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Membership Information
Note: Coinciding with the fiscal year, memberships are due by July 1. Click here for information on renewing membership or becoming a new member.
1.
What is the Massachusetts Animal Coalition?
2. Who belongs to
MAC?
3. What does MAC do?
4. When does MAC meet?
5. What
happens at a MAC meeting?
6. Can
non-members attend a meeting?
7. How do I join or renew my membership in MAC?
8.
Is there more than one type of membership?
9.
Do I have to be an animal care professional to become a
member?
10.
Do I have to become a member to help MAC?
11. I am already a member. Where can I find the member information form?
12. How do I
contact MAC?
1.
What is the Massachusetts Animal Coalition?
Founded in February 2000, the Massachusetts
Animal Coalition, Inc (MAC) is a statewide
not-for-profit organization which promotes collaboration
among animal care professionals. MAC's primary focus is
to facilitate and support the efforts of organizations
and individuals to decrease the number of homeless,
neglected, displaced and abused animals in Massachusetts
by working together as a coalition. By joining together,
MAC members have created strong alliances and developed
new programs and initiatives. Ever increasing numbers of
Massachusetts animals have benefited from this
cooperation.
2. Who belongs to
MAC?
People from a variety of backgrounds and
organizations are MAC members, including:
* Animal control officers
* Veterinarians
* Animal shelter personnel
* Canine breed
rescue representatives
* Feline rescue
representatives
* Pet supply retailers
* Cruelty investigators
* Attorneys
* Representatives of state agencies, humane societies,
state veterinary associations, and veterinary
schools
3. What does MAC
do?
In the past 5 years, MAC members have initiated task
forces on a number of fronts, including:
* Feral
Cats: Trap, spay/neuter, vaccinate, return, and release
cats from managed feral colonies.
* Reshaping the Shelter Image: Improve the
public perception of what shelters can offer.
* Behavioral Evaluation of Shelter Dogs: Develop
and validate a standardized process for assessing
behavior of dogs in shelters and help shelter workers to
better understand training to decrease unacceptable
behaviors.
* ACO/Shelter Support Task Force: Improve
communication among groups working to place animals.
* Foster Care: Recruit foster homes to provide
temporary care for animals with special behavioral or
health needs. Develop a statewide network to train and
support foster caregivers.
* Resource Directory: Compile a comprehensive
list of animal services in Massachusetts.
* Advocacy Council: Promote animal-friendly
legislation.
MAC has also sponsored or co-sponsored day-long
conferences, including Pit Bull Pendulum, Feral Cats
101, and The Next Step (a discussion about the
connection between domestic violence and animal abuse).
In an effort to make a difference for our
Massachusetts animals, MAC launched two new projects in
the fall of 2003. The first is the Massachusetts Animal
Coalition Spay-Neuter Program at the Luke & Lilly
Lerner Spay-Neuter Clinic, hosted by Tufts University
School of Veterinary Medicine. MAC established this
program to save lives by preventing births in the
neediest animals - those without owners or guardians.
Because the costs of the program are heavily subsidized
by the efforts of MAC members and donors, program
services are available only to qualified shelters,
humane societies, pounds, animal control, rescue groups,
and feral cat caretakers. This is a project that we plan
to have veterinary students to participate in, under
close supervision as a part of their training. For
details, email MAC at the address below.
For our second project, we offer the MAC
Massachusetts Animal Friendly License Plate Program! In
cooperation with the Registry of Motor Vehicles, MAC
oversees this program, whose sole function is to grant
the proceeds from the sale of the license plates to
Massachusetts non-profits and municipalities with
programs to spay and neuter animals. This is done
through an application process. For details, email MAC
at the address below.
4. When does MAC
meet?
MAC general meetings are held at least four times a year, typically on Sundays. Future meetings are listed in the "Upcoming Events" section of the main page of the website.
5.
What happens at a MAC meeting?
MAC meetings promote vigorous discussion and
positive interactions on a variety of topics. We
frequently feature invited guests or members to speak on
specific topics. Previous presentations have included
Robert Perry from the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation
speaking about grant writing, Kim Saunders from
Petfinder.com, Sheila O'Brien from National Education
for Assistance Dog Services, Carter Luke discussing
MSPCA's 2001 MA Companion Animal Population Study, Dr.
Amy Marder presenting her work in behavioral assessment
of shelter dogs, to name a few.
Meetings also provide an opportunity for members to
update the group on the progress of individual task
forces. Members (and guests) may present a problem or
concern in order to generate input from colleagues,
furthering the collaborative model on which MAC was
founded.
The cost of meetings for the current year are:
- Individual member affiliated with an organizational member- $20
- Individual member unaffiliated with an organizational member- $30
- Non-member or guest- $40
- Student with an ID- $20
6.
Can non-members attend a meeting?
Absolutely! Guests are welcome to attend up to two
meetings- we are
always looking to recruit new members and volunteers!
7. How do I join or renew my membership in
MAC?
Individuals and organizations seeking new membership in MAC should complete the following two steps. Individuals and organizations seeking to renew membership should complete only Step 2. Note: There is no longer a meeting attendance requirement to become a MAC member.
- New Members Only: Download and complete a membership application (see Question 8 below for information on the two types of membership).
Individual Membership Application
Organization
Membership Application
Mail the completed application to:
Massachusetts Animal Coalition Membership
P.O. Box 766
Westborough, MA 01581
- New Members and Membership Renewals: Pay membership dues. Dues can be paid via check made out to Massachusetts Animal Coalition. Dues can also be paid online using the links below:
Individual member (unaffiliated with an organizational member)
Group member (affiliated with organizational member- check with your organization or on the MAC website for a list of current organizational members)
Small organization (1-10 staff/volunteers)
Medium organization (11-20 staff/volunteers)
Large organization (20+ staff/volunteers)
Supporting organization (any number of staff/volunteers)
8.
Is there more than one type of membership?
Yes, MAC has two types of membership, as described below. All members are required to pay annual dues and shall be willing to commit to support the mission, projects, and activities of MAC. Voting members in good standing shall be granted the right to vote, hold office, and serve on task forces and committees.
Organizational memberships are based on the size of your group. An organizational membership allows your affiliates to join MAC and attend workshops/programs at a reduced rate. Your organization's web address will also be featured on the MAC website.
- Small organization (1-10 staff/volunteers)- $100
- Medium organization (11-20 staff/volunteers)- $150
- Large organization (20+ staff/volunteers)- $250
- Supporting organization (any number of staff/volunteers)- $1,000
Individual memberships are available at two levels:
- Individual member (unaffiliated with organizational member)- $30
- Group member (affiliated with organizational member- check with your organization or on the MAC website for a list of current organizational members) - $20
MAC also has some Honorary Members, which are elected by the board of
directors and are exempt from paying annual dues.
Honorary members have all the rights and privileges of
an active member, but shall not have the right to vote
or hold office.
Guests are not members but are encouraged to attend
general membership meetings to learn more about MAC and
consider becoming a member.
9.
Do I have to be an animal care professional to become a
member?
No. If you are not an animal care
professional, we can still use your help! You don't need
lots of experience - the only requirement is that you
care about helping our animal friends.
10.
Do I have to become a member to help MAC?
No. MAC welcomes guests, who can participate in
meetings and task forces, but do not have voting
privileges.
If you can't attend meetings, we are always searching
for volunteers to help out behind the scenes. Please
contact us for more information regarding the various
volunteer opportunities that are available.
11. I am already a member. Where can I find the member information form?
If you are already a member of MAC, you can download the Membership Information Form here. Submit this form to have your information included in the member directory. Please note that this form is for members only.
12. How do I
contact MAC?
You can contact a MAC representative several ways:
By email: Info@massanimalcoalition.org
By phone: 978.779.9880 (message line)
You can also contact the MAC Membership Chair, Heather Donnelly, with any questions specifically about membership.
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