Animal Welfare Professionals

Hi everyone!
We are currently trying to implement more enrichment for our shelter cats and dogs. I have done some research to find ideas of things we can do but would so greatly appreciate it if some of you could post pictures or descriptions of the things you do at your facility. We have a lower adoption rate of the larger dogs we get in and thus need some ideas specifically for larger dogs that have been housed here for a longer amount of time. 

Thank you so much in advance!

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#enrichment

Pinterest is an amazing resource for some canine enrichment. Some volunteers love making DIY stuff because it is a cost effective way to really influence the life of a shelter pup. Here are some ideas from a Pinterest board https://www.pinterest.com/rompingdogs/diy-dog-enrichment/?lp=true

Also, i haven't tried it yet, but ive heard good things about "snuffle mats". These are puzzle mats that have little pocket type tubes that can hold food or other fun "treats". here is a link that shows you how one can be made https://iheartdogs.com/diy-let-your-dog-dig-for-food-and-treats-in-this-entertaining-mat/

 

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Hi Natalie,

- Here's a great article  from the IAABC  Journal - "Multisensory Enrichment for Shelter Dogs".  It has lots of "how to"  info. and  includes several video clips of enrichment in action!

https://winter2017.iaabcjournal.org/multisensory-enrichment-for-shelter-dogs/

 

- Also ASPCA.pro offers many helpful webinars on shelter cat and dog enrichment:

https://www.aspcapro.org/resource-library?f%5B0%5D=field_topics_tree_ref%253Aparents_all%3A3106&f%5B1%5D=field_resource_tax%3A3231

 

-  And, of course, Maddie's University  has great info. on shelter animal enrichment, but I'm guessing you already knew that. :)

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@Lisa M. and @Natalie Sopa  Yes, indeed, we have a lot on enrichment for dogs and cats on Maddie's University.  Available on our website are the following:

Avoiding Dog Fights in the Shelter https://www.maddiesfund.org/avoiding-dog-fights-in-the-shelter.htm?p=topic17 Enrichment for Shelter Cats https://www.maddiesfund.org/enrichment-for-shelter-cats.htm?p=topic17 Enrichment for Shelter Dogs https://www.maddiesfund.org/enrichment-for-shelter-dogs.htm?p=topic17 Enrichment and Training for Dogs and Cats https://www.maddiesfund.org/enrichment-and-training.htm?p=topic17 Every Day, Every Dog - Let Them Play! The Impact of Play Groups https://www.maddiesfund.org/let-them-play-the-impact-of-play-groups.htm?p=topic2 Helping Shelter Pets find Health, Happiness and Homes with Fear Free https://www.maddiesfund.org/helping-shelter-pets-find-health-happiness-and-homes-with-fear-free.htm?p=topic17 How Stress is Sabotaging Your Cat Adoption Efforts https://www.maddiesfund.org/stress-is-sabotaging-your-cat-adoption-efforts.htm?p=topic17 How Stress is Sabotaging Your Dog Adoption Efforts https://www.maddiesfund.org/stress-is-sabotaging-your-dog-adoption-efforts.htm?p=topic17 Shelter Enrichment The Cats Meow https://www.maddiesfund.org/shelter-enrichment--the-cats-meow.htm Stress Reduction: Happy and Healthy Shelter Dogs https://www.maddiesfund.org/stress-reduction-happy-and-healthy-shelter-dogs.htm?p=topic17 Stress Reduction: Happy and Healthy Shelter Cats on a Fast Track to Adoption https://www.maddiesfund.org/stress-reduction-happy-and-healthy-shelter-cats.htm?p=topic17 Stress Reduction for Shelter Cats https://www.maddiesfund.org/stress-reduction-for-shelter-cats.htm?p=topic17 Stress Reduction for Shelter Dogs https://www.maddiesfund.org/stress-reduction-for-shelter-dogs.htm?p=topic17 The Best Medicine: Playing With Shelter Dogs https://www.maddiesfund.org/the-best-medicine-playing-with-shelter-dogs.htm?p=topic17
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There are a lot of enrichment ideas out there, so it definitely can be a little overwhelming to pick some to try first! Would you be able to share some more info on your current enrichment program and what kind of resources you have? That way folks can try to point to some particular things that might work well for your shelter.

Do the enrichment activities need to be things staff can easily do while cleaning, or do you have volunteers who can provide it? Do you have a set of volunteers who would be willing to each spend an hour or two weekly prepping enrichment that can be used through the week? Where will you get your enrichment supplies? Do they need to be things you have on hand, do you have supporters who will reliably buy requested supplies, or do you have wiggle room in your budget to buy some yourself? How many cats/dogs are typically in your care?

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I just saw this posted on Facebook. Peanut butter and frisbees! https://www.facebook.com/HHSwilliamsburg/videos/1967494366629632/?fref=gs&;dti=962691297087218&hc_location=group

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I don't work in a shelter but volunteered in a couple years ago.  They were no kill shelters and because of this had the larger breeds that people don't want, or dogs that had more medical issues and larger older dogs that were harder to place.

As much as we need shelters to help these precious animals it can be hard on the dogs, long term.  Some dogs more than others.

So here are a couple ideas I just thought of:

The first one, do you have a foster care program in place?  I don't know all that is involved in creating and running a good foster care program but it's the first thought that came to mind.

Have you ever heard of music therapy for shelter dogs?  The first time I heard of this was at Greater Good, so I just googled it.  I couldn't find the original article I read about the many benefits of how soothing music helps shelter dogs.  The article was about a study that was done and one shelter put music on for all of the dogs when the employees went home at night.  They noticed significant improvements in the behavior of the dogs, and they were calmer.  Here is a link to one article at The Greater Good  https://blog.theanimalrescuesite.greatergood.com/musician-calms-dogs/

And this article at Greater Good about helping shelter dogs who are under stress through a program called Happy Hour.  https://blog.theanimalrescuesite.greatergood.com/shelter-happy-hour/

I hope this helps.

 

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Hi Natalie! Check out this post from July. I shared the Boredom Buster Program , a low-cost shelter enrichment program for dogs from FAR Side Journey. It's fantastic!  

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