Do We Really Love Animals? Animal Advocate Discusses Welfare Industry

RELEASED: Oct. 28, 2006

DANVILLE, KY—Centre PAWS (Promoting Animal Welfare Society) will sponsor two free events featuring internationally acclaimed animal advocate, Michael Arms. Arms is the President and Executive Director of the Helen Woodward Animal Center in San Diego, CA.

The first event will be a free public workshop that focuses on fundraising ideas and public relations and marketing plans for animal organizations. The workshop will take place on October 3 from 2:30-4 p.m. in Vahlkamp Theatre on campus. Registration for the workshop is required. Those interested should contact Dr. Jan Wertz at (859) 238-5334 or jwertz@centre.edu to sign up for the workshop.

The second event will be a public lecture by Arms titled "Do We Really Love Animals? The Truth about the Animal Welfare Industry in this Country." The event will take place on October 3 at 7 p.m. in Young Hall, room 101.

"Centre PAWS is very pleased to have such a renowned animal advocate come to Danville," says Katrina Farris, Centre PAWS president. "We hope the community takes advantage of this opportunity to listen and learn from such a noted motivational speaker."

Jan Wertz, Assistant Professor of Psychology and faculty advisor for Centre PAWS, reflects, "Mike Arms is very well known and respected within the animal-welfare community, having numerous speaking engagements across the country every year. Having him speak at Centre, both for students wanting to help animals and animal organizations working to assist and promote pets, is an incredible opportunity."

Originally from Hopkinsville, Ky., Arms began his career in New York as district manager for the ASPCA from 1966 to 1976. He then joined North Shore Animal League as the organization's director of operations for more than 20 years and oversaw 400,000 animal adoptions during his tenure.

The creator of the pet Adopt-a-Thon, Arms developed the North Shore Animal League's pet adoptions promotion from a local event to an international collaboration involving 2,200 shelters in nine countries. The effort resulted in homes for thousands of orphaned animals in a 36-hour period.

After leaving North Shore, Arms spent two years as a consultant to animal welfare agencies throughout the United States to enhance their programs. As president of the Helen Woodward Animal Center, he developed the Home 4 the Holidays adoption program that resulted in over 313,000 adoptions during the 2004 holiday season.

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Founded in 1819, Centre College is ranked among the U.S. News top 50 national liberal arts colleges. Centre alumni, known for their nation-leading loyalty in annual financial support, include two U.S. vice presidents and two Supreme Court justices. For more, visit http://www.centre.edu/web/elevatorspeech/

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