2023 Open Arms Challenge

Hi- I am working on a training for staff at the low-cost vet clinic associated with our non-profit shelter. I am wanting to include  the importance of inclusion and the clinics role in keeping people and pets together. I also want to make sure that staff feel connected to the outreach work that the shelter is going. I would love resources and suggestions on what to include in the training. I saw a great article recently on using a spectrum of care in relation to veterinary care, but now I can't find it, so I would also appreciate any resources of that type. Thank you!

Hi- I am working on a training for staff at the low-cost vet clinic associated with our non-profit shelter. I am wanting to include  the importance of inclusion and the clinics role in keeping people and pets together. I also want to make sure that staff feel connected to the outreach work that the shelter is going. I would love resources and suggestions on what to include in the training. I saw a great article recently on using a spectrum of care in relation to veterinary care, but now I can't find it, so I would also appreciate any resources of that type. Thank you!

Hi- I am working on a training for staff at the low-cost vet clinic associated with our non-profit shelter. I am wanting to include  the importance of inclusion and the clinics role in keeping people and pets together. I also want to make sure that staff feel connected to the outreach work that the shelter is going. I would love resources and suggestions on what to include in the training. I saw a great article recently on using a spectrum of care in relation to veterinary care, but now I can't find it, so I would also appreciate any resources of that type. Thank you!

Hi Shoshana, 

Great work!  I am on the search for a few resources for you.  When I have worked with vet staff and when I was a pre-vet student, myself and others focused on the human animal bond and the overall relationship the people had with their pets. Many times, people were concerned and we heard the typical "well if they don't have money for vet care, they shouldn't have a pet." I know this was mentioned a few times in the resources. I am not sure if this is something that needs to be included as well, but if so, let me know and I can try to help find additional resources. 

Here's a study I came across that would be useful to have : https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fvets.2021.764753/full

Hi- I am working on a training for staff at the low-cost vet clinic associated with our non-profit shelter. I am wanting to include  the importance of inclusion and the clinics role in keeping people and pets together. I also want to make sure that staff feel connected to the outreach work that the shelter is going. I would love resources and suggestions on what to include in the training. I saw a great article recently on using a spectrum of care in relation to veterinary care, but now I can't find it, so I would also appreciate any resources of that type. Thank you!

Was this the spectrum information: 

https://www.aspcapro.org/resource/provide-spectrum-care-increase-veterinary-access-more-clients
https://www.aspcapro.org/resource/spectrum-care

Hi Shoshana, 

Great work!  I am on the search for a few resources for you.  When I have worked with vet staff and when I was a pre-vet student, myself and others focused on the human animal bond and the overall relationship the people had with their pets. Many times, people were concerned and we heard the typical "well if they don't have money for vet care, they shouldn't have a pet." I know this was mentioned a few times in the resources. I am not sure if this is something that needs to be included as well, but if so, let me know and I can try to help find additional resources. 

Here's a study I came across that would be useful to have : https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fvets.2021.764753/full

Hi- I am working on a training for staff at the low-cost vet clinic associated with our non-profit shelter. I am wanting to include  the importance of inclusion and the clinics role in keeping people and pets together. I also want to make sure that staff feel connected to the outreach work that the shelter is going. I would love resources and suggestions on what to include in the training. I saw a great article recently on using a spectrum of care in relation to veterinary care, but now I can't find it, so I would also appreciate any resources of that type. Thank you!

Was this the spectrum information: 

https://www.aspcapro.org/resource/provide-spectrum-care-increase-veterinary-access-more-clients
https://www.aspcapro.org/resource/spectrum-care

Hi Shoshana, 

Great work!  I am on the search for a few resources for you.  When I have worked with vet staff and when I was a pre-vet student, myself and others focused on the human animal bond and the overall relationship the people had with their pets. Many times, people were concerned and we heard the typical "well if they don't have money for vet care, they shouldn't have a pet." I know this was mentioned a few times in the resources. I am not sure if this is something that needs to be included as well, but if so, let me know and I can try to help find additional resources. 

Here's a study I came across that would be useful to have : https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fvets.2021.764753/full

Hi- I am working on a training for staff at the low-cost vet clinic associated with our non-profit shelter. I am wanting to include  the importance of inclusion and the clinics role in keeping people and pets together. I also want to make sure that staff feel connected to the outreach work that the shelter is going. I would love resources and suggestions on what to include in the training. I saw a great article recently on using a spectrum of care in relation to veterinary care, but now I can't find it, so I would also appreciate any resources of that type. Thank you!

Hello Caitlin,

Thank you for the ASPCAPro links on increasing the spectrum of vet care. Very helpful.

As a volunteer at a small special-needs cat rescue and adoption non-profit in NYC, KittyKind, I find that vet bills are a disproportiate percentage of the budget. Yet, without medical intervention, many of the rescued cats are too stressed or ill for public viewing.  KittyKind has a robust foster program for such cats, but the foster parents need medcial or behaviour help sometimes, too.

In response, KittyKind has,for several years, been recruting pre-vet, pre-med, biology, and/or animal behaviour students at local NYC colleges to be health-care volunteers. The volunteers from the public colleges, especially, are diverese, speak different languages, and some are first-generation in the US. Basically, KittyKind has protocols, vet-approved, to help recently rescued cats with basic care: deworming, flea preventions, treating ear mites, parasites, etc. Volunteers follow-vet instructions for an upper-respiratory, for the hydration of senior kidney cats, etc. Someof the students visit foster homes to teach hydration to the foster parents, or to review bottle-feeding, etc. 

The rescued cats get daily observation, basic intervention, and timely vet visits when needed. The rescued cats' recovery time, usually, is lessend, and they get adopted more quickly when they are at the physcial adoption space. (KittyKind also does virtual adoptions -- from foster to home -- after a review process, interviews, virtual home visit, etc) 

KittyKind is in the process of researching and documenting the turn-around time from rescue to home, and it is comparing vet bills from previous years to current years.

An interesting side result is that some of the first-year residents in the US talk about opening a community clinic in the country of their parents. Although those projects require much future work, it is a hopeful sign for animal welfare.

Below is a link I found useful, too, from Best Friend, regarding expanding scope of care:

https://network.bestfriends.org/education/manuals-handbooks-playbooks/expanding-veterinary-capacity-shelters

Regards.

------------------------------
Beverly Wilson
KittyKind

Original Message:
Sent: 04-27-2023 02:22 PM
From: Caitlin Kuczko
Subject: What should be included in Open Arms Challenge training for low-cost vet clinics?

Was this the spectrum information: 

https://www.aspcapro.org/resource/provide-spectrum-care-increase-veterinary-access-more-clients
https://www.aspcapro.org/resource/spectrum-care

------------------------------
Caitlin Kuczko
Shelter Manager
Leadville Lake County Animal Shelter
Leadville CO

Original Message:
Sent: 04-27-2023 02:21 PM
From: Caitlin Kuczko
Subject: What should be included in Open Arms Challenge training for low-cost vet clinics?

Hi Shoshana, 

Great work!  I am on the search for a few resources for you.  When I have worked with vet staff and when I was a pre-vet student, myself and others focused on the human animal bond and the overall relationship the people had with their pets. Many times, people were concerned and we heard the typical "well if they don't have money for vet care, they shouldn't have a pet." I know this was mentioned a few times in the resources. I am not sure if this is something that needs to be included as well, but if so, let me know and I can try to help find additional resources. 

Here's a study I came across that would be useful to have : https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fvets.2021.764753/full

------------------------------
Caitlin Kuczko
Shelter Manager
Leadville Lake County Animal Shelter
Leadville CO

Original Message:
Sent: 03-29-2023 08:31 AM
From: Shoshana Mostoller
Subject: What should be included in Open Arms Challenge training for low-cost vet clinics?

Hi- I am working on a training for staff at the low-cost vet clinic associated with our non-profit shelter. I am wanting to include  the importance of inclusion and the clinics role in keeping people and pets together. I also want to make sure that staff feel connected to the outreach work that the shelter is going. I would love resources and suggestions on what to include in the training. I saw a great article recently on using a spectrum of care in relation to veterinary care, but now I can't find it, so I would also appreciate any resources of that type. Thank you!

------------------------------
Shoshana Mostoller, MSW
Community Engagement Manager
Chesapeake Humane Society
------------------------------

Hi Beverly, 

I am glad you found them useful! 

Wow, that's good to know. Thanks for sharing. I am glad you all are able to use local resources and think out side of the box to provide quality care at a more affordable price! 

------------------------------
Caitlin Kuczko
Shelter Manager
Leadville Lake County Animal Shelter
Leadville CO

Original Message:
Sent: 04-29-2023 09:13 AM
From: Beverly Wilson
Subject: What should be included in Open Arms Challenge training for low-cost vet clinics?

Hello Caitlin,

Thank you for the ASPCAPro links on increasing the spectrum of vet care. Very helpful.

As a volunteer at a small special-needs cat rescue and adoption non-profit in NYC, KittyKind, I find that vet bills are a disproportiate percentage of the budget. Yet, without medical intervention, many of the rescued cats are too stressed or ill for public viewing.  KittyKind has a robust foster program for such cats, but the foster parents need medcial or behaviour help sometimes, too.

In response, KittyKind has,for several years, been recruting pre-vet, pre-med, biology, and/or animal behaviour students at local NYC colleges to be health-care volunteers. The volunteers from the public colleges, especially, are diverese, speak different languages, and some are first-generation in the US. Basically, KittyKind has protocols, vet-approved, to help recently rescued cats with basic care: deworming, flea preventions, treating ear mites, parasites, etc. Volunteers follow-vet instructions for an upper-respiratory, for the hydration of senior kidney cats, etc. Someof the students visit foster homes to teach hydration to the foster parents, or to review bottle-feeding, etc. 

The rescued cats get daily observation, basic intervention, and timely vet visits when needed. The rescued cats' recovery time, usually, is lessend, and they get adopted more quickly when they are at the physcial adoption space. (KittyKind also does virtual adoptions -- from foster to home -- after a review process, interviews, virtual home visit, etc) 

KittyKind is in the process of researching and documenting the turn-around time from rescue to home, and it is comparing vet bills from previous years to current years.

An interesting side result is that some of the first-year residents in the US talk about opening a community clinic in the country of their parents. Although those projects require much future work, it is a hopeful sign for animal welfare.

Below is a link I found useful, too, from Best Friend, regarding expanding scope of care:

https://network.bestfriends.org/education/manuals-handbooks-playbooks/expanding-veterinary-capacity-shelters

Regards.

------------------------------
Beverly Wilson
KittyKind

Original Message:
Sent: 04-27-2023 02:22 PM
From: Caitlin Kuczko
Subject: What should be included in Open Arms Challenge training for low-cost vet clinics?

Was this the spectrum information: 

https://www.aspcapro.org/resource/provide-spectrum-care-increase-veterinary-access-more-clients
https://www.aspcapro.org/resource/spectrum-care

------------------------------
Caitlin Kuczko
Shelter Manager
Leadville Lake County Animal Shelter
Leadville CO

Original Message:
Sent: 04-27-2023 02:21 PM
From: Caitlin Kuczko
Subject: What should be included in Open Arms Challenge training for low-cost vet clinics?

Hi Shoshana, 

Great work!  I am on the search for a few resources for you.  When I have worked with vet staff and when I was a pre-vet student, myself and others focused on the human animal bond and the overall relationship the people had with their pets. Many times, people were concerned and we heard the typical "well if they don't have money for vet care, they shouldn't have a pet." I know this was mentioned a few times in the resources. I am not sure if this is something that needs to be included as well, but if so, let me know and I can try to help find additional resources. 

Here's a study I came across that would be useful to have : https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fvets.2021.764753/full

------------------------------
Caitlin Kuczko
Shelter Manager
Leadville Lake County Animal Shelter
Leadville CO

Original Message:
Sent: 03-29-2023 08:31 AM
From: Shoshana Mostoller
Subject: What should be included in Open Arms Challenge training for low-cost vet clinics?

Hi- I am working on a training for staff at the low-cost vet clinic associated with our non-profit shelter. I am wanting to include  the importance of inclusion and the clinics role in keeping people and pets together. I also want to make sure that staff feel connected to the outreach work that the shelter is going. I would love resources and suggestions on what to include in the training. I saw a great article recently on using a spectrum of care in relation to veterinary care, but now I can't find it, so I would also appreciate any resources of that type. Thank you!

------------------------------
Shoshana Mostoller, MSW
Community Engagement Manager
Chesapeake Humane Society
------------------------------