By: Steven Appelbaum
ABC President & CEO

Hello everyone, and welcome to another edition of “What’s Waggin.”

On the dog front, both of our adopted hounds are doing well.  Dolly and Colton, whose names sound like country music stars, are the stars of our neighborhood.  Super friendly and sweet, Dolly has taken to stepping in front of people as they walk toward us on the sidewalk.  Why?  So that all mortals can look upon her beauty and pet her!  Most will, although the funniest, are the ones who step around her and keep walking.  The look of surprise on her face is priceless.  She can’t believe there is anyone who won’t pet a Basset Hound.  

Since I am sure very few of you opened this newsletter to read about my dogs, here is what’s happening at ABC. 

As I shared in the last newsletter, we are changing/improving many of the systems at ABC.  After years of talking about it, we finally launched our online enrollment agreement in mid-December 2024.  For the first time, applicants at Animal Behavior College can fill out an enrollment agreement online and, upon review, be sent a contract, which, if accepted, is digitally signed.  While this is standard practice for many businesses and schools, it’s new for us.  It’s also proving to be very popular.   In a 30-day period, 12/17/24-1/17/25, we sent a staggering 248 agreements to animal lovers interested in making the pet industry their career.   While it is still a tad early to make 2025 projections, this enrollment option’s initial and continuing popularity bodes well for the school and for people who previously balked at the prospect of long phone calls with admissions counselors.   Our admissions counselors also help people with questions about the new process and speak with prospective students who prefer a traditional hands-on enrollment approach.    

Next is our new Contact Management System, which should be operational in Q1 2025.   After that, we will move on to a new Learning Management System (LMS), which will improve student and alumni experiences.  Although it may sound cliché, the future is bright here at ABC.   

Thank you for your continued support and interest in ABC. Your enthusiasm for our work and dedication to the welfare of animals is truly inspiring. We look forward to sharing more exciting updates with you in the future. Until next time, I wish you all good health and happiness.