AIAM - Australian Institute of Animal Management Ltd

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AIAM - Australian Institute of Animal Management Ltd

The Institute's focus is on service delivery and the development of solutions in animal management.

02/11/2026

Congratulations to all the AIAM Award winners! 🏆

These awards provide a wonderful opportunity to shine a light on the individuals and programs that go above and beyond — from proactive community education and innovative approaches to service delivery, to demonstrating the highest standards of professionalism, dedication and compassion.

Congratulations to everyone recognised for their outstanding contributions to the animal management profession. Your work makes a real difference to our communities, and it deserves to be celebrated!

🏆 Congratulations to Skye Peck – 2026 AIAM Leader of the Year!

Skye Peck, Team Leader Animal Management at the City of Port Phillip, is a fantastic example of the impact strong, progressive leadership can have on animal management.

🏆 Congratulations to Groote Archipelago Regional Council – 2026 AIAM Excellence in Innovation in Animal Management Award winner!

The Groote Eylandt Animal Management Program demonstrates the impact of consistent, community-led service delivery in remote communities.

🏆 Congratulations to Matthew Glascott – 2026 AIAM Animal Management Officer of the Year!

Serving the vast Loddon Shire in Victoria, Matthew has made an outstanding contribution in just 18 months, rebuilding relationships with residents and rescue groups through his calm, compassionate and fair approach.

From going above and beyond to get animals into rescue care, responding to after-hours calls and helping deliver a new animal care facility, Matthew consistently puts animal welfare and community outcomes first.

His work demonstrates the importance of building trust, strong relationships and treating every interaction as an opportunity to make a difference.

28/10/2026

And just like that… the last sessions of the workshop! 🥹 Where did the last two days go?!

We wrapped up with three fantastic sessions, each offering valuable insights into how we can continue to make a difference in our communities. 🐾

💡 Nell Thompson from Australian Companion Animal & Sheltering Services spoke about There Is No Plan C — challenging us to set the story aside and take a hard look at what the numbers are actually telling us.

🤝 Tina Martin from Cairns Regional Council shared insights into Collaborative Community Desexing Programs and the importance of working together to create positive outcomes for people and pets.

🐶 Petra Edwards from the City of Charles Sturt presented Beyond Compliance: Fostering Safer Communities by Meeting Our Dogs’ Needs — highlighting the importance of understanding and meeting dogs’ needs to help build safer communities.

What a way to wrap up an incredible two days of learning, sharing ideas and connecting with passionate people who are committed to improving outcomes for animals and their communities. ❤️

A huge thank you to all our speakers, organisers and attendees for making this workshop so worthwhile!

28/10/2026

After lunch, we enjoyed three more fantastic presentations! 🐾

🐱 Aishani Mosquera – RSPCA NSW explored Keeping Cats Safe at Home: The Role of Strategic Communication in Humane Cat Population Management, highlighting the importance of effective communication in promoting responsible cat ownership and humane population management.

🏡 Chantelle Cornick – Wollongong City Council presented Shelter to Sofa: What Council-Run Foster Care Looks Like and What It Can Achieve, showcasing how foster care programs can make a real difference for animals in need.

💚 Jayla Sainty – Veterinary & Community Care spoke on When Animal Welfare Meets Human Vulnerability: A One Welfare Approach for Rangers, Inspectors & Shelter Teams, exploring the important connections between animal welfare and human wellbeing.

28/10/2026

🐾 Session Two: Learning, Collaboration and Compassion

Session Two brought together inspiring speakers sharing practical approaches to animal welfare and community engagement.

🐱 Jacquie Rand from the Australian Pet Welfare Foundation spoke about Working Cats: A Legal, Lifesaving Pathway for Healthy Cats Deemed Unadoptable — highlighting an alternative pathway for cats who may not be suited to traditional adoption.

🤝 Gemma Ma from RSPCA NSW and Freddy Sunny from Brewarrina Shire Council explored Co-designing Companion Animal Management, demonstrating the importance of working alongside communities to develop effective, locally relevant solutions.

💬 Ben Radford from Bendigo Animal Relief Centre presented Let’s Be Honest: Making Difficult Conversations Easier, sharing insights into navigating challenging conversations with honesty, empathy and understanding.

28/10/2026

🐾 Welcome to Day 2 of the AIAM Workshop!

We kicked off the day with Lauren from the South Australian Dog and Cat Management Board, who presented on the “Good Dog, Bad Days” dog bite safety campaign, highlighting the importance of dog bite prevention and promoting safer interactions between people and dogs.

Next, Tom Georgonicas from the City of Port Adelaide Enfield presented “From Planning to Delivery: Managing Risk on the Front Line in Dog Seizure Operations”, sharing insights into the practical challenges of managing risk during dog seizure operations.

27/10/2026

What an amazing way to close out our first day! 🐾

We wrapped up with three fantastic presentations, each offering valuable insights into the future of animal management and welfare.

🐱 Claudia Jones from RSPCA NSW shared insights into Keeping Cats Safe at Home 2.0: An Evidence-Based Approach to Domestic Cat Management in NSW, highlighting the importance of evidence-based strategies to keep cats safe while supporting responsible cat ownership.

👏 Katherine Graham from the Warner Institute delivered a great presentation on Building a Sustainable Animal Management Workforce, exploring practical strategies for attracting, onboarding and retaining the people who make a difference in our industry.

🐶 Rose Horton from Blacktown Animal Rehoming Centre (BARC) closed out the day with From Laboratory to Living Room: Rehoming Ex-Research Beagles Through BARC — a heartwarming and important look at giving these dogs the opportunity for a new life in loving homes.

A huge thank you to all the amazing presenters for sharing their knowledge, experience, passion.

A fantastic first day of learning, connection and collaboration! 💚🐾

27/10/2026

This afternoon, we heard from some fantastic speakers sharing valuable insights into animal welfare, social work and the role councils can play in supporting pets and their people. 🐾

🐶 Brooke McGorry, Veterinary Social Worker, and Sarah from RSPCA NSW shared great information about the benefits of social work in helping people keep their beloved pets during challenging times.

🐾 Bella Fransz from PetRescue explored From Crisis to Placement: What Rescues Really Need from Councils, highlighting the importance of collaboration and support between councils and rescue organisations.

🐕 Trevor Ashenden from the City of Onkaparinga shared their Barking Done Differently process, offering a fresh perspective on how councils can approach barking-related issues.

27/10/2026

Before Lunch we had Everything Cats 🐈 🐈‍⬛

We heard more great information about all things cats, with three insightful presentations from leading animal welfare and local government experts.

1. Professor Jacquie Rand – Australian Pet Welfare Foundation

Night-time, Full-time or No-time: Which Cat Policies Actually Deliver?

Professor Jacquie Rand explored different cat management policies and consider which approaches deliver the best outcomes for cats, their owners and the wider community.

2. Petra Edwards – City of Charles Sturt

Beyond Compliance: Fostering Safer Communities by Meeting Our Cats’ Needs

Petra Edwards discussed how meeting cats’ needs can help foster safer communities and encourage more responsible, effective cat management.

3. Ann-Margret Withers – RSPCA NSW

Healthy Pets, Connected Communities: Collaborative Models for Modern Animal Management

Ann-Margret Withers explored collaborative approaches to animal management that promote healthier pets, stronger community connections and better outcomes for animal welfare.

27/10/2026

A great start to the day with a warm welcome to Hobart from the Mayor! 🌟

Then straight into a fantastic lineup of presentations, beginning with Lauren Burton from the Dog and Cat Management Board and Tom from Port Adelaide Enfield Council, sharing insights into their Dog Incident Assessment Toolbox — a practical guide to assessing dog incidents in South Australia.

We then heard from Christopher Hill from the City of Port Phillip, speaking about Compassion for Change and the importance of compassionate, considered approaches to animal management.

A great morning of learning, collaboration and sharing ideas to support better outcomes for people, animals and our communities. 🐾

26/10/2026

We are off and running 2026 workshop!

Address

Hawthorn, VIC

Telephone

+61414517058

Website

http://www.aiam.org.au/

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