Cynthia Bathurst facts for kids

Cynthia Bathurst, who was born in Birmingham, Alabama, is a dedicated animal welfare advocate. She is known for starting and leading Safe Humane Chicago, a special group that helps animals. One of her most important projects is the Court Case Dog Program, which was the first of its kind. She has also won a national award for her work with animals.

Her Education Journey

Cynthia Bathurst graduated from the University of Alabama in 1974 with a degree in mathematics. While she was there, she received a special award called the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award. This award is given to students who show great character and help others. Later, in 1979, she earned another degree in English from the University of Iowa.

Helping Animals and Communities

For 25 years, Cynthia Bathurst worked in math research. But she also spent a lot of her free time volunteering to help animals. In 2007, she decided to focus completely on animal welfare and started Safe Humane Chicago.

Safe Humane Chicago brings together many different groups. These include government agencies, police, and other animal welfare organizations. They all work together to stop violence against animals. Cynthia believes that if we are kind to animals, our communities will be safer for everyone.

In 2008, she became the national director for Project Safe Humane, which is part of the animal welfare group Best Friends Animal Society.

The Chicago Tribune newspaper wrote about Cynthia. They said she has built strong relationships with police, child and animal welfare officials, and business leaders. She uses these connections to solve problems and help animals. The Tribune also reported that over 60 groups support her message to stop violence in high-crime areas.

Tails Magazine called her "A legendary local community organizer." They said she wants a safer world for people by showing compassion for animals. A USA Today article also featured Cynthia, quoting her about the fight against dogfighting.

In 2009, Cynthia Bathurst received the American Veterinary Medical Association's Humane Award. This award recognized her efforts to prevent animal abuse.

The Court Case Dog Program

In early 2010, Cynthia Bathurst launched the Court Case Dog Program. This program is a big part of Safe Humane Chicago. It also gets support from Best Friends and Chicago Animal Care and Control.

The program works with local judges. It helps educate young people about animal welfare. It also rescues dogs that have been taken from their owners in criminal court cases. These dogs are then trained and found loving new homes.

Other Important Roles

Cynthia Bathurst is also an advisor for the National Canine Research Council. She is a member of Chicago's Commission on Animal Care and Control. She is also the president of the Chicago Animal Shelter Alliance.

She helps lead a special group for the Chicago City Council that focuses on animal welfare and public safety. She is also part of the Chicago City Clerk's Dog Owner Task Force. Plus, she helps lead the Cook County Partners Against Animal Cruelty Advisory Board.

When Chicago White Sox pitcher Mark Buehrle helped a stray dog, Cynthia Bathurst used her connections with Best Friends to find foster homes for the dog. She was quoted in an article on MLB.com, supporting Mark Buehrle's efforts to help people and their pets.

In January 2012, Forbes' Web site wrote about Safe Humane Chicago's Court Case Dog program. They shared how many dogs had been helped by the program since it started.

Cynthia Bathurst also helped write a guide for police officers. This guide, called The Problem of Dog-Related Incidents and Encounters, teaches officers how to deal kindly with dogs in their communities. It was published in 2011 by the U.S. Department of Justice.

Public Speaking and Appearances

Cynthia Bathurst often shares her knowledge with others. In February 2010, she spoke at the University of Illinois Humane Education Seminar. Her talk was about "Building a Safe and Humane Community."

In 2011, she gave a workshop at Chicago VeganMania called "Lifetime Bonds: At-Risk Youth and At-Risk Dogs Helping One Another." She also spoke at the University of Kansas School of Law's event about prosecuting animal cruelty.

She regularly speaks at Best Friends' yearly No More Homeless Pets Conference.

On July 13, 2011, she spoke to the Federal Communications Commission. She talked about how a merger between Comcast and NBC Universal might affect TV coverage of Safe Humane Chicago's events. She has also appeared on Chicago's WGN Radio.