Saving Lives is a Paw-Some Business

RANCHO SANTA FE, CA -- (Marketwired) -- 10/24/16 -- What started out as one Atlanta man's quest to save a malnourished stray dog, has turned into an educational and inspirational day for animal rescues and shelters across the southeast. Helen Woodward Animal Center (HWAC) is excited to announce that its internationally-acclaimed Business of Saving Lives one-day workshop will provide regional animal rescue organizations new ways to look at animal welfare, fundraising, public relations, social media and networking. The event will also include a special visit from Victoria Stilwell, author, pet behavior expert and celebrity host of Animal Planet's It's Me or the Dog, and Jules Trace, the Director of the Youth Division and Convention Coordinator for the Ian Somerhalder Foundation (ISF). The Business of Saving Lives One-Day Workshop will be held at Roam Innovative Workspace: Dunwoody in Atlanta, Georgia on October 26.

The Business of Saving Lives (formerly called ACES) began at Helen Woodward Animal Center in 2002 as quarterly workshops, taught by team members on the Rancho Santa Fe, CA grounds. With an ever increasing number of national and international attendees, Center President and CEO Mike Arms saw an opportunity and decided to take the workshops on the road to cities that could benefit the most. Helen Woodward Animal Center began selecting two special non-profit organizations each year that had applied and demonstrated a strong need for the workshops, as well as an ability to invite and gather other animal welfare organizations in the area to take part in citywide improvement to the treatment of animals and increased adoption numbers.

Dale Corley, who submitted the selected application on behalf of Atlanta-based Homeless Pets Foundation, had never been a part of the organized world of animal welfare but a very special dog changed all that for him. After tragically losing his beloved 17-year-old rescue dog Freightliner from bone cancer, Corley received a frantic call from his ex-wife about a stray dog she found on the side of the road with a strong resemblance to Freightliner. He immediately headed out with a leash and some treats and followed the frightened, malnourished dog by car and foot for nearly two hours on busy Peachtree Road.

After a battery of tests, Corley learned the dog was heartworm positive. He reached out to several organizations to research his treatment options. Great news arrived with a call from Dr. Michael Good at Town & Country Veterinarian Clinic in Marietta. When Dr. Good heard the rescue story, he immediately offered to treat the heartworm at no charge. Over the next several weeks, Corley's "foster" dog gained strength and weight and during the recovery a bond grew. The orphan pet was no longer an orphan. His new name was Rascal and he belonged to Corley.

Moved by Rascal and Dr. Good's mission to help orphan pets through his Homeless Pets Foundation, Corley began a non-profit organization called ARK Angels Foundation to raise awareness and support local animal welfare organizations. In particular, he hoped to help them embrace newer technologies and marketing efforts that would enhance the survival chances for orphan pets that needed exposure the most. It was at this time that Corley learned about Helen Woodward Animal Center's application process for The Business of Saving Lives. The one-day sessions which focused on business-minded solutions to animal welfare issues mirrored Corley's mission. With Rascal's rescue in his heart, he nominated Dr. Good and his Homeless Pets Foundation.

"We are ultimately in this together and my hope is that people come away inspired, energized and with an openness to implement many of the ideas that will be presented by Helen Woodward Animal Center," said Corley.

Helen Woodward Animal Center shares Corley's hope. "We are delighted to introduce our team to these hardworking organizations," stated Center President and CEO Arms. "The only way we can really change the world of animal welfare is to work together. It's an honor to meet with like-minded people who want to make a better world for these beautiful pets."

For more information on The Business of Saving Lives one-day workshop, please click onto https://bosl-2016.eventbrite.com For more information on Helen Woodward Animal Center or to attend a San Diego three-day workshop or apply for a free workshop in your area, please click onto www.animalcenter.org.

   Media Contact: Jessica Gercke Email contact 

Source: Helen Woodward Animal Center

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