INDIANA – Nearly 300 animal-welfare professionals and volunteers, rescue and community organizations, veterinary professionals, and government officials from across the state gathered April 17 and 18 in Indianapolis for the 7th annual Indiana Animal Welfare Conference.
The conference featured three different tracks of seminars and speakers, as well as an exhibit hall and networking sessions. With shelters, foster, and rescue services in Indiana and across the country overwhelmed, the critical role of spaying and neutering was a focus throughout the event.
“As Indiana’s only statewide animal welfare organization, our role is to connect the dots,” said Cheri Storms, executive director of Pet Friendly Services of Indiana, the host organization for the event. “This conference is one of the ways we do that. We bring together veterinarians, shelters, rescues, and advocates so they can learn from each other. We know that prevention works. Spaying and neutering work. This conference is about helping people move from reacting to the problem to getting ahead of it.”
At the conference, Pet Friendly Services of Indiana launched a new, statewide Spay/Neuter Resource Directory, making it easier for pet owners to find affordable options close to home. The directory is searchable by county and includes low-cost clinics, transport programs (to clinics), voucher programs, and mobile clinics across Indiana, all in one place…