Thanks @Augusta Farley (She/Her).
First, THANK YOU for helping our unsheltered! it is WONDERFUL that the shelter allows co-housing. So needed!
The large 600+ bed municipal co-shelter with 44 dogs:
- Crates are great, if the animal can be right beside their human. Crates can help pets feel safe and secure, but we must remember these pets are used to the world of chaos and being right with/on their human. So the crate could stress the pet. In the past PetSmart donated crates to us for a similar shelter. Since their mission is all about access to care these days, it wouldn't hurt to ask for a donation/grant to provide them.
- Staff has asked for muzzles for the residents
- make sure they are trained in how to properly fit muzzles and can train their residents to do so.
- Muzzles can be used to manage the risk of potential harm & signal other humans to keep their distance.
- and as as you later say they cause aversion to the dog and the human by other humans.
- We have clarified that they are only for dogs in need.
- who determines which dogs are "in need" of a muzzle and who trains them to "judge"
Questions:
Would it be better (given a sufficient number of muzzles) for the human residents of the coshelter or the nonprofit to own the muzzle?
- Please check with the insurance company that provides insurance for the shelter. That may affect the decision. Some insurance policies cover just the premises (brick and mortar), some the employees/volunteers/residents and some also cover the equipment of the insured (which would be the muzzles). If there is an incident where the muzzle is owned by the shelter and is or is not used that could affect the insurance coverage for the incident. If owned by the shelter and there is an incident off premise, it may also affect insurance coverage.
If the dog owner owns the muzzle and uses it on the street in public, will that further exacerbate fear and avoidance by the larger community?
- Yes, muzzles signal humans, not other animals, that there is a "danger", even when the dog is muzzled so he/she doesn't eat stuff they are not supposed to or to prevent licking, etc.
Is it a tool that could be used to benefit the human end of the leash, or maybe not?
- Depends. If they want other humans to avoid them, then that helps them. If they want humans to interact with them, it would cause avoidance and antipathy, so it would not help in those cases.
Just my two cents. :-)
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T' Fisher, Director of Operations
Program for Pet Health Equity
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Original Message:
Sent: 02-05-2025 05:00 AM
From: Augusta Farley (She/Her)
Subject: How can the health of homeless pet owners and their companions be improved?
I'll start with a question.
I'm working as a volunteer with a nonprofit that is new to administering a large 600+ bed municipal coshelter with 44 dogs. Because people and dogs are in very close quarters (and currently without crates), the staff has asked for muzzles for the residents, which have been provided.
According to the MuzzleUp Project, muzzles can be used to manage the risk of potential harm and signal other humans to keep their distance. At first, the nonprofit intended for all the dogs to wear muzzles; now, we have clarified that they are only for dogs in need.
My question touches on social and emotional benefits for unsheltered people with pets. Would it be better (given a sufficient number of muzzles) for the human residents of the coshelter or the nonprofit to own the muzzle? If the latter, the muzzles would only be used at the coshelter and perhaps in the shuttle bus. If the dog owner owns the muzzle and uses it on the street in public, will that further exacerbate fear and avoidance by the larger community? Is it a tool that could be used to benefit the human end of the leash, or maybe not? There have been no press reports of dog bites, perhaps since the community does not come into close contact with unsheltered people.
I would love your thoughts on this issue as we establish operations for the coshelter.
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Augusta Farley
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