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What you wish you knew then

  • 1.  What you wish you knew then

    Posted 02-08-2023 04:39 PM

    I am a new ED at an Animal Shelter that opened about 8 months ago. 

    We are very short staffed and overworked. Like everyone! 

    I haven't gotten much of anything set up such as Policies and Procedures, daily observation paperwork, programs. Anything really. 


    So I was thinking you all have been there and done that. What's something you wish you had done, something you wish you hadn't done. Anything you can share to help me not reinvent the wheel?

    Thanks in advance!


    #AccesstoCare
    #AdmissionsandIntake(includingIntake-to-placement)
    #AdoptionsandAdoptionPrograms
    #Behavior,TrainingandEnrichment
    #CaseManagement*
    #CommunityCatManagement
    #CommunityPartnerships*
    #Conferences,WorkshopsandWebcasts
    #DataandTechnology
    #DisasterRelief
    #Diversity,Equity,InclusionandJustice
    #EducationandTraining
    #FieldServicesandPublicSafety*
    #FosterPrograms
    #FundraisingandDevelopment
    #LawsandPublicPolicy
    #MarketingandSocialMedia
    #Medicine,SurgeryandSterilization
    #OrganizationalManagement
    #PeopleManagement(includingVolunteerIntegration)
    #PetSupportServices*
    #Rehoming
    #RemoteCustomerService*
    #ReturntoHome(LostPetReunification)
    #TransfersandTransport

    ------------------------------
    Jessica West
    Executive Director
    Animal Welfare Alliance of Southeast Missouri
    ------------------------------


  • 2.  RE: What you wish you knew then

    Posted 02-08-2023 09:02 PM

    What I wish I knew then is that help is needed in order to manage the day to day activities and free up time to be able to develop solid procedures and practices. Volunteers can help a lot as long as they are directed properly. It's up to the staff to show them what to do and how to do it. Volunteers are there to help, but they can't do that if they don't know what is needed. Not to mention, volunteers aren't there to do whatever they feel like. Yes, everyone wants to walk dogs and play with puppies, but caring for the animals is the priority. Especially during a period of growing pains. Once the standards of operation are established and put into place, more of the fun aspects if the shelter world can happen when things run smoothly. But it is definitely a learning process to figure out what works for you. 



    ------------------------------
    Leslie Riley
    Shelter or rescue manager
    Jelly's Place
    ------------------------------



  • 3.  RE: What you wish you knew then

    Posted 02-11-2023 03:43 PM

    You hit the nail on the head! I have very few volunteers and even fewer that want to clean. Everyone wants to walk dogs or play with kitties. Even had someone take to Facebook and go on a rant about how that is all volunteers should have to do! I am trying to work on a better volunteer training program and a volunteer appreciation plan. But I spend most of my day doing cleaning, medications, and running the front desk. There's no time for me to be an ED! I've got a million ideas but on 1 minute a day to work on them. 



    ------------------------------
    Jessica West
    Executive Director
    Animal Welfare Alliance of Southeast Missouri
    ------------------------------



  • 4.  RE: What you wish you knew then

    Posted 02-12-2023 11:42 AM

    As a long time volunteer at NYCACC  our work requires everything. We feed, clean kennels, wash and fold laundry, put away supplies, help w adoptions, etc.

    Once that's done we spend some time interacting w the animals. 

    It's what we are there for and enjoy our work.



    ------------------------------
    Iris Lugo
    Nycacc & aspca
    ------------------------------



  • 5.  RE: What you wish you knew then

    Posted 02-13-2023 06:32 AM

    I wish I knew there were organizations like Maddies and Best Friends that help organizations like mine.



    ------------------------------
    Steve Marrero
    Liberty County Animal Services
    ------------------------------



  • 6.  RE: What you wish you knew then

    Posted 02-14-2023 08:01 AM

    That is the statement I agree with.    Knowing where to get help would be the number 1 thing I wish I knew then



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    Cyndi Hoffman
    Newnan Police Department
    ------------------------------



  • 7.  RE: What you wish you knew then

    Posted 02-20-2023 11:16 AM

    Indeed!  I am new to project management and I too wish I had know about the many great partnerships that offer help and funding for shelters and animal welfare orgs.  We have been able to save the lives of so many pet because of the additional grant funds.  



    ------------------------------
    Tamara Cook
    Interim Project Manager
    Harris County Pets - VPH
    ------------------------------



  • 8.  RE: What you wish you knew then

    Posted 02-21-2023 03:43 AM

    Could you tell me more about the help and funding? I just found out our shelter is in pretty dire straights. 



    ------------------------------
    Jessica West
    Executive Director
    Animal Welfare Alliance of Southeast Missouri
    ------------------------------



  • 9.  RE: What you wish you knew then

    Posted 02-09-2023 08:36 AM

    I completely understand your question. I have only been in the ED seat for one year. The most important things that I have found are these: 

    1. Accept all the advice you are given and weed out what works best for you.
    2. Maddie's is an amazing source of information. If you have even the most obscure questions, you can find the answers here.
    3. DO NOT try to do it all on your own.

    Good luck and enjoy your new adventure.



    ------------------------------
    Elise Blue
    NEMO Humane Society
    ------------------------------



  • 10.  RE: What you wish you knew then

    Posted 02-11-2023 03:45 PM

    Thank you. I am trying to get my board more involved. I finally got committees made! So that's a big thing!



    ------------------------------
    Jessica West
    Executive Director
    Animal Welfare Alliance of Southeast Missouri
    ------------------------------



  • 11.  RE: What you wish you knew then

    Posted 02-09-2023 11:06 AM

    Hi Jessica- congrats on the new role! So it looks like your shelter is about halfway between me here in Memphis and St. Louis. My first recommendation is to visit another shelter near you to establish a mentor in the industry. And I have just the right person- @Sarah Javier  at APA of Missouri! She is a rock star and I'm sure she would be willing to help! You re also welcome to come here, and we can help you bring best practice, policies, and so much more back to your org.



    ------------------------------
    Alexis Pugh
    Director, Memphis Animal Services
    www.memphisanimalservices.com

    Organizational Management
    & Pet Support Services Specialist
    ------------------------------



  • 12.  RE: What you wish you knew then

    Posted 02-09-2023 01:11 PM

    Thank you @Alexis Pugh ! I appreciate your kind words.  @Corretta Bishop , we are in St. Louis -- Animal Protective Association of Missouri -- and would be happy to chat or meet. The more we can support one another, the more animals we can help.

    Sarah Javier

    CEO, APA Adoption Center

    www.apamo.org



    ------------------------------
    Sarah Javier
    President & CEO
    APA Adoption Center
    St. Louis MO
    3146454610
    ------------------------------



  • 13.  RE: What you wish you knew then

    Posted 02-09-2023 03:46 PM

    Thank you Alexis and Sarah!! I have been following APA on Facebook and admiring how you do things. I would love to meet and maybe bring a few of my board members with me? 

    My email is Jessica@awasemo.org. Please reach out and we will iron out the details. 



    ------------------------------
    Jessica West
    Executive Director
    Animal Welfare Alliance of Southeast Missouri
    ------------------------------



  • 14.  RE: What you wish you knew then

    Posted 02-10-2023 08:28 AM

    Hi Jessica,

    Congrats - and best wishes for success.

    My suggestion is from a slightly different perspective:  After retiring (pilot/engineer) I did the U. of Washington's certificate program in Applied Animal Behavior, and proposed setting up a team to work with cats between intake and adoption at the County shelter.  There were 2 purposes:  Ease the stress of all the cats; do behavior modification where needed to assist in their being adopted.

    All of this was as a volunteer, and that's where my suggestion comes:  Take full advantage of volunteers and their skills.  Many Shelters restrict what vols. can do, sometimes for liability, sometimes due to labor (union) rules.  That's reasonable, but if you find someone with a skill, support them and give them as much freedom as you can to make the animals' stay as FAS-free as can be.  If you can integrate volunteers right into the animal care tasks, and have the hired staff accept them as co-workers, they'll do a tremendous amount of work for you and come up with some great ideas.



    ------------------------------
    Alan Gurevich
    RASKC
    ------------------------------



  • 15.  RE: What you wish you knew then

    Posted 02-13-2023 09:29 AM

    For a new shelter:

    • Take some time to think about and set a direction for your culture right away.  Do you want to be welcoming to adopters? Do you want to let people have open access to the animals? How do you make decisions about what animals can come in and when? Do you take people's stories at face value or do you try to research and catch them on things regarding adoptions and surrenders?  How will people get a hold of you?  How important is customer service?  How do you respond to complaints?  Having all of these things set will push you in the right direction now and not create bigger problems in 10 years.
    • Figure out your data collection right away.  Both on the animal management side and on the donation side.  Starting these lists from the start will make it a lot easier to manage your animals, follow up with adopters, get grants, make business decisions, and connect & keep donors.
    • Prioritize safety.  Especially if you're not cherry picking your animals, make sure from the start you have the right equipment, right training, and right policies to enforce a culture of safety for your staff and volunteers.  It may seem like a really small thing to say "that was just a little bite" or "a one time thing that he got out" but unless you address the root causes of keeping safety front of mind, those small things will drift into bigger things.  That .01% of the time when you do have a really serious incident, that drift can be the difference between effectively managing that incident and having a liability issue that will cost you your whole organization.
    • Get to a big conference.  Especially if you're new in the industry, these are absolutely fabulous networking events.  HSUS Expo is coming up in April and that is a great one to go to.  The sessions themselves tend to be a little basic, but the vendors and attendees will give you great information.
    • Establish your partnerships early.  Do you have any pet stores in your area?  Or even better, pet food manufacturing plants, or local businesses that love animals.  Do lots of outreach and cold calling to these places, because having partners in your community will save you thousands of dollars in donations.  You have a Nestle Purina plant in Bloomfield, MO definitely reach out to them.


    ------------------------------
    Jeff Okazaki
    Humane Society of Jefferson County
    ------------------------------



  • 16.  RE: What you wish you knew then

    Posted 02-14-2023 08:57 AM

    I wish I spent more time in the beginning on organizing the data (donors & dollars).   While we all are passionate about the programs and services we provide, the donors and dollars are how we can make it happen and grow.   

    In addition, knowing when you are reactive, you most likely missed a proactive step.   Take 30 mins a week to strategize and also look at the "what if" scenarios. 



    ------------------------------
    Tara Tomcsik
    President
    Feline Fund
    MI
    ------------------------------



  • 17.  RE: What you wish you knew then

    Posted 02-15-2023 05:31 AM

    I completely agree with this. Being thrown into the role and having no real experience with running a non profit animal shelter, I am now getting the board to give me the info to make a budget and finding that we will be lucky to be open in 6 months! The treasurer was 5 months behind on reports when I started. They had no clue how much we spent a month. Their pricing is way too low because they want to help as many animals as quickly as possible. We spend $200 a cat and adopt them out for $50! It was $35. I'm gonna increase in 6 months again. Yes, we run the chance of people saying it's too much but we can't keep the rate we are going. 



    ------------------------------
    Jessica West
    Executive Director
    Animal Welfare Alliance of Southeast Missouri
    ------------------------------



  • 18.  RE: What you wish you knew then

    Posted 02-14-2023 01:19 PM

    Regarding the staffing shortage, which is likely due to a lack of funds for hiring, it is free/cheap to establish a social media presence. Reach out via Facebook, etc., to every scouting troop, vegetarian/vegan group and restaurant, grassroots rescue group, pet boarding business, pet store, etc. Post a link to your website and social sites on all of their sites asking for volunteers to do specific tasks. One staffer will have to train the volunteers, then let them do their thing, finished off by a daily log of their chores and interactions with specific animals. "Walked Fido; he was well behaved on a leash. Petted Fluffy, who is still fearful in her cage. Cleaned up diarrhea in Spots run." The kennel manager should review those reports daily and react accordingly. I would get some boots-on-the-ground animal care improvements in place before you worried about the overarching policy manual. Also, develop a strong relationship with at least one of the local media sites; find the reporters who care about animals so they will publicize your needs.



    ------------------------------
    Donna Miller
    Co-founder
    Happy Stripes cat rescue
    ------------------------------



  • 19.  RE: What you wish you knew then

    Posted 02-15-2023 07:00 AM

    Hi, Jessica! Congratulations on your new role!  

     

    It can be very overwhelming to be in your position facing challenges such as staffing constraints, budgets,  resources, etc. so I thought about sharing a tool that can help you streamline your process. Doobert  has a Companion Case Management (CCM) module that can help you track, assign and manage cases such as rehoming, adoption, foster, surrender requests, etc. Moreover, you can have access to your cases, contact's info, messages & files in one place. It has also the ability to send and receive text messages as well as create trigger-specific workflows that can do the follow-ups for you that will definitely increase productivity and more time to help animals on the ground. And the cool part is that you can use it for FREE :)

    Please reach out to me with any thoughts/ideas/questions anytime at help@doobert.com



    ------------------------------
    Gladys Mateo
    www.doobert.com
    ------------------------------



  • 20.  RE: What you wish you knew then

    Posted 02-20-2023 11:14 AM

    Hi,

    Our shelter is in one of the largest counties in the U.S. and we get inquiries regularly from smaller entities.  I would suggest calling up a larger shelter in or around your area and borrowing from them.  It is also a good way to make new relationships.  Working in animal welfare something I wish I had realized in the beginning is the fact that we cannot do it all; we cannot save every pet.  



    ------------------------------
    Tamara Cook
    Interim Project Manager
    Harris County Pets - VPH
    ------------------------------



  • 21.  RE: What you wish you knew then

    Posted 02-20-2024 05:33 AM

    I am also a new Board Member for the Catio Cat Lounge, Inc, in Nashville.  I have learned a lot here but there is still so much to do.  Finding funding for our non-profit is daunting and can be overwhelming.  Having Maddies has helped me navigate this new responsibility.  I am still floundering but am going to look info mentoring with another rescue partner.  



    ------------------------------
    Cynthia Williams
    Board Member
    CATIO CAT LOUNGE INC
    TN
    ------------------------------



  • 22.  RE: What you wish you knew then

    Posted 12 days ago
      |   view attached

    I have been  ED for 20 years. Animal welfare in all facets has grown so much in that time and I am so grateful.There are boundless resources out there to help you get the groundwork in place. 3 additional shelters opened up in our area over the time we have been here and another rebranded. I have sent all of my policies and procedures upon request to them to help them with their programs.I developed ours back in the day by looking at examples that were available on line then. There is the " Guidelines for Standard of Care in Animal Shelters". Get copy of your State Statues concerning  animals. (all animals), Get your state Board of Animal Health rules and regulations. I will freely send anyone anything I have if it helps them navigate . Policies and procedures the backbone of operational competence.



    ------------------------------
    Rochelle Hamp
    Executive Director
    Headwaters Animal Shelter
    MN
    ------------------------------

    Attachment(s)



  • 23.  RE: What you wish you knew then

    Posted 11 days ago

    Hi Coretta, great question! Always reach out to those who have gone before us!

    Hi Rochelle! Thanks so much for your offer. I would be interested in seeing what you have. Please email me at  Holly@popokiplace.org with anything you think may help a new organization. We haven't opened yet as we are still looking for land but I am preparing for the day when we do. We will be unique as we will be an outdoor fenced sanctuary for free-roaming cats. But I am sure the standard of care will be the same. 

    Good luck to you all! Such big hearts doing the hard work!

    Aloha from Honolulu, 

    Holly



    ------------------------------
    Holly Holowach
    Founder/President
    Popoki Place O'ahu Cat Sanctuary
    HI
    ------------------------------



  • 24.  RE: What you wish you knew then

    Posted 11 days ago

    Invest in your staff wherever possible. education, emotional support resilience, protecting time off. any thing you can do to support them as ultimately they are what makes the shelter 



    ------------------------------
    Tom Candy
    behaviour and welfare trustee
    Hope Rescue
    VI
    ------------------------------



  • 25.  RE: What you wish you knew then

    Posted 7 days ago

    I wish I had known how hard it was going to be to get funding from our Board of Commissioners. Trying to get them to see the importance of what our organization does is difficult with citizens fussing about parks and roads. 

    Congrats on your new role! Good luck and looks like you are in the right place already.



    ------------------------------
    Seanna Abbott
    Field Operations Manager
    Cobb County Animal Services
    GA
    ------------------------------



  • 26.  RE: What you wish you knew then

    Posted 3 days ago

    Two things - I "cold-called" multiple larger groups around me to talk to them about what best steps are for building a rescue from the ground up and any financial advice they might have (we are aiming to get our own adoption space in addition to the PetSmart space we currently have), and only three replied out of so, so many. If there was a local mentoring/brainstorming group that met even informally to vent and share stories and ideas, that would have been amazing. I hope to keep making connections and aim for this to happen in our area! 

    I also wish I had been knowledgeable about nonprofit governing boards. Our rescue is so tiny and our board was created out of necessity without anyone actually planning 'real' bylaws and board member rules. What?! So, I'm having to almost start over and work on getting that knowledge myself and bringing it back to our board to make our board much more effective and impactful! 



    ------------------------------
    LeAnne Christoffel
    Chicagoland Animal Rescue NFP
    http://www.chicagolandanimalrescue.org
    ------------------------------



  • 27.  RE: What you wish you knew then

    Posted 2 days ago

    Hi LeAnne, 

    Some of the things you mentioned are part of why I started building an area for nonprofit discussion on my substack. I started a small nonprofit 9 years ago. It would be great to have some questions and discussion. I don't want to take anything away from Maddies. However, I know it can be hard to do all interactions here. Feel free to stop by. I'm just starting the substack as a bit of an experiment due to the problems with X/Twitter, FB, and so on. 

    The link is https://pennyjleisch.substack.com/



    ------------------------------
    Penny Leisch
    President
    Catnip Casa Cat Refuge
    TX
    ------------------------------



  • 28.  RE: What you wish you knew then

    Posted 2 days ago

    LeAnne,

    We did the same thing with our board of directors. I had no idea what I was doing in the beginning when it came to creating a board. We were lucky to have like minded people as part of our board. As we grew we knew we had to do better in that area so we researched on our own and came up with  more suitable by-laws and a checklist and application for our board members. We also created an outline stating exactly what we expected of our current board members and required them to sign the contract if they wanted to continue on as a board member. It took time but well worth it. 

    As for mentoring and working with other nonprofits we are of the same mindset. We took over another sanctuary 7 years ago that my husband and I were volunteers and live in caretakers at before they decided to close. The ladies who ran the nonprofit were wonderful mentors to us as far as animal care but when it came to financial we were on our own. For the most part we have tried every kind of fundraiser you can think of to see what works for us. We work with a few other local nonprofits hosting events, with our pet food bank and sharing ideas and have a fb group for founders where we can bounce ideas off each other, share our wins and vent in private. But we found the same thing only a few actually will respond or get involved. I think for many small organizations it's a bit overwhelming. It is difficult to find time to respond to another rescue when you are so busy with your own. I don't understand though, why a larger organization wouldn't reach back to you. 



    ------------------------------
    Lisa Burn
    Co-founder/VP
    Farmhouse Animal & Nature Sanctuary
    Myakka City, FL
    https://farmhousesanctuary.org
    ------------------------------