ACES! Teaching “The Business of Saving Lives” worldwide!

 

Animal lovers, shelter workers, and humanitarians from around the world have made the “pilgrimage” to Helen Woodward Animal Center in Rancho Santa Fe, California. They came to learn the Business of Saving Lives by attending HWAC’s free, three-day “Animal Center Education Services” (ACES) workshops.

"We began offering ACES workshops as a way of sharing the success that we’ve experienced here," says Helen Woodward Animal Center President Mike Arms . "Believe it or not, there are still animal care facilities right here in the United States that are euthanizing orphaned pets every day of the week, including holidays, simply because they have no space or because the animals have ‘run out of time’. Through ACES we ' re helping them to put an end to that."

The ACES workshops teach participants more effective ways to find families for orphaned pets. This is one of the main reasons why animal shelter workers from the United States, Argentina, Canada, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Ireland, Iran, Japan, Kenya, Mexico, Romania, and Singapore have traveled to Helen Woodward Animal Center . Shelter Directors, Managers, board members, and care providers attend three-day Animal Center Education Services (ACES) workshops to learn the business of saving lives.

ACES students learn to increase adoptions and lower euthanasia. Members of Helen Woodward Animal Center ’s management team share tried-and-true techniques to help students improve their fundraising skills, education concepts, volunteer management, public relations, and marketing efforts.

Within weeks after they return to their home shelters ACES graduates report amazing results! They place more pets in lifelong homes, generate funds to carry on their programs, and expand their reach in their communities.

Interest in ACES workshops has come from as far away as Russia and New Zealand . In 2007 members of the ACES team traveled to Calgary , Alberta , Canada to present the world’s first, “Business of Saving Lives” conference for 250 animal welfare leaders from western Canada .

"There’s no charge to attend Animal Center Education Services," says Arms. “We’ve assembled an outstanding management team here at Helen Woodward Animal Center . They do a great job for the Center, and now their knowledge, experience, and enthusiasm are spreading worldwide.”

Arms points out that donations to Helen Woodward Animal Center are not used to fund ACES. “Donations to HWAC are used to serve people and animals here in our area. As we expand our knowledge we share it with other animal shelters and pet rescue organizations."