A word from our President...

Carol Reigh

Thank you for visiting GALA’s website! 

Although GALA’s membership is densely populated in the Northeastern United States, we have members in over thirty states to date. We pride ourselves in putting on one of the largest, if not the largest, camelid educational conferences in the country with over forty-five different classes in 2.5 days. The tracts are Medical, Training, Fiber, Herd Management and General Information. We bring in experts in each field, and GALA members also donate their time and expertise by teaching sessions. It is a wonderful organization of which to be a part. We have a fantastic group of volunteers so if you can contribute your talents to sustain GALA or make it better, PLEASE step up. GALA’s mission statement is as follows:

"The purpose of GALA shall be to educate members and the public as to the breeding, raising and caring of llamas, alpacas and related camelids and to promote and advance the interests of the industry as a whole."

When we educate owners, our llamas and alpacas benefit and have a better life because of it. GALA is committed to funding research which also adds to the well-being of our animals. Sometimes I think of what would happen if GALA no longer existed, and how sad it would be for both new and experienced owners to have to rely on the internet or even AI for medical help or training tips. The coming together as a community with the goal to become better care givers for our animals is magical and irreplaceable. Learning from each other over dinner, a drink or even cornhole is good for the soul. Don’t be afraid to join the herd; after all, lama and alpaca people are the BEST.

Honored to be your President