Compassion Fatigue Strategies Certificate | Sabrina Brando has officially completed a Compassion Fatigue Strategies certificate with the University of Florida Maddie's Shelter Medicine Program, College of Veterinary Medicine. The online course was taught by Jessica Dolce, a Certified Compassion Fatigue Educator via the Green Cross of Traumatology, and targeted animal care professionals with the goal of establishing a base of knowledge to assist in understanding and transforming compassion fatigue experiences. Over the course of 15 contact hours, lessons will, “help you recognize signs and symptoms of compassion fatigue, learn to manage your stress levels and increase your self-care practices, connect with the rewards of your work, build your resiliency, and commit to making successful changes in your life and in your organization.” If you are interested in earning this certificate or want to learn more, click here! | Valutazione del benessere animale Sono aperte le iscrizioni al workshop sulla valutazione del benessere animale che si terrà presso il Parco Zoo Punta Verde di Lignano Sabbiadoro dal 17 al 19 Marzo 2020 con relatrice la Dott.ssa Sabrina Brando, psicologa e ricercatrice specializzata nella relazione uomo-animale. Il workshop è rivolto a guardiani, curatori, direttori e medici veterinari di giardini zoologici e personale afferente ai centri di recupero della fauna selvatica. Il workshop teorico-pratico si terrà interamente in italiano e tratterà temi quali il concetto di benessere animale e gli indicatori utilizzabili per la sua valutazione. Ulteriori info e modalità di iscrizione sono disponibili al seguente link. | Abstract 'How are you? Understanding the sorrows and joys of caring for animals' Accepted for EAZA Animal Welfare Forum 2020 | EAZA has accepted another of Sabrina’s abstract submissions, devised in collaboration with Professor Lynette Hart, for an oral presentation of ‘How are you? Understanding the sorrows and joys of caring for animals’. for the upcoming Animal Welfare Forum 2020 under the theme of “Bridging the Gap”. The conference will be hosted by Apenheul Primate Park Foundation in The Netherlands this coming March with the goal of uniting zoos and aquariums, welfare organisations and academic institutions to bridge the gap between animal welfare research and application. You can read the full abstract below: Providing care for wild animals in zoos and aquariums (henceforth zoos), as well as wildlife centres and sanctuaries, brings many joys and positive experiences, but can also leave someone emotionally drained or numb by negative experiences. Animal caregivers, curators, veterinarians, researchers, and other animal welfare staff (henceforth zoo professionals), often have high levels of compassion, empathy, and drive to care for others and effect change. Caring for and serving others gives a sense of joy and achievement, creating compassion satisfaction. Recruitment of and access to social support, working in an effective team, supervising and directing positive outcomes, gaining professional experience, and using self-care strategies promote compassion satisfaction. Yet, these positive experiences often are combined with painful ethical dilemmas, where optimal solutions are not feasible, and decisions must be from among a variety of sub-optimal alternatives; this creates moral stress. Repeated exposure to distressing events such as neglect, inaction, and animal euthanasia, can leave zoo professionals at risk of compassion fatigue or burnout. Common symptoms of compassion fatigue can include feeling mentally and physically tired, with sadness and apathy, bottled-up emotions, and an inability to get pleasure from activities that previously were enjoyable, as well as a lack of self-care. These serious problems have been well-documented among workers in settings such as veterinary practice, laboratory animal care facilities, and animal shelters, but they have scarcely been addressed in zoo environments. Based on survey and interview data, this paper will provide specific examples of challenging circumstances facing zoo professionals. A brief overview of strategies for preventing and addressing compassion fatigue and enhancing compassion satisfaction will be presented, drawing on current experiences and research literature. It will also outline various approaches and frameworks and conclude with future directions and recommendations to further the study and practice of zoo professional wellbeing. | New Blog: How It All Began | In case you missed it, Sabrina recently published a new blog about her beginnings in the animal care profession, ‘How It All Began’. Read a sneak peak below: "This week I attended the 2nd World Marine Mammal Conference in Barcelona, Spain - 7-day immersion in the world of dolphins, whales, pinnipeds, polar bears, and all the other marvellous individuals who inhabit salty, brackish, or freshwater aquatic environments, or spend their time between water and land. This scientific gathering had over 2500 people from all around the world. Some of my friends and colleagues attended too and we spend a lot of time talking about animal welfare and care, how we have seen such an evolution of programs and sciences, ranging from health care, environmental enrichment, human-animal interactions, and training. There were so many of us working with and in zoos and aquariums, as well as research facilities and universities, there to present and represent the individuals and species we care for and study. During the conference I had not 1 but 4 colleagues tell me “you worked at a zoo and aquarium? I did not know that!” You know when you are taken by surprise and think: What do you mean? I have spent the last almost 30 years working in, with and at the service of animals and people in a wide variety of facilities around the world. Of course, it is completely normal and it reminded me once again how important it is to tell your story, and to keep telling it - don’t worry I will not do this all in this blog! This is specifically true and important for a variety of reasons I will not go into today but will come back to at some point. Let’s just start with ‘How it all began’..." To continue reading, visit our blog! | This Month in AnimalConcepts History | This month in AnimalConcepts history – In December 2016 Sabrina collaborated with San Francisco Zoo, International Association for Animal Hospice and Palliative Care (IAAHPC), and UC Davis Veterinary Medicine to teach a workshop on Caring for Elderly Zoo Animals. Dr. Jason Watters (San Francisco Zoo), Dr. Graham Crawford (San Francisco Zoo), Nicola Field MSc. (Animals Asia), Greg A. Vicino BSc. (San Diego Zoo Global), Dr. Jessica Pierce (IAAHPC), Dr. David Jessup (Wildlife Disease Association), Dr. Lynette Hart (UC Davis), and Debbie Marin (San Francisco Zoo) all contributed lectures on a variety of topics, including geriatric animal welfare assessment, veterinary care for elderly animals, geriatric management of captive bears, ageing and social influence, ethical challenges, hospice, animal caregiver wellbeing, and coping with loss through celebrating life. | One of the results of modern animal care programs is that large numbers of animals live to be quite old, leading to a growing demographic of captive geriatric animals. In response, many holistic animal care programs have begun practicing a “cradle to grave” philosophy, striving to ensure optimal and predominantly positive animal welfare at every life stage. Yet much is still unknown about best practices for assessing and ensuring optimal welfare throughout the final stages of life. Caretakers are discovering that aged animals are unique in their physical and emotional needs and preferences. Aged animals may be behaviorally more subdued than younger ones, use their space in different ways, and may also experience events differently than they used to. Elderly animals often play specific and important roles within their social groups, and the death of an animal can be a significant event, eliciting reactions such as mourning as “funereal” behaviors. Caretakers can easily overlook or misinterpret animals’ presentations of their welfare states, particularly in realms where empirical research is lacking. Animal caretakers who understand the needs and wants of aged animals can help to provide the most appropriate care and make compassionate and well-timed end-of-life decisions. For companion as well as zoo animals, there is a growing attention to senior care and end-of-life support. This workshop will integrate work from several fields, including ethology, veterinary hospice and palliative care, animal ethics, environmental enrichment, animal training, nutrition and exhibit/indoor housing. The workshop aims to generate discussions that expand our understanding of aged animal care and welfare and provide practical applications for implementing geriatric care programs. We will also consider the roles of elderly animals in their social groups and how their loss might affect both the animals and people in their lives. The workshop will be aimed at professional animal care staff from zoos and aquariums, as well as animal welfare researchers and veterinarians looking to support the graceful ageing of the animals in their care. | If this was forwarded to you, subscribe HERE for our future newsletters! | Follow us on social media! | |
