Fixing the Future

UCAN Spay/Neuter Clinic Invites Public to April 14-15 Open House

After months of planning, painting and just plain hard work on all fronts, Greater Cincinnati’s first and only non-profit spay/neuter clinic is ready to make its public debut!

Cincinnati Vice Mayor Jim Tarbell is scheduled to cut the ribbon that will officially open the UCAN Spay/Neuter Clinic in dedication ceremonies that will begin at 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 14th.   Sandra Ali, news anchor for WLW-T in Cincinnati, will emcee the event.

The public is invited to attend the grand opening and to tour the UCAN Spay/Neuter Clinic during an Open House that will be held from 1-4 p.m. on both Saturday April 14th and Sunday April 15th. Refreshments will be served and goodie baskets donated by Cookies By Design will be raffled off, one each day.   

The opening of this clinic is an incredible accomplishment, and we are so excited to have reached this milestone!

Five years of work went into this project, starting with the dream of a few individuals. They believed we could reduce pet over-population and the correspondingly high rates of euthanasia that plague our region. They knew we could do better. They knew we had to try.

So in 2001, they started UCAN and initiated a voucher program to help subsidize the cost of spaying and neutering for those who could not otherwise afford it. In the three years it was offered, approximately 1,000 dogs and cats were fixed as a result of UCAN’s vouchers. It was a success, but a small success. The dream was bigger…

In 2003, UCAN decided to launch Pedigree Interiors, a non-profit consignment store selling high-end furniture and home furnishings. Its proceeds would go toward opening a spay/neuter clinic that would perform surgeries on a much larger scale than the voucher program. Targeting lower income rural and urban communities across the tri-state, it could make a significant dent in the problem of pet over-population.

In its three years of operation, Pedigree Interiors has contributed more than $100,000 to the UCAN cause, growing its Montgomery-based business to become one of the most successful non-profit consignment stores in operation anywhere.

In 2005, the UCAN board decided it was time to build its dream. Humane Alliance entered the picture, and ultimately accepted UCAN into the National Spay/Neuter Response Team network. A vital mentoring relationship was established. At the same time, new UCAN board members with professional expertise in key areas of business were recruited. The strategic skills and community contacts they brought with them proved invaluable to the effort.

In 2006, UCAN launched its capital campaign – a daunting effort to raise $490,000 for clinic construction and start-up. A building in Queensgate with a perfect location was located, and a long-term lease was signed. Architectural Group International, a Covington-based firm with a generous community heart, began drawing up plans pro bono, and Cincinnati Commercial Contractors committed to being project contract manager.

Meanwhile, potential funders were approached – individuals, companies and foundations. Some said no, but many more said yes. So slowly, progress toward our capital goal was made.

Partner groups were contacted and signed up to be part of the regional effort. These UCAN partners consist of shelters, rescue groups and dedicated individuals who committed to bring their animals to the clinic and/or refer the public to the UCAN clinic, and to act as transport coordinators for the general public throughout the region.

A Vet Advisory Committee was established, composed of local vets who have a passion for the cause and were willing to act as advisors and ambassadors to the veterinary community on behalf of UCAN.

In January 2007, actual construction on the clinic began in what had been a vast 7,000-square-foot warehouse space. Under the watchful eye of Juanita Mills, a UCAN board member who served as construction project manager, walls went up where there were none… Floors were trenched for drains… Heating, air conditioning, electrical and scavenging systems were installed… Kennel rooms for dogs and cats appeared, along with spacious core-op, preparation and procedure rooms… Offices were constructed… A conference and meeting room took shape.

Volunteers were recruited to help with priming and painting. Over two winter weekends,  more than 50 willing workers showed up – volunteers from Pedigree Interiors, students from Highland High School, employees from Federated Department Stores and Architectural Group International, members of Crossroads Community Church, UCAN board members, friends and family.

Staff was hired, including our vet, Dr. David Maloney, who comes to us from Best Friends Animal Sanctuary. Policies and protocols were established. Partner meetings were held. A clinic software system was developed. A transport van was purchased.

Marketing and specials events efforts were initiated – a clinic logo and signage, media packets, brochures, flyers, posters, event hand-outs, and all manner of necessary promotional materials were researched and developed. And all of the work was done by a volunteer marketing team composed of professionals in the field who donated their time and considerable talents.

Education and outreach plans were formulated for an active spring and summer of participating in targeted community events across the area, all key to raising awareness about the UCAN Spay/Neuter Clinic and the importance of the cause.

All of these plans and dreams -- the sweat and tears, the long days and sleep-deprived nights -- will culminate in the grand opening of the UCAN Spay/Neuter Clinic the weekend of April 14-15.

It’s literally a dream come true.

We hope you will be there to celebrate with us!

A National Movement

The Southern Regional Spay/Neuter Leadership Conference was held September 14-17 in Memphis TN (http://www.spayneuterconference.org/).

It was sponsored by the leaders of the movement, i.e. PetsMart Charities, Petco Foundation, The Two Mauds Foundation, SpayUSA, American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), and Humane Society of the United States (HSUS).

The 300+ attendees came from over 200 organizations in 26 states - from as far away as Utah and the state of Washington. There were over 30 attendees from the veterinary and legal professions.

We listened to success stories from around the country, e.g. mobile clinics, traveling vets, in-clinic clinics, state and county funded voucher systems, and the “regional super clinic”. The success stories came from long-established humane societies, groups of private individuals, and in one case (i.e. Oklahoma), a single incredible woman who has set out to spay and neuter an entire state.

Conference topics covered the gamut, e.g. community assessment, education/outreach, coalition building, fundraising, legislation, recruiting/staffing, management, operations and logistics, and quality control.

Since the United Coalition for Animals has chosen to be a “regional super clinic”, we spent a lot of time with our sponsor - Humane Alliance. Their numbers speak for themselves, i.e. 15 operating clinics in 12 states projected to do 146,000 spay/neuters over the next 12 months, 6 organizations in negotiation, 16 clinics in various stages of coming online - including United Coalition for Animals.

This is a national movement with a serious purpose being pursued by serious people. This movement is maturing and is therefore attracting the kind of professional talent and financial resources that will take it to the next level.

A Very Special Day and a Wonderful Beginning

I’m back in the saddle, and ready to see where this blog adventure takes us.

Coalition: Meeting of March 30, 2006
Our March 30 meeting was “A Very Special Day” indeed. Attendance was over 100 and standing room only. The guest speakers were persuasive; their accomplishments inspiring. The audience was intent and interested. Chris Evans was able to capture all the sights and sounds and post them to our web site http://www.UCANcincinnati.org.

In Cincinnati, there may never have been such an inclusive gathering of shelter and rescue representatives, veterinarians, vet techs and those simply dedicated to improving the lives of companion animals in our region. UCAN would like to thank the following participants, partners, and supporters:

Adopt-A-Dog
Advocates for Animals
AERAS
All Creatures Animal Hospital
Anderson Township Family Pet Center
Animal Adoption Foundation
Animal Rescue Fund
Australian Shepherd Rescue
Barks-N-Bubbles
Brown Animal Rescue
Cincinnati Area Aussie Rescue
Circle Tail
Clermont County Humane Society
Community Catalyst
Dearborn County Animal Shelter
Eastgate Animal Hospital
Eldora Cat Rescue
Harrison Animal Rescue
Humane Alliance
Humane Animal Rescue Team
Humane Ohio
League For Animal Welfare
No More Homeless Pets
Noah's Ark Animal Shelter
O'Bryonville Animal Rescue
Paws Adoption Center
PAWS of Dearborn County
Pedigree Interiors
PetVet Connection
Precious Secrets Sheltie Rescue
Purrfect Friends
Rescue Our Shelter Animals Strays
RVT Student Raymond Walters
Safe Haven Animal Sanctuary
Save Our Strays
Save the Animals Foundation
Sheltered Paws
Silver Bells Animal Rescue
The Scratching Post
Three Sisters Pet Rescue
Tri-State Collie Rescue
Underdogs
United Coalition for Animals
Wags & Whiskers
Westie Rescue
Wildwood Pet Network

With the successful programs in Utah, New Hampshire, New York, Oklahoma, Indiana, Ohio, and North Carolina serving as examples of what can be done, your participation and interest gives us the optimism and confidence that we can do it here, right here in river city --- yes, you, me, US.

We thank you for your interest; we look forward to earning your confidence. Our mission is to be of service to you, to the region, and to animal welfare.

If you missed the March 30 meeting, video and audio links are available on our web site http://www.UCANcincinnati.org.

External Affairs: Legislative
On Tuesday April 11, we will have an audience with a Representative from the Ohio State Legislature, an individual who is favorably predisposed to our cause. The subject will be a dog-license surcharge to fund spay/neuter initiatives state-wide.

In preparation for this meeting, we have retrieved the statutes from the two states that already have such legislation, i.e. New Hampshire and Illinois. But most importantly, participating on the conference call will be the two architects of the legislation in New Hampshire and Illinois as well as one of the architects of the PetsOhio license plate legislation:

• New Hampshire: Peter Marsh, Director, Solutions To Overpopulation of Pets
• Illinois: Ledy VanKavage Esq, Senior Director of Legal Training & Legislation, ASPCA
• Ohio: Aimee St. Arnaud, Manager, Spay/Neuter Initiatives, ASPCA

Our plan has always been to complement our regional spay/neuter initiatives with a dialogue at the state and even national levels. We are both surprised and pleased that the state-level dialogue has begun so soon.

PostScript

These first two posts have been longer than I would have liked. Future posts will be shorter and tighter as we chronicle the present, plan for and anticipate the future, and draw lessons from the past.

-steve-
Spaying pets. Educating people. Saving lives.

A Very Special Day

For the United Coalition for Animals (UCAN), today March 30, 2006 is a very special day, and if you’re here, you’re in the right place.

UCAN’s plan is to open a high-volume spay/neuter clinic based on the Humane Alliance model by November 1, 2006. As you may know, the Humane Alliance model has six primary characteristics:

1.      Regional coalition within up to a 90-mile radius

2.      Stationary clinic

3.      One or more transport vehicles

4.      8,400 surgeries per vet per year (35 spay/neuter surgeries per day times 240 work days per year)

5.      Maximum two vets per clinic

6.      Training, mentoring, coaching, and support provided by the Humane Alliance National Spay/Neuter Response Team (NSNRT)

Our plan is to have one vet the first year and two vets the second.

As for this blog, one of our purposes is to tell stories --- like the lady who asked “It says you're a spay/neuter clinic. I just had my cat spayed, do I also need to get her neutered?”

Or the following. The UCAN Board has adopted “24” as its official TV show. In fact, at every Board Meeting the first order of business is to do the “24” DVD swap --- the UCAN library contains the first four “24” seasons on DVD and two copies of season 1. When we were out looking at properties, one of our criteria was whether we would need Jack Bauer to get the employees in and out every day. Some properties failed the test.

Another purpose of this blog is to listen.

But, perhaps our primary purpose is more practical:

·        A chronicle of our experience between now and November 1, so that others who travel this path after us may benefit from that experience --- our successes, our mistakes, our decisions and the thinking behind those decisions, what we learned, and what we would like to forget.

·        A resource for information, articles, videos, and links to other sites.

·        An interactive resource for you to ask questions and challenge the opinions expressed.

·        A history of our efforts at “organization building”. To date, we have spent more time building the organization than on opening a spay/neuter clinic. While we believe these efforts will be rewarded, future events will render the final verdict.

So what’s so special about today March 30, 2006?

Tonight at 6:00 PM we are hosting an event that we have named “Fixing the Future”. In attendance will be:

·        Quita Mazzina, Karla Brestle, and Amber Beane of Humane Alliance

·        Aimee St. Arnaud of ASPCA and Humane Ohio

·        Over 100 people including 25+ different animal welfare organizations --- shelters, rescue groups, veterinarians, etc.

In addition to introducing UCAN, its Board, and its plans, our focus this evening will be on two primary objectives:

1.      Regional Coalition. Beginning to form and nurture the relationships that will form the basis of a successful regional coalition. We have greatly expanded the definition of “coalition”:

·        Broader. We have defined our “region” to be 12 counties covering 3 states.

·        More inclusive. In addition to animal welfare groups, shelters, rescues, veterinarians, etc., we are reaching out to the business community, local and state politicians, community leaders, etc.

·        More valuable. To the partners in our coalition, we will offer real services that have real value:

·        Discounts on already low-cost spays and neuters, based on volume

·        Priority clinic scheduling

·        At-cost discounts on available equipment, medicines, pet food or other supplies

·        Access to UCAN meeting facilities

·        Free or discounted admittance to educational seminars, training sessions (e.g. grant writing) and other UCAN-sponsored events

·        The opportunity to share in the distribution of grant monies and other designated gifts that may be channeled through UCAN from time to time, e.g. DJNT, Ohio Pet Fund, etc.

·        Other benefits that may be determined by the UCAN Board of Trustees as time goes by.

2.      UCAN’s Service Role. UCAN’s role in this regional coalition is simple, i.e. to be a provider of goods, services, subsidies, and expertise. We have been preparing for this role since we received our official 501(c)(3) designation on December 26, 2001:

·        In January 2002 we received $50,000 in grant monies and for 3 years managed a spay/neuter voucher program.

·        In 2004, UCAN started Pedigree Interiors, a furniture consignment store, to provide ongoing financial support to the organization and to subsidize its spay/neuter pricing. Our Pedigree Interiors experience has proven to us that we can start and operate a business, recruit and manage a corps of volunteers (50+), and make money ($63,000+).

·        In late 2005, we began reconstituting the Board with people who love animals and bring needed and valuable expertise. Some do feral cat TNR, others run their own rescues, but all are committed to the cause.

·        Retired VP of Communications, Federated Department Stores

·        Retired VP of Information Technology and Finance, Kroger Company

·        Assistant General Counsel, Federated Department Stores

·        Marketing Director, Cincinnati Zoo

·        Professional fundraiser whose last engagement raised $8 million for a local hospital

·        Former CFO of Cintech, professor at Xavier University, and management consultant with Ernst & Young and Senn-Delaney

·        Former management consultant with Deloitte Consulting, Ernst & Young, and PricewaterhouseCoopers

·        Former President of the League for Animal Welfare, the oldest no-kill animal shelter in the Cincinnati area

·        Small-business information technology consultant

And we are not finished. We are currently looking for a Board member for Human Resources and another for Volunteer and Event Coordinator. In addition, we have formed a Veterinarian Advisory Board and are actively looking for members.

·        Also in 2006, we have been successful in gaining the support of several key business resources:

·        A commercial developer who will do the clinic leasehold improvements and hopefully be our landlord.

·        A commercial architect who will design the clinic leasehold improvements.

·        An advertising agency that has done our logo, visuals, tag line, letterhead, web site, and was the catalyst for this blog.

To a person, UCAN exists to be of service --- to the animals ultimately and to our partners, who represent the best way of serving the most number of animals. It is with some reservation that we list the assets and skills above. Our only intent is to show to our potential partners that we are both serious and committed to being the absolute best partner we can be.

We hope you consider us worthy of your time, your commitment, and your partnership. Come to the meeting tonight. Come back to the blog. Be part of something big and important.

The next time we meet, I may have a video or two to share with you. Stay tuned.

-steve-

“Spaying pets. Educating people. Saving lives.”