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| April 8-9 Morton This year’s Spring MACA Conference will address inspection procedures for animal kennels, mental health issues, Animal Control Officer (ACO) defensive tactics, animal cruelty investigations, captive wildlife issues and the care and handling of reptiles. Sessions Inspection procedures for animal kennels Dr. Cathy Hovancsak, Animal Care Inspector, U.S. Dept. of Agriculture Dr. Hovancsak is a 1990 graduate of the Kansas State College of Veterinary Medicine. She joined the USDA-APHIS-Veterinary Services right after graduation as a Veterinary Medical Officer, completing the Public Veterinarian Practice Career Training Program. She started with Animal Care in 1991. She has been the Animal Care inspector in Iowa and Minnesota. In 2003, Dr. Hovancsak became the Supervisory Animal Care Specialist for Illinois, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Southern Indiana. She currently supervises 9 Animal Care inspectors. Mental health issues and ACO defensive tactics Ron Bellendier, Midwest Regional Manager, Taser International Ron Bellendier spent 26 years as a police officer, retiring from Minneapolis Police Department in 2004. During his tenure with Minneapolis Police he worked as a Patrol Supervisor in the 5th and 1st Precincts and was the director of training for the Police Academy. Sgt. Bellendier also was the coordinator for the Crisis Intervention Team in which officers were trained to respond to calls involving the mentally ill. He has spent the last 15 years training police officers and civilians all over the United States on how to deal with difficult people. Animal Disaster Response Jill Fritz, Humane Society of the United States Jill Fritz is the Minnesota/Wisconsin State Director for the Central States Regional Office of The Humane Society of the United States. She has a background in grassroots activism, coordinating the efforts of animal advocacy organizations and working to resolve urban wildlife conflicts. She was also part of a legislative coalition that initiated the recent ban on dog tethering in California. Before coming to The HSUS, Jill had a long tenure as a public radio producer, director, and editor, winning 10 first-place journalism awards for her work. Reptiles in your work environment Sara Richard, Minnesota Herpetological Society Sarah Richard has over 40 years of hands on experience with reptiles including the last 10 as the Adoption Chair for the Minnesota Herpetological Society. Sarah and the MN Herpetological Society provide a valuable resource to many of the animal agencies in and around the Twin Cities area. Sarah has dedicated her life to providing information and assistance on Herpeticulture to the general public as well as veterinarians and animal agencies. Sarah will present some of the more common reptiles encountered by Animal Control Officers, followed by a "hands on" exercise dealing with safe capture and confinement techniques with some larger animals. You will have the opportunity to see and handle at least 15 different reptiles. From a four inch Gecko to a four foot Nile Monitor, here is your chance to familiarize yourself with the animals that 10% of the nation keeps as pets. The Captive Wildlife Crisis Tammy Quist, Executive Director, Wildcat Sanctuary Tammy Quist is the founder of the Wildcat Sanctuary, a nonprofit that provides a safe home to unwanted cougars, tiger, lynxes and other wildcats in need of shelter. She is a full-time advertising professional who became aware of the need for such a facility through her exposure to big cats during photo shoots. She learned that throughout the United States, tens of thousands of these animals are privately owned as pets, and used as performers or for-profit breeding. Too often the cats outlive their usefulness and have nowhere to go. The Wildcat Sanctuary provides educational outreach seminars to educate the public about the exotic animal crisis across the United States, as well as supporting legislative efforts banning these practices. Tammy was very active in testifying on behalf of the new Minnesota Exotic Animal Law that bans keeping dangerous exotic animals as pets. The Wildcat Sanctuary also provides rescue services and cross-country transportation and relocation placement with other accredited facilities.
Registration The cost of the school includes continental breakfast, lunch and afternoon snack. You can download the conference brochure and register by mail, or register online. Accommodations The conference will be held at the Jackpot Junction Casino, 39375 County Highway 24, PO Box 420, Morton, MN 56270, 1-800-946-2274 or 507-697-8000. Hotel accommodations are the responsibility of the individual registrant. A block of guest rooms have been reserved for us for $46 per night. Be sure to mention MACA conference when reserving your room. To contact MACA For more information contact Tom Mahan at (763)531-5161 (use * key to enter voice mail) or email at tmahan@ci.new-hope.mn.us. Schedule Tuesday April 8 8:00-8:30 AM: Registration, Welcome coffee and pastries provided 8:30-10:00 AM: Large cats, Tammy Quist 10:00-10:15 AM: Break 10:15 AM-Noon: Animal Inspections, Dr. Cathy Hovancsak Noon-1:00 PM: Lunch provided 1:00-2:45 PM: Reptiles in your work environment, Sara Richard 2:45-3:00 PM: Break, snacks provided 3:00-4:30 PM: Reptiles in your work environment, Sara Richard Wednesday April 9 8:00-8:30 AM: Coffee and pastries provided 8:30-10:30 AM: Dealing with the mentally ill, Ron Belendier 10:30-10:45 AM: Break 10:45-12:30: Dealing with the mentally ill, Ron Belendier 12:30-1:30 PM: Lunch provided 1:30-2:30 PM: Animal Disaster Response, Jill Fritz, HSUS 2:30-2:45 PM: Break, snacks provided 2:45-4:30 PM: Animal Disaster Response, Jill Fritz, HSUS 4:30 PM: Adjourn |
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