1. pets

A How To Guide In
Transforming An Australian Shelter
Into a No Kill Shelter
Saving Dogs & Cats - It's the Australian way
Authored by:
The PAW Project team
It's the Australian way
It's the Australian way
We would like to acknowledge Nathan Winograd and the No Kill Advocacy
Center for their work and dedication that has saved the lives of many
companion animals around the world – your compassion is contagious.
The PAW Project Team
The PAW Project would also like to thank
Diane Blankenburg
Community Programs & Development Director
Nevada Humane Society
Mel Williamson
PetRescue for the images
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Introduction
The 'A How To Guide In Transforming An Australian Shelter Into A No Kill Shelter' was
created to inform Australians about a model called the No Kill Equation. It's aim is to
introduce the no kill programs to the Australian public and to assist Australian shelters to
understand what the programs are and how to implement them.
Australia is a nation of dog and cat loving people. Australians spend millions every year
on feeding, caring and spoiling their companion animals.(1) So we believe that the no
kill programs would be embraced in a nation that loves their companion animals.
The No Kill Equation is a series of 11 programs. Program 1 & 2 involve reducing animal
admissions, while program 3 to 11 focus on managing, saving lives and finding animals
homes. They were developed for shelters to increase and maintain a save rate of greater
than 90 percent. These programs can be implemented at any time. A shelter can start
today. The programs are:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
Feral Cat TNR Trap Neuter Return)
High Volume/ Low Cost Desexing
Rescue Organisations
Foster Programs
Comprehensive Adoption Programs
Pet Retention
Medical & Behavioural Rehabilitation
Public Relations & Community Involvement
Proactive Redemptions
Volunteers
A Compassionate Director
The No Kill Equation was developed by Nathan Winograd. He graduated from Stanford
Law School and has worked as a criminal prosecutor and a corporate attorney. Winograd
took a model that was created in San Francisco and developed it into the No Kill
Equation. He started making history in 2001 when he transformed Tompkins County into
the first rural No Kill community (where all shelters within the district are No Kill
shelters).
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Winograd defines the term No Kill as:
"An industry term used to define a shelter or community that does not kill animals for
lack of space, or lack of necessary treatment. It is a community where healthy dogs and
cats, sick and injured but treatable dogs and cats, behaviourally challenged or
traumatised dogs and cats, and healthy and treatable feral cats are saved. The only
dogs and cats being killed by shelters in a No Kill community are those who are either
too sick or too injured to be rehabilitated, or, in the case of dogs, are vicious with a
poor prognosis of rehabilitation and, as such, cannot be adopted into homes." (2)
A no kill shelter can be limited or open, public or private.
For the purpose of this guide, the Nevada Humane Society in Reno, Nevada, USA has
been used as the common example. Nevada Humane Society (NHS) was chosen due to
its exceptional save rate statistics. With many social, economic, demographical and
geographical disadvantages, NHS has still succeeded in applying the no kill programs and
maintains a save rate of greater than 90 percent. If NHS can do it, any shelter in
Australia can too.
What are you waiting for? Lets go!
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Contents
Feral Cat TNR
1
High Volume/Low Cost Desexing
2
Rescue Organisations
4
Foster Programs
5
Comprehensive Adoption Programs
7
Pet Retention
12
Medical & Behavioural Rehabilitation
13
Public Relations & Community Involvement
15
Proactive Redemptions
17
Volunteers
18
A Compassionate Director
20
No Kill Quick Stats
21
Conclusion
22
References
23
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Feral Cat TNR
The feral cat population is one of the most frustrating categories of any Australian
shelter because the Australian Government has not embraced TNR (Trap Neuter Return,
neuter is another term for desexing) program. The Australian Government developed The
Threat Abatement Plan, for predation by feral cats in 2008 to assist in the control of
feral cats which uses the control of predominantly bait and fencing . The projected cost
per year to implement the plan was 'high', while the current method of trapping,
shooting and construction of fencing has cost between $1.0 and $1.1 million.(3) The plan
also highlights that the goal of total eradication of feral cats in Australia cannot be
accomplished with this current Threat Abatement Plan. Whether a community cares
about the killing of cats or not, these current plans have never shown any long term
success.
Trap Neuter Return is the only humane and effective program to reduce the numbers of
feral cats. Feral cats are territorial and live in colonies. If a colony is killed, other feral
cats will move into the area to take advantage of the food source. This is why killing
feral cats does not work and TNR does.
TNR is humanely trapping a feral cat, desexing them and returning them to the same
place they originated. It also reduces complaints from the public about intact cat
behaviours, like spraying, fighting, roaming and breeding. (4) Currently, some states and
many Councils will not allow a cat to be returned to its area of origin because it does
not have a permanent home or owner.
Working legally within the legislative boundaries of the
Australian law, a shelter still has some options.
Feral kittens
The shelter can consider to incorporate feral kittens
into the foster care program. All feral kittens that are
too young to be desexed, can be fostered. Many will
need bottle feeding and will need a foster parent that
is at home all the time. The kittens can develop social
behaviours during their time in foster care. It is
recommended that a kitten can be fostered if they are
under eight weeks of age, if the kitten is over 2 months
of age it will need longer and more in depth
socialisation. (5) Once they are socialised to humans and are old enough to be desexed,
microchipped, vaccinated and wormed, the once feral kitten can be adopted as a
domestic cat.
It is vital that the community and shelters begin to advocate for the Australian
Government to support TNR in Australia. TNR does exist in some pockets around
Australia and these organisations are providing a safe environment for the community
and for the feral cats.
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High Volume/Low Cost Desexing
The main barrier for people to desex their pets is the cost. As a public service, the
shelter must consider to provide low cost desexing for the community pets.
There are shelter architects that are designing desexing clinics that accommodate high
volume desexing, more than 10,000 procedures a year. They all incorporate a public
veterinary side that assists in lowering the overall costs of running the clinic.
A critical shift in thinking applies to a desexing program because
the whole point is to desex all animals. People that may utilise
the shelters desexing clinic may be from a low socio-economic
background, but a few will not have this financial restriction. If
the shelter starts to apply bureaucratic restrictions to the
program, it will reduce the number of pets being desexed in the
shelters community and ultimately being surrendered at the
shelter.
Even in the face of low cost desexing clinics, some pets are still
not desexed. This could be due to a lack of education or even a
lack of transport or mobility. Desexing advertisements and
campaigns can assist in debunking myths about desexing. Make the
community aware that the shelter can transport a pet to and from
the clinic for a person who is elderly, lacks mobility or does not have transport. Some
shelters even offer transport for people in rural areas.
Experts in the field say that the key to cover operating costs lies with the high volume of
procedures and they concentrate on delivering and campaigning to the low socioeconomic areas to gain the greatest impact. Consider to use a deposit system to ensure
clients show up for their appointments and to add financial incentives to clients who
arrive on time.(6)
Partnering with a Veterinarian University is a great idea. Under supervision, students can
learn about desexing procedures and skills, while offering an unpaid service to the
shelter.
The shelter can encourage veterinarians within the community to work at the shelter on
a rotating basis. The Australian Veterinarians Association (AVA) encourages liaison and
involvement of AVA members with local animal welfare societies.(7) This is a great
opportunity for the shelter to invite local veterinarians to work part time or full time
with the shelter veterinarian. The community veterinarians will have different
experiences that will help to assist in the development of many programs that are
needed for successful shelter management including: husbandry practices, facility
design, infection control protocols, stress reduction, vaccination protocols, disease
surveillance and management, behaviour evaluation and training, sterilisation, and
diagnostic and medical support.
Well-designed shelter medicine programs improve the physical and behavioural health of
shelter pets, making them highly desirable and adoptable companions.
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It would be wise to apply to the State Government to assist financially in the creation
and operations of the desexing clinic. The shelter needs to emphasise to public officials
that effective desexing programs are a good investment, it will decrease public health
risks and a well-designed program would more than pay for itself.
A shelter in New Hampshire succeeded in obtaining the State Governments support and
produced optimistic results. During the first seven years, 37,210 fewer dogs and cats
entered the New Hampshire shelter. The cost saved on impoundments was a mere
$3,907,050. A total of 29,658 desexing procedures were performed at a cost of
$1,236,817.(8) These results highlight the cost effectiveness of a high volume/low cost
desexing program and also the vast reduction in shelter admissions.
A high volume/low cost desexing clinic will lead to fewer animals entering the shelter in
the future. It is a program that embraces community expectations and assists with
desexing pets that would not have been desexed due to the current high cost. A high
volume/low cost desexing clinic will save a shelter money and resources that can be
directed towards other life saving programs.
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Rescue Organisations
The transfer of animals to a rescue organisation will free up cage space, reduce costs
and resources and will be the ultimate boost in animal advocacy public relations. A
shelter must communicate with a rescue organisation and develop an agreement
between the two parties. This will enable the animals to be transferred to the rescue
organisation under agreed standards and guidelines.
A rescue organisation does not receive Government funding and relies on donations and
volunteers. A shelter must create a respectful relationship with a rescue organisation
that will enable optimal communication between the two teams. There are many rescue
organisations that are willing to work with shelters on a regular basis to increase the
save rate. Forming relationships with regular rescue organisations will create trust,
familiarity, knowledge on their limitations and an organisation that you can turn to when
an influx of animals is surrendered. The rescue organisation can become an extension of
the shelter.
Utilising rescue organisations is beneficial for the
behaviourally challenged and the sick and injured. It is
essential for these groups of animals to minimise their
stress and to have them placed in a loving and safe
environment. A cage less rescue who uses foster care are
great for these cases. Sometimes it is necessary for an
animal to be removed from the shelter environment due
to high anxiety or depression levels. If a shelter has
formed a relationship with a rescue organisation, these
animals will benefit from the prompt move to a quiet and
loving home of a foster carer.
Building relationships is important for all aspects of a no kill shelter, but forming one
with a rescue organisation will be vital. Depending on the shelters demographics,
geographical location and largest proportion of a breed type admitted will depend on
what rescue organisation a shelter can use to produce the best result for the animals.
Some rescue organisations are founded by animal behaviourists or have a volunteer on
their team that is trained in animal behaviour. These types of rescue organisations are
exceptional at assisting shelters in re homing animals that need extra care. Breed
specific rescue organisations have vast knowledge and handling of specific breeds. They
too are great to use to optimise the save rate.
The shelter must create an individual contract agreement with each rescue organisation.
It is based on the Australian state legislation in which the shelter resides. It is imperative
that a shelter employee views the rescue organisations property prior to completing the
contract. The assessment will enable the shelter to view the rescues standards and
compliance with the state code of practise, it will enable an understanding of their
limitations and any assistance they may need from the shelter prior to commencement
and also during the partnership. It is recommended that the shelter appoint a Rescue
Coordinator. This will assist in maintaining relationships with rescue organisations,
familiarity, consistency and trust which will increase the efficacy of the rescue
operations.
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Foster Programs
Introducing a foster program to the shelter frees up cage space, reduces overall expense
and resources, enhances the communities views on the shelter and assists in managing
the sick, injured and behaviourally challenged pets in the most appropriate environment
for optimal recovery, training and adoption. No shelter has enough paid and unpaid staff
to accommodate all the needs of pets and especially special needs pets. Utilising a
foster program is the best way to fast track pets that need extra attention into
permanent homes.
It is a challenge for any Australian shelter to shift pet lovers buying patterns from pet
shops to shelters. Implementing a foster program helps to shift cultures within
communities because the animals in foster care positively effect neighbours, family
members, school communities and friends. Foster carers are a walking advertisement
and will influence and communicate with people a shelter may never reach. The
knowledge about the shelter will grow, and grow positively as fostering is considered a
great community service and a rewarding way a person can help save a life. Some
animals in foster care never return. The animals' transition can be so positive that they
were adopted by the foster carer or someone who knew the foster carer.
A benefit that can only be achieved in foster care
is the ability to accurately profile the pet. For
example, if a dog is in foster care with children or
a dog or cat, it enables the dog to be advertised as
child friendly or pet friendly. A true behavioural
pattern of the pet will usually emerge when it
feels safe and is happy. A few weeks into foster
care, the carer can begin to profile the pet to
assist the shelter in appropriately matching the pet
to its new owner. This reduces the risk of the
animal being surrendered again.(9)
A foster program is essential to increasing the save rate of kittens. To grasp an
understanding of how many foster carers you should be aiming for, NHS has over 2000
kittens per year in their foster program. Some kittens will need bottle feeding due to
their neonatal age. A foster carer will need to be educated on feeding requirements and
sterilisation techniques. This will enable the kitten to develop to a size where they can
be desexed and re homed. Kittens are every shelters main problem, your shelter is no
exception. So marketing about the need for foster carers is essential prior to the
commencement of the kitten season.
It is not necessary for a shelter to provide food for the animal while it is in foster care.
It must be made clear verbally and in the paper work that a foster parent is responsible
for the housing, feeding, care and exercise (as appropriate) of the animal. Unless the
shelter has a group of citizens from a low socio-economic background that are willing to
foster but cannot afford to do so, this would be the only time a shelter would supply
food. For example, a group of senior citizens may enjoy the temporary company of a
kitten, but not afford to buy food. This scenario not only saves the life of the kitten, but
brings joy to a group of people that would not otherwise have the opportunity to care
for an animal.
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While the animal is in foster care, all veterinary work must
be attended to and paid for by the shelter. The animal
must be desexed, micro chipped, vaccinated and wormed
prior to adoption. This needs to be explained to the foster
parent prior to taking the animal home. The Foster Care
Coordinator will communicate with the foster carer about
veterinary appointments that would suit them and manage
the finances with the veterinarian if the shelter is using an
off site business. If any other medical requirements are
needed for the animal, this too will be managed by the
coordinator.
The shelter must provide the foster carer of a neonatal kitten with bottles, milk powder
and sterilisation equipment. This will ensure the kitten is receiving the right amount of
milk, the appropriate formula of milk and will create some control over the
development of the kitten during a critical stage.
Management of foster carers is essential for coordination, safety and retention. You will
need to employ a Foster Care Coordinator and provide a 24/7 communication service for
foster carers. This can be accomplished by a mobile phone which can be transferred to a
shared roster after hours. A Foster Care Coordinator can train and educate new carers,
manage applications and paperwork, track the animals, provide support and provide
follow up calls.(10)
The shelter will need a thorough application form for fostering and a fostering contract
form.
Create a training program for people who have volunteered to foster for your shelter. It
gives the shelter the opportunity to educate the foster carer in aspects of general
animal care, quarantine, infectious disease, orphaned animal care, vaccination
schedules, cleaning and basic animal behaviour.
Recruiting an army of foster carers will create a
foundation of people who you can request their help
in special circumstances or to help free up cage
space. The first step is to create a fostering brochure
with common questions and answers, a tear off
response form and add the shelters best assets –
images of the pets. Place these brochures where
animal people are, in veterinarians, pet supply stores,
grooming parlours and animal training clubs. The
second step is create a marketing plan for the
continual recruitment of foster carers.
In a short period of time, a comprehensive foster
program will provide significant results for a shelters save rate, community awareness
and volunteer foundation. The good word spreads quickly and enthusiasm is contagious.
The love that develops in the foster program will also equate in an increase in
donations, volunteers and positive media stories.
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Comprehensive Adoption Programs
Gone are the days when a shelter should expect the public to come to them. The
shelters competition is pet shops, backyard breeders, the internet and newspapers. Start
thinking like a business.
A shelter has merits and advantages, but may be currently unrecognised due to a lack of
media exposure, marketing, campaigns and the dominance of pet shops.
A shelters advantages are:
1. Price – it is cheaper to purchase an animal from a shelter than a pet shop. They
are cheaper in the long run than a backyard breeder and give away to a good
home because they come with desexing, micro chipping, vaccination and worming
already complete.
2. Profile – a behavioural profile of the animal is developed, especially if they are in
a foster program. This optimises the adoption matches and pet retention.
3. Health – the mental and physical health of a shelter animal is assessed and
optimised through veterinarian care, behavioural programs and foster care. There
are many people in the community that want a three-legged dog, an unsociable
cat, a highly energetic dog and even a bottle fed kitten. Crazy campaigns are the
key and vehicle to access these people. An accurate health profile is important to
offer during the adoption process.
A shelter must have exceptional customer service. The communities first personal
contact with the shelter can be at the reception area or on a phone call. Good customer
service is vital for making a person feel good about coming to the shelter, understanding
their needs and requirements for a perfect match and optimising future volunteering
and donations. Each employee and volunteer needs to be educated in good and effective
customer service, from greetings and questions to human psychology.(11)
Thinking about how any times a member of the public will come to the shelter to adopt
in their lifetime may only be one or two times. Therefore it is important to make this
persons experience at the shelter a positive one. NHS has an adoption bell in their
reception area. They ring the bell and pause for applause every time an adoption is
completed. People love being rewarded for a good choice regardless how small you may
think the action is.
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It is important to facilitate bonds between the person and the animal prior to adoption,
but it needs the right environment that enables the animal to have a decreased stress
level and to feel safe. A quiet room with animal toys, some snacks and water have been
effective at NHS. It allows the person to spend quality time with the animal and most
importantly giving that person the space to fall in love with the animal that they are
considering to adopt.
The shelter must have a website. This is used for information about the shelter, animals
awaiting adoption, community services and information, applications for volunteering
and foster care, advertising campaigns and sponsors and so much more. Not everyone
that has internet access has a social media account. Most people accessing the shelter
site are looking for a lost pet or are wanting to adopt. Make it easy for these people. An
adoption link and lost pet link should be the main focus on the shelters index page.
It is suggested that a shelter does not guess the
breed of the animal in its adoption profile. It is
well documented that guessing a breed is most
likely incorrect, regardless of how many years
experience you have.(12) The advertising is
misleading and inaccurate and it can retard the
possibilities of that animal from being adopted.
For example, if the shelter advertised a dog as
a two year old Poodle X, it restricts the
adoption possibilities to people a Poodle type
dog. But if you advertised the dog as
“Approximately two year old dog that enjoys
the company of a family and children, likes to
sleep inside but needs some training to walk on
the lead. A great family pet”. This description
opens up the possibilities to all families seeking a dog. This group of people are much
larger than the group of people seeking a Poodle type dog. The description will
accompany a picture of the animal, so the potential adopter can guess the breed for
themselves. A huge shift in community and shelter attitudes needs to change with
incorrect breed identification. Unless the shelter has DNA evidence of the breed
identification, it would not be recommended to guess the breed of the animal.
It is time that shelters took responsibility to debunk myths and increase its credibility
and social status in the community by providing professional and accurate animal
descriptions. There is no other industry that would allow for incorrect labelling and the
advertisement of an inaccurate product description, and shelters should be no
exception. If a shelter wants to turbo-charge adoptions, increase their calibre in the
community and with prospective financial supporters, begin with supplying accurate
information.
A shelter no doubt will have an employee or volunteer that can create, maintain and link
a Facebook and Twitter account. There are many free websites that educate about
attracting fans and followers. Traditionally, Twitter accounts attract followers
internationally and Facebook accounts attract fans locally and nationally. Social media
not only has the ability to advertise pets needing homes, but also volunteer recognition,
education, requests, business relationships, progress and media recognition.(13)
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Imagination and creativity is the key to get the shelter animals into the print media.
Weekly animals up for adoption in local papers is old and at times unattractive. A local
paper uses the heading “Waif Of The Week”. The heading itself dictates the animal as a
loser even before viewing the image. A relationship needs to be created between the
shelter and journalists at many newspapers. The shelter should utilise their story telling
abilities and request a story and picture on a new, unusual or just gorgeous shelter
animal that needs adopting. It is more inviting, attractive and will not be of cost to the
shelter.
Utilise the shelters Ambassadors as they sometimes
have regular segments on the radio or have contacts
that can create a segment for them. Consider to
use a current employee or volunteer that has great
interpersonal and social skills to become the voice
of the shelter on a radio station. The shelters
marketing director can organise regular segments
on a local or main stream radio station to discuss
the current news at the shelter and the animals
that are available for adoption. The radio station
can also consider to place the adoption link or
images on their website. This is a no cost exercise.
Crazy campaigns are great for adopting out a large amount of animals or animals that
have similarities. The shelter could approach the Geelong Cats AFL club to support a low
cost adoption day for all cats at the shelter. A great adoption drive that NHS was
successful in having the shelter open for 36 hours straight, it was a media frenzy and the
adoption rate in that short time was huge. Other NHS examples include:
1. Double The Love (adopt two cats for the price of one)
2. Adopt A Mini Panther (adopt a black cat)
3. Seniors For Seniors (adult animals for people aged >50 at a reduced price)
4. Desperate House Pets (adopt a challenging pet)
5. Home For The Holidays (adopting pets out before Christmas)
A Marketing Director can research their community to understand what the likes of the
citizens are that can be used in the shelter campaigns. This can be accomplished
through surveys or watching the trends of the media and local business's. Some examples
of Australian campaigns could include:
1. True Blue Adoptions (adopt a working dog)
2. Adoption Grand Prix (adopt-a-thon during the Grand Prix weekend)
3. Howzat Cat Promo (adopt a cat during a One Day International Cricket series)
4. Big Dogs Day Out (adopt a big dog during a music festival weekend)
5. Beach Babes (adoption campaign with animals photographed in a beach theme)
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Off-site adoptions involve taking the animals to the public. Off-site adoptions are a great
way to involve the community, create additional exposure and to increase the shelters
adoptions and save rate. Any company that the shelter creates a business relationship
with can be utilised for an off-site adoption. Due to the hesitation of some community
members that may never visit a shelter, off-site adoptions are a perfect solution. It also
reaches people who would otherwise not even consider to adopt from a shelter. Here are
some examples of NHS using their business relationships to use for off-site adoptions:
1. at a Casino during a poker tournament
2. at a Nursery on Labour Day
3. at a Whole Foods Market in conjunction with a dog wash promotion
4. at Atlantis Spa Resort parking lot for a Pet Adoption Festival
Courtesy of PetRescue.com.au
PetRescue used a PETstock store for their off-site adoption event
The shelter can consider a simple off-site adoption at a grassed and enclosed council
park, or as a part of a carnival. An off-site adoption can be indoors at a store. The
shelter can approach Westfield or Centro to ask them to contact the shelter when a shop
is available for a pop-up store. When a rental contracts ends and before a new contract
begins, sometimes there is a window where the store is not used. The shelter can
negotiate a low price for the store or the Corporate body could consider to donate the
store if it is for a short period. Many large companies seek pro bona work as a way to
increase their profile. Logistically, the animals are taken to the store in the morning and
returned to the shelter in the afternoon. It is a good outing for the animals and they
harness community compassion by allowing them to interact and touch the animals.
Some shelters have a mobile adoption van that can house cats and small dogs. They use
the van to go to rallies and events. The mobile vans could also be used for 'dial a cat',
for people who cannot visit the shelter, but want to adopt a cat. With a thorough
adoption application and process, the shelter can choose half a dozen cats and transport
them to the person house so they can choose which cat they would like to adopt.
The more a shelter effectively and positively advertises themselves and becomes a part
of the community, the more the save rate will increase. NHS has their own You Tube
account where the most famous shelter video is located. The video of “The Adoption
Entrance Dance” (14) went viral and hit international main stream media. It was created
with an employees video camera and a huge amount of team work and courage! This
video and idea did not cost the shelter a cent and has given them national and
international positive exposure.
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NHS also created the “How To Save A Life” video, a beautiful PR video that enables
people to understand that animal adoption is wonderful. Use a You Tube account as an
extension for the shelters educational programs. This can be in the form of a text slide
show or something more visual. An animal behaviourist can be filmed explaining
different animal behaviours, teaching dogs and cats basic obedience and tricks. All of
which are a service to the community and help with pet retention. Videos can also be
used to advertise and increase exposure on the shelters life saving techniques.
Pet photography is an important part of the adoption advertisement. It is usually the
first thing a potential adopter will see. Most shelters have budding photographers that
will volunteer their time to photograph the shelter animals. These images can be used
for the animals profile, but also in campaigns, on the website, advertisements, pictures
for the reception, annual reports and social media. Under no circumstances should a
shelter take a photograph of a caged animal. It may attract sympathy, but not the
person you are seeking to adopt the animal. Have a quiet room set up that can be used
for photography and have helpers. Keep it fun, an animal may sense if everyone is
stressed and uptight and it will make it harder for the photographer to work effectively
with the animal. Have someone stand behind the photographer to encourage the animal
to look at the camera. Pant and woof at dogs and meow at cats before hitting the shoot
button.(15) Here are some great examples of inviting and creative photographs.
Be creative as the image the shelter releases is in competition with every other animal
for sale in the nation. Utilise important dates and events to decorate the background or
add a simple gesture like a bandanna for the animal. Use toys to help capture the
animal in play and props to optimise the beauty of the animal. If the animal is child
friendly, consider to photograph the animal with a child. Many families seek a pet from a
shelter. Creative photography will help to create an improved image for shelter pets
across the nation. Be imaginative, create business cards for an animal, photograph with
local landmarks, give them cute names and market the animals shamelessly!
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Pet Retention
Some of the reasons animals are surrendered to a shelter can be prevented. There are
ways a shelter can work with the community to assist owners in keeping their pet. Here
are some suggestions.
Help Desk 24/7
A help desk is staffed by a person trained or has experience in animal behaviour during
the shelter opening times. After hours, a pager system is used and it is shared by staff
using a roster format. The help desk will commence with post adoption enquiries, but
with marketing it can extend to the wider community. This will assist in transforming the
community attitudes that shelters are there to provide assistance and not there as a last
resort to surrendering.
Online Information
It is recommended that a shelter post educational
information on their website. Good shelter websites include a
list of traditional behavioural issues and tips on how to
approach the problem, what to do when a pet is lost, what is
expected when a person takes home a new pet, why a person
should consider to adopt, frequently answered questions and
first aid for animals.(16)
A lot of goodwill can be generated from your website.
Creating links to reputable Australian campaigns, animal
behaviourists and animal training courses is always a good
idea.
All the information provided by the shelter would assist people pre and post adoptions,
the wider community and decrease the traffic to the help desk. The information can be
reinforced through social media.
Providing Services To Underprivileged People
Just because someone is poor, it does not make them an irresponsible pet owner.
Judgement on these people will only increase a shelters admissions. Temporarily
providing them with support via the help desk, providing them with food and a plan will
keep that animal out of a shelter. This may not work for all people in the community,
but many people surrender their pets when they have lost their job or their income has
been cut. Most times, these people do not want to give away their pet. These are the
ultimate pet retention stories and community PR stories for the print media. Consider to
support people who do not want to give up their pet.
Workshops
There is an expectation that a shelter educates the public through campaigns and
advertising at their own expense. But a shelter can raise funds through educational
workshops. A shelter can hold informal and formal workshops. The first being pet
orientated, where people bring pets on-site. Workshops could include simple and
effective behavioural techniques like walking on a lead, barking and socialisation
afternoon teas. The second being formal pet free lectures. A shelter employee can set
up an annual calendar on the shelters website. Depending on the content, length of
workshop, materials used and guest speaker or celebrity appearances, will depend on
how much the shelter would charge per person.
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Medical & Behavioural Rehabilitation
These programs commence on admission to the shelter. They offer a second chance to
many pets that would be killed in the traditional system.
Medical Program
The first step can be provided by a non-veterinarian. Focus on data collection and
prevention as a first step. Collect demographic, species, socio economic, type of injury,
illness and disease of all animals on admission. This data will determine what types of
programs and care are predominantly needed in your community. This also is a great tool
to use when asking the public for donations. It offers a focus for marketing and enabling
the public to know what program their donations will be directed. To start up, do it
manually by entering data in a book and if you prefer, consider a computer program at a
later date when the logistics of the shelter are under control.
NHS's typical sources of animals is owner surrender, transfer from an animal service or
stray animals and feral cats. They ask for veterinary records and as much information as
possible on owner surrender. If an animal is transferred from an animal service, NHS
assume that they have been exposed to numerous animals with an unknown medical
history and no doubt have a high stress and possible decreased immunity system. Strays
and feral cats are a presumed source of disease. Placement of the animals is important.
Separate kittens from cats and puppies from dogs due to young animals having a
decreased immunity and adult animals can be carriers of disease. Have a high standard
of cleaning and disinfectant care, provide stress control with kennel enrichment and
have an isolation facility for pregnant animals, mums and babies and sick animals.(17)
All shelter staff must be educated in infection
prevention and control. Using alcohol based gels,
effective hand washing skills and using gowns
and gloves with infective animals. Protect
yourself and your staff and hold educations
sessions and even consider to have competencies
on infection control. Infection control is only
effective if your technique is correct. Become
educated in animal diseases and how and why
they are transmitted and also zoonoses. Assist in
making the shelter a safe place for workers,
regardless of their role and comply with the
Work, Health and Safety Bill, 2011. (18) The
spread of disease will also increase your costs, so
put your resources into prevention.
The second step can be provided by a
veterinarian. To prevent disease vaccinate as
soon as possible and use flea prevention. They
will assess the animal and screen for trauma,
infection, behavioural issues and any treatable condition. A no kill shelter will provide
treatment to all animals that are sick, injured, traumatised or have behavioural issues
and will have a reasonable to good recovery. A no kill shelter does not treat or re home
irredeemably sick, injured or traumatised animals and dangerous and vicious dogs. (2)
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A comprehensive fostering program will also assist with animals that need extra time to
recover from an illness or surgery, or will need extra time to overcome a behavioural
problem. It would be recommended to approach a Veterinarian University for a possible
partnership. Your shelter can offer hands on experience for students that they would not
experience at University. They would be working under the direction of a qualified
veterinarian, and it will decrease a shelters overall expenses.
Kennel enrichment can include:
Touch
Human contact, petting and massage. There are canine massage business's that a shelter
could request assistance or reduced price work. Consider to approach a massage course
coordinator and see if their students would like to volunteer and practise on appropriate
dogs and cats.
Taste
Alternate food flavours to stimulate their taste buds. Use ice blocks in summer and food
toys help with taste and mental stimulation. If a shelter is fortunate to have food
donated or subsidised, request that the food company alternate flavours. For a real
treat, have a day where people coordinate a BBQ, with meat donated by a Butcher, the
animals will love the new taste and smell.
Smell
Play find it games in the cage by throwing in treats while the dog rummages to find
them. This tool can be used outside the cage in an open area when more advanced
training can begin. Animals can be exposed to a range of chemical cleaning odours
during their stay. Spraying an organic lavender spray on their beds can help to calm
some dogs. Grow a hedge of lavender that can be used in the spray, consider to ask the
shelters local nursery to donate or lower the cost of some plants.
Sound
Clicker training to keep dogs from barking is a brilliant tool. Its philosophy is based on
clicking then treating the dog for being quiet. This tool can be taught to all volunteers
and staff and supply them with a sack of treats that they can attached to their belt.(19)
Clicker training is great to reduce the noise around a dog that will help it settle. Also the
use of low volume pet specific or classical music piped through the cages can also assist
with some dogs.
Sight
The presence of passers by can cause reactive and stressed dogs to bark. You can assist
these dogs by placing a blocker temporarily in front of their cage. Once settled, it can
be removed and clicker training can commence.(19)
A change of scenery is needed for all dogs. A shelter must check with the council to see
if there are any restrictions in taking the dogs for a walk outside of the shelter property.
Consider a behavioural training area and a horticultural sensory area for dogs and cats
to explore and use their senses. Horticulture is also great in providing an inviting front
area at the shelter.
Enrichment for the animals will enhance their stay, optimise their behaviour and
adoption, decrease risk of disease and will reflect positively on the shelter. The public
quite often wants a shelter to specify what type of goods they need, so donation drives
of enrichment toys and goods are always a great relief from donating food.
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Public Relations & Community
Involvement
Great and effective public relations can be established through a myriad of programs. All
the life saving programs discussed can help to develop long lasting relationships with
media and the community. If the shelter makes the choice to implement all of the
programs in a short period of time and market your strategies, goodwill, new programs
and future plans, journalists that have traditionally not supported the shelter will begin
to support the shelters good work.
The no kill culture is based on transparency. It is necessary to inform the public of the
shelters no kill status and become transparent in what the current and future plans are
and also what results are expected to be accomplished. Not only does it create integrity
for the shelter, but it is also a fantastic marketing tool.
It is imperative for the shelter to have a marketing Director, even if it is a volunteer that
can dedicate time on a weekly basis. Someone who has a marketing background or
someone who has a clear understanding of how marketing works would be beneficial.
Always use a person that has exceptional people skills, conflict resolution skills and
communication skills.
Get ready to market everything. The shelters best assets are the gorgeous faces of the
residing dogs and cats. An image of a fluffy kitten can help promote recruitment of
kitten foster carers. An image of two dachshunds in raincoats can help promote the
increase in adoptions prior to the cold winter. An image of a goof ball dog can help
promote a request for enrichment toys that are needed for dogs at the shelter.
The NHS send out a media release every three days about a new campaign, special needs
animal, request for help, advertising for volunteers, the need for donations and more. It
is vital that the shelter form a relationship with main stream newspapers and radio
stations. And do not forget the important role that the local paper plays in the shelters
community. It is an undeniable fact that regardless of where the shelters community is
located demographically, there are always people that want to help. Sometimes you just
have to ask. It is important to understand what an effective media release entails. A
shelter can begin with a simple format of who, what, when, where, why and how. Keep
it simple, informative and to less than one page in length. A journalist likes to get more
information than their competing newspaper. As a result, expect a journalist to call you
directly for more information and a quote. So make sure to supply relevant contact
details in the media release. If the shelter can assist the journalist in a “scoop” with a
news story, even better.
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Attract and recruit some celebrity Ambassadors and utilise them. Ambassadors are
effective as they usually have more power to gain media attention. Their managers can
contact already established media outlets to promote the new partnership. The
Ambassador can maintain public awareness with stories in the Entertainment and News
section of newspapers, through radio interviews and campaigns.
Form business relationships with local and national business's. The most effective
business relationships for a shelter are when they are not animal related. There is not
much excitement if a major dog food brand started to sponsor or support the shelter.
But if the State Casino, a AFL club, the State Art Gallery, a winery or even a balloon
flight company sponsored or advertised the shelter, this would provide an extreme
awareness and attention for the shelter in the media and in public view.
Many large companies around Australia are annually seeking a community organisation or
group to support. There opportunity is to be seen to be giving back to the community
and they just need to know that the shelter needs their help. These business
relationships also expose the shelter to thousands of employees that did not know about
the shelter and had thought of recently purchasing a pet.
Crazy campaigns and creative campaigns are what
captures the media attention, think outside the box.
A recent event in California made it to the Australian
television. It was a dog surfing competition where
the financial proceeds went to a local shelter. The
shelter can organise local artists to paint portraits of
the animals for auction, live in the town square –
Pawcasso. A school, primary or high could organise a
gold coin donation day across the state – Coins For
Cats. Local and city based coffee shops can donate a
portion of their days taking – CuPOOCHino Day. These
examples are community orientated, involve the
public and most of all are fun.
The more public awareness the shelter receives, the greater chance a business will
agree to support the shelter. Many businesses and individuals that would like to donate,
will not hand over their money to an organisation who lacks presence and most of all
credibility. Promote the shelter, create connections, provide community services so
when the shelter asks for support, the business has knowledge of who the shelter is an
what they do.
The shelter can provide an opportunity and recognition of support from a business.
These include a website mention, logo recognition on advertising materials, newsletter
mentions and press releases. A business would want to be able to get some PR from their
support, as well as exposure for their name. Their money or goods are coming from their
marketing and advertising budgets, so they need to be able to see a return on their
investment.
The only way a shelter can truly gain recognition, credibility and integrity in the
community is to implement the no kill programs and publicise the transformation.
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Proactive Redemptions
Proactive redemptions is about a shelter being proactive and reuniting lost pets with
their owners. Owned pets do not belong in a shelter and resources should be spent on
finding animals homes, not caring for animals that have owners. It makes sense for a
shelter to become proactive about redemption. These are some areas to consider:
Why Lost Pets Are Not Found?
The behavioural patterns of a lost cat and
dog will differ and will depend on whether the animal is
kept indoors or outdoors. Some owners
maybe be searching in the wrong places, at the wrong
time and some rely on the “Lassie
Syndrome” hoping it will return home. (20) These
owners will fail to search the shelter. Also, some people
are not taking stray animals to a shelter in fear that
they may be killed. You could argue that this attitude
reduces a shelter intake. But, it actually retards the efforts of a shelter to become the
central shelter where ALL dogs and cats are to be taken and where ALL owners visit
when they are searching for their pet. Many shelters use sensational redemption stories
as a way to infiltrate main stream media.
Ideas!
Educate the public on lost animal behaviour to optimise their finding skills and
encourage them to visit the shelter and to use the shelter website. Create annual
campaigns that focus on lost pet information.
Consider to simplify a websites headings to “I have found a pet” and “I have lost a pet”
that includes tips about lost animal behaviour, information and photos of animals that
are in the shelter. Offer cat traps to people searching for their cat, as the cat may come
out at night time. Plan an annual PR campaign about lost animals. Use a catchy slogan
like “Lost Treasure” where the shelter marks the X spot.
A shelter can focus specifically on assisting local owners to be reunited with their pet.
On admission, staff scan for a microchip and check for ID, at this point staff can also
photograph the animal and upload its image to “I have lost a pet”. This visual practise is
being used in the 'Return To Owner' program, developed by Mitch Schneider, Director of
Washoe County Regional Animal Services. Providing a visual pet ID allows the owner to
continue to actively search for their pet while keeping updated with the shelters current
admission website posts. The Washoe County Regional Animal Services website has a
photo, ID or name, description, the cage number it is located in and how many days it
has been at the shelter. This is a great blueprint.
Proactive redemption not only reunites pets with owners, but creates positive feedback
and good public relations. A shelter that embraces the culture of becoming a public
service will reap the rewards of the ever growing Australian expectation that a shelter
should treat animals positively, especially our owned pets.
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Volunteers
There is never enough paid staff, so volunteers become an essential group of people at a
shelter. It is important to build an army of compassion and optimise their personal
abilities, skills and desires to maximise their stay. Different things motivate different
people and it may help to understand what these motivators are so a shelter can
incorporate these into the volunteer program.
The key to NHS massive volunteer influx was due to them increasing the save rate. After
marketing that NHS was working towards no kill, their volunteer base of 30 grew to 1300
in the first year. (21) Now, NHS do not need to advertise for volunteers due to their
success and they are still getting new groups applying every month to volunteer.
This is how NHS optimised, retains and managers their large volunteer group.
Optimise numbers
- There is no age limit on volunteering and families. People over 18 years old can walk a
dog, people between 16-18 years old can assist with parental agreement and people
aged under 16 can assist with parental supervision.
- Scheduling volunteers (use all options) as everyone is different, has different needs
and desires.
1. any time the shelter is open
2. specific request sheet for the month
3. regular schedule
Volunteers do not donate their time and energy to stand around,
their time is valuable. The shelter must offer a variety of jobs
for volunteers to do. Some may need direction and others will
already know what job they want to complete. Do not
underestimate their gifts and talents. Find out these talents as a
part of the volunteer application form, and utilise them.
If a volunteer needs more guidance, consider a buddy system
and buddy them up with a veteran volunteer. It also helps to
form friendships amongst the volunteers.
Keep the volunteer satisfied and make sure they have a positive
experience so they will be happy to return to the shelter.
- Training
Hold a one monthly training session for new volunteers (compulsory)
- Specialised Training
There are always people who want to explore the next level. NHS offers training in;
1. behavioural management of animals to enable more difficult dogs the chance for
a daily walk and social interaction which optimises a faster adoption
2. off-site adoptions – pop-up stores, events etc
3. one day hiking tours with the dogs!
4. Assist with mobile TNR units
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- Volunteers for special needs, seniors and business's
There are so many special needs schools and aged care communities that have the
ability to use their own transportation to get to a shelter. Their opportunity to assist on
a regular basis would be embraced, it would also be great PR with the print media and
the shelter would be seen as working with the community.
Many large Australian companies encourage employees to find an annual project that
assists non-profits, the community or the environment. A shelter needs to find these
companies, connect and create relationships. These companies have already made the
decision to volunteer, they just need to know they can volunteer at the shelter and why
they should choose the shelter. Working with a company that employs hundreds, even
thousands of people opens up adoption and foster opportunities, sponsorship
opportunities, Ambassador opportunities and a lot of word of mouth advertisement.
Management
- Volunteer coordinator and volunteer office.
- Make appropriate volunteer placement for specific jobs to
maximise their happiness and length of stay as a volunteer.
- Conflict resolution
Between volunteers and volunteers versus paid staff is
essential for creating a healthy workplace and optimising their
time.
Reward
Empower volunteers by including them in the shelter culture. Thank them, respect them
and ask for their feedback, even if they volunteer a few times a year. A shelter can
recognise the efforts of volunteers with gestures like the “Volunteer of the Month”,
special T-shirts and pizza evenings for continual motivation.(21)
The decision to move towards a high save rate was NHS magnet for volunteers. People
love animals, and a volunteers compassion stems from the need to help homeless
animals. If a shelter implemented more life saving strategies within a short period of
time and marketed this appropriately – they will come.
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A Compassionate Director
A compassionate Director is vital for instigating and managing the implementation of the
no kill programs. A shelter cannot transform into a no kill shelter without this vital
element. He or she will have to implement each and every program, as it was written to
be able to achieve no kill success.
A compassionate Director will have to lead change management and project
management to achieve the objectives of a no kill shelter.(22) It is expected with any
industry change that their will be resistance, but resistance is normal.
Some of the most influential leaders of no kill shelters
From left to right: Michael Linke: RSPCA ACT Australia, Susanne Kogut: No Kill Charlottesville SPCA USA, Sue Cosby:
Pennsylvania SPCA USA, Bonney Brown: Nevada Humane Society USA, Nathan Winograd: (former) Tompkins County
SPCA USA, Robyn Kippenberger: Royal NZ SPCA New Zealand.
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No Kill Quick Stats
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In 2010 RSPCA ACT microchipped >1700, desexed >1100, FIV tested >500 cats
Charlottesville, Virginia is celebrating its 5th year of no kill
Nevada Humane Society's volunteer group jumped from 30 to 1300 when they
introduced the no kill programs
Operation Catnip has sterilised over 45,000 cats in their TNR program
No Kill Upper Peninsula Animal Welfare went from 64% killing to 93% saving in
one year
Washoe County Animal Control killed 15 barrels full per day before becoming no kill
Washoe County Animal Control's “Return To Owner” program has 70-95% of dogs
returned to the owner and not entering the shelter system.
Tompkins County, New York is celebrating its 10th year of no kill
RSPCA ACT saves 92% of dogs
No Kill Charlottesville SPCA went from a save rate of 50-60% to 90% in one year
Nevada Humane Society's save rate dogs 91% and cats 91% while the national
average 58%
Nevada Humane Society's “Animal Help Desk” fields over 20,000 calls & emails
every year
Longmont Humane Society open admission shelter saves 94% of dogs
Since 2010, Shelby County, Kentucky celebrated its 3rd no kill year.
In 2010, RSPCA ACT re homed 851 kittens
The largest community in USA to become no kill is Austin, Texas saving 90% of
dogs and cats
Austin, Texas has made the fastest transformation, in six months they went from
killing 60% to saving 90%
87.5% of adopted dogs were breed labelled inaccurately by a shelter
Nevada was voted 2nd drunkest city, has 14% unemployment and a housing crisis and
went no kill
RSPCA ACT built a kittery that can house up to 120 kittens at any one time
In the first year of no kill, Nevada Humane Society increased their cat save rate by
84%
82-88 million pet cats in USA and 80-85% are sterilised & 10-90 million free
roaming cats in USA and 22% are sterilised
Reference:
McKenzie, Mia personal notes (2011) No Kill Conference, 2011, George Washington University
Law School, Washington D.C
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Conclusion
The No Kill programs have been implemented in shelters around the world and is the
only proven model that has rapidly increased a shelters save rate. A No Kill shelter is one
that implements all the programs comprehensively to achieve a no kill status.
The term 'No Kill' is an accurate term. A no kill shelter will euthanase irredeemably sick,
injured or traumatised animals, and dangerous or vicious dogs, but they will not kill for
lack of space. (2) There is a clear and different definition to the words killing and
euthanasia. Governments, organisations and people have inaccurately used the word
euthanasia for so long, it has become acceptable.(23) It is the responsibility of the
shelter to educate the community about the philosophies of no kill and to debunk myths
and inaccurate opinions about the no kill programs. If a shelter adopts the term no kill,
they should consider to use Winograd's definition of 'no kill' and a 'no kill shelter' to
provide clarity about what the shelter is working towards and the aims of achievement.
Self versions of the definition always create confusion.
Be transparent. When your shelter declares that it wants to reach No Kill, have clarity in
the shelters goals and look at reporting progress by publishing monthly statistics like
NHS.
The only no kill shelter in Australia that has reached and maintained a save rate of over
90 percent is the RSPCA in Australia's Capital Territory. (24) The Royal New Zealand SPCA
has also implemented the no kill programs and called it 'Saving Lives'. At the 2010
national conference, the Chief Executive described the movements underlying
philosophy as 'Every life is precious'.(25) New Zealand may be the first no kill nation.
Remove obstacles, remove excuses and start saving the lives of dogs and cats in
Australian shelters.
The only question the Australian Government, Australian citizens and Australian shelters
should be asking is “Why have we not implemented the no kill programs?”
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References
1. Australian Companion Animal Council Inc. (2010) Contribution of the Pet Care
Industry to the Australian Economy, 7th Edition, page 22.
2. Winograd, Nathan J (2009) Redemption, 2nd Edition, Almaden Books, page 234.
3. Department of Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts (DEWHA) (2008) Threat
Abatement Plan for predation by feral cats, DEWHA, Canberra,
http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/tap-approved.html
4. PAWS Chicago, Animal Advocacy – Trap Neuter Return, Chicago, IL,
http://www.pawschicago.org/animal-advocacy/trap-neuter-return/
5. Alley Cat Allies (2012) Socialising Feral Kittens
http://www.alleycat.org/page.aspx?pid=292
6. Berry, Paul (2003) Running A Spay/Neuter Clinic,
http://www.bestfriends.org/arcives/forums/spay.html.
7. Australian Veterinary Association Board (1997) Policy 1.3: Animal Welfare
Societies, The Australian Veterinary Association Ltd, AVA
8. Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, No More Homeless Pets: New Hampshire Program,
http://www.bestfriends.org/nomorehomelesspets/localnmhpprograms/nhstats.cfm
9. McKenzie, Mia (2010) 100 Things I Love About You, The PAW Project Editorial,
http://www.pawproject.com.au/nokilltoolbox.html
10.Blankenberg, Diane (2011) Harnessing Community Compassion, Nevada Humane
Society, seminar viewed 30 July, 2011 at No Kill Conference, Washington DC.
11.Brown, Bonney (2011) Turbocharging Adoptions, Nevada Humane Society, seminar
viewed 31 July, No Kill Conference, Washington DC.
12.Bradley, Janis (2011) The Relevance of Breed In Selecting A Companion Dog,
National Canine Research Council, LLC, page 8.
13.Rosenblatt, Alan (2011) Here Comes Social Media, Center For American Progress,
seminar viewed 31 July, 2011 at No Kill Conference, Washington DC.
14. Adoption Entrance Dance (2010), video, Nevada Humane Society,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8hfFYRNRcM
15. Myers, Clay (2005) Hold That Pose! Animal Photography Tips,
http://www.bestfriends.org/archives/forums/071805photography.pdf
16.RSPCA ACT (2011) RSPCA Australian Capital Territory, Weston, ACT,
http://www.rspca-act.org.au/training-and-knowledge/training-tips/
17.Lucree, Dr. Diana (2011) Shelter Medicine For Non-Veterinarians, Nevada Human
Society, seminar viewed 31 July, No Kill Conference, Washington DC.
18.Safe Work Australia (2011) Model Work Health and Safety Act, Canberra,
http://safeworkaustralia.gov.au/AboutSafeWorkAustralia/WhatWeDo/Publications/Documents/59
8/Model_Work_Health_and_Safety_Bill_23_June_2011.pdf
19.Pryor, Karen (2000) Clicker Training, http://www.clickertraining.com/faq
20.Albrecht, Kat (2011) Missing Animal Response – A Paradigm Shift To Reduce Shelter
Kill Rates, Missing Pet Partnership
http://www.nokilladvocacycenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/MAR.pdf
21. Blankenberg, Diane (2011) Harnessing Community Compassion, Nevada Humane
Society, seminar viewed 30 July, 2011 at No Kill Conference, Washington DC.
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22. Prosci Change Management Certification program (2008) The ADKAR Model –
Awareness, Desire, Knowledge, Ability, Reinforcement, Learning Center
Publications, page 5
23. McKenzie, Mia (2010) The E Word, The PAW Project Editorial,
http://www.pawproject.com.au/nokilltoolbox.html
24.Winograd, Nathan (2010) A Great Week For No Kill, Blog post, No Kill Advocacy
Center, http://www.nathanwinograd.com/?p=3426
25.Winograd, Nathan (2010) It's The “Can Do” Within Us That Will Save Lives, Blog
post, No Kill Advocacy Center, http://www.nathanwinograd.com/?p=3359
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