Welcome to Animal Protection New Mexico

[Audio] Welcome to Animal Protection New Mexico Volunteer Orientation 40+ Years of Positive Change.

[Audio] A Warm Welcome You are joining a community of passionate people Every hour you give makes a difference This orientation prepares you for day one Before we go any further, I want to extend a real welcome on behalf of everyone at Animal Protection New Mexico. When you decided to volunteer, you didn't just sign up for a few shifts. You joined a community of passionate, dedicated people who have spent decades pushing for better outcomes for animals across our state. We mean it when we say every hour you give matters. Whether you spend an afternoon at an outreach table, help us pull together a fundraising event, or lend a hand with administrative work, the time you contribute frees our team to do the deeper advocacy work that drives change. The goal of this orientation is simple. By the time we're done, you'll feel ready and confident on day one..

[Audio] Our Mission "APNM's mission is to advocate the rights of animals by effecting systemic change, resulting in the humane treatment of all animals." Systemic Change = Laws, Policies, Culture Take a moment to read our mission with me. APNM's mission is to advocate the rights of animals by effecting systemic change, resulting in the humane treatment of all animals. Let's unpack that phrase, systemic change. We're not a shelter, and we're not a rescue. Our work focuses on the systems that shape how animals are treated across New Mexico, that means the laws on the books, the policies in agencies, the practices in industries, and the culture in our communities. When we push for stronger anti-cruelty statutes, support sanctuaries, or educate kids about compassion, we're working at the root level. That kind of change is slow, but it's lasting, and as a volunteer you are part of making it happen..

[Audio] Our History Founded 1979 — celebrated 40th anniversary in 2019 New Mexico's ONLY statewide animal protection organization Helped pass dozens of animal-protection laws 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization A bit of history. Animal Protection New Mexico was founded in 1979, and in 2019 we celebrated our fortieth anniversary, four decades of work for animals across the state. To this day, we remain New Mexico's only statewide animal protection organization. That's worth pausing on. While many wonderful shelters and rescues operate locally, no other group is solely focused on the statewide policy and advocacy picture the way APNM is. Over those four decades, we've helped pass dozens of animal-protection laws, everything from stronger penalties for cruelty to landmark restrictions on inhumane trapping. We are a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, which means we rely on donations and on volunteers like you to keep this work moving forward..

[Audio] Our Programs (Part 1) Challenging Animal Cruelty Helpline: 877-548-6263 Building Humane Communities Spay/neuter · CARE Program · Train. Don't Chain. Protecting Horses, Donkeys & Mules Equine Protection Fund · Anti-slaughter advocacy APNM's work is organized into several program areas, and over the next two slides I'll walk you through them so you have the full picture. First, Challenging Animal Cruelty. When New Mexicans see something that doesn't look right, abuse, neglect, an animal in distress, they can call our Animal Cruelty Helpline at 877-548-6263. Our trained staff field those reports and connect them to the right authorities. Second, Building Humane Communities. This includes accessible spay and neuter services, our CARE program that supports the animals of domestic violence victims, and Train, Don't Chain, which helps people transition off tethering and into safer setups for their dogs. And third, Protecting Horses, Donkeys, and Mules through our Equine Protection Fund and our long-running fight against horse slaughter..

[Audio] Our Programs (Part 2) Teaching Compassion — The Animal Connection humane education Coexistence with Wildlife — Roxy's Law Changing Laws — with sister org Animal Protection Voters Animals in Science — chimpanzee sanctuary advocacy Plant-Based Eating — Educated Choices Program Continuing the tour. Teaching Compassion is our humane education work, anchored by The Animal Connection program that brings lessons on kindness and respect for animals into classrooms across New Mexico. Promoting Coexistence with Wildlife is where you'll hear us talk about Roxy's Law, our successful effort to ban cruel trapping on public lands. Changing Laws happens in close partnership with our sister organization, Animal Protection Voters, which can do the direct lobbying we as a 501(c)(3) cannot. Protecting Animals Used in Science is where our long advocacy for chimpanzee sanctuary lives. And finally, our Educated Choices Program promotes plant-based eating as a way to reduce harm to animals and our environment. Five distinct programs, all working toward the same mission..

[Audio] Getting Started — 4 Steps 1. Express your interest — Kelly@apnm.org · 877-548-6263 2. Complete this orientation 3. Sign up for e-alerts — apnm.org/get-involved/sign-up-for-e-alerts 4. Follow us on social IG @animalprotectionnewmexico · FB facebook.com/animalprotectionnm · YouTube Animal Protection New Mexico · Twitter @APNM Here's how to get started in four simple steps. Step one, express your interest. You can email Kelly at Kelly@apnm.org or call 877-548-6263. That gets the conversation going and helps us match you with the right opportunities. Step two, complete this orientation, which you are doing right now. Nice work. Step three, sign up for our e-alerts at apnm.org slash get-involved slash sign-up-for-e-alerts. The e-alerts are how we let volunteers know about upcoming events, urgent advocacy moments, and ways to help. And step four, follow us on social media. We're on Instagram at animalprotectionnewmexico, on Facebook at facebook.com slash animalprotectionnm, on YouTube as Animal Protection New Mexico, and on Twitter at APNM. Following along is the easiest way to stay connected..

[Audio] Your Volunteer Coordinator Kelly Fischer Kelly@apnm.org 877-548-6263 Your primary point of contact — reach out anytime I'd like to introduce you to your volunteer coordinator, Kelly Fischer. Kelly is your primary point of contact here at APNM. Whether you have a question about an upcoming event, you're not sure what role might fit you best, you need to swap a shift, or you just want to talk through how things are going, Kelly is the person to call or email. Her email is Kelly@apnm.org, that's K-E-L-L-Y at A-P-N-M dot org. And the phone number is 877-548-6263. Please save both of these. Kelly genuinely wants to hear from you, so don't hesitate to reach out, whether you're brand new and feeling unsure, or you've been volunteering for months and have an idea you want to share..

[Audio] What Volunteers Do APNM is a statewide advocacy & education org — NOT a shelter Community Outreach & Events Education & Advocacy Support Administrative & Office Support Fundraising & Donor Events Cruelty Helpline calls are handled by trained staff — volunteers don't respond independently Here's an important framing I want you to hold onto. APNM is a statewide advocacy and education organization. We are not a shelter, and we are not a rescue. That means volunteer work here looks different from what you might have done at a local animal shelter. There's no kennel duty, no dog walking, no cat socializing. Instead, our volunteers help in four main ways. Community outreach and events, education and advocacy support, administrative and office support, and fundraising and donor events. One quick but really important note. Calls to the Animal Cruelty Helpline are handled by trained staff, not by volunteers. If you're out in the community and someone tells you about a cruelty situation, the right move is to give them the helpline number, 877-548-6263, not to investigate yourself..

[Audio] General Expectations Arrive on time Communicate proactively if you can't make a shift Represent APNM professionally Follow supervisor guidance · Ask questions freely Treat everyone — people and animals — with kindness A few simple expectations that go a long way. Arrive on time. When you're staffing an event or covering a shift, the team is counting on you. If something comes up and you can't make it, communicate proactively. Send Kelly a quick text or email, the earlier the better, so we can adjust. When you're on a shift or wearing APNM gear, you're representing the organization, so let's keep it professional and warm. Follow the guidance of your supervisor, and please, ask questions freely. There are no dumb questions in this work, and we'd rather you ask than guess. And the one that matters most, treat everyone, the people you work alongside, the public you meet, and of course the animals, with kindness and respect. That's the whole job, really..

[Audio] Key Policies Code of Conduct — respectful, inclusive, no unauthorized statements Confidentiality — donor records, cruelty cases — ask Kelly Media — direct inquiries to staff; don't speak for APNM Safety — don't intervene with animals. Call 877-548-6263 Expenses — pre-approve, save receipts, track mileage A quick tour of the policies that keep everyone safe and on the same page. The Code of Conduct asks you to be respectful and inclusive, no discrimination, and not to make unauthorized statements on APNM's behalf. Confidentiality covers things like donor records and details about cruelty cases. When in doubt, ask Kelly before sharing. Media inquiries should always go to APNM staff. If a reporter approaches you, politely redirect them. Don't speak on APNM's behalf. Safety means reporting any unsafe conditions and, very importantly, not intervening directly with an animal in distress. Call the Helpline at 877-548-6263 and let trained responders handle it. And finally, expense reimbursement. If you'll be incurring costs, get pre-approval from your coordinator, save your receipts, and track your mileage. We'll take care of you, just keep us in the loop..

[Audio] Resources & Thank You Website: apnm.org Get Involved: apnm.org/get-involved Animal Cruelty Helpline: 877-548-6263 Making Tracks Magazine · Annual Report We are glad you are here. Before we wrap up, a few resources to bookmark. Our main website is apnm.org. The volunteer hub lives at apnm.org slash get-involved. The Animal Cruelty Helpline is 877-548-6263, save that one in your phone. Our quarterly Making Tracks magazine and our Annual Report are both terrific ways to keep up with the wins and the work in progress. Both are available on the website. That's it. That's your orientation. The last thing I want to say is the simplest, and the most important. Thank you. The animals of New Mexico are better off because people like you choose to give your time. We can't wait to work alongside you. Reach out to Kelly anytime you have a question, an idea, or just want to say hello. We are glad you are here..