In keeping with the Mayor’s Alliance for NYC’s Animals’ new direction for 2020, Alliance President Jane Hoffman met with the Saint Louis Petlover Coalition in St. Louis, MO, on January 15, at the invitation of the Coalition’s host, Nestlé Purina PetCare Company. The Alliance’s Director of Communications, Steve Gruber, also participated in the meeting.
Catherine “Cat” Small, Shelter Program Lead for the Nestlé Purina, based in St. Louis, and a guiding force behind the Coalition for the past several years, invited the Alliance to share with the Coalition — represented by leaders of local shelters, rescue groups, and animal control agencies — strategies that proved successful in the Alliance’s efforts to move New York City’s live release rate from 26% in 2003 to a sustained 90%-plus live release rate for the past three years.
Jane presented a PowerPoint to the group at their bi-monthly breakfast meeting. Following her presentation, individual discussions with some of the group’s participants opened the door to future follow-up discussions and meetings with group members.
In 2019, the Alliance redefined its core initiatives. One of those initiatives is to act as a consultant, advisor, and mentor to communities nationally — sharing our knowledge and proven best practices to communities seeking to increase live release rates of shelter animals.