HWS Bylaws
I. The Purpose of The Hedgehog Welfare Society:
The Hedgehog Welfare Society, hereafter referred to as HWS, exists to protect the well-being of pet hedgehogs through rescue, research, and education of the people who care for them. The HWS does not lobby state or Federal governmental agencies to make the ownership or breeding of pet African hedgehogs legal in areas where they are not currently legal.
II. The registered office of the HWS is located at:
475 Lori Avenue SE
c/o Ms. Victoria McLean
Salem OR 97302
(503) 910-0983
(unless otherwise established by The Board of Directors)
III. The membership of the HWS is described as follows:
Membership is open to all individuals who care about the welfare of animals and are dedicated to upholding the goals of the HWS. The Hedgehog Welfare Society does not and shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation or military status in any of its activities or operations. These activities include, but are not limited to, selection of volunteers and vendors and provision of services. We are committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all members, clients, volunteers and vendors. Membership is free of charge unless otherwise established by the Board of Directors.
No person convicted of animal abuse or neglect may be a member of HWS; any member found to have been convicted of such will have membership terminated immediately.
Any member who does not support the goals of the HWS or who uses the name, offices or influence of the HWS to participate in illegal activity will have their membership terminated immediately.
Members shall remain members as long as they wish, unless terminated for cause, as long as the HWS exists.
An annual meeting, attended by the Board of Directors, will be held at a date and time determined by the Board of Directors with written notice to each Board member by the President at least 14 days in advance. Interim meetings may be held at any time with 14 days written notice. Meetings will be held via Zoom and will be governed by Robert’s Rules of Order with respect to motions, voting and conduct of the meeting. A simple majority shall suffice for any action.
Minutes of the annual meeting shall be provided to all Board Members within 15 days of said meeting. Monthly reports of the activities of the Board Member will be provided to the membership if requested.
IV. The Board of Directors shall consist of the following:
President
Vice-President
Chief Financial Officer (CFO)
Assistant Chief Financial Officer (ACFO)
Chief Organizing Officer (COO)
Advocacy/Pet Store/USDA Liaison
Rescue Coordinator
Health/Research/Education Coordinator
Rescue Care Packages Coordinator
Social Media Coordinator
Public Relations Coordinator
Membership Coordinator
Website Coordinator
News Editor
V. Board Members will be appointed by the Board of Directors and approved by a majority of votes by the Board of Directors. Vacancies in the Board may be filled by any member who either volunteers and is approved by the Board of Directors or is nominated by a Board member and approved by the Board. Board Members can be removed for any reason by a majority of vote by the Board.
VI. The duties of each Board member shall be guided by specific bylaws as follows:
President: Shall call meetings as specified or required. Shall assist in writing the bylaws. Shall oversee actions of the Board and other Officers and ensure that the goals of HWS are met and are not compromised by their actions.
Vice-President: Will serve as a back-up to the current President and will assist as needed to perform the duties of that office. If at any time the President is unable to perform her/his duties, the Vice-President will take over.
Chief Financial Officer (CFO): Shall oversee and approve all financial operations of the HWS. Reviews transactions and compiles financial reports. May distribute funds as needed for legal/incorporation/tax-exempt expenses.
Assistant Chief Financial Officer (ACFO): May distribute funds to assist in hedgehog rescue, for veterinarian fees, rescue fees or needed rescue supplies, with prior notice to and approval of other Board members. Shall assist the CFO in her/his tasks and take over if for any reason s/he is unable to perform their duties.
Chief Organizing Officer (COO): Shall be the contact person for all duties related to incorporation and tax-exemption status. Shall maintain insurance and perform other administrative and legal responsibilities. Will copy all paperwork and related materials to the President and Chief Financial Officer. Will work with accounting and legal advisors to obtain incorporation of and tax-exempt status for the HWS.
Advocacy/Pet Store/USDA Liaison: Responds in a timely manner to contacts received by members or the general public. May accept volunteers who will assist in reaching the following goals to the best of their ability: “Assist members with concerns about the welfare of hedgehogs in pet stores, or bred and sold by breeders, by accessing information on animal welfare as enforced by the USDA and/or local animal welfare organizations, such as the HSUS, SPCA, etc. Assist members in searching USDA reports and reporting concerns to an animal welfare organization for action.
Rescue Coordinator: Responds in a timely manner to contacts received by members, HWS rescuers or the general public. May accept volunteers to assist in reaching the goals of the HWS. Ensures that the HWS reaches the following goals to the best of their ability: “The HWS is working to help remove hedgehogs from unacceptable conditions and place them in loving, nurturing homes. The HWS strives to reduce the number of unwanted, neglected and abused hedgehogs by supporting the Advocacy/Pet Store/USDA Liaison and their goals. The Rescue Coordinator supports the Health/Rescue/Education Coordinator in their goals to increase the awareness of hedgehog needs. The Rescue Coordinator will assist in the location of veterinarians for people with hedgehogs that need medical attention, help arrange or assist with transportation to get a hedgehog from point A to point B (hedgie train), offer adopters and HWS rescuers moral support and/or education on the care of their hedgehog, supply links for accessing needed supplies, notify the Rescue Care Package Coordinator of new adoptions, provide a list of HWS approved rescuers and rescue sites, and provide care sheets to anyone requesting one. They will also be responsible for approving new adopters including but not limited to verifying age requirement, checking references, checking with landlords and providing mentoring if necessary. They will also be responsible for putting people relinquishing a hedgehog in touch with an approved adopter or one of our HWS rescue facilities.”
Health/Research/Education Coordinator: Responds in a timely manner to contacts from the general public or members. May accept volunteers who will assist in reaching their goals. Ensures that the Coordinator reaches the following goals to the best of their ability: “The Health/Research/Education Coordinator exists to further research in areas of hedgehog medical conditions and nutrition, as well as to disseminate information to the community at large and especially to the veterinary community.
Rescue Care Packages Coordinator: Responds in a timely manner to contacts received by other members or the general public. May accept volunteers who will assist in reaching the following goals: “The Rescue Care Packages Coordinator will ensure that as many adopters as possible receive a care package containing food, treats, and a comforting hat or bag from the HWS. They will work closely with the Rescue Coordinator to determine when new adopters need a care package; solicit in-kind or financial contributions from commercial vendors as well as from individuals; support hedgehog rescuers/adopters regardless of organizational affiliations with care packages when warranted; provide re-ordering and identifying information for products in care packages to ensure that adopters have knowledge of and access to those quality hedgehog products in the future and work with the Health/Research/Education Coordinator to produce and distribute proper care information with the Care Package.”
Public Relations Coordinator: Responds in a timely manner to contacts received from members or the general public. May accept volunteers to assist in reaching its goals and ensures that they reach the following goals to the best of their abilities: “Notify HWS members and the general public of the existence of, the goals of, the activities of, and the contact information for the HWS. Will assist HWS members in writing articles for publication in animal welfare venues. Will actively seek to join or affiliate with animal welfare and rescue organizations. Will act as a liaison to any organization requesting a statement or interview with the HWS.”
Membership Coordinator: Responds in a timely manner to contacts received by members or the general public. May accept volunteers to the committee who will assist in reaching the following goals to the best of their ability: “Process membership applications in a timely fashion. Ensure that members are aware of HWS policies, goals, and needs. Keep a record of all membership information and make it available for other Board members as needed.”
Website Coordinator: Works with our web designer to keep website material, links and data current and correct. Will add material and data as needed and requested by the Board, members, or the general public.
News Editor: Responds in a timely manner to contacts received by the Board, members, or the general public. May accept volunteers who will assist in reaching its goals: “Write and publish online articles of interest to the hedgehog community and wider animal welfare community. Actively seek out and recruit appropriate submissions from HWS members and the general public.”
Social Media Coordinator: The Social Media Coordinator is responsible for creating and administering content on all relevant social media platforms, to build an audience and ensure customer engagement. The Coordinator may also monitor site metrics, respond to reader comments, and oversee creative design.
VII. The fiscal year of the HWS will be from January 1 through December 31.
Rev. 12/21