Indiana Animal Welfare Conference

Save the Date for 2026! Saturday, April 18

The 2025 Indiana Animal Welfare Conference was a SOLD OUT crowd!

The 2025 Indiana Animal Welfare Conference saw over 425 animal advocates, volunteers, rescues, shelters, animal control officers, and veterinary professionals come together for a day filled with learning, networking, and working together to make a difference.

This annual conference is open to anyone with a concern or involvement in animal welfare. A continental breakfast, Italian buffet lunch, and afternoon snack are included in your registration.

We hope you joined us in 2025, and can’t wait to see you next year!

2025 Conference Resources and Takeaways

2025 Conference Takeaway Sheet

Videos: The Indiana Animal Conference is an in-person event to promote networking! If you missed the conference, we do have some recordings available on this YouTube playlist.

Morning Group Session Presentations

Update from Pet Friendly Services of Indiana – Cheri Storms, Executive Director
How to Bring Public Vet to Your Community – Sandi Petee, Public Vet
How to Bring Four Directions Vet to Your Community (NE Indiana) – Drs. Gamble & Bobo
Avian Influenza’s Impact to Cats – Dr. Lovejoy, Board of Animal Health (BOAH)
Networking via Facebook Groups – Janet Showley, Pet Friendly Services
Presentation

Concurrent Sessions

Community Cat Complaint Mitigation – Angela Hollinshead, Director, Kent Co. Animal Services, Grand Rapids, MI
More Than Just a Number: Exploring the Overall Impact of Capacity for Care – Emily Curry, Purdue University Shelter Medicine
From Hello to Hero: Nurturing Volunteers Every Step of the Way – Dani Wagner, Volunteer Programs Manager, Humane Fort Wayne

Grant Writing – Dwana Back-Lamberson, GPC, Pet Friendly Services Board Member
Physical and Mental Health in Animal Welfare – Dr. Peavy, Public Vet
Quick Wins- Easy Steps for BIG Impact (simple solutions to chronic problems in shelters) Cameron Moore, Univ Florida, Maddie’s Shelter Medicine Program

HASS Field Services Toolkit –Elkie Wills, Maddie’s Director of Human Animal Support Services & Angela Hollinshead, Director, Kent Co. Animal Services, Grand Rapids, MI
Limited Admission Strategies vs. Public Health – Amy-Jo Sites, Director, Fort Wayne Animal Control & Rebecca Stevens, CFRM, President & CEO, Humane Society Hamilton County
- Amy-Jo Sites Presentation
- Rebecca Stevens Presentation
Testing, Treatment, and Compassionate Care for FeLV+ Cats in 2025 – Monica Tarant, Chief Innovation Officer, Give Them Ten

The Best Outcome for Every Cat: Implementing the Cat Superhighway – Cameron Moore, Univ Florida, Maddie’s Shelter Medicine Program
“Take a Minute”: Applying Low-Stress Handling for Animals and the People Who Care for Them – Kelsey Guenther, RVT, Executive Board Member of Indiana Veterinary Technician Association (IVTA)
Declawing and Its Effects on Cats in Shelters – Jessica Snyder, Purdue University, Director Paw Project – Indiana

Balancing Compassion and Compliance in the Field – Melissa Miller, Director of St. Clair County Animal Control, Michigan
Fundraising 101 – Rebecca Stevens, CFRM, President & CEO, Humane Society for Hamilton County
Ruff Day? Recognizing, Understanding, and Reducing Stress in Dogs – JoAnna Rogowski, M.S., KPA CTP, Veterinary Behavior of Indiana, The Dog Analys