The AAWA Presents: Barriers to community engagement isn’t a new challenge for animal services, but a global pandemic and social unrest bring added burden to these essential employees. Hear from four animal services leaders guiding their cities through a difficult climate: Dallas, Greensboro (NC), and Los Angeles. This exclusive roundtable conversation will explore the challenges animal support service professionals are currently facing with a special emphasis on BIPOC officers and staff. Learn from their experience so you can engage your community in conversations of equity and justice and provide support with kindness and fairness. Questions from the audience will follow the roundtable discussion.

Best Friends Presents: As we navigate the change to impounding only high-priority intakes, Animal Control Officers come across field cases where impounding an animal is necessary. But, there are also cases where providing the owner with resources keeps the pet at home and out of the shelter. Join us for this town hall where Best Friends Director of National Municipal and Shelter Support (and NACA president) Scott Giacoppo, helps you define cruelty vs. resource deprivation to establish your own organizational guidelines for when to provide resources vs. impound an animal.