Two good standards of care documents have been produced by the camelid community—“Minimum Standards of Care for Llamas and Alpacas” (designed for animal control and welfare authorities) and “Recommended Practices in Caring for Llamas & Alpacas” (more detailed care and husbandry information for new and prospective owners)—both available at www.camelidcare.info. We as a community, however, are still missing the largest audience of all and one from which much of the need for rescue and intervention emanates.
Many llamas and alpacas are purchased at sales barns and auction houses and from petting zoos and “backyard breeders” across the country by people with no knowledge of camelid care and no connection to any camelid organization. The group felt there was an urgent need for a simple, inexpensive, basic camelid care piece that could be used by camelid organizations and individuals nationwide and that would have distribution through such outlets as sales barns, feed stores, veterinarians, shearers and the like.
The Greater Appalachian Llama and Alpaca Association (GALA) produced a similar brochure several years ago for use in their region, according to GALA representative Marc Page, and he shared copies with attendees. Camelid Community 2008 participants then created the content for a brochure that is more universal in scope and also made suggestions for use and distribution. The brochure is being finalized and will be sent to llama and alpaca organizations in the fall of 2008 along with recommendations for dissemination. It is designed to have organizations or individual farms add their contact information to it before distribution so those receiving it have a local source to go to for camelid information in addition to the national ones listed in the brochure.
Camelid Press Packet
After last year’s Camelid Community challenged groups around the country to come up with ideas for raising public awareness of camelids that didn’t involve huge expenditures of money, the Southern States Llama Association (SSLA) “accepted the challenge in a big way,” according to the report SSLA submitted to Camelid Community 2008. This year’s participants found SSLA’s press packet idea simple yet very effective and thought something similar for use by members of llama and alpaca organizations across the country would be valuable for the entire community.
The group agreed on what should be included, and a press packet is being finalized that will contain a llama and alpaca fact sheet, an informational flyer and recommendations for posting, and sample press releases for events such as farm days, shows and fiber workshops. The packet also will include ideas on how to use the various publicity pieces. The artwork on the flyer and on the basic care brochure described above will be the same, since those are the two pieces that will be seen by the general public. The press packet, like the care brochure, will be distributed to llama and alpaca organizations in the fall of 2008.
