2015 Animal Conference
reported for OKC Pets Magazine by Holly Clay
photography by Holly Clay and Austin Clay
The 2015 Animal Conference hosted by the Kirkpatrick Foundation was held on March 30 – 31, in Downtown Oklahoma City. The Conference prides itself on being a forum for impact, ideas and inspiration, focused on creating a safe and humane environment for all creatures.
The Skirvin lobby
This one-of-a-kind event happens only once every three years. OKC was lucky enough to host this year’s event at the beautiful, historic Skirvin Hilton hotel. Attendees and speakers came from across the country, including prominent authors, public speakers and animal specialists, as well as the average animal enthusiast.
What is the Animal Conference?
The Animal Conference is a “breeding ground” of knowledge regarding the humane treatment of all animals. The Kirkpatrick Foundation of Oklahoma City not only hosted but sponsored the event. The Foundation has long been a prominent leader and activist for the wellbeing of animals with John Kirkpatrick also being the founder of the Oklahoma Zoological Society in 1954.
The event was a great opportunity to discover and explore ideas of meaningful and effective ways to complete Oklahoma’s goal of being the most humane, safest place to be an animal by the year 2032. What an accomplishment that will be! I personally could not think of a better place to bring a group of likeminded individuals together to create a safer place for animals and our environment.
A therapy dog attendee
The Conference offered studies, lectures and eye-opening sessions that were not just limited to the average house pet. For instance, a wealth of information was shared regarding the humane treatment of livestock, horses, birds and other wild animals. The hallways and conference rooms were full of happy-tailed therapy dogs, adoptive kittens and mountains of resources about how to cultivate a better environment for animals and mankind alike.
Kittens for adoption from Central OK Humane Society
Sunday, March 29, kicked off the event with a welcome reception at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art, also open to the public. Attendees were treated to a special guest, National Geographic Photographer Joel Sartore. Sartore’s career has taken him around the world, as he photographs amazing, exotic creatures.
“When we save species, we are actually saving ourselves,” he said. If you missed this event, you can still check out some of his work online. He is an incredible photographer with many captivating stories.
Monday, the Conference continued with more amazing speakers, informative breakout sessions and even a tour of the new Joan Kirkpatrick Animal Hospital, a state-of-the-art facility at the Oklahoma City Zoo, opening to the public in 2015.
During an award luncheon, the Foundation presented its Kirkpatrick Honor for Animal Wellbeing Award to Natalee Cross for her dedicated work to rescue and rehabilitate horses. The prestigious award is given to someone who possesses a great deal of integrity and willpower for the betterment of animals. Before the presentation of the award, a powerful video showcased Cross’s hard work to save horses that would have otherwise been killed. The video was extremely motivating and heart wrenching.
Attendees view the video of Natalee Cross of Blaze’s Equine Rescue
Other events included intriguing and thought-provoking breakout sessions. Some of these sessions discussed the souls of animals and different religious traditions, historic views of animals and the existence of their souls. Especially beneficial to Oklahomans, some sessions centered on emergency preparedness when dealing with major disasters and pets, and understanding what happens with our beloved pets when disaster strikes.
Natalee Cross accepting the Kirkpatrick Honor for Animal Wellbeing Award
Additional topics covered animal abuse and the human-animal bond. Of course, there were happy, uplifting sessions, such as the Great Horned Owl cam with Alessondra Click, which is now an Internet sensation with more than 6 million views (OKCOwlCam.com).
Tuesday brought even more exciting, fun activities, breakouts and events. In the Myriad Gardens, “high-flyin’ disc dogs” performed with their trainers, Lee Fairchild and Chris Meyers. Dora, Ace, JC, DD, JD and Gracie were nothing short of amazing with their tricks and stunts.
Local food trucks and vendors set up camp, along with The Bella Foundation who brought with them precious, adoptable kittens. The famous cat Sauerkraut who has over 200 thousand social media followers also made an appearance. Decked out in a pink stroller, Sauerkraut seemed to be OK with all the attention.
How can you help?
If you missed this incredibly cool event, you can plan to attend in 2018. Valuable resources can still be obtained; visit http://www.theanimalconference.com/.
To learn more about the new Joan Kirkpatrick Animal Hospital opening 2015 at the Oklahoma City Zoo, visit http://www.safeandhumaneoklahoma.org/safe-and-humane/joan-kirkpatrick-animal-hospital.
Let’s all stay focused on the goal of becoming the safest and most humane place to be an animal by the year 2032.
So our Saturday night did not go exactly as planned. We intended on an early dinner at Bleu Garten, 301 NW 10th, arriving at 4:30 to beat the crowds. That was a huge joke, as a drive-by showed absolutely zero table space and not much parking. We had to make a quick decision, and drove one block over to
