Did you know that Texas has more than 30 million people and has 51 counties with zero veterinarians? Due to the current veterinarian shortage in Texas, there is no way to meet the current demand for the roughly 20 million dogs and cats in homes and in shelters across our state.  This presentation will focus on the future of veterinary medicine by analyzing the current national landscape, examining the progress being made in other states, and looking at survey data from pet owners.

Our panel will also discuss the future of veterinary telemedicine in Texas, recent case law, and how it can benefit your shelter and rescue.

Featured Panelists

Dr. Roberta Westbrook
Chief Animal Welfare and Medical Officer of Houston SPCA

Dr. Roberta Westbrook is a Chief Animal Welfare and Medical Officer at Houston SPCA based in Houston, Texas. Previously, Roberta was an Associate Veterinarian at Palm to Paws Veterinary Clinic and held positions at Vet Tech Institute of Houston. Roberta received a Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine degree from the University of Missouri.

Katie Jarl
Vice President of Government Relations of Animal Policy Group

Katie Jarl is the Vice President of Government Relations. She has dedicated nearly two decades to the advancement of key animal welfare and healthcare policies and initiatives through advocacy campaigns at the local, state, and national levels. Utilizing her unique background in government affairs, media relations, and community engagement, Katie brings a fresh, strategic approach to policy initiatives.

Jaime Olin
THLN Vice President and Legislative Chair

Jaime is currently a partner with the Dallas law firm Skiermont Derby, practicing patent and commercial litigation. Before that, she worked as a Legal Advocacy Counsel with the ASPCA, focusing on animal welfare litigation, animal cruelty prosecution support, and equine welfare issues. She’s taught courses and given countless presentations on animal cruelty laws, the LINK, and various other animal law topics.

Animal rescue is a noble cause well worth the investment rescuers make. Learn how to keep your rescue focused on that mission by avoiding the most common legal "pitfalls" that cost money and damage an organization's brand.

While there are no national or Texas State laws specifically regulating rescues, other state laws and municipal ordinances do apply to rescue groups. Randy Turner will present what every rescuer needs to know about ownership issues, avoiding litigation, complying with laws regarding non-profit organizations and generally staying out of legal hot water.

Check out the on-demand webinar by RSVPing now.

Animal Law Expert and Animal Lawyer Randy Turner provides an update to changes to laws and service animals and emotional support animals.  

Under Texas law and the federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), people with disabilities may bring their service animals to all public accommodations, such as government buildings, hotels, restaurants, stadiums, and stores. These laws also require those who operate transportation services to allow service animals. But recent trends show confusion with emotional support animals and the varying definitions.

When you RSVP, you will receive an email with a link to the webinar. 

As the country continues to suffer the effects of COVID-19, the animal welfare field is evolving the way we respond to crises and offer community support. Housing insecurity, although not new, has been exacerbated by the pandemic. Learn about how the animal welfare community is responding to the eviction crisis and how you can get involved to help keep people and their pets together. 

Special guest, Lauren Loney, Texas State Director for the Humane Society of the United States, discusses how to keep people and their pets together as the COVID crisis deepens.

When you RSVP, you will automatically land on a page with the webinar. 

Check out this webinar to hear from Mindi Callison, Executive Director, of Bailing Out Benji. Mindi will discuss all things puppy mills and focus on the ABCs of puppy mills, why regulating puppy mills is important, and why Texas is unique in terms of selling puppies from puppy mills in other states. Learn what we need to do now as advocates to help protect dogs currently in large-scale breeding facilities in Texas.

Mindi Callison is the Founder and Executive Director of the National nonprofit organization, Bailing Out Benji which focuses on the grassroots effort to combat the puppy mill industry. Mindi founded Bailing Out Benji at 21 years old after falling victim to the puppy mill industry by way of a local pet store, which offered her a credit card with high interest. Upon learning about the pet store/puppy mill connection and learning about the predatory lending practices that these stores utilize to take advantage of low-income families, Mindi knew that she needed to act. Bailing Out Benji and its research has been instrumental in passing humane ordinances across the country, they have also been one of the driving forces behind exposing the national puppy laundering scheme that is currently happening in numerous states.

When you RSVP, you will automatically land on a page with the webinar. 

Under Texas law, animals seized as evidence under the Texas Penal Code may be held for long periods of time while the arrested violator’s criminal trial makes its way through the justice system. Many don't know about the civil seizure law wherein abused animals can be seized under the Texas Health and Safety Code, which carries less of a burden of proof, no arrest, and allows the animals' disposition within a ten-day period, pending any appeals. In this webinar, learn all about the Texas civil seizure law, when to use it and how it is a great alternative in removing cruelly treated animals. 

Animal lawyer and animal law expert Lara Tomlin is an appellate attorney at the Denton County District Attorney's office. She is board certified in Criminal Appellate Law and handles animal-related cases, including seizure hearings for cruelly treated animals. She has also served on the Denton Animal Support Foundation board of directors, an organization that supports the Denton Animal Shelter. 

When you RSVP, you will automatically land on a page with the webinar.  

Under Texas law and the federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), people with disabilities may bring their service animals to all public accommodations, such as government buildings, hotels, restaurants, stadiums, and stores. These laws also require those who operate transportation services to allow service animals. But recent trends show confusion with emotional support animals and the varying definitions.

Animal Law Expert and Animal Lawyer Randy Turner will present on service animals and emotional support animals as defined by federal laws and supporting state laws. This one hour webinar will examine how cities and municipalities can follow federal and state laws in accordance with handling these animals and how to avoid the pitfalls in applying these laws in their own cities.

When you RSVP, you will automatically land on a page with the webinar.  

THLN Executive Director, Shelby Bobosky, along with special guests Jaime Olin, THLN Legislative Chair, Monica Ailey, AIR President, and Lauren Loney, HSUS Texas State Director discuss navigating the legal landscape of large-scale breeding facilities in Texas. This webinar will include basic information on puppy mills, what led to the passage of the Texas Dog & Cat Breeder Act, and how you can help preserve it. 

Whether you simply want to educate yourself on puppy mills or understand the Breeders Program better, THLN needs your help to achieve justice for dogs and cats in large-scale breeding facilities!

When you RSVP, you will automatically land on a page with the webinar.