Contact:         Jim Gemmell

                     Director of Communications, Youth Alternatives Ingraham

                     207.523-5014; jgemmell@youthalternatives.org

What:            The Linkage Project: A National Town Meeting

Where:          Holiday Inn by the Bay, Portland

When:           June 8 and 9, 2008

Strategizing The Link

A National Town Meeting on Advancing Public Policy and Community Coalitions

PORTLAND (May 5, 2008) — On June 8 and 9, 2008 in Portland, YAI (Youth Alternatives Ingraham) hosts Strategizing The Link, A National Town Meeting on Advancing Public Policy and Community Coalitions.  Professionals in animal welfare, veterinary practice, humane societies, the social services, criminal justice, prosecution, and education will gather for this one of a kind, national conference to discuss The Linkage Project. 

What is the Linkage Project? This unique program, based in Maine at YAI is an innovative way to work toward developing humane communities.  Its goal is to raise awareness about the connection between cruelty against animals and violence against people and to take action by bringing together diverse public and private organizations in Maine.  Through the efforts of the Linkage Project at YAI, Maine has led the way in organizing a statewide effort toward this goal.  The Town Meeting in June will look at ways of establishing community coalitions throughout the country to raise awareness of the link and advocate for policy changes.  The Town Meeting presents a unique opportunity for professionals and noted experts from around the country and from all the areas involved in and related to the link between animal cruelty and human violence to connect, network, and plan for next steps.

Speakers and other experts in this field will be available for interview in the days leading up to and during the Town Meeting.  Consider some of the following questions for a compelling interview on your program or in your publication:

• When a social services professional investigating a case of child abuse, domestic violence, or elder abuse, encounters animal abuse in the home, can they contact animal welfare without violating client confidentiality laws?
• Can a domestic violence victim include the family pet in a protection from abuse order? What happens to the pets if the victim seeks shelter from a Domestic Violence agency?
• When animal control officers are called to a reported case of a neglected or abused animal, are law enforcement agencies alerted when there is suspected violence toward the human family members in that home?
• What is hoarding?  Why is it considered pathological behavior, and how is it linked to human suffering?
• What does Maine do in response to hoarding situations?

Speakers include:

• Phil Arkow: American Humane Association, and the Animal Abuse & Family Violence Prevention Project of the Latham Foundation
• Frank Ascione, Ph.D.: Professor of Psychology, Utah State University, and Adjunct Advisor to American Humane on The Link
• Barbara Boat, Ph.D.: Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cincinnati
• Howard Davidson, J.D.: American Bar Association Center on Children and the Law
• Mark Kumpf, C.A.W.A.: National Animal Control Association
• Randall Lockwood, Ph.D.: Anti-Cruelty Initiatives and Legislative Services, The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA)
• Lila Miller, D.V.M.: ASPCA Veterinary Outreach
• Gary Patronek, V.M.D., Ph.D.: Animal Welfare and Protection, Animal Rescue League of Boston
• Allie Phillips, J.D.: Director of Public Policy, American Humane Association
• Ken Shapiro, Ph.D.: Animals and Society Institute
• Bernie Unti, Ph.D.: The Humane Society of the United States

For more information on the Linkage Project or on The Town Meeting, or to set up an interview, please contact:

Jim Gemmell:

(207) 523-5014

jgemmell@youthalternatives.org

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