Pets and Technology: How Entrepreneurs and Innovators Can Help Save Lives
“There is a huge disconnect between how much people care about their pets, and 98% of people believe that their pets are as important as human family members, but our laws are still treating them like property that have absolutely no inherent value,” Dr. Ellen Jefferson, president and CEO of Austin Pets Alive! and American Pets Alive!, said, during a recent SXSW panel on pet tech and the changing pet-owner relationship. This is one of the critical, solvable problems leading to an estimated 1 million pets dying in shelters every...
If Your Shelter Is Full Or Close To Full, Here’s What To Do Today
Last summer, we gave you 12 tips for managing intake during a space crisis. With summer approaching again, these tips should be front of mind as your shelter prepares for the seasonal influx of kittens, puppies, dogs, and cats—or if you’re already getting full. But what can you do to prevent a space crisis before it happens, or to help prevent a space crisis from becoming worse? That’s where these five tips aimed at keeping families together come in. Supporting families in your community not only keeps people and...
Cat Who Lost 2 Left Legs in Accident Now Runs to His Favorite Boy, Gives Hope in a Hard Time
It was just about a year and a half ago that Suzanne Buffington, her then-12-year-old son Gracen, and their pet cat Shade, showed up at Cabot Animal Support Services in Cabot, Arkansas, in a desperate state. Shade had been in an accident, and it was bad. When Gracen found his cat outside that morning, one leg—the front left—was broken, with the bone poking out through his skin. Shade’s left hind paw and leg had what Suzanne describes as “holes” going through them. “He had holes in places there should not be...
3 Reasons You Need to Map Your Community’s Pet Support Resources Now
The world has officially changed. And with it, animal welfare professionals have taken this opportunity to rethink everything we do. NOW is the time to go all-in on supporting pet owners and caretakers. NOW is the time to slow (I dare say, stop) the unnecessary flow of loved and cared-for animals coming into our shelters. It won’t be us doing this on our own. We will be both supporting and getting the support of our community, too. Here are three reasons to provide people access to information and the resources to...
Why Human Animal Support Services? An Interactive Introduction
[embedded content] Animal sheltering is changing. Community-focused animal services are the future, and the Human Animal Support Services project is a way for you to be a part of that future. But what is the HASS project and is it right for your organization? Whether you’re thinking about joining the project, have no idea what it’s all about, or are simply looking for a refresher, this webinar is for you. There is no better time for your team and volunteers to learn about how HASS is transforming animal services across the globe...
Chicken Fostering Isn’t Just a Good Idea It’s Clucking Great
Jaime Blados with one of her foster chickens. Just before Christmas, Jaime Blados got an email that caught her attention. It asked if anyone could foster some chickens, who had come into Geauga Humane Society’s Rescue Village in Novelty, Ohio. Jaime is a regular foster for the organization. She mostly takes in dogs. One time she fostered a pig. But chickens? “I was like, ‘Yeah, we’ll give it a shot,’” Jaime says. “I’m always willing to try.” Some shelters have seen viral fame thanks to...
Should We Question a Pet Owner’s Request for Euthanasia? These Pets Say Yes
The photos you see here, and throughout this piece, are of pets who were surrendered to shelters for euthanasia, but who were instead saved and rehomed, or returned to their original home after receiving care and treatment. Chia was brought into a California shelter as an “owner request euthanasia for vomiting and diarrhea,” says Sara King, who volunteered at the shelter at the time. “She was scared. Her blood work showed nothing out of the ordinary but the family decided not to take her back. So I decided to bring her...
10 Easy Ideas to Create a Community-Minded Animal Shelter
The last several years have been challenging for all of us in animal welfare, but disruption can be a catalyst for change. We have seen animal welfare professionals and volunteers rally to support their animals, their communities, and the families in greatest need. One of the most exciting things we witnessed was the creativity of animal welfare organizations to change and adapt their physical shelters into the community-focused shelters of the future, rethinking and reworking the role of the facility. These scrappy,...
Creating a Culture of Change in Your Organization
[embedded content] Animal welfare is changing, whether we’re ready or not. By creating a culture of change in your organization, you can reduce timely internal resistance, get your staff and volunteers on board, and involve everyone in being part of improvement and innovation. In this webinar, we talk about the primary reasons for resistance to change, how to easily build a culture of change, tackle tough critics, and how to implement a simple protocol for creating organizational change. We break down everything about how you talk about...
New Study: We’re Making Bad Assumptions About Shelter Dogs’ Behavior and It’s Hurting Them
Listen to our interview with Janis Bradley about her new research challenging the assumption that dogs are given up for bad behavior, and what that means for shelters, adoptions, dogs, and families. Arin Greenwood: Hi, this is Arin Greenwood. I’m a writer with HASS. Here I had the pleasure of speaking with Janis Bradley of the National Canine Research Council about her important new paper taking a critical look at our assumptions about shelter dogs’ behavior, and how those assumptions harm dogs and families. The paper is...
