By Sara Amundson and Kitty Block
The fundamental purpose of our marquee advocacy training event, Taking Action for Animals Online, occurring on September 19 and 20, is to support greater political and social engagement by those who care about animals. COVID-19 hasn’t changed a thing in that regard, and TAFA 2020 features one of the strongest speaker and topic rosters in years, with nearly two dozen exciting sessions.
The only difference is that this year TAFA will be a virtual event. We think that’s an asset, because it promises to make the basic experience available to the largest possible audience in TAFA’s long history. We hope that you’ll choose to be a part of it. You can register here, and early bird registration is just $15.00. For an additional preview, check out the scheduled sessions and speakers in advance.
What can you expect from the conference? You’ll learn about core campaigns focused on cruelty-free testing, puppy mills, factory farming, the fur industry, equine welfare and trophy hunting, in the United States and abroad. You’ll attend expert-level presentations on the consequences and implications of the COVID-19 pandemic for key concerns like intensive animal confinement and the wildlife trafficking industry. You’ll hear from experts on the Animal Welfare Act and the contemporary policy-making landscapes at the state and federal levels. You’ll be able to strengthen your grasp of current legislative priorities and perfect your lobbying, coalition-building and election engagement skills in order to advance animal protection.
Finally, you’ll have a chance to interact with like-minded advocates from around the country, chat with presenters and sponsors and explore the virtual exhibit hall to see what the organizations you support are doing to help animals. And the conference website will feature on-demand content available through December 31.
You can follow the action and help to spread the word by checking in at the Taking Action for Animals Online website and on Facebook. Please do participate, and we look forward to working with you to take on the biggest fights for animals, and to make a genuine difference in their protection.
Kitty Block is President and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States.
