By James F. Gesualdi

To keep ahead, each one of us, no matter what our task, must search for new and better methods—for even that which we now do well must be done better tomorrow.
—James F. Bell

Whether or not it is during the month when Valentine’s Day is celebrated, genuine, heartfelt, selfless messages conveying love are always something to love. Encountering “I hope your day is full of love” as a posted greeting on an early morning walk warmed my heart. Given the location of the hopeful greeting was a door to a physical therapy center, the party responsible for putting those words up was likely a caregiver.

A loving caregiver has more to give, and the recipient of that care, human or nonhuman, benefits. Even when we are not caregivers, a day full of love is perhaps the greatest gift we bring to life in ourselves, as well as our relationships and our efforts on behalf of animals. When that love is at the heart of all we do for animals, we make their lives better, and that is why we are here—for the animals and each other.

New U.S. Animal Welfare Act (AWA) developments provide additional opportunities to demonstrate our love through constructive action. Here are some recent and ongoing regulatory developments, and examples and ideas of love (and more) in action, on behalf of animals.

The Academy’s Safe Capture program offers in-person, virtual, and e-learning training for the chemical immobilization and anesthesia of domestic and wildlife species. Learn more about Safe Capture Training.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for our January in-person Safe Capture training events in Arkansas, hosted by Arkansas GFC and Little Rock Zoo, and at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. These events drew enthusiastic participants from around the US, including veterinarians, wildlife biologists, students, and other domestic animal and wildlife management specialists. We are so glad you could join us.

Registration is now open for the following Academy Safe Capture livestream event:

May 16–18: This is a three-day online event, from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. (Pacific Time) May 16 and 17, and 7 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. (Pacific Time) May 18.

Registration is now open for the following Academy Safe Capture in-person events:

Connecticut (Bridgeport): April 19–20: This event is being hosted by Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo, and is open to all participants.

Nebraska (Lincoln): May 6–7: This event is being hosted by University of Nebraska-Lincoln School of Natural Resources, and is open to all participants.

Virginia (Fredericksburg): June 13–14: This event is being hosted by Rappahannock Regional Criminal Justice Academy, and is open to all participants.

Wisconsin (Stevens Point): October 14–15: This event is being hosted by the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point College of Natural Resources, and is open to all participants.

CE credits approved by the following organizations:

For more information, or to register for these events, please visit
our Safe Capture Website.

Have a question about your learning account? Our learning partner, CypherWorx, has a very robust support hub, where you can search for help! Visit the CypherWorx Support Hub for more details.

If you need more specific help, you can also submit a help ticket through the support hub, or call 888-685-4440 to speak with a CypherWorx customer support representative.

For more information about the Academy, please send us an email at SDZWAAcademySales@sdzwa.org.

Individual, group, and institution rates are available. Please contact SDZWAAcademySales@sdzwa.org.

To view archived Academy Newsletters, visit our archive page.

Learn more on our website sdzwaacademy.org.