Helen Woodward Animal Center

Helen Woodward Animal Center (‘HWAC’ or ‘the Center’) is located on 12 acres in Rancho Santa Fe, California. The Center was established in 1972 as the San Dieguito Animal Care and Education Center with its primary focus on pet adoption and on-site humane education. It was renamed in honor of its founder, Helen Woodward, in 1987. Since its inception, services have grown to include an equine hospital, small animal hospital, boarding facility, Animal-assisted therapy outreach, therapeutic horseback riding for the disabled and AniMeals food for pets of the homebound. Education services have expanded to off-site presentations and outreaches.

The Center also provides three-day workshops and conferences through The Business of Saving Lives International Conference. The conference provides tips and techniques on managing pet adoptions, public relations, fundraising, humane education, accounting, marketing, human resources and volunteers.[1] Participants have attended from 33 states and 17 locations outside the United States including Argentina, Canada, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Ireland, Iran, Japan, Kenya, Mexico and Romania.[2]

Over 3,000 dogs and cats were adopted out from the Center in 2015. Michael (‘Mike’) Arms has been CEO and President of Helen Woodward Animal Center since 1999, but has worked his entire adult life to help animals.[3]

In 1999 Helen Woodward Animal Center created the Home 4 the Holidays pet adoption campaign including 14 animal shelters in San Diego County, California. The goal of the drive is to reduce euthanasia by encouraging families to adopt a pet rather than purchase a pet from a puppy mill or backyard breeder. During the first campaign the participating shelters adopted 2,563 orphaned pets.[4] In 2000 the campaign expanded to 5 states, and then expanded both nationally and internationally over the next 13 years. Some Home 4 the Holidays spokespersons include Hilary Swank,[5] Diane Keaton and the canine movie star, Benji.[6] In 2009, the Home 4 the Holidays campaign included participants from more than 3,900 animal organizations in 17 countries, and was featured on the television series The Doctors on October 23, 2009.[7] Since 1999, the Home 4 the Holidays adoption campaign has adopted over 9 million animals.[8] The Blue Buffalo pet food company became the Home 4 the Holidays pet food sponsor in 2013.

In 2013, Mike Arms, Helen Woodward Animal Center's President and CEO, created an international awareness campaign to remember all animals who never found new homes after landing in shelters.[9] The campaign was called Remember Me Thursday and occurs annually on the fourth Thursday of September.

The President and CEO, Mike Arms, is also the subject of controversy for taking home a salary of $301,876[10] in the year 2014 alone, compared to the median salary of CEOs of similar sized charities of $148,659.[11] The organization also provides Mike Arms with a home loan amounting to $400,000,[12] as well as paying membership dues at the University Club[12] in Symphony Towers, downtown San Diego.

Helen Woodward Animal Center holds an annual fundraising event for surfing dogs and surfing people called the Surf Dog Surf-A-Thon[13] at Dog Beach, in Del Mar, California.[14] This event helps raise awareness and money for animals while promoting responsible pet ownership.[15]

Helen Woodward Animal Center had to evacuate over 400 animals from their property in the Witch Creek Fire [16] in October, 2007, and again during the Bernardo Fire,[17] in May, 2014.

Other celebrities that support the Center are: Kristen Bell,[18] Tippi Hedren, Ryan Newman and his wife, Krissie.[19]

The Center publishes a quarterly newsletter called "The Companion."[20]

References

  1. ↑ Animal Sheltering: Marketing Change for Animals
  2. ↑ Dog Magazin, Romania
  3. ↑ http://www.lifeanddog.com/mike-arms/
  4. ↑ Home 4 the Holidays 1999
  5. ↑ Hilary Swank joins Home 4 the Holidays
  6. ↑ Benji becomes Home 4 the Holidays spokesperon
  7. ↑ http://www.thedoctorstv.com/main/show_page/D2041
  8. ↑ Ringing the bell at the NYSE
  9. ↑ 'Remember Me Thursday' honors shelter animals who never found new homes
  10. ↑ "Charity Navigator - Rating for Helen Woodward Animal Center". Charity Navigator. Retrieved 2016-10-11.
  11. ↑ "2014 Charity CEO Compensation Study" (PDF).
  12. 1 2 "Form 990 for HELEN WOODWARD ANIMAL CENTER (23-7228287) for 12/2013" (PDF).
  13. ↑ ESPN's coverage of the 2010 Surf-A-Thon
  14. ↑ Surf Dog is a ‘worth the drive’ event
  15. ↑ Surf dogs raise money for shelter animals
  16. ↑ "Wildfire Evacuation: Outrunning the Witch's Curse - One Animal Center's Experience," Ilar Journal, Volume 51, Issue 2, 2010
  17. ↑
  18. ↑ Kristen Bell accepts the 2009 Humane Award
  19. ↑ Newman Foundation announce animal welfare partnership
  20. ↑ The Companion Newsletter

External links

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