunteers at shelters and rescue organizations are exposed on a regular basis to animal cruelty, life and death decisions, what seems like an endless stream of need for the homeless animals in their care, the uncertainty that the best decision was made for the adoption and rehoming of their voiceless clients - not to mention the daily interface of working with the two-legged in an emotional environment. In 2015 a study by the American Journal of Preventive Medicine revealed that animal rescue workers have a suicide rate of 5.3 in 1 million workers. This is the highest suicide rate among American workers; a rate shared only by firefighters and police officers. Stress, burnout, depression often referred to as Compassion Fatigue with its long-term consequences is real in every organization. Just like the airplane scenario, if you don't put your oxygen mask on first you can't effectively help those in your care. Learn what can be done to combat stress which will make your organization more effective at helping the animals. Every organization needs to be offering such a program for staff and volunteers.

	Kristen Auerbach

Kristen Auerbach is the director of animal services for Pima Animal Care Center in Tucson, AZ which takes in 16,000 - 18,000 pets each year, saving roughly 90% of them. PACC is a national leader in innovative programs including the pet support call center which provides counseling for 8,000 residents monthly and the Maddie's Fund foster program, the largest dedicated foster program in the country. PACC also runs the Maddie's Fund foster apprenticeships for adult dogs, where students from around the United States come to learn about changing the game for big dogs in shelters.

Kristen was formerly the deputy chief animal services officer at the Austin Animal Center in Austin, TX. The Austin Animal Center is a national leader in no-kill animal sheltering, saving more than 97% of the 18,000 animals that came through its doors last year. Since 2011, Austin has been the largest no-kill city in America. She previously served as the assistant director at the Fairfax County Animal Shelter in Fairfax, VA, where she helped to overturn pit bull adoption restrictions, double adoptions and cut euthanasia in half, bringing Fairfax County to no-kill. During her tenure, she implemented dog play groups, a comprehensive in-shelter enrichment program for cats and dogs, and lifesaving foster programs.

Kristen presents and writes regularly on a variety of subjects, including breed labeling, reducing shelter intake, innovative foster care, social media and marketing and the future of animal sheltering. Her efforts have been featured in numerous national publications and websites, such as Animal Sheltering magazine, the Huffington Post, BarkPost, the Dodo and Buzzfeed, and on TV networks, including CNN, Fox and ABC.

The discounted hotel rate block at the Radisson Plaza hotel is filling fast. To get this rate ( $135 + 11% tax)  call (269) 343-3333  and book your room using " Getting to the Goal 2018" .