Hot Topics 2018

Massachusetts Animal Coalition Presents:
“If You See Something, Say Something”:
Identifying and Reporting Animal Cruelty  for Animal Welfare Professionals

When: Sunday, December 2, 2018

Presentations from the meeting:

“If You See Something, Say Something”:
Identifying and Reporting Animal Cruelty
for Animal Welfare Professionals

Overview of PAWS II Act (Kara Holmquist, MSPCA Director of Advocacy)
Some of you asked for this at MAC’s “Business of Running a Shelter or Rescue” meeting in September! Here it is!!!In 2014 the PAWS Act (Protect Animal Welfare and Safety) was passed. In August of 2018 the PAWS II Actwas signed by Governor Baker. The PAWS II bill builds on the state’s animal cruelty laws made with the passage of the original 2014 PAWS Act in 2014. Learn about how this law affects you and the animals you serve. PAWS II MAC (K Holmquist)

Introduction and the Importance of “The Link” (Emily McCobb, DVM, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University) Introduction – Identifying & Reporting Animal Cruelty 2018 E. McCobb

MA State Cruelty laws (Nadine Pellegrini, Esq.)
How they apply to you Standard Operating Procedures – Law (N Pelligrini)

Roles/Responsibility/Reporting (Edward Schettino, DVM, Animal Rescue League of Boston) Reporting Animal Cruelty (E Schettino)
— What is the role of the ACO/Shelter/Rescue agent?
— How to set up protocols

Why you need to report (Lt. Alan Borgal, Animal Rescue League of Boston and Anne Lindsay, Massachusetts Animal Coalition)
— Cases/examples Why you need to report Animal Neglect 2018 LindsayBorgal no videos

Click here to access the manual Reporting Animal Cruelty – The Role of the Veterinarian in Massachusetts

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About our presenters

Kara Holmquist, Esq. is the Director of Advocacy for the MSPCA. In this capacity, she has led many initiatives and coalitions resulting in the passage of significant animal protection laws. In recent years, she worked to pass both PAWS I and PAWS II, as well as the 2012 bill that prevents municipalities from discriminating based on breed, allows animals to be included in temporary protection orders, and established the Massachusetts Animal Fund. Kara was also instrumental in passing the “hot car” law as well as the law creating the “I’m Animal Friendly” license plates. Kara both implemented the “Animal Friendly” license plate program and for several years ran this program for the Massachusetts Animal Coalition (MAC). She has also worked on historic ballot initiative campaigns related to trapping, greyhound racing, and farmed animal confinement.

Kara holds a law degree from Suffolk University Law School. She has been a member of MAC since its inception and served on the board for several terms. She is also on the steering committee of Mass Voters for Animals, a group that seeks to elect humane-minded legislators to office. She is on the board of the Safe People Safe Pets organization, which focuses on the link between animal abuse and other forms of violence, and is a member of the of the Massachusetts Bar Association’s Animal Law Practice Group.

Kara lives with her dog, 3 cats, husband, and daughter.

Emily McCobb, DVM, MS, DACVA is Director of the Tufts Shelter Medicine Program.  She is also Director of the Luke and Lily Lerner Spay Neuter Clinic and the Center for Shelter Dogs, Assistant Director of the Tufts Center for Animals and Public Policy and a clinical assistant professor of Anesthesia at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University.  As program director she supervises the on campus spay neuter clinic which serves over 2000 animals per year as well as all Cummings Veterinary students.  In the hospital she supervises students and veterinary trainees in small animal anesthesia.  As track leader for the Animals and Community track at the Center, Dr. McCobb works to support community programs at the Cummings School and assisted in opening the Tufts at Tech Community Veterinary Clinic.  She completed a fellowship at the Tisch College of Civic Engagement in 2012 and holds a secondary appointment at Tisch College.

The mission of the Tufts Shelter Medicine Program is to teach veterinary students best practices of surgery and medicine while sensitizing students to the needs of underserved animals.  The program also provides opportunities for veterinary students to give back to their communities and to engage in service learning.  Dr. McCobb mentors veterinary and graduate students for clinical work and for animal welfare related research projects.  Her published works cover the topics of shelter animal welfare and animal cruelty as well as clinical anesthesia and pain management.

Dr. McCobb is a 2000 graduate of the Cummings School and completed a rotating small animal internship at Angell Memorial Animal Hospital. She obtained a Masters of Animals and Public Policy also from Tufts in 2002 and completed a residency in Anesthesiology and Pain Management in 2006.  She is a board certified Veterinary Anesthesiologist.
Dr. McCobb served on the MAC board from 2006 through 2015 and was a past board President and Vice President.  She volunteers with the Spay Worcester task force and has helped coordinate MAC meetings.

Nadine Pellegrini, Esq., was the Animal Rescue League’s first Director of Advocacy, serving from February of 2016 through October of 2017, after serving 25 years at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Boston.
She has since returned to the United States Attorney’s Office where she is currently assigned to the Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit. She has previously served as chief of the Major Crimes Unit, working with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries, prosecuting cases involving violations of the Endangered Species Act; the Marine Mammal Protection Act; the Lacey Act; and others.
After receiving her law degree from Albany Law School of Union University, a keen interest in animal protection led Nadine to pursue a master of science degree in animals and public policy from the Tufts Center for Animals and Public Policy (CAPP) at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine.

Nadine has also taught courses on animal law at Boston College Law School and given lectures on federal wildlife protection at CAPP.
A Natick resident, Nadine is an animal lover who currently lives with Lulu, a miniature dachshund who was surrendered to ARL when Nadine was Director, and Hobbes, an Irish Sport Horse, who consumes all of her disposable income.

Edward Schettino, DVM, PhD, Vice President of Animal Welfare and Veterinary Services at the Animal Rescue League of Boston, received both his Masters and PhD from New York University’s Sackler Institute of Biomedical Sciences in Molecular Oncology and Immunology. He received his DVM from the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University and in 2013 an MBA from Clark University’s School of Management.

Dr. Schettino worked for VCA Animal Hospitals for over 9 years as a general practitioner and medical director before moving to the Animal Rescue League of Boston in 2013. He is currently the Vice President of Animal Welfare and Veterinary Services and oversees all the operational programs within the organization.

Lt. Alan Borgal, Law Enforcement Director of The Animal Rescue League of Boston (ARL) has been employed by ARL for 42 years, and has been a Massachusetts Special State Police Officer since 1981. In 2017 Lt. Borgal received the prestigious Maddie’s Fund® Hero Award – one of just 10 recipients in the United States. Law Enforcement investigates crimes against animal cruelty, abuse, and neglect and has the authority to enforce animal cruelty and neglect laws. Alan works closely with local, state and federal law enforcement agencies, prosecutors and animal control officers throughout the Commonwealth. In 2017, ARL investigated cruelty and neglect cases involving 2,966 animals, resulting in 84 law enforcement prosecutions. As a key member of ARL’s Law Enforcement Department Alan also assists ARL’s Rescue Services, providing the hands-on work of rescuing animals in difficult circumstances.

Anne Lindsay has been an advocate for animals for 30 years. She is the founder and clerk of the Massachusetts Animal Coalition (MAC). Sheewas director of a canine rescue organization for many years and worked at the Northeast Animal Shelter in Salem, MA as Director of Public Relations and Special Projects for 12 years. At the same time she worked with a very dedicated board on developing MAC’s structure.

In 2010 Anne earned Masters degree in Counseling Psychology from Lesley University. She has consulted with states, smaller communities, and individual shelters and has also focused on helping organizations and individuals to address “compassion fatigue.” She has served on a number of animal related boards and received the Massachusetts Veterinary Medical Association’s 2004 Merit Award and in 2011 received the American Veterinary Medical Association’s Humane Award and wasnamed an honorary member of Phi Zeta, Alpha Beta Chapter, at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University. In 2017 Anne received the Richard A. Stein Distinguished Service Award from the Animal Control Officers Association of Massachusetts.

MAC thanks the following sponsor of Hot Topics:
Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF)