Saturday - September 19, 2015, Omni Mandalay Hotel, 221 E. Las Colinas Blvd., Irving, Texas
8:45 AM - 9:45 AM: "Changing Legislation through Grass Roots Activism: Capitol Insiders Tell All" Featuring Representative Kenneth Sheets, Harvey Kronberg and Jack Erskine.
SUMMARY: This panel includes a Texas state representative, a senior lobbyist, the editor of an Austin political publication and a political journalist. This panel will briefly discuss the 84th Texas Legislative Session and discuss how big ticket items held the focus of legislators this last session, from border security to the budget. The panel will advise grass roots activists on how best to communicate with legislators with the goal of passing animal welfare bills.
9:45 AM - 10:45 AM: "Texas Legislative Update & Crystal Ball Predictions" Featuring THLN Vice President & Legislature Chair Shelby Bobosky and HSUS Texas State Director Katie Jarl.
SUMMARY: This panel discussion will cover the just finished 2015 84th Legislative Session with respect to the animal-related bills filed during the session. Ms. Bobosky and Ms. Jarl will give a brief description of the 2014 elections and how they affected the session. Ms. Jarl and Ms. Bobosky will then go into an in-depth discussion of animal-related bills including those that passed and those that failed.
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM: "Federal Legislative Update - Legislative Animal Trends for 2015 and Beyond" Featuring Nancy Blaney, Senior Policy Advisor with the Animal Welfare Institute.
SUMMARY: Blaney will give updates on laws passing in the federal arena, and explain how difficult it is to pass animal welfare legislation at the federal level. Within her discussion, Ms. Blaney will also cover gains made in other states and provide ideas on how Texas might improve animal welfare laws.
WORKING LUNCH -- 12:15 PM -1:45 PM: “Attracting Media Attention to Your Animal Welfare Cause” Featuring Media Expert Jeff Crilley.
SUMMARY: Former Emmy Award winning TV reporter Jeff Crilley will share the secrets to getting good news coverage for your animal welfare organization. Mr. Crilley will guide advocates on how best to communicate with the media, so that the media can then communicate your story to the viewing and listening public.
2:00 PM – 3:00 PM “Something's Gotta Give: How can Current Texas Law be Changed to Ensure Better Veterinary Care for Shelter Animals?” Featuring Ryan Clinton, Shareholder, Davis Gerald & Cremer PC; Tracy Colvin, DVM, Southwest Texas Veterinary Medical Center; Kathy Davis, Director of Animal Care Services for the City of San Antonio; Elizabeth Choate from the Texas Veterinary Medical Association, and Sherry Ferguson, Executive Director of the Houston Humane Society. The panel will be moderated by THLN Legislative Chair Robert "Skip" Trimble.
SUMMARY: This panel will discuss shelter animal bills filed in the 84th Texas Legislative Session, in particular HB 859/SB 1920 and HB 1274/SB 1911. The panel will provide a summary of the bills and explain what the effects of those bills would have been had they passed. Mr. Trimble will instruct on the current Texas law of the "vet-patient" relationship, and the effects of the recent change in ruling from the TVBME. The goal of this panel is to receive input from all the panelists and then discuss how the stakeholders these panelists represent can collectively draft legislation to help shelter pets receive better medical care.
3:00 PM - 4:00 PM “Saving Horses from Slaughter: The On-Going Challenge for Lone Star Advocates” Featuring Carolyn Schnurr, ASPCA Manager of Federal Legislation for Equine Issues, Jerry Finch, President and Founder of Habitat for Horses and Vickie Spears, Director, Doris Day Equine Center.
SUMMARY: In the US, horses have never been raised for food. In 2007, the slaughter of horses on US soil came to an end when a court ruling upheld a Texas law banning horse slaughter. However, American horses are still being shipped over our borders to Mexico and Canada where they are slaughtered and processed for human consumption. This panel will discuss the state of unwanted or neglected horses in Texas, the conditions under which those horses are sent to processing plants, and current federal legislation that would ban the shipment of horses to slaughter operations.
4:00 PM - 4:45 PM “Differences Aside: Animal Welfare Groups Unite for the Good of the Animals” Featuring Monica Ailey President and Co-Founder of Animal Investigations and Response, THLN Wichita Falls Chapter President Jan Herzog, Stacy Smith, VP of Animal Advocacy for the Humane Society of Flower Mound, and THLN South Texas Chapter President Cheryl Martinez.
SUMMARY: Each one of the panel members will discuss how they have been successful interacting with shelters, animal control officers and other advocacy organizations. Cheryl Martinez will discuss why she created PAAC and how she assists Animal Control Officers in Corpus Christi, Texas. Monica Ailey will explain how she works closely with law enforcement and other agencies when investigating animal cruelty cases. Stacy Smith and Jan Herzog will discuss how they have successfully partnered with both local and out-of-state organizations to save pets slated for euthanasia.
Saturday workshops will be followed by the "Break the Chain Gala".