Human Animal Support Services (HASS) Announces Results of Competitive Pet Placement Project
Supported by PetSmart Charities, the Competitive Pet Placement Project aims to identify barriers and produce solutions for increasing adoption outcomes (AUSTIN, TX) July 31, 2024–Human Animal Support Services (HASS), an international project revolutionizing the animal welfare industry by uniting human and animal welfare, announced the results of the Competitive Pet Placement (CPP) Project. An initiative supported by PetSmart Charities, five shelters, alongside HASS, took up the challenge to evaluate internal shelter practices or...
Prioritizing Both Ends of the Leash
How Shelters Can Triage Support for People AND Pets Today If a person is struggling to care for a pet, they likely need support themselves. Last month we released a blog highlighting the importance of animal welfare professionals embracing a conversational approach when speaking with individuals who come into the shelter to identify the root causes of WHY pets are walking through the doors. Now, we want to take it a step further–providing coordinated support for people and pets. While the shelter will always provide a support service to...
Harnessing People Power to Get Pets Back Home
[embedded content] Featured as a guest speakers for the 2024 International Companion Animal Management Coalition Conference (ICAM), HASS team members Jenifer Reed and Heather Kalman present new data findings and community-oriented programming for returning pets home. What do people in your community do when they find a lost pet? In the United States, the majority of pets enter animal shelters as lost pets, making supporting this population the greatest opportunity for lifesaving and community engagement. In this presentation, the Human Animal...
From Transactions to Conversations
Build trust with the public seeking pet support services Imagine this. You’re going through the toughest period in your life. Maybe you lost your job, and your home, and now you have nowhere to go with your pet. On top of it, you’re struggling to provide basic care for both of you. You’ve tried everything, and you realize that the only way out of the situation is to focus on providing for yourself first, to get back on your feet. You take your beloved pet to the local animal shelter hoping that someone can help them....
Tools for Lost Pet Prevention
Did you know that July is National Lost Pet Prevention Month? From foundational solutions such as collars with identification tags or secured yards to microchipping and emergency kits—there are proven solutions to help pets remain safe and at home. To discuss the importance of lost pet prevention and how animal welfare organizations can arm themselves and communities with resources, Lorien Clemens, Co-founder and CEO of PetHub, and Jerrica Owen, Executive Director of the National Animal Care & Control Association, share their...
Saving Lives with Mindfulness in Animal Welfare
[embedded content] Animal welfare professionals struggle with maintaining their mental health for a multitude of factors including challenges with work-life balance, traumatic experiences within the shelter, and more. It’s up to the industry to care for the PEOPLE that are doing the life-saving by creating care opportunities for better mental health in the shelter. Panelists Dr. Jyothi V. Robertson, Founder of JVR Strategies & Journey You Own along with José Ocaño, Founder & CEO of Hatching, discuss the importance...
Using Reasons for Intake for Resource & Policy Advocacy
Every animal sheltering organization has to make difficult choices about prioritizing resources, especially now, at a time when animal welfare facilities are experiencing record-breaking capacity issues, struggles with staffing, and increasing need in their communities. There seems to be never-ending recommendations about the best programming, staffing, and advocacy-related tools for improving outcomes for people and pets, and it’s reasonable to expect that this menu of options may be overwhelming to decision-makers. For...
A New Model for Pet Intake
Understanding the true reasons for pets entering today’s shelter Roughly eight million cats and dogs entered animal shelters in the U.S. in 2023, according to Shelter Animals Count–and the numbers don’t show much sign of slowing. Since the inception of Human Animal Support Services (HASS), we’re aiming for a better understanding of the downstream effect human hardships have on overcrowded animal shelters. It’s no secret that people are struggling and when people struggle, so do their pets, which are found in 66%...
Uniting Human & Animal Welfare
[embedded content] The Hays County Resource Center is trailblazing a new animal welfare model that will provide programs focused on public safety, animal safety and lifesaving, increased public access to important resources for pet owners, and community education to provide safe and humane care for pets–and it all began with community engagement. Panelists Lee Ann Shenefiel, Hays County Pet Resource Center Executive Advisor, Alex Villalobos, Hays County Chief of Staff, and Sari M. Vatske, President & CEO of Central Texas Food Bank...
An Animal Control Officer’s Lesson in Empathy
The call was fairly routine, as animal neglect complaints go. The dog in question, a loyal companion to an elderly woman living alone, was in pretty rough shape. Rough enough that it was a pretty clear-cut case of neglect. The woman, who obviously loved her pet, seemed to be facing multiple struggles. She may never have intended to cause harm, yet her circumstances had led to a situation that, legally, could not be ignored. In my early career as a cruelty investigator for the City of Dallas, I was driven by a sense of duty to protect the...
