• Date: 10/20/2018
  Time: 12:00pm - 5:00pm
  Location: ARL Main, Mapes Auditorium
  5452 NE 22nd St
  Des Moines, IA 50313

Iowa Federation of Humane Societies (IFHS) Presents:

Compassionate Life-Saving
Taking Care of Ourselves so We Can Help More Animals

We are all driven by compassion, a compelling desire to help animals. It is inevitable that somewhere along the road to saving more lives, we become overwhelmed, frustrated and depleted. Compassion fatigue and burnout with their long-term consequences are real in every organization. In 2015, a study by the American Journal of Preventive Medicine revealed that animal rescue workers have a suicide rate of 5.3 in 1 million workers. This is the highest suicide rate among American workers; a rate shared only by firefighters and police officers. With so many animals to save, being mindful of our own needs, and those of our fellow human beings, often falls to the bottom of our priority list. Caring for ourselves and others, however, is exactly what’s needed. This session will explore proactive tools to combat this stress, thus enabling individuals to continue to do the work that they love while helping organizations become more effective in the life-saving work that they do.

Lunch:  12-1PM
Seminar:  1-5PM

This seminar is FREE to attend, but advanced reservation is required.  Lunch is provided at no-cost thanks to IFHS.

About the speaker: Linda R. Harper, Ph.D. is a lifelong animal lover and advocate, and has been a clinical psychologist in the Chicago area for over 30 years. As the founder of Blessed Bonds, a foster-based program that keeps people and pets together, she understands the physical, mental, and emotional stress that comes with this heart-driven work. Linda is a frequent speaker at animal welfare conferences including the annual Best Friends National Conference. She gives workshops locally and throughout the country. Linda facilitates the pet loss support group sponsored by the Chicago Veterinary Medical Association. She is an author of four books including The Power of Joy in Giving to Animals (with foreword and contributions by Best Friends’ co-founder, Faith Maloney).

About The Iowa Federation of Humane Societies

The Iowa Federation of Humane Societies was established in 1975 with the express purpose of promoting the advocacy and welfare of animals through an association of licensed animal shelters, humane societies, animal welfare groups, animal advocacy organizations, and concerned individuals working cooperatively for humane education and legislation.