Humane Highlight – Chris Meyer

Humane Highlight – Chris Meyer

by | May 2, 2022 | Blog, Humane Highlights

Chris Meyer
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department Animal Care & Control Division

Chris is an enforcement Officer for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department Animal Care & Control Division. He has been in this position for two years. During this period, he has been assigned to several specialized units within the organization from H.A.S.S, Investigations, and E.R.T. His cases range from assisting pet owners within the community in obtaining rabies vaccinations, dog houses, and tethers, to enforcing Animal Cruelty Misdemeanors charges and other City and County ordinances.

Officer Meyer takes pride in serving his community. He believes that enforcement and education go hand in hand to improve animal welfare and community relations. Officer Meyer is passionate about the Organization’s Mission to Animal welfare in both the Shelter and Field environment. He strives to provide support to not only the animals and citizens he serves but also to his coworkers.

Officer Meyer obtained a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He has also completed the NCAF Animal Welfare Professional Certificate level I to better himself within the profession.

Prior to his employment with Animal Care & Control, Officer Meyer served over 9 years in the United States Marine Corps and deployed four times during his time in the Marines. He is now a Military Police Officer in the North Carolina National Guard. He has deployed twice for Hurricane assistance.

Officer Meyer is a proud dog dad to the Great Pyrenees named “Bear”. When he’s not at work, he can be found on a golf course or cheering on one of his New York sports teams (Islanders, Yankees, Jets). He has adopted the Charlotte Hornets as his hometown team due to his time working as a Guest Experience Supervisor for the Hornets Sports and Entertainment Organization.

When asked Chris said “Being a member of NACA to me means that I am a member of a passionate and professional group of people who truly care about the safety and well-being of animals in the field and shelter settings. As a member of NACA, I have the ability to become technically and tactfully proficient within the Animal Welfare profession to better myself, my peers, and the community that I serve.”

Thank you, Chris, for the amazing work, dedication, and compassion you show every day! NACA is proud to feature you as the May 2022 Humane Highlight!

Fallen Animal Control Officer Memorial

Fallen Animal Control Officer Memorial

by | Apr 11, 2022 | Announcements, Blog, Community Outreach, Field Services, News

National Animal Care & Control Association (NACA) and Code 3 Associates are proud to announce the re-unveiling of the Fallen Animal Control Officer Memorial. NACA built the memorial to honor Animal Control Officers that were killed in the line of duty. Since moving from its physical headquarters, NACA and Code 3 Associates have partnered to re-erect the monument and we are excited to announce that the memorial will be back on display in late 2022. The NACA memorial, complete with the fallen officers’ names, will be on display at the Code3 Associates Head Quarters in Longmont Colorado for the animal control community to pay respects to the fallen.

#ACOAppreciationweek2022 #nacaaco

 

April 2022 NACA Humane Highlight!  

April 2022 NACA Humane Highlight!  

by | Apr 5, 2022 | Blog, Humane Highlights

Sam Torres
St. Clair County Animal Control

This month NACA is proud to feature member Sam Torres! Sam started volunteering at St. Clair County Animal Control when she first moved to Michigan. She immediately fell in love with the animals, though she is a dog person she loves all animals! As soon as a position opened for hire, she knew this was the right job for her and applied right away. Sam says “I get so much satisfaction when the animals find homes! I now help to network the animals for my facility and volunteer my photography skills at other facilities to help get animals adopted faster.” Last January, Sam successfully received her ACO certification, although I am still working as an animal care tech, she has amazing plans for the future of her career and animal welfare!

Sam noted “being a NACA member means having access to training and opportunities to help better myself in this field. I love learning more and bettering myself.” 

Thank you, Sam, for your hard work, dedication, and compassion for the animals and everyone around you! You are a superstar, and we are proud to honor you as the April 2022 NACA Humane Highlight!  

 

NACA CEU Process Update!

NACA CEU Process Update!

by | Mar 29, 2022 | Announcements, Blog

NACA is so excited to share with you that we have updated and streamlined the process for NACA certification holders to upload and track required CEUs.

MEMBERS

We have enabled a CEU tracking feature available in the member portal dashboard – simply log in, upload, and submit! An easy way for you to track, print transcripts, and ensure you are meeting the requirements for recertification!

Member CEU Tracking (login)

NON-MEMBERS

 The process will remain very similar, the biggest change is that NACA has created a CEU tracking form for you to download and use to track your CEUs. Simply download, fill out the CEU form, and submit via email prior to expiration.

Non-Member CEU Tracker (XLSX)

Questions?

Q: I have never seen the CEU requirements, is this new?

A: No, NACA previously required CEU submission every 3 years to maintain certification in good standing. This change only affects the submission process.

Q: What if I have already submitted my CEUs through the existing website?

A: Any submitted CEUs prior to (3/28/2022) will be automatically added for you, you will not need to re-submit. Non-Members will need to submit the full report upon expiration of the 3-year certification cycle.

Q: What if I have taken but not submitted my CEUS in a few years? Do I have to recertify?

A: No. If you have a record of all your CEUs and submit them via the new process, NACA will offer a 1-year grace period for you to submit your backdated CEUs.

Q: Why a new process, what was wrong with the old process?

A: The new process is streamlined and supports easier tracking for the certificate holder. In addition, this process ensures that Nationally Certified ACOs have the ability to self-report all CEUs and be able to easily access their own personal records.

Q: I need a place to track other CEUs as well (for other NON-NACA certifications), can I use this same tracking feature?

A: YES! This tracking feature is an added benefit for NACA Members and can be used to track all CEU certifications. From this feature, you can export your transcripts and use them however you need.

Q: I am not a member of NACA, can I use the tracking feature as well?

A: No, the tracking feature is only available for members with an active account. The process for non-NACA members will remain very similar to how it is now, with the submission being emailed. Non-NACA members can access the excel template from our website in which to track CEUs and will be required to submit via email.

Q: What if I have never completed any CEUs, is my certification still valid?

A: No, NACA previously required CEU submission every 3 years to maintain certification in good standing. If you have no record of any CEUs you will need to recertify. Email us if you have questions or want to talk about your specific situation, we are happy to connect!

Q: My department doesn’t have the budget for travel currently so I may not be able to meet the requirements, how will I get my CEUs?

A: The limits posted in the policy are the maximum limits allowed in any one area and there is no requirement that the training be in person. There is not a minimum and the CEUs can be a mixture of items to equal 30 total, 10 per year. In addition, the core competency areas were added to expand the types of training that an officer can do that would count as an approved CEU. An example is below.

Year 1: 10 CEUs webinar
Year2: 5 other, 5 online
Year 3: 5 webinars, 5 other, or any combination thereof

Have additional questions? Feel free to reach out to us! We thank you for your commitment to continuing to set the standard and lead the way in animal care and control!

Are You Prepared For Ukrainian Pets In Your Jurisdiction?

by | Mar 21, 2022 | Announcements, Blog, News, Shelter Operations

As the chaos and unrest in Ukraine continues, we anticipate more families with pets will flee to safety here in the United States. Just yesterday, we learned a European airline flight landed in a major US city with a Ukrainian refugee and their dog. Airline personnel were unaware of which agency to contact, or the protocols involved with bringing a Ukrainian pet into the country. Ukraine is one of the countries listed as High Risk for Rabies by the Center for Disease Control.

To help your agency plan for potential refugees and their pets entering your community, the National Animal Care & Control Association, The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement, and the University of Wisconsin Shelter Medicine Program, are recommending Animal Care and Control agencies across the country prepare for the possibility of refugee families with pets seeking emergency entry into the United States traveling through international airports or borders.

Your agency might be required to help pets owned by Ukrainian refugees in this situation, most traveling from a European country that might have relaxed pet vaccination requirements. As animal welfare professionals we strive to provide service and safety to the public and animals. By being prepared with local, state, and federal procedures to assist with transportation, animal housing, supplies, and veterinary care, your agency can lessen the impact on families and help keep pets with their people.

Recommendations:

  • Review and update your Preparedness Plan
  • Connect with local government agencies within your area to stay informed of protocol changes
  • Contact Customs with the international airport(s) in your jurisdiction as well as Border Patrol to ensure relationships are established, policies are clear, and contact information is accurate
  • Please know that the CDC is making exceptions to the current ban on a case by case basis for family pets and individuals can reach out to cdcanimalimports@cdc.gov for information on allowing their dog into the US.
  • Ask your shelter veterinarian to attend National Shelter Rounds on Tuesday, March 22 at 4 pm Eastern/ 3 pm Central/ 1 pm Pacific to learn more about how veterinarians should respond

Together, we can help ease the suffering and stress of Ukrainian refugees seeking sanctuary in the United States by helping them keep their pets and out of shelters. 

Register For National Shelter Rounds
March Humane Highlight

March Humane Highlight

by | Mar 9, 2022 | Blog, Humane Highlights

Lorien Clemens
PetHub, Inc

Lorien Clemens is the co-founder and CEO at PetHub, Inc. She joined PetHub in June of 2011 as the start-up was in its beginning stages. She has guided PetHub to its wins of multiple pet industry awards, including two Dog Fancy Magazine Editors’ Choice Awards, the PetAGE Magazine Retailer Silver Select Award, and two Pet Business Magazine Product of the Year Awards for its unique digital ID tags and online services. Most recently, PetHub was named one of Business Insider Magazine’s 50 Coolest New Businesses in America. Individually, Lorien was honored by PetAge Magazine as one of the pet industry’s Women of Influence. She was also named the Pet Industry Network’s 2014 Pet Industry Woman of the Year and was a keynote speaker at their national conference. Nestled in the woods outside of the tech-mecca of Seattle, Washington, Lorien lives with a Boston Terrier, two cats and her husband, a true nerd in his own right and 2 year-old son. An avid fan of science fiction and die hard technophile, she loves investigating new, exciting tech trends and all things geeky and pet related.

For PetHub, we deeply value our membership with NACA and the relationships we’ve built there. As we continue to improve our product and build ancillary support products and systems, the connection with the network of animal control officers has been tremendous. They allow us to better understand challenges faced in the field, and explore solutions on how we can help them overcome those challenges. NACA has also been a great resource that helps us keep a pulse on RTH and animal welfare trends, and the content collaborations we’ve had with NACA and their members for lost pet prevention, recovery and emergency preparedness have been awesome!