Hello,
My shelter has been undergoing a restructuring of our Behavior department, and one of the small things we are developing is a daily shelter walkthrough for our Behavior staff. Currently we have a report that runs each day that lists the animals that are in need of attention from our Behavior team. So, we are aware of those animals but we would like to have eyes on every animal in our building each day. That way we can note any changes in behavior and be more proactive instead of reactive. Our staff are encouraged to share any observations with us, but I still think there are benefits to us doing a walkthrough.
In the past, we would have a "Daily Rounds Committee" go around and put eyes on each animal. This would consist of senior staff from different areas of the shelter. With COVID, this committee has kind of veered from what it was originally intended for. We are currently working on revamping it as well and making it more useful. Having Behavior staff do their own behavior walkthrough each day is a part of this DRC revamping.
What kinds of things do you all look for behavior wise when doing walkthroughs of your shelter? And do you have certain plans or courses of action that you take depending on the behavior? Any input/ideas would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks,
#Behavior,TrainingandEnrichment------------------------------
Sarah Reida
Behavior Department Manager
Kansas Humane Society
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