Snuggles in San Diego

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You may want a chance to reset and relax after all the learning that you will experience at the upcoming Fetch dvm360® Conference in San Diego, California, December 2-4, 2022. If so, the San Diego Humane Society (SDHS) will have some of its canine ambassadors in the exhibit hall during the evening receptions to spend some time snuggling up with attendees. These dogs are adopted canines that must meet certain requirements to travel with the SDHS, such as being up to date on vaccines, completing an annual health evaluation, and being spayed or neutered.¹

Through the program, the canines attend education, community, and conference events with their owners and SDHS members to give individuals the chance to snuggle up to some dogs that bring joy and comfort to those around them.

“This is going to be an opportunity for people to take a break from their day and their busyness and just get a moment to decompress with the animals. The animals that we’re sending are canine ambassadors, so these are volunteers with us, but they do this as their job, [and] their job is to make people feel happy. So they’re going to be working their magic and helping people to have a laugh, have a smile, spend a moment with them, and connect,” Laura Leonard, community outreach manager for the SDHS, said in an interview with dvm360®.

For Leonard, these events give the SDHS the chance to provide comfort to the community and help them destress. With veterinary professionals, she understands the stress and toll this profession can have on those within the industry. Because of this, the canine ambassadors will help give back
to the community that takes care of them through moments of playtime
and snuggling.

“Everyone needs a moment sometimes to have some happiness and some brightness in their day. Things are hard in the world, [and] sometimes hard for individuals. In [the] animal welfare field, we experienced a lot of loss [and] a lot of stress. So just taking a moment to really enjoy the animals and spend time with them helps to reenergize us, and do what we love [while] connecting back with the community,” said Leonard.

Attendees at this conference can visit the society’s booth in the exhibit hall to meet 3 or 4 canine ambassadors, participate in the snuggle session, learn more about opportunities at the SDHS, and discover more information about pets available for adoption.

If you have not registered yet, there is still time! Visit https://bit.ly/FetchSD2022 to learn more about the 2022 Fetch dvm360® Conference and secure your spot.

Reference

Volunteer with your pet. Sdhumane.org. Accessed October 20, 2022. https://www.sdhumane.org/support-us/volunteer/ community-engagement/animal-ambassador.html