Alley Cat Allies President to Australia, Will Advocate for Cats

BECKY ROBINSON TO PRESENT ON TRAP-NEUTER-RETURN AT THE BUSINESS OF SAVING LIVES CONFERENCE IN SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA

BETHESDA, Md. – Feb. 11, 2016 — Becky Robinson, president and founder of Alley Cat Allies, will present at the Helen Woodward Animal Center’s The Business of Saving Lives conference, taking place for the first time in Australia on Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2016. The three-day conference, hosted by Maggie’s Rescue of Australia at the University of Sydney, brings together leaders and professionals from around the world to share the newest developments and most innovative strategies, and lend support to Australian groups working toward humane treatment of animals.

“At the conference, I will be explaining why policies that focus on killing cats, such as the one proposed by Australia’s Minister for the Environment, simply do not work as a means to control cat populations,” said Robinson. “The only solution for Australia is to do what other countries around the world facing the same situation have already found to be successful: adoption of nonlethal methods, including Trap-Neuter-Return programs. TNR is successfully used in the U.K., Denmark, South Africa, Israel, Panama, Mexico, and Canada. If it works for those countries, it can work for Australia.”

Robinson’s presentation will focus on nonlethal population control and the role cats play in the complex ecosystem. She will explain how to conduct a Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) program for outdoor, unowned cats, also known as community cats, and best practices for their care. Robinson will present along with top innovators in animal protection, including Mike Arms, CEO of the Helen Woodward Animal Center; Diane Blankenburg, CEO and principal consultant of the Humane Network; and other experts.

The conference will take place at the Charles Perkins Centre at the University of Sydney between Feb. 15 and Feb. 17, 2016. More information about the conference is posted on this page of the www.alleycat.org website.