April 2020 by Marc Peralta, Senior Director, National Mission Advancement, Best Friends Animal Society and Ed Jamison, Director, Dallas Animal Services

Audience: Executive Leadership, Foster Caregivers, Shelter/Rescue Staff & Volunteers, Veterinary Team

Video Length: 42:28

Public safety and animal welfare go hand in hand. How is public safety impacted when lifesaving increases? Join Marc Peralta of Best Friends and Edward Jamison of Dallas Animal Services to hear about the increases and impact they have seen in public safety, when lifesaving takes priority.

This presentation was recorded by Maddie's Fund® at the 2020 American Pets Alive! Conference.

Bio photo of Ed Jamison, smiling in a blue coat, kneeling with a black and white dog.

About Ed Jamison

Ed became the Director of Dallas Animal Services (DAS) in October of 2017. With over 34,000 dogs and cats entering DAS yearly, Dallas is the 4th largest intake in the United States. Prior to coming to Dallas, Ed was the Chief Animal Control Officer for the City of Cleveland, Ohio, but he entered the Animal Care & Control World in the mid 2000's while he was the Animal Warden for the City of Garfield Heights, a suburb of Cleveland. In his time serving Cleveland, Ed made a push to redefine the way Animal Control functions and re-brand the public's perception of the industry, particularly with "pit-bull" type dogs. The award winning, trademarked CITY DOGs Cleveland Adoption and Volunteer programs are flourishing and being copied throughout the country.


About Marc Peralta

As the Senior Director of National No-Kill Advancement, Marc brings together Best Friends' newest initiatives and aligns all things related to developing the knowledge and capabilities of individuals and organizations involved in lifesaving in order to empower them to achieve no-kill in their own backyard. These initiatives include shelter outreach, mentorship, staff-embedding programs, community cat programs, no-kill leadership training and emergency response training and operations. Marc is the former Executive Director for Best Friend Animal Society's Los Angeles organization, where he directed program operations.

Marc also served as Vice President and Chief Operating Officer as well as interim CEO at the Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PSPCA). In addition to his duties at the Pennsylvania SPCA, Marc also served as a member of the Board of Directors for the Animal Care and Control Team of Philadelphia. Prior to the PSPCA, Marc worked in animal care manager roles at the Nevada Humane Society in Reno, NV and the Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region in Colorado Springs, CO.