Terri Perrin
InfoStream Staff Writer
Infostream staff writer Terri Perrin speaks with Innovation showcase presenter Cheryl Herperger, Business Strategist on the Community and Strategic Service Team at The City of Calgary Animal & Bylaw Services. Cheryl is also the lead for The City’s innovative new Off-Leash Ambassadors volunteer program.
INFOSTREAM (IS): Before we get start talking
about your Urban Animal Conference experience, please tell us about your past
and present Pet Experiences and how it relates to your current position with the
City of Calgary Animal & Bylaw Services.
Cheryl
Herperger (CH): I have lived with dogs since I was three
years old and I currently share my home with two Golden Retrievers and two
Labrador crosses. They are the loves of my life! When I was six years old I
wanted to be a vet, but I had an issue with blood. Still do! So that was a bit
of a problem. [Laughs.] Instead, in order to still ‘work’ with animals, over
the years I have been on the boards of directors of several humane societies
and now work for Animal & Bylaw Services.
I love watching my four dogs and they give me pure
joy. I believe that walking your dog is the foundation of the relationship with
your pet; so working on the Off-Leash Ambassadors project is perfect for me. I
have worked with The City for over five years, as a community recreation
coordinator, and had often worked in collaboration with Animal & Bylaw.
When the job came up at Animal Services in the fall of 2013, I though “This is
perfect! Furry friends and men in
uniform. Works for me!”
IS:
Tell us why the Off-Leash Ambassador program was created.
CH: We
were getting feedback from both dog owners and non-dog owners alike on issues
in most of our parks, but especially from two particular parks in the NW. Our investigation clearly indicated that there
was a lot of confusion and concerns relating to off-leash etiquette. Some
people we completely out of control. We knew that an education and public
awareness piece would benefit all citizens. We have 24 dedicated Animal & Bylaw
officers and, with a population of 1.4 million people, 122,000 licensed dogs
and 151 dedicated off-leash areas, that’s a lot of ground to cover! The Off-Leash Ambassador program was developed to
provide role models in the parks who could help people to voluntarily comply
with bylaws and provide an avenue for citizens to express concerns and pass
along comments to City staff. This is a volunteer-based,
citizen-led ambassador program designed to assist bylaw officers. The bottom line is that the program is about
education, not enforcement.
IS:
What is the main focus of the program?
CH:
One of the most important issues that the Off-Leash
Ambassador program addresses is that even in an off-leash area it is imperative
that dogs be under control at all times. It is not about showing up and just
letting them run. We require people to have audible or visual command or
control of their dogs. Dog recall is really important. Many people come to the
park and they are busy talking or texting on cell phones or visiting with
friends, rather than watching their dogs. You really must be aware of where
your dog is and what he or she is doing.
IS:
Tell us about the program launch.
CH:
We had intended to start Off-Leash Ambassadors on
July 1, 2013, but the city was under siege by flooding, so we did an official
re-launch on September 5. The pilot program was introduced in Egerts and
Bowmont Parks; the two parks where we had a high number of concerns and issues.
We started with four volunteers. We provided them with logo-wear, so they could
be easily identified, and a backpack filled with supplies including printed
materials and ‘Bags on Board’ poop bag canisters to hand out to people for
free. We have given out about 5,000 canisters to date.
IS:
What kind of training and support do volunteers receive?
CH:
Volunteers complete a comprehensive training and
orientation program that includes a thorough review of our bylaws. Our Responsible Pet Ownership Bylaws that are 33
pages long are now summarized in a pamphlet. They are also instructed
on basic animal behaviour – calming signals, posturing and more. They are
trained to approach people positively, with a ‘did you know?’ attitude. We now
have 35 volunteers for the two parks and it is interesting to note that not all
of them are dog owners. The program has gone citywide and we hope to have
ambassadors at all 151 of our off-leash areas by 2015.
IS:
How do you recruit volunteers and what is their time commitment?
CH: Calgary is a dog city and a volunteer city so it hasn’t
been difficult to get people to signup for the program. We have recruited using
The City’s website, blog and social media, as well as
emails to community associations, 122 dog walking groups, vets, groomers,
retail, and the dog organizations. Quite a wide range of people have signed up,
including several veterinarians and dog trainers. It is quite the diverse
group. I am positively overwhelmed with their passion and commitment.
IS:
How is the program funded? Are there any corporate sponsors?
CH:
The City Council's Innovation Fund supports the
program. Animal and Bylaw Service’s submitted an application and two councilors
sponsored it. This funding pays for volunteer training and support, as well as
supplies, such as jackets, leashes, backpacks, pet first aid kits, notebooks,
etc.
IS:
What is the general feedback about the program from your community?
CH:
People notice a difference already and are asking
how they can help. It has all been very encouraging. The program has created a
social network of volunteers connecting with dog owners. It is an ‘in’ for
positive communication and education.
IS: This was your first Urban Animal Conference experience. What
did you think about it?
CH:
It definitely added to my passion about community
development. There is so much we can do. I was so impressed with the wide range
of keynotes and presentations. I took tons of notes and am busy following up to
create potential partnerships. I can’t wait until the International Summit for
Urban Animal Strategies in October.
IS: Speaking of the Summit, what do you hope to take away from –
or contribute to – the event?
CH: By October we will have had a full spring and
summer of the program and am pleased to have extra time for my presentation to
talk about what we learned. I’ll be able to share what changes and enhancements
we have made. I look forward to hearing from other presenters. In my
experience, conferences promote creative conversations and ideas. How wonderful
to be able to be there, with like-minded, passionate and dedicated people. I
can’t wait.
The 2014 Urban Animal Regional Conferences presented the second annual Innovation Showcases. Across the continent, 20 local Innovators were given the opportunity to share their stories and successes with Urban Animal subscribers. From those, eight were selected to present at the 2014 Summit for Urban Animal Strategies, October 22–25 in beautiful Lake Louise, Alberta.
