Almost two years ago I went out to Best Friends Animal Sanctuary to attend a 10-day workshop on How to start a sanctuary. Those 10 days were transforming for me as I was just getting into the world of animal rescue/animal welfare with Pet Haven. I believe anything is possible if we can stay focused on a shared vision, and we commit to working together in a positive, collaborative and respectful manner. Earlier this week we had a kick off meeting for a brand new coalition being formed in Minnesota. The initial members have already come up with a name! ... Minnesota Partnership for Animal Welfare (www.MnPAW.org). Many thanks to Chuck and Don's for securing the domain for us and paying for the hosting of our brand new site! Dana of Chuck and Don's did not waste any time. We decided on a name at our first meeting and by 6 am the following morning she had secured the domain! Stay tuned as we work on designing and adding content to the site.
The initial members of the coalition consist of rescues, shelters, government agencies and business ... we ALL have to work together if we are to eliminate or reduce the need to euthanize adoptable dogs and cats due to overpopulation.
Today, five of us representing various organizations from the coalition are heading out to Best Friends Animal Sanctuary for a day and a half meeting .. a working session to learn more about coalition building. This has been my dream for over a year now. There have been times I have been discouraged by the politics and attacks I have seen transpire in the animal welfare community. The truth, however, is I believe we all want the same thing. The approach the new coalition will take is one of positive collaboration and building on common ground. Our first meeting earlier this week confirmed for me that we are truly ready to set aside our own agenda and focus on working together to make our a world a better place for animals and people ...
If you live in the Minnesota area and would like to learn more about the coalition you can contact me at marilou@pethavenmn.org. We will be having an informational session on Saturday, May 9th at noon. For more info visit MnPAW.org.
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