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Marilyn Wheaton

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RE: Petcadaemy? Petszel? Has anyone used these for post adoption support?

Posted By Marilyn Wheaton 10-17-2024 06:33 AM
Found In Egroup: Animal Welfare Professionals \ view thread
I work for AnimalsFirst shelter and rescue software and a few of our clients use Petcademy and love it! It takes the pressure off of them for handling behavior and training questions. The first client we had sign up with them was actually a cat rescue, which surprised me, but they said it was a big help. ...

RE: Are you using ChatGPT?

Posted By Marilyn Wheaton 08-19-2024 12:06 PM
Found In Egroup: Animal Welfare Professionals \ view thread
Our users have the ability to write an animal bio with the help of chatGPT in AnimalsFirst. So far I've heard positive reviews! I wish we'd had this when I was working at my old shelter - after a few hundred animals writing bios gets so incredibly tedious. ------------------------------ Marilyn ...

RE: Walkie Talkies / Two-way Radios for use in clinic or shelter setting

Posted By Marilyn Wheaton 07-01-2024 06:34 AM
Found In Egroup: Animal Welfare Professionals \ view thread
We used walkie-talkies once we moved to a new, larger shelter. It was incredibly helpful to find each other in a large facility, and even saved me from grave injury once when I was attacked by a dog while alone in his kennel. Each staff member had a designated walkie-talkie with their initials on ...

RE: Shelter Software

Posted By Marilyn Wheaton 05-02-2024 11:44 AM
Found In Egroup: Animal Welfare Professionals \ view thread
I worked at a shelter for 12 years that used mostly pen and paper, then "upgraded" to a very old shelter software that we fought with daily. I now work for AnimalsFirst shelter management software in client services. I would be happy to answer any questions you might have or show you around the software. ...

RE: Cheaper options than Revolution Plus for cats for deworming, flea/tick and ear mites...

Posted By Marilyn Wheaton 10-09-2023 08:24 AM
Found In Egroup: Animal Welfare Professionals \ view thread
The shelter and spay/neuter clinic I used to work for both used Revolution, but they would get the extra large dog version and empty the containers into a dispensing bottle to apply to cats in their care. The concentration is different for dogs and cats, therefore the dosing is different, but it your ...

RE: What harnesses do you recommend for shelter use?

Posted By Marilyn Wheaton 10-02-2023 05:20 AM
Found In Egroup: Animal Welfare Professionals \ view thread
We started out using the Sporn harnesses, but found that very excitable dogs could still keep their body facing whatever they were too excited about and lunge toward it - the back attachment made it hard to redirect them. We still kept a few around for teaching dogs to walk on a leash, but for general ...

RE: Kennel cleaners?

Posted By Marilyn Wheaton 10-02-2023 05:05 AM
Found In Egroup: Animal Welfare Professionals \ view thread
My old shelter always used Rescue. The only time it's really noticeable in terms of smell is if you're spritzing cat kennels with a spray bottle that aerosolizes the liquid just a bit too much. So far we've never had parvo or panleuk spread through the facility so we have been very happy with it! ...

RE: Shelter Dog Myths

Posted By Marilyn Wheaton 09-14-2023 12:15 PM
Found In Egroup: Animal Welfare Professionals \ view thread
Specifically for any breed-related myths, National Canine Research Council has a lot of fantastic resources. Everything from simple talking points to in-depth research, they're fantastic! https://nationalcanineresearchcouncil.com/ When talking about Pit Bulls and other bully breeds specifically, ...

RE: Pet Photography

Posted By Marilyn Wheaton 08-12-2023 07:29 AM
Found In Egroup: Animal Welfare Professionals \ view thread
I used to always like taking pics of cats where they were looking up a little bit at the camera instead of down at me from a height. I would also use a toy or a treat to get that sweet, wide-eyed "puppy-dog" look. My favorite was when I could take them to a play room and get them to sit on a cat tree ...

RE: Treat cups for outdoors

Posted By Marilyn Wheaton 08-12-2023 07:24 AM
Found In Egroup: Animal Welfare Professionals \ view thread
We got little metal buckets from the Oriental Trading company for our treat buckets. The ones we used didn't have lids since they were indoors, but that might be a good place to look for cheap, bulk containers. ------------------------------ Marilyn Wheaton Client Services AnimalsFirst Leesburg ...

RE: Pet ID Engraving Machine

Posted By Marilyn Wheaton 08-12-2023 07:22 AM
Found In Egroup: Animal Welfare Professionals \ view thread
I'm at the Best Friends conference and heard about the Vetscribe engraver. I've never used it, but I was told that the device is free if you buy the tags from them. ------------------------------ Marilyn Wheaton Client Services AnimalsFirst Leesburg VA ------------------------------

RE: Should a shelter disclose what rescue a dog was transferred to?

Posted By Marilyn Wheaton 08-12-2023 07:17 AM
Found In Egroup: Animal Welfare Professionals \ view thread
We always told these people that we couldn't give out the rescue's information but that we could pass their information along to the rescue. This way the rescue can choose whether they want to reach out to the individual or not. ------------------------------ Marilyn Wheaton Client Services ...

RE: Operational status and services on holidays

Posted By Marilyn Wheaton 08-12-2023 07:14 AM
Found In Egroup: Animal Welfare Professionals \ view thread
From 2010-2017 we were open on holidays because we were a small municipal shelter desperate to get animals out. In 2017 we got our new facility and started closing on most government holidays because we were so much bigger and staff needed a break. If we were in crisis, however, we always had the option ...

RE: To hold or not to hold? Cats, are the question

Posted By Marilyn Wheaton 08-12-2023 07:11 AM
Found In Egroup: Animal Welfare Professionals \ view thread
At my old shelter we would tell visitors when they were looking at cats to please come ask for help if they would like to meet a cat. There were also signs on the cat room door and a lot of the kennels to please ask for help before getting a cat out. Staff would carry the cat(s) that the visitors were ...

RE: Ideas needed! What do you have your Shelter employees wear as their uniforms?

Posted By Marilyn Wheaton 07-24-2023 07:12 AM
Found In Egroup: Animal Welfare Professionals \ view thread
We wore staff t-shirts, jeans (with no holes, rips, or major stains), closed-toed shoes, and a nice slip lead to keep with us across our chest or clipped to our belt. The shelter provided 5 shirts, 1 sweatshirt, and the slip leads with a budget to replace them every 1-2 years. We had the shirts made ...

Staff T-shirts - AnimalsFirst

Posted By Marilyn Wheaton 07-24-2023 07:11 AM
Found In Library: Animal Welfare Professionals
#OrganizationalManagement #PeopleManagement(includingVolunteerIntegration)

RE: TPLO surgery on my senior dog

Posted By Marilyn Wheaton 07-20-2023 05:32 AM
Found In Egroup: Animal Welfare Professionals \ view thread
Your vet will give you instructions about feeding. Generally they want you to stick to your pet's normal diet to minimize the possibility of GI upset. Usually they will give you a time the night before the surgery to stop food and water (ex no food or water after 8pm/10pm/midnight the night before) and ...

RE: Dog Surgery Complications

Posted By Marilyn Wheaton 07-20-2023 05:23 AM
Found In Egroup: Animal Welfare Professionals \ view thread
My dog had a lateral tie surgery when she tore her first CCL. Not as intensive as a TPLO, but I'd recommend that you follow the rehab notes to the letter and don't be afraid to use sedatives if needed. With the TPLO being a more intensive surgery, watch carefully for infection and don't be afraid to ...

RE: Heartworm prevention awareness tools?

Posted By Marilyn Wheaton 07-17-2023 05:42 AM
Found In Egroup: Animal Welfare Professionals \ view thread
Unfortunately I didn't make any tangible materials at the time, I just knew the prices of treatment and preventatives at our local clinics. ------------------------------ Marilyn Wheaton Client Services AnimalsFirst Leesburg VA ------------------------------

RE: pseudohermaphrodite

Posted By Marilyn Wheaton 07-11-2023 06:11 AM
Found In Egroup: Animal Welfare Professionals \ view thread
We had this pup years ago! Fecal and urinary release was very close together, leading to chronic UTIs. There was kind of a channel where a penis should have gone and part of a sheath but it was all empty. One of the vets who did the exam adopted him/her. They did a modified PU-type surgery to move the ...

RE: Heartworm prevention awareness tools?

Posted By Marilyn Wheaton 07-05-2023 08:24 AM
Found In Egroup: Animal Welfare Professionals \ view thread
I worked at a shelter for 12 years and a vet clinic for 10. One of the best things I found to get people to start preventatives was talking about the cost difference between the preventatives vs. the treatment. Plus there's the fact that if your pet gets heartworm they will die from it if left untreated. ...

RE: Pet Adoption Coordinator

Posted By Marilyn Wheaton 07-05-2023 08:18 AM
Found In Egroup: Animal Welfare Professionals \ view thread
My old shelter had a meeting with all the staff in leadership roles to determine whether euthanasia was on the table for an animal. The volunteer coordinator would bring her own opinion as well as the opinions of volunteers who had worked with the animal, the manager would bring her opinion as well as ...

RE: How can you get better involvement from your community

Posted By Marilyn Wheaton 06-08-2023 04:51 AM
Found In Egroup: Animal Welfare Professionals \ view thread
We had a group nearby who matched seniors in the community with volunteer programs. We ended up with several regular, reliable volunteers from this! ------------------------------ Marilyn Wheaton Client Services AnimalsFirst Leesburg VA ------------------------------

RE: Liability Waiver to Visit Animals?

Posted By Marilyn Wheaton 05-30-2023 05:19 AM
Found In Egroup: Animal Welfare Professionals \ view thread
I wonder if a sign on the door to the kennel area would work for the general public so you don't have to have every visitor sign a waiver. Maybe something similar to the signs required to be posted at all equestrian properties - "Under Virginia law, an equine activity sponsor or professional shall not ...

RE: What more can we do?

Posted By Marilyn Wheaton 05-30-2023 05:12 AM
Found In Egroup: Animal Welfare Professionals \ view thread
We didn't have different day and night pens, but we did have dogs who would start refusing to go back into their kennels after a walk. To make them feel less like we were shoving them in a cage to be abandoned, we would have the volunteers spend time in the kennel with the dogs. For example, the volunteers ...

RE: Remote Work Inquiry

Posted By Marilyn Wheaton 05-22-2023 07:42 AM
Found In Egroup: Animal Welfare Professionals \ view thread
I was recently in a similar situation. I worked at a shelter for 12 years, a vet's office for 10, and most recently was the manager of a horse farm. Unfortunately, I burned out of hands-on shelter work and RA took away my ability to do physically difficult jobs. It took a while to find, but I got ...

RE: Enrichment for Dogs who Ingest

Posted By Marilyn Wheaton 05-22-2023 07:32 AM
Found In Egroup: Animal Welfare Professionals \ view thread
We had a dog who LOVED to play tug. We got one of those extra-large rope toys (the ones that are as thick as a small adult's arm and like three feet long) and suspended it from the top of his kennel just high enough that he would have to stand up to get it and far enough from the wall that he couldn't ...

RE: Protocols for Foster-Based Rescues

Posted By Marilyn Wheaton 05-11-2023 06:48 AM
Found In Egroup: Animal Welfare Professionals \ view thread
We used to use The Kitten Lady's book quite a bit: http://www.kittenlady.org/tiny-but-mighty We were able to get a handful of copies donated and would use them ourselves in addition to loaning them to new kitten fosters. ------------------------------ Marilyn Wheaton Client Services ...

RE: Does anyone have a policy for helping with medical that presents immediately after adoption?

Posted By Marilyn Wheaton 05-11-2023 06:30 AM
Found In Egroup: Animal Welfare Professionals \ view thread
The shelter I used to work for had a form that every adopter signed stating that the shelter was disclosing the medical and behavioral information to the best of our knowledge but that the adopter understood that the animal may have underlying conditions that we could not have known about. We only ...

RE: Toxic Plants on Shelter Grounds

Posted By Marilyn Wheaton 05-11-2023 06:18 AM
Found In Egroup: Animal Welfare Professionals \ view thread
When the organization I used to work for was designing our new facility, we were pretty careful with the plants we put in, but we also took into account how likely it would be that an animal would actually ingest the plant. For example, we didn't want black cherry leaves falling or blowing into a ...

RE: Adopting Kittens out before spay or neuter?

Posted By Marilyn Wheaton 05-11-2023 06:02 AM
Found In Egroup: Animal Welfare Professionals \ view thread
My old shelter would have people foster to adopt in these situations. We had a much shorter (one page) application for these folks since they wouldn't be fostering regularly with us. ------------------------------ Marilyn Wheaton Client Services AnimalsFirst Leesburg VA ------------------ ...

RE: Improving rural area emergency services

Posted By Marilyn Wheaton 05-11-2023 05:58 AM
Found In Egroup: Animal Welfare Professionals \ view thread
I'm not sure about emergency services, but I used to drive a transport truck for a spay/neuter clinic. We were located in one of the more populated towns and I would drive out to the rural areas of WV and SWVA to pick up animals for surgery and then bring them back to their owners the next day. We would ...

RE: Dog adoptions

Posted By Marilyn Wheaton 05-02-2023 04:44 AM
Found In Egroup: Animal Welfare Professionals \ view thread
Things we used to try at my old shelter: - Posting videos of our long-timers doing cute things. Videos often show their personality better than pictures. - Sending long-timers out into the community with volunteers to get pictures of them in public and in a home. We thought that seeing the dogs ...

RE: BSL - Breed Specific

Posted By Marilyn Wheaton 04-25-2023 04:38 AM
Found In Egroup: Animal Welfare Professionals \ view thread
The National Canine Research Council is my absolute go-to, they have fantastic information (both high-level and detailed, depending on what you need): https://nationalcanineresearchcouncil.com/ Animal Farm Foundation also has great info and lots of cute infographics and other visual aids: https:/ ...

RE: Pets leaving "Dressed"

Posted By Marilyn Wheaton 04-24-2023 05:11 AM
Found In Egroup: Animal Welfare Professionals \ view thread
My old shelter used to get a lot of donated collars, leashes, etc - both new and used. We would wash the nice-looking ones and keep them in a cute basket up front for adopters to choose from before they left with their pet. We never got to the tag stage, but we looked at getting a small tag engraver ...

RE: It's volunteer appreciation week. I want to share our ideas for celebrating them!

Posted By Marilyn Wheaton 04-19-2023 04:56 AM
Found In Egroup: Animal Welfare Professionals \ view thread
What a great idea! We used to have a smaller, very close-knit volunteer group so thanking them was very different. We have been trying to find a good way to thank our volunteers now that there are more people who we don't know on quite such a personal basis. Thank you! ------------------------------ ...

RE: Bonding with shelter dogs...a pro or a con?

Posted By Marilyn Wheaton 04-19-2023 04:51 AM
Found In Egroup: Animal Welfare Professionals \ view thread
We would encourage it at first for the dogs who scared or shy, but then we would try to "pass on" the dog so they could build a similar relationship with other staff and volunteers. For example, I would sit with a dog in the kennel until he would let me touch him, get him out, and walk him. Then, I would ...

RE: Someone help me understand how a rural Small staffed rescue maintains online data?

Posted By Marilyn Wheaton 04-14-2023 11:25 AM
Found In Egroup: Animal Welfare Professionals \ view thread
Thank you for mentioning us, Gina! AnimalsFirst is actually who I work for now. I didn't want to be all sales-y in my initial comment but I would be happy to talk to anyone who is interested in the software and schedule a demo. AnimalsFirst is very user-friendly and can be customized so you can streamline ...

RE: Social media control

Posted By Marilyn Wheaton 04-14-2023 06:04 AM
Found In Egroup: Animal Welfare Professionals \ view thread
Only a few of us at my old shelter (county facility) had access to our social media. Our 501(c)3 "friends of" group had their own separate page where they would post our animals with more detailed profiles they had written and promote our events as well as their own. We also had a few volunteers start ...

RE: Starting a pet food bank at our sanctuary for our community

Posted By Marilyn Wheaton 04-14-2023 06:00 AM
Found In Egroup: Animal Welfare Professionals \ view thread
My old shelter used to have a short application just to keep track of who needed food so we could try help them in other ways if we found they needed food often. I also wanted to give you another lead on places to get food. Some big box stores will donate their broken bags of food that can't be sold. ...

RE: Someone help me understand how a rural Small staffed rescue maintains online data?

Posted By Marilyn Wheaton 04-12-2023 08:18 AM
Found In Egroup: Animal Welfare Professionals \ view thread
When I first started I would enter paperwork when it was my turn to watch the front desk (it was just two of us in a one room building). Usually if I started paperwork first thing I could get most of it done before things got crazy! It sounds like you're mostly in the field but if you're ever covering ...

RE: Kitten season late this year?

Posted By Marilyn Wheaton 04-12-2023 08:03 AM
Found In Egroup: Animal Welfare Professionals \ view thread
Every year in SWVA I felt like kitten season started later and later but then NEVER ENDED. Last year we had tiny babies coming in around Thanksgiving! Right now the Center only has 1 litter of tinies with their mom and 2 litters that are close to adoption age. ------------------------------ Marilyn ...

RE: What's the most effective way to change the animal welfare culture in a town?

Posted By Marilyn Wheaton 04-11-2023 08:17 AM
Found In Egroup: Animal Welfare Professionals \ view thread
So funny you should mention the wording - when we got our new building in 2017 we changed the name to the Animal Care and Adoption Center and encouraged staff and volunteers to call it the "Center" instead of the "shelter". Our tag line was "Education, Adoption, Community." We really wanted to be part ...

RE: What's the most effective way to change the animal welfare culture in a town?

Posted By Marilyn Wheaton 04-11-2023 07:50 AM
Found In Egroup: Animal Welfare Professionals \ view thread
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 ...