Animal Welfare Professionals

Hey all!

I work with an animal shelter in a rural region of the Southwest that is, quite frankly, known for its strays. We have had experience with dog fighting rings, people abandoning dogs in the woods, backyard breeders, and (as horrific as it is to write it) areas where the way some people deal with stray dogs is to shoot. We work with shelters and people in the town as much as we can, but the problems just keep getting worse, so we're trying to change it up. We want people to have a better understanding of animals and animal welfare. We want people to understand that breeding dogs is more than just "they'd make cute puppies, and I'd make money." We want people to understand the impact of buying a puppy out of the back of a car has on the dog itself. We also want people to understand how dogs learn because the whole "hurt them until they get it" is asinine and leads to a whole range of behavioral issues that are VERY difficult to fix, in some cases (also, it's just generally cruel and has been widely proven to be nonsense).

My question to you is how you get this information out there and get people to show up and listen? We were thinking of doing big classes on specific subjects, and then recording them and posting them online. This will educate some people, sure, but I'm concerned that it won't get to the people who actually need it. Has anyone had any luck with spreading this information and awareness through other means? Any events or ingenious ways to gradually improve animal welfare? We want to get to the root of the problem because solely focusing on dealing with the consequences is not working.

I think that kids at schools should be the target. These kids will change things if they get they learn how to treat and respect animals,
The current generation, not so much.  Unless the kids can influence the parents 

That's how things changed with cigarettes 
They kept explaining how bad smoking is and the kids internalized it, went home and demand the parents to stop smoking or smoke outside 

Hey all!

I work with an animal shelter in a rural region of the Southwest that is, quite frankly, known for its strays. We have had experience with dog fighting rings, people abandoning dogs in the woods, backyard breeders, and (as horrific as it is to write it) areas where the way some people deal with stray dogs is to shoot. We work with shelters and people in the town as much as we can, but the problems just keep getting worse, so we're trying to change it up. We want people to have a better understanding of animals and animal welfare. We want people to understand that breeding dogs is more than just "they'd make cute puppies, and I'd make money." We want people to understand the impact of buying a puppy out of the back of a car has on the dog itself. We also want people to understand how dogs learn because the whole "hurt them until they get it" is asinine and leads to a whole range of behavioral issues that are VERY difficult to fix, in some cases (also, it's just generally cruel and has been widely proven to be nonsense).

My question to you is how you get this information out there and get people to show up and listen? We were thinking of doing big classes on specific subjects, and then recording them and posting them online. This will educate some people, sure, but I'm concerned that it won't get to the people who actually need it. Has anyone had any luck with spreading this information and awareness through other means? Any events or ingenious ways to gradually improve animal welfare? We want to get to the root of the problem because solely focusing on dealing with the consequences is not working.

Hey all!

I work with an animal shelter in a rural region of the Southwest that is, quite frankly, known for its strays. We have had experience with dog fighting rings, people abandoning dogs in the woods, backyard breeders, and (as horrific as it is to write it) areas where the way some people deal with stray dogs is to shoot. We work with shelters and people in the town as much as we can, but the problems just keep getting worse, so we're trying to change it up. We want people to have a better understanding of animals and animal welfare. We want people to understand that breeding dogs is more than just "they'd make cute puppies, and I'd make money." We want people to understand the impact of buying a puppy out of the back of a car has on the dog itself. We also want people to understand how dogs learn because the whole "hurt them until they get it" is asinine and leads to a whole range of behavioral issues that are VERY difficult to fix, in some cases (also, it's just generally cruel and has been widely proven to be nonsense).

My question to you is how you get this information out there and get people to show up and listen? We were thinking of doing big classes on specific subjects, and then recording them and posting them online. This will educate some people, sure, but I'm concerned that it won't get to the people who actually need it. Has anyone had any luck with spreading this information and awareness through other means? Any events or ingenious ways to gradually improve animal welfare? We want to get to the root of the problem because solely focusing on dealing with the consequences is not working.

Hi, I completely understand your many concerns, and thank you so much for caring and wanting to raise awareness about doing the right thing.  Changing the culture is not easy but I think we should try to understand the culture first then slowly chip away at it.  I was visiting a shelter in Montana a few years ago and learned that every winter the shelter would gather dogs from nearby reservations, take them in, spay and neuter them, give them food and water, and shelter them until it is warm enough to release them back. It is a kind of TNR seen with cats. It is a band-aid solution for sure because, without this effort, the way the dog population is controlled is by shooting them just like you described. In some other countries, population control is done through poison. It is horrific, isn't it? But sometimes without resources, people do what they can.
Raising awareness is a big ticket. Social media is one way.  Targeting schools and kids are another way as Tammy suggested. I found that if we can reach through the kids sometimes they can reach back and educate their parents. Maybe organize a social event at a park and distribute the right information. This way interested people would show up. Sometimes you need a small number of people that you can recruit and have these people through word of mouth spread the awareness. 
I am in California. I have a small non-profit and my goal is to spread and raise awareness about animal welfare. Here is my website, if you think my programs resonate with your goal, get in touch with me. https://www.thelifeofkai.org  You can contact me via email:  connect@thelifeofkai.org
Hope this helps. Don't give up. Your heart is in the right place.

Hey all!

I work with an animal shelter in a rural region of the Southwest that is, quite frankly, known for its strays. We have had experience with dog fighting rings, people abandoning dogs in the woods, backyard breeders, and (as horrific as it is to write it) areas where the way some people deal with stray dogs is to shoot. We work with shelters and people in the town as much as we can, but the problems just keep getting worse, so we're trying to change it up. We want people to have a better understanding of animals and animal welfare. We want people to understand that breeding dogs is more than just "they'd make cute puppies, and I'd make money." We want people to understand the impact of buying a puppy out of the back of a car has on the dog itself. We also want people to understand how dogs learn because the whole "hurt them until they get it" is asinine and leads to a whole range of behavioral issues that are VERY difficult to fix, in some cases (also, it's just generally cruel and has been widely proven to be nonsense).

My question to you is how you get this information out there and get people to show up and listen? We were thinking of doing big classes on specific subjects, and then recording them and posting them online. This will educate some people, sure, but I'm concerned that it won't get to the people who actually need it. Has anyone had any luck with spreading this information and awareness through other means? Any events or ingenious ways to gradually improve animal welfare? We want to get to the root of the problem because solely focusing on dealing with the consequences is not working.

Your page looks amazing!   The work with young kids is definitely key.  Train minds to have a much better attitude toward treating animals kindly and preventing overpopulation of them.

Hi, I completely understand your many concerns, and thank you so much for caring and wanting to raise awareness about doing the right thing.  Changing the culture is not easy but I think we should try to understand the culture first then slowly chip away at it.  I was visiting a shelter in Montana a few years ago and learned that every winter the shelter would gather dogs from nearby reservations, take them in, spay and neuter them, give them food and water, and shelter them until it is warm enough to release them back. It is a kind of TNR seen with cats. It is a band-aid solution for sure because, without this effort, the way the dog population is controlled is by shooting them just like you described. In some other countries, population control is done through poison. It is horrific, isn't it? But sometimes without resources, people do what they can.
Raising awareness is a big ticket. Social media is one way.  Targeting schools and kids are another way as Tammy suggested. I found that if we can reach through the kids sometimes they can reach back and educate their parents. Maybe organize a social event at a park and distribute the right information. This way interested people would show up. Sometimes you need a small number of people that you can recruit and have these people through word of mouth spread the awareness. 
I am in California. I have a small non-profit and my goal is to spread and raise awareness about animal welfare. Here is my website, if you think my programs resonate with your goal, get in touch with me. https://www.thelifeofkai.org  You can contact me via email:  connect@thelifeofkai.org
Hope this helps. Don't give up. Your heart is in the right place.

Hey all!

I work with an animal shelter in a rural region of the Southwest that is, quite frankly, known for its strays. We have had experience with dog fighting rings, people abandoning dogs in the woods, backyard breeders, and (as horrific as it is to write it) areas where the way some people deal with stray dogs is to shoot. We work with shelters and people in the town as much as we can, but the problems just keep getting worse, so we're trying to change it up. We want people to have a better understanding of animals and animal welfare. We want people to understand that breeding dogs is more than just "they'd make cute puppies, and I'd make money." We want people to understand the impact of buying a puppy out of the back of a car has on the dog itself. We also want people to understand how dogs learn because the whole "hurt them until they get it" is asinine and leads to a whole range of behavioral issues that are VERY difficult to fix, in some cases (also, it's just generally cruel and has been widely proven to be nonsense).

My question to you is how you get this information out there and get people to show up and listen? We were thinking of doing big classes on specific subjects, and then recording them and posting them online. This will educate some people, sure, but I'm concerned that it won't get to the people who actually need it. Has anyone had any luck with spreading this information and awareness through other means? Any events or ingenious ways to gradually improve animal welfare? We want to get to the root of the problem because solely focusing on dealing with the consequences is not working.

Hey all!

I work with an animal shelter in a rural region of the Southwest that is, quite frankly, known for its strays. We have had experience with dog fighting rings, people abandoning dogs in the woods, backyard breeders, and (as horrific as it is to write it) areas where the way some people deal with stray dogs is to shoot. We work with shelters and people in the town as much as we can, but the problems just keep getting worse, so we're trying to change it up. We want people to have a better understanding of animals and animal welfare. We want people to understand that breeding dogs is more than just "they'd make cute puppies, and I'd make money." We want people to understand the impact of buying a puppy out of the back of a car has on the dog itself. We also want people to understand how dogs learn because the whole "hurt them until they get it" is asinine and leads to a whole range of behavioral issues that are VERY difficult to fix, in some cases (also, it's just generally cruel and has been widely proven to be nonsense).

My question to you is how you get this information out there and get people to show up and listen? We were thinking of doing big classes on specific subjects, and then recording them and posting them online. This will educate some people, sure, but I'm concerned that it won't get to the people who actually need it. Has anyone had any luck with spreading this information and awareness through other means? Any events or ingenious ways to gradually improve animal welfare? We want to get to the root of the problem because solely focusing on dealing with the consequences is not working.

This is very challenging. We have a similar situation in our town. As someone who has been in education for thirty plus years--it is an important, though very limited space. We simply cannot say that the schools are going to change everything, and that starting young is going to work. It is unfortunately much more complicated than that. One thought is to consider focusing on strengths: of the shelter you work in,  of the community itself. Focus on highlighting the strong and good relationships that people have with their pets (obviously there are some in your community!). The negativity and the "we know better than you" doesn't help pets, because people tune you out. And focus on building relationships with organizations that serve humans (social service, non-profits, and businesses) My organization (Animal Advocates of Greater Lafayette) has two signature events that focus on the positive relationships that people have with their pets. Presents for Pets focuses on providing low-income children and families an opportunity to choose a present for their pets for the holidays, make a card, and decorate a gift bag. The event is held at the local Habitat for Humanity Restore. Heart to Heart supports low-income seniors by delivering pet presents to their door for Valentine's Day. The teen program at a local library makes cards for the seniors. Each of these events provide opportunities for "feel good" human interest stories for news and social media: they attract people to our mission by building on the human-animal bond. Obviously change is slow. But didactic education is really a limited approach to change. Our website is linked if you want to take a look at pictures from the recent events! Nadine Dolby, Animal Advocates of Greater Lafayette, animaladvocatesgl@gmail.comhttps://www.animaladvocatesgl.org/

Hey all!

I work with an animal shelter in a rural region of the Southwest that is, quite frankly, known for its strays. We have had experience with dog fighting rings, people abandoning dogs in the woods, backyard breeders, and (as horrific as it is to write it) areas where the way some people deal with stray dogs is to shoot. We work with shelters and people in the town as much as we can, but the problems just keep getting worse, so we're trying to change it up. We want people to have a better understanding of animals and animal welfare. We want people to understand that breeding dogs is more than just "they'd make cute puppies, and I'd make money." We want people to understand the impact of buying a puppy out of the back of a car has on the dog itself. We also want people to understand how dogs learn because the whole "hurt them until they get it" is asinine and leads to a whole range of behavioral issues that are VERY difficult to fix, in some cases (also, it's just generally cruel and has been widely proven to be nonsense).

My question to you is how you get this information out there and get people to show up and listen? We were thinking of doing big classes on specific subjects, and then recording them and posting them online. This will educate some people, sure, but I'm concerned that it won't get to the people who actually need it. Has anyone had any luck with spreading this information and awareness through other means? Any events or ingenious ways to gradually improve animal welfare? We want to get to the root of the problem because solely focusing on dealing with the consequences is not working.

I love those two events.   What a great way to include the kids and owners .  

This is very challenging. We have a similar situation in our town. As someone who has been in education for thirty plus years--it is an important, though very limited space. We simply cannot say that the schools are going to change everything, and that starting young is going to work. It is unfortunately much more complicated than that. One thought is to consider focusing on strengths: of the shelter you work in,  of the community itself. Focus on highlighting the strong and good relationships that people have with their pets (obviously there are some in your community!). The negativity and the "we know better than you" doesn't help pets, because people tune you out. And focus on building relationships with organizations that serve humans (social service, non-profits, and businesses) My organization (Animal Advocates of Greater Lafayette) has two signature events that focus on the positive relationships that people have with their pets. Presents for Pets focuses on providing low-income children and families an opportunity to choose a present for their pets for the holidays, make a card, and decorate a gift bag. The event is held at the local Habitat for Humanity Restore. Heart to Heart supports low-income seniors by delivering pet presents to their door for Valentine's Day. The teen program at a local library makes cards for the seniors. Each of these events provide opportunities for "feel good" human interest stories for news and social media: they attract people to our mission by building on the human-animal bond. Obviously change is slow. But didactic education is really a limited approach to change. Our website is linked if you want to take a look at pictures from the recent events! Nadine Dolby, Animal Advocates of Greater Lafayette, animaladvocatesgl@gmail.comhttps://www.animaladvocatesgl.org/

Hey all!

I work with an animal shelter in a rural region of the Southwest that is, quite frankly, known for its strays. We have had experience with dog fighting rings, people abandoning dogs in the woods, backyard breeders, and (as horrific as it is to write it) areas where the way some people deal with stray dogs is to shoot. We work with shelters and people in the town as much as we can, but the problems just keep getting worse, so we're trying to change it up. We want people to have a better understanding of animals and animal welfare. We want people to understand that breeding dogs is more than just "they'd make cute puppies, and I'd make money." We want people to understand the impact of buying a puppy out of the back of a car has on the dog itself. We also want people to understand how dogs learn because the whole "hurt them until they get it" is asinine and leads to a whole range of behavioral issues that are VERY difficult to fix, in some cases (also, it's just generally cruel and has been widely proven to be nonsense).

My question to you is how you get this information out there and get people to show up and listen? We were thinking of doing big classes on specific subjects, and then recording them and posting them online. This will educate some people, sure, but I'm concerned that it won't get to the people who actually need it. Has anyone had any luck with spreading this information and awareness through other means? Any events or ingenious ways to gradually improve animal welfare? We want to get to the root of the problem because solely focusing on dealing with the consequences is not working.

Hey all!

I work with an animal shelter in a rural region of the Southwest that is, quite frankly, known for its strays. We have had experience with dog fighting rings, people abandoning dogs in the woods, backyard breeders, and (as horrific as it is to write it) areas where the way some people deal with stray dogs is to shoot. We work with shelters and people in the town as much as we can, but the problems just keep getting worse, so we're trying to change it up. We want people to have a better understanding of animals and animal welfare. We want people to understand that breeding dogs is more than just "they'd make cute puppies, and I'd make money." We want people to understand the impact of buying a puppy out of the back of a car has on the dog itself. We also want people to understand how dogs learn because the whole "hurt them until they get it" is asinine and leads to a whole range of behavioral issues that are VERY difficult to fix, in some cases (also, it's just generally cruel and has been widely proven to be nonsense).

My question to you is how you get this information out there and get people to show up and listen? We were thinking of doing big classes on specific subjects, and then recording them and posting them online. This will educate some people, sure, but I'm concerned that it won't get to the people who actually need it. Has anyone had any luck with spreading this information and awareness through other means? Any events or ingenious ways to gradually improve animal welfare? We want to get to the root of the problem because solely focusing on dealing with the consequences is not working.

Hey all!

I work with an animal shelter in a rural region of the Southwest that is, quite frankly, known for its strays. We have had experience with dog fighting rings, people abandoning dogs in the woods, backyard breeders, and (as horrific as it is to write it) areas where the way some people deal with stray dogs is to shoot. We work with shelters and people in the town as much as we can, but the problems just keep getting worse, so we're trying to change it up. We want people to have a better understanding of animals and animal welfare. We want people to understand that breeding dogs is more than just "they'd make cute puppies, and I'd make money." We want people to understand the impact of buying a puppy out of the back of a car has on the dog itself. We also want people to understand how dogs learn because the whole "hurt them until they get it" is asinine and leads to a whole range of behavioral issues that are VERY difficult to fix, in some cases (also, it's just generally cruel and has been widely proven to be nonsense).

My question to you is how you get this information out there and get people to show up and listen? We were thinking of doing big classes on specific subjects, and then recording them and posting them online. This will educate some people, sure, but I'm concerned that it won't get to the people who actually need it. Has anyone had any luck with spreading this information and awareness through other means? Any events or ingenious ways to gradually improve animal welfare? We want to get to the root of the problem because solely focusing on dealing with the consequences is not working.

Hey all!

I work with an animal shelter in a rural region of the Southwest that is, quite frankly, known for its strays. We have had experience with dog fighting rings, people abandoning dogs in the woods, backyard breeders, and (as horrific as it is to write it) areas where the way some people deal with stray dogs is to shoot. We work with shelters and people in the town as much as we can, but the problems just keep getting worse, so we're trying to change it up. We want people to have a better understanding of animals and animal welfare. We want people to understand that breeding dogs is more than just "they'd make cute puppies, and I'd make money." We want people to understand the impact of buying a puppy out of the back of a car has on the dog itself. We also want people to understand how dogs learn because the whole "hurt them until they get it" is asinine and leads to a whole range of behavioral issues that are VERY difficult to fix, in some cases (also, it's just generally cruel and has been widely proven to be nonsense).

My question to you is how you get this information out there and get people to show up and listen? We were thinking of doing big classes on specific subjects, and then recording them and posting them online. This will educate some people, sure, but I'm concerned that it won't get to the people who actually need it. Has anyone had any luck with spreading this information and awareness through other means? Any events or ingenious ways to gradually improve animal welfare? We want to get to the root of the problem because solely focusing on dealing with the consequences is not working.

My old shelter (county facility in SWVA) does two things - educational trips for kids and events held at the facility that were not adoption events. We wanted to just get people in the door and make it a community gathering place instead of just a place to pick out an animal. It will take a long time for things to change, but these kids still have so much hope and want to do good in the world. Little kids would tell me all the time that they wanted to grow up and save the animals, even after telling me about their parents getting rid of pets or taking poor care of them. I would do tours for girl scout groups, schools, low-income after school programs, and special needs classes where we would talk about what animal control did, safety around a dog you don't know, etc in addition to looking at and petting select animals. 

We also held several events each year that were not based on trying to get people to adopt, we just wanted people to come visit. We got local musicians, food trucks, and other vendors to come to our parking lot. We had crafts, pictures with Santa, kitten playtime, petting zoos, working dog demonstrations, and other events that just got people wandering through. Our philosophy was that the more you can expose people to our world the more our message will spread without having to do formal classes or campaigns. 

Hey all!

I work with an animal shelter in a rural region of the Southwest that is, quite frankly, known for its strays. We have had experience with dog fighting rings, people abandoning dogs in the woods, backyard breeders, and (as horrific as it is to write it) areas where the way some people deal with stray dogs is to shoot. We work with shelters and people in the town as much as we can, but the problems just keep getting worse, so we're trying to change it up. We want people to have a better understanding of animals and animal welfare. We want people to understand that breeding dogs is more than just "they'd make cute puppies, and I'd make money." We want people to understand the impact of buying a puppy out of the back of a car has on the dog itself. We also want people to understand how dogs learn because the whole "hurt them until they get it" is asinine and leads to a whole range of behavioral issues that are VERY difficult to fix, in some cases (also, it's just generally cruel and has been widely proven to be nonsense).

My question to you is how you get this information out there and get people to show up and listen? We were thinking of doing big classes on specific subjects, and then recording them and posting them online. This will educate some people, sure, but I'm concerned that it won't get to the people who actually need it. Has anyone had any luck with spreading this information and awareness through other means? Any events or ingenious ways to gradually improve animal welfare? We want to get to the root of the problem because solely focusing on dealing with the consequences is not working.

Hi Marilyn,
I love what you do. Kids have a good heart toward animals. I often count on the kids to teach and change their parents' perspectives. There is an interesting study where kids and adults were given hypothetical situations to see how they would respond. There were two sinking boats, one full of dogs and one full of people. Well you guess which boat the kids want to save. However, as children grow older, especially in their teenage years, this affinity for animals disappears as they become more influenced by the adults around them. I agree that the change is slow but I would still work with kids. I love how your shelter is a place for the community to gather rather than just a place to house unwanted animals. Words matter. I think we should change "shelter" to "animal center." Keep up your great work! Thanks for sharing.

My old shelter (county facility in SWVA) does two things - educational trips for kids and events held at the facility that were not adoption events. We wanted to just get people in the door and make it a community gathering place instead of just a place to pick out an animal. It will take a long time for things to change, but these kids still have so much hope and want to do good in the world. Little kids would tell me all the time that they wanted to grow up and save the animals, even after telling me about their parents getting rid of pets or taking poor care of them. I would do tours for girl scout groups, schools, low-income after school programs, and special needs classes where we would talk about what animal control did, safety around a dog you don't know, etc in addition to looking at and petting select animals. 

We also held several events each year that were not based on trying to get people to adopt, we just wanted people to come visit. We got local musicians, food trucks, and other vendors to come to our parking lot. We had crafts, pictures with Santa, kitten playtime, petting zoos, working dog demonstrations, and other events that just got people wandering through. Our philosophy was that the more you can expose people to our world the more our message will spread without having to do formal classes or campaigns. 

Hey all!

I work with an animal shelter in a rural region of the Southwest that is, quite frankly, known for its strays. We have had experience with dog fighting rings, people abandoning dogs in the woods, backyard breeders, and (as horrific as it is to write it) areas where the way some people deal with stray dogs is to shoot. We work with shelters and people in the town as much as we can, but the problems just keep getting worse, so we're trying to change it up. We want people to have a better understanding of animals and animal welfare. We want people to understand that breeding dogs is more than just "they'd make cute puppies, and I'd make money." We want people to understand the impact of buying a puppy out of the back of a car has on the dog itself. We also want people to understand how dogs learn because the whole "hurt them until they get it" is asinine and leads to a whole range of behavioral issues that are VERY difficult to fix, in some cases (also, it's just generally cruel and has been widely proven to be nonsense).

My question to you is how you get this information out there and get people to show up and listen? We were thinking of doing big classes on specific subjects, and then recording them and posting them online. This will educate some people, sure, but I'm concerned that it won't get to the people who actually need it. Has anyone had any luck with spreading this information and awareness through other means? Any events or ingenious ways to gradually improve animal welfare? We want to get to the root of the problem because solely focusing on dealing with the consequences is not working.

Hey all!

I work with an animal shelter in a rural region of the Southwest that is, quite frankly, known for its strays. We have had experience with dog fighting rings, people abandoning dogs in the woods, backyard breeders, and (as horrific as it is to write it) areas where the way some people deal with stray dogs is to shoot. We work with shelters and people in the town as much as we can, but the problems just keep getting worse, so we're trying to change it up. We want people to have a better understanding of animals and animal welfare. We want people to understand that breeding dogs is more than just "they'd make cute puppies, and I'd make money." We want people to understand the impact of buying a puppy out of the back of a car has on the dog itself. We also want people to understand how dogs learn because the whole "hurt them until they get it" is asinine and leads to a whole range of behavioral issues that are VERY difficult to fix, in some cases (also, it's just generally cruel and has been widely proven to be nonsense).

My question to you is how you get this information out there and get people to show up and listen? We were thinking of doing big classes on specific subjects, and then recording them and posting them online. This will educate some people, sure, but I'm concerned that it won't get to the people who actually need it. Has anyone had any luck with spreading this information and awareness through other means? Any events or ingenious ways to gradually improve animal welfare? We want to get to the root of the problem because solely focusing on dealing with the consequences is not working.

#CommunityPartnerships*
#EducationandTraining