The year was 2004 and it was August at the beautiful, sea-side Asilomar Resort and Conference Center. The guest list was invitation-only and included some of the biggest names in the world of animal sheltering, including the American Humane Association (AHA), the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and others. It was the first of several meetings. The group described the meeting like this: In August