My Feed - Conversation View

Are you a veterinary professional looking for CE credits and wanting to Save More Kittens? This conference program has been approved by the AAVSB for 6.5 credits of RACE® live, interactive CE for veterinarians and veterinary technicians/nurses in jurisdictions that recognize RACE® approval. EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION ends August 31, 2026. https://kittencoalition.org/the-national-kitten-coalition-veterinary-conference/ ------------------------------ Nancy Peterson The National Kitten Coalition ------------------------------ View Discussion

Hi there. First find a brewery or winery that will partner with you. Brunswick Beer and Cider in Leland are giving the beer to us at cost $2.50/can. Also we lucked out by hosting our annual donation presentation to the shelters at BB&C largest customer which is The Golf Barn. They are very animal centric and are giving us putt putt, food, non alcoholic drinks for $20.00pp. And because they have a wine and beer license we dont have to have one. And we will sell the beer for $5 ea. We will announce the winner of the Pets on Tap photo contest, there at The Golf Barn. If we were not able to do the event at the golf barn we would have done at Brunswick beer and cider as they are dog friendly. So line up your beer/wine sponsor. Showcase them on the contest entry page. Don't announce the winner right at the end of the contest. Have an event where the beer can be sold. You do have to buy a minimum amount of beer. (however, it is way cheaper than having to buy 100 calendars-especially when people don't use them much anymore). Here is our link to our contest- Winding River Paws for a Cause | Pets on Tap Contest Pets on Tap Contest Fundraiser for Winding River Paws for a Cause We use gogophotocontest.com If I can be of further help please let me know. Warm regards, Carol Bridges 714-321-8942 View Discussion

Are you doing an all in all out method for these group housing situations? That's what's recommended per the ASV guidelines. If so, you should only have to use harsh cleaners when all the cats have been adopted out. Otherwise daily cleaning can involve sweeping and mild dish detergent if necessary. ------------------------------ Laurel Wilton Feline Welfare Supervisor Nebraska Humane Society ------------------------------ View Discussion

We have a section in our city's Sunday paper where we can highlight animals, we often work with the local news and will have small segments about shelter going ons and featuring some of our long term dogs. An active social media across several platforms like facebook, instagram, and tiktok is also super important. There's a great facebook group for shelter marketing where people share what has worked for them in that specific area and you can look at other pages to see what their marketing looks like. Lean into online trends, silly videos, and consistent posting. It's also really helpful if you have volunteers, they often will post about dogs they care about on their own pages so I would see if any of the people at your shelter whether it's staff or volunteers, would be interested in sharing posts on their feeds as well. For our longest term dogs we also often make a care package that we display along with a poster board highlighting the dog with lots of fun things the dog gets to go home with when adopted. The facebook group is called Animal Shelter Social Media. If you don't have them already, I would encourage foster to adopt programs so that it can get the dog out but it lifts some of the pressure off potential adopters and gives them some time to live with the animal before finalizing. I would also look into if you are able to reduce any potential artificial barriers to adoption, I know a lot of shelters and rescues still operate out of an overly protective adoption application ... View Discussion

Wow, this sounds like an amazing program and I would love a copy of the playbook as well. We are also in a rural area as well, and really limited in care for community cats which is a HUGE issue here as many, many people have barn cats & outdoor cats that they do no spay & neuter. Interestingly, we don't have a vet shortage per se, just in my town of ~20,000 people, we actually have 5 different vet practices and ~15 vets spread between them (more than any other rural area I've lived in by a long shot). The problem is that none of them so far have been interested in community cat care, & we don't have a HVHQSN clinic. One of the vet clinics does donate their time once per year to do a "high-volume", low-cost spay & neuter day for the community but there are only 50 slots. The next closest HVHQSN clinic is in the next county over (about an hour away), and they are only willing to take 2 TNR cats per day- not like per person, total for the entire day so that is a huge bottleneck. I would love to hear from anyone that has had good buy-in from vets into these types of programs as well! ------------------------------ Jenna Blake Founder For the Cats Foundation Inc WA ------------------------------ View Discussion

Not sure where you're located, but I wonder if you could get in contact with some local (or national) influencers who could spotlight your dogs, or even take fresh pics of them to use the power of social media. Anyone who can film a dog day out and make some cute content to get people seeing these pups in a fresh light, or seeing them at all, could make a huge difference! Use a sense of humor and a distinct voice, and let people know these wonderful dogs have been waiting far too long. We aren't a rescue (grantmaking organization), but we try to make connections and help get dogs seen as much as possible - feel free to DM us any content you'd like us to repost. https://www.instagram.com/thehanselfoundation/?hl=en ------------------------------ Katy Herman President The Hansel Foundation IL ------------------------------ View Discussion

Hi everyone! I'm hoping to connect with other rescues, fosters, and animal advocates in the Southern California area who might be interested in partnering with us to help place some very deserving dogs from Costa Rica. I have been running a dog and cat rescue on the Osa Peninsula of Costa Rica for the past 15 years . We rescue dogs and cats from difficult situations, provide medical care, sterilizations, rehabilitation, and ultimately try to find them loving homes. I travel back and forth between Costa Rica and Los Angeles every few months , and I would love to start using those trips to bring a small number of dogs to the Los Angeles area who simply don't have a realistic chance of being adopted in Costa Rica. There are certain dogs who are particularly difficult to place in Costa Rica - for example, dogs with three legs, chronic skin problems, or other conditions that make adoption more challenging . In many cases, these dogs are perfectly wonderful, healthy, loving companions, but the environment in Costa Rica can make their issues much more difficult. For example, some of our dogs struggle with recurring skin problems because of the very hot and humid tropical climate . I strongly believe that some of these dogs would thrive in the much drier California climate , and could finally have the opportunity to find a family. The challenge is that I am still relatively new to California and don't yet have a network of rescue ... View Discussion

At Mandarin's Retreat, we use QuickBooks Advance purchased through TechSoup which costs about $190 a year. It cost us a little more to purchase training through QuickBooks Made Easy. After a steep learning curve for us non-accountants, it gives us good reports and enables us to separately track grants, donations in kind and our costs per vendor. Our annual budget is just under $100K. ------------------------------ Buck Hamilton Chief Cat Wrangler Mandarin's Retreat TX ------------------------------ View Discussion

There are sort of two answers here. Most shelters have two different systems: An accounting system that tracks all revenue, expenses, assets, liabilities, vendors, etc. A fundraising CRM that can track donors, donations, pledges, touch points with funders, etc. It sounds like you're looking for the former. If the organization's books are currently tied up with those of the director, moving into some other system is definitely the way to go. Quickbooks is a common accounting software used by for-profit and nonprofit businesses. They have different plans with escalating levels of functionality and cost. We used QuickBooks at my prior shelter with a $3.5-4M budget and complicated financials. I think it cost around $150/ month. It had shortcomings but generally meet our needs well. The organization I worked atbefore that also used QB. Our annual budget was maybe $800K or so. And now I have a very basic QuickBooks account for my consulting business that costs about $20/month. It gets the job done. I imagine QuickBooks has a plan that would be appropriate for you. One thing that I'll say about QB is that there is definitely a learning curve. Be prepared for some frustration at the beginning as you're learning. But it smoothes out after that. How that helps! Karen ------------------------------ Karen Green, CAWA Ask Karen Green http://askkarengreen.com ------------------------------ View Discussion

Gosh Carol ~ your photo contest sounds amazing! We have that on our list for next year. Do you have "lessons learned" that you can share? Either written of just with a phone call over coffee? Thanks! ------------------------------ April King Volunteer and Board Member Kotor Kitties +1 206 407 5336 http://www.kotorkitties.org ------------------------------ View Discussion

We're a small spay-neuter program for community cats in Montenegro, income in the $65-75K range. We use Quickbooks, purchased through TechSoup in 2019. Got us through 2025. Intuit no longer supports the desktop version, so we've switched to the online version, again through TechSoup. I think we paid around $80 for this year. Well worth it for the ease of sharing with volunteer bookkeeper and accountant! We're skinflints on many things, but we decided the accounting is too important to cheap out on. Cheers! ------------------------------ April King Volunteer and Board Member Kotor Kitties +1 206 407 5336 http://www.kotorkitties.org ------------------------------ View Discussion

Hi Melody, I'd be happy to try to help. I just left a large cat-only shelter last year after 12 years, and housing was a high priority for us. How long do you have cats living in these rooms and how many cats are in each room? Karen ------------------------------ Karen Green, CAWA Ask Karen Green http://askkarengreen.com ------------------------------ View Discussion

I was look at maybe help fostering animals.. ------------------------------ Teagan Lezama student Powdersville SC ------------------------------ View Discussion

Thank you @Anna Stout for this exciting news! CO HB26-1229, "Supporting the Human-Animal Bond" - a bill initiated and led by AlignCare Health - took effect this week, officially becoming Colorado law! The law acknowledges the Human-Animal Bond as a life-enhancing resource that impacts the length and quality of human life. It gives Colorado public health agencies, healthcare providers, and community partners a foundation rooted in policy to build pet-inclusive policy and programs, and it's a model that other states can look to. HB26-1229 formally acknowledges what pet families already know: that pets are family, and their companionship meaningfully impacts family stability. You can review the law on the Colorado General Assembly's website . We're grateful to prime sponsors Representatives Lisa Feret and Rick Taggart and Senators Judy Amabile and Janice Rich for championing this legislation! Learn More About HB26-1229 With gratitude, Anna Stout, MA, CAWA Executive Director AlignCare Health ------------------------------ T' Fisher, Director of Operations Center for Pet Family Well-Being ------------------------------ View Discussion

Thank you, Shey! This is exactly what I needed to hear, too, as we are in a similar situation. We are doing a lot of things right, but we need more focus on doggy days out and short-term fostering, which we don't do right now. I also need to talk to volunteers about getting more photos and videos when they are out of the shelter. I appreciate your response and your encouragement! ------------------------------ Julie Austin Development Director Humane Society of Pulaski County Little Rock ------------------------------ View Discussion

Apply NOW for the fall session of Online Instructor-Led Courses! Looking to implement a new program, learn more about a specific subject and create positive change for pets and people in your community? Maddie's Fund® Online Instructor-Led Courses provide an interactive educational opportunity for those who are looking to benefit from the wisdom of established innovative programs. They're the catalyst you need to take your programs and learning to the next level! Classes start the week of September 14th and will run 4-6 weeks depending on the course. We'll be offering eleven different courses including TWO brand new offerings ! Courses are led by dynamic and inspiring instructors in the field who are successfully running programs related to the courses. All courses are free #ThanksToMaddie! and include: Self-paced online materials Zoom classes with your instructor and classmates (The number and duration of Zoom classes are course-dependent and range from 4-6 classes at 60-90 minutes) Final project Certificate of completion Class size is limited and the selection process is competitive. Fall 2026 Course Offerings Adoption Marketing: Positive Framing, Connective Storytelling, More Adoptions! w/Caitlin Quinn, Adjunct Instructor at University of Florida Developing Your Own Kitten College w/ Marnie Russ from National Kitten College New! Disaster Response for Animal Control w/Jerrica Owen and Spencer Conover ... View Discussion

Hi! I am a volunteer grant writer for a very active Bucks County, PA cat rescue , with annual donation income of roughly $100,00. The first time we put together a grant, the rescue director (who has a full-time and part-time job on top of running the rescue), had to go through her accounts and figure out her donation & fundraising income, and tally up what she spent. I asked her to put out a call for a few free hours of an accountant's time. She wasn't on board with anyone looking over her books. So I suggested accounting software. What do you use in your rescue? What are its strengths? What are the accounting software's limitations? How much did it cost? Thanks in advance for #FundraisingandDevelopment ------------------------------ Deborah Grandinetti volunteer A Better Life PA ------------------------------ View Discussion

We are an animal shelter that strives to have free roaming cats in our adoptable cat rooms. We recently switched from using bleach to using an accelerated hydrogen peroxide product in our cat areas. While some cats are able to be secured in towers or crates, we are trying to navigate effectively disinfecting the room while trying to avoid free roamers walking through the area & potentially getting any chemical burns on delicate paws. It would be big task to crate each free roamer regularly to appropriately clean the main area. Are there any shelters out there that have similar scenarios or have tips? Thank you in advance! #AdoptionsandAdoptionPrograms ------------------------------ Melody Higginbotham Shelter Operations Manager Lost Our Home Pet Rescue AZ ------------------------------ View Discussion

Congrats on getting a new facility! The way our organization allocates funds from general fundraisers is typically 60% to high need areas (primarily vet care) and 40% to the general fund. This of course excludes purpose specific fundraisers, but for general fundraising it helps to immediately set aside a portion of the profits to general operations. I hope this is helpful! ------------------------------ Charlotte Grant Coordinator Ace of Hearts Dog Rescue CA ------------------------------ View Discussion

We're a private no-kill shelter as well, and I completely understand how discouraging it can be to see the same dogs waiting day after day. ❤️ One thing we've been focusing on is making sure our long-term dogs aren't simply "available" - we're actively marketing them. We regularly refresh adoption photos and descriptions, highlight individual dogs on social media, create updated adoption flyers, and give our long-term residents extra exposure through events and programs like Dog Day Out. We've also found that getting dogs outside of the shelter environment can make a huge difference. Even a day out with a volunteer, a foster weekend, a field trip, or a short-term foster can give potential adopters a much better picture of who that dog is outside of a kennel. Another thing we're working on is looking at each long-term resident individually rather than assuming one solution will work for everyone. Sometimes the issue is their marketing, sometimes their adoption requirements, sometimes their behavior in the shelter, and sometimes they simply aren't getting enough visibility. We're still struggling too, and we certainly don't have all the answers. But I think the biggest thing we've learned is that length of stay has to become a specific focus rather than something we just monitor. These dogs deserve to have a plan built around getting them out of the shelter. Sending you lots of encouragement - it's incredibly hard watching them wait. ❤️ ------------------------------ ... View Discussion

I remember when Goldens were the breed that everyone just had to have. Years ago there was a commercial with Goldens. That's all that it took for breeders to ramp up and everyone just had to have one. And you may remember the movie 101 Dalmatians. Dalmatian Rescue was soon overwhelmed. Now it's my breed, Everyone has to have one. No research about herding breeds. Our rescues are packed coast to coast. Hopefully a new movie will hit the screens with another breed that everyone has to have. :-) ------------------------------ Linda Moore Pet's Second Chance for Life Inc, DBA PSC Welsh Corgi Rescue ------------------------------ View Discussion

Hi Michelle! One of the coordinators where I foster was trying to use Trello for sharing available animals to fosters. It ended up being a lot of duplicate work plus the time it took to update all the cards to keep them current wasn't feasible at scale. It didn't solve for the fragmented systems that just don't talk to each other either. And +1 on the legacy shelter management systems that are built on ancient tech. As a human-centered designer, it's painful to watch people using them. In any case, check out the app I built. There's a free tier for small independent rescues. It's the anti-legacy, modern, mobile, fun and easy alternative to anything that's out there or to spreadsheets, FB, texting, emails that are being pieced together. https://www.pawsitivefoster.com/demo ------------------------------ Lissette Arias Founder & Foster Pawsitive Foster ------------------------------ View Discussion

This is such a timely question, because I am also looking to switch up my system! I'm at Seattle Area Feline Rescue, and we only do cats as well. CAT is very similar to our org in many ways, and we are not a high volume or municipal shelter. We have an on deck system, but this puts all the work in my hands and also creates extra work to manage when there are 90 people on deck but only 25 cats going out in a week. No foster homes can see what is happening on our end, so they are constantly asking if there are any cats available (even when they know how it works). And new foster homes are especially lost, so it requires extra communication during training and a lot of emails back and forth. I run the program by myself so this system has gotten unmanageable for me with the high number of people wanting to foster with us. I was considering posting available cats (and their specific needs) to our private foster website so people can just claim the cats, but this does require foster homes to be constantly checking the site creating a different type of frustration. I have also considered Trello, so it's good to hear a positive experience for this particular sort of process. Two of my limitations are: cost - a program has to be free, and our shelter program, Animal Shelter Manager (ASM) doesn't link to other programs well and often not at all. It appears to run on some ancient tech. So whatever it is I likely have to do it by hand. Thank you everyone who has contributed to this ... View Discussion

Hi Samantha, I know your foster intake is a lot higher than ours but we use volgistics as our volunteer platform, so all volunteers are in this database. Within volgistics we assign the volunteers that are foster families to different assignments like, puppies, queens with kittens, bottle babies, kittens, etc and they can have multiple assignments. When we get a case or cases in, I can select the assignments that match and email all of them at the same time. The email replies come directly to our foster email. We have a disclaimer that if you do not here from us within 24 hours, please assume we have found placement for that case. Otherwise, we pretty much do it as a first come first serve. This can be challenging to make it equal for all fosters, so I do try my best if I know someone has not gotten a case. I actually have started using microsoft 365 and using the notes. They are little sticky notes, and I will date it and list everyone that replied so that if I get another case within the week, I can reach out to them. That is a little more of a challenge probably with your numbers, but I have found it helpful to know who is available. ------------------------------ Wendy Arnold Foster Program Manager Humane Society of Central Oregon OR ------------------------------ View Discussion

We at Retrieve a Golden of the Midwest (RAGOM) have seen a substantial reduction in our intake except for dogs with behavior issues. We accept referrals from shelters of golden mixes even if they don't look golden (labs, pyrs, doodles) . We have so many more applicants than dogs. We are foster based, do home visits, meet and greets, and leave the decision of whether its the right home to the Foster who knows the dog and their needs best. We also post on multiple websites to increase public exposure for the mixes. Keep asking and I hope you find the rescue that can help you out. There are several in MN that are getting dogs transported north including Coco's Heart. Best wishes! ------------------------------ Louise Dobbe Foster Manager Retrieve a Golden of the Midwest WI ------------------------------ View Discussion

I keep reading "reach out to rescues". As a rescue I will tell you that across the US rescues are packed, foster homes are filled, adoptions are slow. Now all rescues aren't created equal, just like shelters. I have a three page application. I check references, especially veterinary references. I do a home visit, and more. But the point is that rescues, like shelters are filled. It is especially government shelters that take it hard hit. They are responsible for strays, relinquishments, cruelty cases, fighting cases, hoarding cases and more. No Kill was fine in 1984 when it began. Now populations of people have increased and therefor the pet population. And that leads to a whole different discussion. ------------------------------ Linda Moore, BS, MS Pet's Second Chance for Life Inc, DBA PSC Welsh Corgi Rescue ------------------------------ View Discussion

I would love to see the playbook. It sounds like a great program. We have a lot of resources here in our area, but we definitely see the need for even more accessible care. I'd love to see how your program could fit here in the Portland Metro area. ------------------------------ Amanda Luell Shelter Veterinarian Washington County Animal Shelter OR ------------------------------ View Discussion

Thank you! I did reach out to BJ Adkins, and thought there might be others who also would be able to chime in. If you think of anything else, please let me know. I appreciate you responding. Grateful, Joy -- Joy T. Williams, MDiv, MFA, MPH Schedule a Meeting 336 412 1382 www.hope2thrive.com Volunteer with Us Fox 8 News Features Hope To Thrive The Chronicle Features Hope To Thrive View Discussion

Hello, everyone! My name is Liz Swaynie, and I'm the Executive Director of Great Lakes Rabbit Sanctuary, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Willis, Michigan, that's been rescuing and rehoming abused, abandoned and neglected domestic rabbits since 1995. I wanted to introduce myself and offer a hand to any shelters or rescues here who work with rabbits, or who occasionally find them coming through their doors and aren't quite sure what to do. Rabbits are often cited as one of the most popular pets in the U.S., behind only dogs and cats, and they're also among the most frequently surrendered and abandoned. Yet many shelters aren't equipped to handle them, since staff and volunteers are usually trained around cats and dogs. Domestic rabbits have specific needs that differ a lot from what people often assume, everything from housing and diet to handling, spay/neuter considerations, and behavior. It's a species that's easy to get wrong with the best of intentions, and a bunny in the wrong setup or with the wrong diet can quickly decline. If your shelter ever has questions about caring for rabbits, setting up appropriate housing, understanding rabbit behavior, or finding placement and resources, I'm genuinely happy to help however I can. Feel free to reply here or reach out to me directly: Email me: Liz@rabbitsanctuary.org Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-swaynie/ Best, Liz Swaynie #PetSupportServices* ------------------------------ Liz ... View Discussion

Hey there! I know you made this post last year, but I wanted to offer my expertise! I am the Executive Director of Great Lakes Rabbit Sanctuary located in Willis, Michigan. We have existed for 31 years, and I am happy to provide any educational or other information that may be of assistance to you or other members of the Maddie's Pet Forum. You can email me at liz@rabbitsanctuary.org Thanks! Liz ------------------------------ Liz Swaynie Fundraising Chair & Board Member Great Lakes Rabbit Sanctuary MI ------------------------------ View Discussion

Hi Joy, It sounds like your work would benefit from reaching out to BJ Adkins. You can find her thread here. Upstream is her strength and she is really skilled at building people infrastructure. You can search for her on the forum here. Good Luck. Thank you for your compassion and enthusiasm in helping homeless dogs. ------------------------------ Julielani Chang The Life of Kai: Compassion Connections Inc. Davis CA ------------------------------ View Discussion

This week, the United Nations celebrated International Youth Day and the theme for 2026 is Different Contexts, Common Aspirations . This theme acknowledges that, while the youth around the world come from different regions and cultures, they share the same hopes which include dignity and opportunity as well as a sustainable future. An investment in One Health is an investment in our youth. The earth and the plants and animals that live on it don't just belong to us, they belong to future generations as well. We have a duty to promote environmental health so today's youth can enjoy the same planet that we have. One Health also means advocating for the health and well-being of our youth. One of the points the UN is focusing on this year is that injuries account for about half of all deaths of youth worldwide. In our communities, we can take steps to help with that- preparing for natural disasters, promoting gun and car safety, and supporting politicians who fight for the best interests of our youth. How does your organization invest in your community's youth? References: International Youth Day | United Nations ------------------------------ Kaitlyn Andres, MS, MPH Research Associate Center for Pet Family Well-Being University of Tennessee, Knoxville ------------------------------ View Discussion

Thank you so much for having me! It was a great session! Here are some answers to the Q&A's that were in the chat. Do you have to be a licensed veterinarian to assist in emergencies? General rule: you do not have to be a licensed veterinarian to provide emergency assistance, but you must stay within what you're legally allowed to do in your state. In most U.S. states, you don't need to be a licensed veterinarian to provide basic emergency assistance to an animal. Veterinary practice acts typically include exemptions that allow non-veterinarians to act in emergency or first-aid situations, though the scope of what's allowed is usually fairly narrow. Common exemptions include: Good Samaritan/layperson exemptions - most states allow anyone to provide basic first aid or stabilizing care to an animal in an emergency, as long as they aren't holding themselves out as a veterinarian or charging for veterinary services. Owner exemptions - animal owners (and often their employees/agents) can generally treat their own animals. Animal control / humane officer exemptions - many states have specific statutory language allowing ACOs to perform tasks like basic wound care, microchip scanning, administering certain medications, or euthanasia in defined emergency circumstances - usually only when acting within the scope of official duty, often under a veterinarian's standing protocol or direct authorization. What's not typically covered by these ... View Discussion

Hi Samantha, We use Trello Boards, with one for dogs/puppies and one for cats/kittens. For a frame of reference, our annual intake is approximately 1,700. Each animal has a photo/photos and as much information as possible. The link can be shared via an email, and I have the app on my phone for quick reference. This has worked better for us than anything else we've tried. There is no fee for our level of us. We have two Boards and can have up to ten before there would be a fee. It's great that you are looking for options to streamline your foster communications! ------------------------------ Tasha Haug Homeward Animal Shelter ------------------------------ View Discussion

This message was posted by a user wishing to remain anonymous Hello everyone! I am reaching out to see how other organizations allocate fundraising funds(or any non-designated funds for that matter) between capital campaigns and general funds. We have been dreaming of a new facility for over 7 years(our current facility was built in the 70s and is much too small for current needs) and have finally have one in the works. We knew this was going to be a costly venture and have increased fundraising to help cover these costs. However, the majority of all fundraisers we've had in the last year and a half have gone straight to the capital campaign fund and very little has gone to the general fund for costs at the current shelter. The shelter has been getting by on adoption fees and donations that are not designated for the capital campaign, however we are starting to struggle and would like some insight on how other groups are allocating funds. Any advice would be greatly appreciated! #FundraisingandDevelopment View Discussion

Hi! We also have dogs who have been in the shelter for a long time. As the Marketing Coordinator, I try to create social posts highlighting our long-term residents and, in partnership with our Foster Coordinator, reach out to potential fosters and rescues. It can definitely be harder to get our longer-stay dogs out, but we've had success with some going into foster and others being adopted. It's often a slow process, though. My biggest advice is don't give up. Keep reaching out to rescues, continue putting the dogs in front of the public, and most importantly, let honesty be at the forefront of how you market and talk about them. Sometimes finding the right placement just takes time and persistence. ------------------------------ Krista Lee Marketing and Development Coordinator League City Animal Care TX ------------------------------ View Discussion

Hello everyone. I am reaching out to see if anyone has experience in a municipal shelter that has had to ask their city for more staff? We are in the process of building a new shelter that will double our capacity. At our current shelter, we are already understaffed in my opinion. I have started to do some research on neighboring shelters and how much staff they have. Has anyone found a respectable approach to ask/advocate for more staff? #FieldServicesandPublicSafety* #OrganizationalManagement #PeopleManagement(includingVolunteerIntegration) ------------------------------ Rachel Wasserman Animal Welfare Supervisor Stillwater Animal Welfare OK ------------------------------ View Discussion

Who doesn't love kittens?!?! Please join us for Maddie's Community Conversation on Wednesday, August 19, 2026 at 11am PT/2pm ET for a conversation with @Marnie Russ , founder of National Kitten College and @Meredith Hippert , Chief Operating Officer at National Kitten College. Sign up for the webcast here. There is nothing cuter than a kitten and we want to help them develop into healthy adults. When shelters, veterinarians, foster programs, rescue organizations, and community partners work together, they create a stronger, more responsive system that saves more kittens than any organization could alone. By contributing data across organizations, we can identify trends, measure what works, recognize emerging challenges, and develop evidence-based solutions that improve kitten care nationwide. Each organization's experiences, successes, and challenges contribute to a growing body of knowledge that advances shelter medicine and helps every community provide better care for its most vulnerable kittens. This session is ideal for adoptions and foster staff & volunteers and veterinary professionals (veterinarians, vet techs, support staff) - but all are welcome! Don't forget! Maddie's Fund will be awarding up to $10,000 in grants each month ! Let us know each time you attend a webcast or watch it on demand during the month by completing the monthly grant awards entry form. About our speakers: Marnie Russ is the founder and visionary behind ... View Discussion

We are a small cat rescue and take advantage of the Google Workspace for Non-Profits. We created chats, and will put our request in there. The chat is foster parent specific, so it doesn't interfere with the other volunteers who don't foster (and aren't interested in fostering.) ------------------------------ Candy Sullivan Founder/Executive Director Candy's Cats, Inc. Orange County, Florida www.candyscats.org ------------------------------ View Discussion

Attached is a copy of Jerrica's presentation slides. ------------------------------ Alison Gibson Media Projects Manager Maddie's Fund ------------------------------ View Discussion

Hi Samantha! I'm sooo excited to see this question come up because this is exactly why i built Pawsitive Foster. The short version- I built a foster coordination platform after shadowing a coordinator at a high-intake shelter. Communication and coordination was so painful! What you're describing, Google Sheets that fosters have to hunt through, manual email notifications, literally no automations bc these systems don't talk to each other is the problem I set out to solve. Plus I incorporated all of the fragmented tools that belong in one place, including booking appointments, care updates, weight tracking, and program impact reporting. Foster volunteers get instant push notifications for urgent pleas, they see animals needing placement w/care needs, and they submit interest. Coordinators see responses in one place instead of scattered emails/texts, approve the best fit, and get ready for the pickup. Here's what it looks like: https://www.pawsitivefoster.com/demo . Feel free to reach out anytime. This space is incredibly dear to me so I hope to always be a resource for the community. 🫶 Lissette Founder, Pawsitive Foster pawsitivefoster.com ------------------------------ Lissette Arias Founder & Foster Pawsitive Foster ------------------------------ ... View Discussion

Hi Penny, I'm not sure if you're looking for a solution for animal transport specifically (Doobert), so I'll just share with the hope that more info is helpful. I'm a foster who built a foster coordination platform after shadowing a coordinator at a high-intake shelter. Depending on what type of solution you're looking for, if it happens to be for coordinating a foster program, then here's another tool worth considering: https://www.pawsitivefoster.com/ Hope you're able to find a platform that works for you either way! Lissette Arias Founder, Pawsitive Foster pawsitivefoster.com ------------------------------ Lissette Arias Founder & Foster Pawsitive Foster ------------------------------ View Discussion

Hi! I think it really depends on the size of your organization, the number of animals you're trying to send out to foster, and how frequently the list of animals needing fosters updates. A couple of things I've seen organizations do include sending out (almost daily) mass emails with specific animals in the most urgent need of foster parents. Another popular method among rescues is using private Facebook or WhatsApp groups, where they create individual posts for animals that need fosters. I think the biggest struggle with Google Sheets is that if it's constantly being updated, fosters have to go out of their way to check it rather than receiving a direct notification. Overall, it really depends on the size of the organization, but I personally really like the email method! Hope this helps. ------------------------------ Abigail Batic Vice President The Milk Drunk Foundation ------------------------------ View Discussion

Petszel looks amazing. Disappointed to learn it won't work with Animal Shelter Manager, but maybe eventually it will. Thanks for the good info. ------------------------------ Julie Austin Development Director Humane Society of Pulaski County Little Rock ------------------------------ View Discussion

This message was posted by a user wishing to remain anonymous Howdy everyone, and happy Wednesday! I'm here to ask what technology stacks other high volume, spay-neuter clinics are using in their day to day? I've recently onboarded as a volunteer (and hopeful eventual staff member), and have been assisting the director with untangling previous technology investments, infrastructure, and general technical and documentation debt that accrued under the previous director's leadership. My director is not technically savvy (love her to bits though and I'm an IT professional at my current job!) so I've been providing thourough write-ups on what technology I'm finding that they have signed up for already, the state that it is in, what I can do with it that is immediately helpful and how long-lasting it might be, and alternative (and lower cost!) solutions if any are found. While I would love to hear what others are using (like ClinicHQ!), I'm also wondering if anyone's encountered this before, and how they went about straightening it out: Today/This week's puzzle is this, for example: I went to sign them up for Google for Nonprofits, only to find that they already have a [clinic branding].org Google Workspace... which no one currently on staff knew about as they are still using unmanaged, DIY-made email handles for the clinic. After some digging, I find that the previous technically inclined volunteer set them up with SquareSpace, and it came with a 'complimentary' Google Workspace... ... View Discussion

This message was posted by a user wishing to remain anonymous We are a large private no-kill shelter. We are STRUGGLING right now. Of our 65 adoptable dogs, 82% have been here longer than 6 months. Almost half have been here longer than a year. We are in the process of making some changes at the leadership level, but what have you done that has really worked to move dogs that have been in the shelter too long? It's so discouraging to see their sweet faces over and over each day. #AdoptionsandAdoptionPrograms View Discussion

Our shelter vet supports 3-3-3. Of course, all pets are different, but it is a good rule of thumb and easy to explain. ------------------------------ Julie Austin Development Director Humane Society of Pulaski County Little Rock ------------------------------ View Discussion

Hi Shafonda! I am in NC! I just finished watching live the community conversation for today, and then went to view the on demand conversation from last week and found out that you were in Durham! Shafonda, I really appreciate the way you continue to center community, access, and shared power in animal welfare. I'm in Winston-Salem/Forsyth County and am in the early stages of developing a community-based animal stewardship model that looks upstream of shelter intake-particularly around stray animals, prevention, veterinary access, volunteer infrastructure, and community partnerships. I'm also taking the time to think more deeply about the philosophy underneath the work: what responsible stewardship of animals looks like, how communities can share responsibility for animal well-being, and how we can build systems that support both people and pets rather than waiting until a crisis reaches the shelter. Given your experience in Durham and your work now helping organizations build stronger, more community-rooted systems, I would really value learning from you. If you were starting something like this in a community from the ground up, what would you identify as the most important relationships or pieces of infrastructure to establish first? I'm especially interested in learning from people who have already done this work and can help me avoid reinventing the wheel. Thank you for the work you're doing and for sharing your perspective with the field. ------------------------------ ... View Discussion

I'm in Winston-Salem/Forsyth County, North Carolina, and I'm working on developing a community-based approach to animal stewardship that starts upstream of shelter intake. I need help!!! What should be our next step? We are trying to reduce the number of stray dogs euthanized and socialize them to find good homes. We have access to land and willingness; we just need infrastructure and support. Thank you! What especially caught my attention from a recent post was the shift from "Will you fund our nonprofit?" to "Here is a community project your municipality can co-own." I think there is something powerful there, particularly in a county where different municipalities and community organizations may each have a role to play. I'd love to learn from what others are building in other counties, especially: How did you identify the first municipalities to approach for partnerships? What made a municipality say yes? How are you structuring the financial commitments and accountability? What does the volunteer infrastructure look like behind the clinics? How are you recruiting and retaining veterinarians? Have you identified specific volunteer roles that can be done without veterinary credentials? Are you building an advisory group or steering committee, and if so, who is represented? What data are you collecting to demonstrate that the work is reducing shelter intake or owner surrender? What would you do differently if you ... View Discussion

Hi all! I hope everyone is thriving this "kitten season"! I am the foster assistant with Cat Adoption Team in Sherwood, Oregon. We are researching how other rescues and shelters let people know what foster animals need placement. We are currently using a google sheet that we add the information to for each cat and while it works it can be confusing to some fosters. Does anyone have a program or way they place fosters that you really like? It would also be helpful if you know if you pay for it or if it is a free service! Thanks so much! #FosterPrograms ------------------------------ Samantha Flint Foster Assistant/Admissions Associate Cat Adoption Team OR ------------------------------ View Discussion

Thank you for your comments, @ Julie Beatty . Seems like your team at Ziva Dog Rescue in beautiful Chatham, NJ is really on top of things! ------------------------------ Alison Gibson Media Projects Manager Maddie's Fund ------------------------------ View Discussion

Thank you, @ Andrea Nassar ! You are so right, how we communicate is as important as what we communicate. Thanks for the link to that HumanePro article. I, too, am interested in what folks think about using the word "owner" vs "caregiver" (or "person" 😻). What do readers of this forum think? ------------------------------ Alison Gibson Media Projects Manager Maddie's Fund ------------------------------ ... View Discussion

Thank you so much Ruby! I will definitely check it out:) ------------------------------ Penny Cooper Registered Veterinary Technician Hamilton Animal Services ON ------------------------------ View Discussion

I'd love a copy, if you could email it to director@wellingtonhumanesociety.org I have a vet on board, our biggest issue is getting the county to see the need. Our shift to upstream work is helping but not nearly as quick as we need it to. A lot of that I believe is getting that buy-in from the county and the various towns in the county. It's a work in progress as always. ------------------------------ Jodie Hearlson Wellington Humane Society ------------------------------ View Discussion

Hi Renee, Transitioning from delivery to pickup after distributing that much food and driving that many miles sounds like a major operational change. I think one of the most important goals would be keeping the process low-barrier while also giving volunteers a simple and consistent rule they can follow. Through our food bank work at Hazel's House Animal Rescue, the practical information we need at check-in is when the household last received assistance, how many pets are in the household, what was distributed, and whether there is a special circumstance that needs staff judgment. I developed Pet Pantry Pro with that type of workflow in mind. A pantry can set the required number of days between completed visits. When the client is found, the software shows the volunteer whether the household is eligible under that rule, along with previous visits, pet counts, and notes. The pantry still controls its policy and can use discretion when needed. The software is there to apply the organization's rule consistently, not decide whether someone deserves assistance. It also records the food and litter distributed and generates reports without requiring a separate tallying process. We have used it during live Hazel's House food bank operations, and it worked very smoothly. Full transparency, I created it: https://www.PetPantryPro.com I would be interested to hear whether you ultimately decide on a fixed amount per household or an amount based on the number and size of pets. ... View Discussion

This webinar reinforced for us that the key to a successful foster program is not simply recruiting more fosters, but creating programs and support systems that make fostering accessible, sustainable, and successful. One takeaway that particularly resonated with our work at Ziva was the idea of focusing on "support vs. screen." We want potential fosters to feel welcomed and supported rather than overwhelmed by the process, especially when they are considering fostering for the first time. The discussion around offering a variety of foster opportunities also reinforced our decision to expand our foster-to-adopt program. Foster-to-adopt can be an important bridge for families who are interested in adoption but may be hesitant to make an immediate lifelong commitment. It gives them the opportunity to welcome a dog into their home, receive rescue support, and learn more about the dog's personality and needs while providing the dog with the consistency of a home environment. We also appreciated the emphasis on making fostering approachable and identifying practical ways to remove barriers. As a volunteer-based rescue working to grow our local NJ foster network, we are continuing to look at how we can make it easier for families to say yes to fostering while providing the support necessary for successful placements. This webinar gave us several ideas to continue developing a flexible foster program that benefits both the dogs in our care and the families who open their homes ... View Discussion

Hi all! I work with my local Meals on Wheels pet program, which delivers pet food to seniors receiving meal deliveries. We were given the attached fact sheet recently, and I thought y'all might be interested! Of course, the topic is Meals on Wheels specific, but there's some useful stats/infographics regarding the health benefits of keeping pets and barriers to pet care. Could be useful inspiration for fundraising or marketing, particularly for folks that are involved in assisting owners with keeping their pets. #DataandTechnology #FundraisingandDevelopment #MarketingandSocialMedia ------------------------------ Erica Mota Fundraising Volunteer Take Me Home Pet Rescue TX ------------------------------ View Discussion

Carol Tinga reacted to your message: View Discussion

Hey Stephanie! That's so wonderful to hear! How do you manage your volunteers? Do you have foster outside of your volunteers as well? Kindy, Brianna ------------------------------ [Brianna] [Fahie] [Volunteer Engagement, Shelter ] [Nova Scotia SPCA] [Canada] [Nova Scotia] ------------------------------ View Discussion

We are looking to cannibalize language for some waivers that have been working well for others. Waiver for volunteers (broad/general - like photographing pets off-site, doing reception at events with animals present, but including animal handling) Waiver for volunteers transporting pets in personal vehicles (including language about how insurance works) Waiver for volunteers in shelters Waiver for fosters Waiver of liability for adopted dogs (behavioral and medical) Would love Word versions but PDF is great. Thanks in advance! We really appreciate it! #OrganizationalManagement ------------------------------ Heather Hall Director OTAT-West Texas TX ------------------------------ View Discussion

Thank you Alison, Shafonda, and Kelly for moderating and posting. Thank you Dana for the informative presentation. I really love the Lowe's idea, for both the element of surprise for humans, and also for being less overstimulating for our dog friends. I wanted to share this resource from Humane World with everyone at the onset of this new series of discussions, in the hopes that we can all continually evolve our language when talking about other sentient beings. https://humanepro.org/magazine/articles/why-words-matter-animals-and-it I'm curious about what everyone thinks about using terms like "owner" and "pet" rather than "companion," "caregiver" or "guardian." I understand the legal implications, but I personally feel that calling myself my dog's "owner" makes her sound like a thing, so I call myself her "person." I also wonder if anyone has a guide for helping parents to teach their children how to respect an animal's preferences, safely approach them, etc? Thanks so much again! Andrea ------------------------------ Andrea Nassar Director of Humane Education Programs Catskill Animal Sanctuary NY ------------------------------ View Discussion

Hey Brianna! We are a small puppy rescue, but have been very fortunate to have people reach out to help after we post the need on our social media platforms. Our volunteers foster for us, until we can get the puppy spayed/neutered, vaccinated, and chipped. Once all of that is done and the puppy is old enough, our fosters will give the puppy back to us or adopt him/her. One thing I learned that really keeps them interested is posting their updates on our Facebook or Instagram pages. They like seeing themselves with the puppy, or just like watching the videos they share. We give them kudos because we really appreciate their help, especially when someone brings five or six puppies to our door. It's also helpful to provide all the essentials such as puppy beds, pads, leashes, collars, puppy food, etc. Knowing that they won't be expected to have these expenses makes them more willing to help. We have only had our 501c3 for a year and three months, but as we try to grow, we've met some amazing people within our community. ------------------------------ Stephanie Buckridge CEO of rescue Little Critter's Puppy Rescue CA ------------------------------ View Discussion

That is an amazingly good and grounded answer. I think we've all been puzzled about why people often fail to follow the slow introductions instruction and you are absolutely right. You have to choose the most important (and immediate) instruction: what happens when you go home today? Instead of covering everything else, just add "and this is where you can go for support if you encounter any issues later." Don't spend time on lots of other issues -just that one and ask what their plan is. Cognitively, it's like habit forming. You have a much better chance of adopting a habit if you try to add one habit than if you try to add five. ------------------------------ Penny Ellison Executive Director Animal Advocacy Academy PA ------------------------------ View Discussion

Hi Penny! Many of the Canadian nonprofits that I've volunteered for use Better Impact. https://www.betterimpact.com However, I am unsure if it is Canadian owned and operated. Ruby Leslie Engagement & Strategy Consultant Alliance for Contraception in Cats and Dogs Calgary, AB ------------------------------ Ruby Leslie Engagement & Strategy Consultant Alliance for Contraception in Cats and Dogs ------------------------------ View Discussion

Thank you for sharing this. A shame I missed it live, but I am thankful for the recording! ------------------------------ Aslan Parsons Grants Coordinator CARE Humane Society Auburn, AL carehumane.org ------------------------------ View Discussion

Jeanette, thank you for sharing this! It's really spot on. Sharing with my volunteer coordinator!! ------------------------------ Marit Ortega Executive Director Tri-County Humane Society St. Cloud MN ------------------------------ View Discussion

Well said Carlo, thank you for your kind words. I hope you have a fabulous week! Your signature has intrigued me! I have a deep love for Rabbits and would always love to expand my education on those sweet critters and be able to educate my team as well! I would love to connect with you one day just to chat and maybe gain some knowledge to help better the welfare for rabbits in Nova Scotia, it's so hard to find an exotics DVM unfortunately. ------------------------------ [Brianna] [Fahie] [Volunteer Engagement, Shelter ] [Nova Scotia SPCA] [Canada] [Nova Scotia] ------------------------------ View Discussion

Carol, thank you, this is a great idea and one I had not fully chased. Auburn is our state's vet school, and a clinical outreach program or a DVM student group is exactly the kind of local, motivated source that could cover the piece we are missing, a licensed vet for the shots plus hands to help run the day. Your One Health framing is spot on too. That is almost word for word how we pitch the county, as a public and animal health issue rather than a pet issue, and it lands. I am going to reach out to Auburn's College of Veterinary Medicine and see where a rabies and wellness clinic day might fit their outreach. Thank you for taking the time to think it through with me, all the way from Guelph. ------------------------------ Join The Shift To Prevention. BJ Adkins Founder/Director Animal-Angels Foundation Pinson, AL calendy.com/animal-angels bjadkins@animal-angels.org animal-angelsfoundation.org ------------------------------ View Discussion

Rachel, thank you, and it's good to see you here. You nailed the core of it. When a community's own leaders already see the need, you are not selling anything, you are just handing them a way to act on it. The election-year point is sharp too, and I am going to use it. Your timing on BISSELL's Wellness Days could not be better. The one piece we are actively working right now is veterinary access. Blount County has about four vets for the whole county, and a program that brings the veterinarian to the clinic is exactly the gap we need to close. I am looking into Duffield Pet Wellness Days today. And if their name helps bring a few more council members along, even better. Thank you for taking the time to point me there. Coming from someone running a shelter, it means a lot. ------------------------------ Join The Shift To Prevention. BJ Adkins Founder/Director Animal-Angels Foundation Pinson, AL calendy.com/animal-angels bjadkins@animal-angels.org animal-angelsfoundation.org ------------------------------ View Discussion

Thank you so much for having a look! It means a lot! I really appreciate your academic approach to the topic in addition to your veterinary expertise. Speaking of - I'm not sure if you saw today's new release, but it was our "Going to the vet" episode if you want to view one more show! We are definitely learning as we go. The videos aren't perfect, but we hope they strike the right tone and provide a fun way to provide core messages about caring for pets. Thanks again - and we hope others can make use of this resource. ------------------------------ Robin Lapre Author / Educator Charlie's Angels Saving Animals TN ------------------------------ View Discussion

Robin, I watched a few of your videos this weekend and they are excellent :-) Two thumbs up...totally age-appropriate, fun and accessible. Great messaging. I love the "interviews" with experts. I agree with some of these being delicate topics and balancing "ideal" with "acceptable" is a constant struggle. Keep up the good work! ------------------------------ Rachel Powell DVM ASV Board of Directors Director of Surgery Greenhill Humane Society Eugene, OR ------------------------------ View Discussion

Id appreciate a copy. We're in an area with a vet shortage and a council who could care less. I think you have my email, Thank you ------------------------------ Bre Hoffman (they/m) Special Little Whiskers Sanctuary Decatur IL SpecialLittleWhiskersKittenRescue.com ------------------------------ View Discussion

I figured there probably isn't much more we could do as a shelter on our own and would likely need to be a more widespread effort into public education as a whole. Saying that though there have been a lot of great suggestions in this thread! I really like what Adriana said about moving the adopters away from the animals for a little bit to discuss the less exciting parts to adoption like introduction periods and when to take it to a vet, yada yada yada. Making sure their attention is focused on the topic at hand and not a cute kitten or hyper dog definitely makes sense. ------------------------------ Laurel Wilton Feline Welfare Supervisor Nebraska Humane Society ------------------------------ View Discussion

I've found that recurring donors tend to respond really well when they can connect their gift to something tangible. For something like flooring, I'd lean into the impact it has on the clinic's day-to-day work rather than just "we need a new floor." Like, why does replacing it matter for patients, staff, sanitation, efficiency, etc.? Also pictures! Defintiely in pictures of animals! I think short email updats are better received vs. text messages or long-winded updates that feel like homework to read. If you're good at Facebook posts, I think you can write a good recurring donor piece. :) ------------------------------ Sarah Fuqua Director The Bobo Fund ------------------------------ View Discussion

Hello everyone! Our shelter is very interested in using Doobert for our volunteer management. We are only allowed to use a US based company if there is no Canadian equivalent. Does anyone know of anything comparable which is Canadian owned and operated? Thank you in advance for your help! #DataandTechnology #PeopleManagement(includingVolunteerIntegration) ------------------------------ Penny Cooper, RVT Project Manager Hamilton Animal Services ON ------------------------------ View Discussion

I got my undergraduate at University of Nebraska Lincoln and then have spent the last several years working with cats at my current shelter. I've spent a significant amount of time doing continuing education on feline and shelter behavior, read countless studies and many veterinary behavior books on the topic and am about to finish my exam through the IAABC for consultation. You don't technically need to have gone to school or be credentialed to be considered a "behaviorist" but my experience and knowledge definitely qualifies. ------------------------------ Laurel Wilton Feline Welfare Supervisor Nebraska Humane Society ------------------------------ View Discussion

They only link to one other study in their blog post that talks about the 72-hour cortisol reduction time frame, every other link goes to a different part of their page with resources the author created (not that they're bad resources, I didn't actually delve into them). Also not saying that the one study they linked to prove their point is a bad study, but I have several comments on it that make me worry about using this a sole source for "debunking" the 3-3-3 rule. The study was based on interview questions from adopters who could have adopted the dog anywhere from 3 months prior to the interview up to 2 years since they adopted. It was all based on the memory of the owners and that time range was not accounted for in the accuracy of their reported time ranges for behaviors noted. They even take note of this in the study. Even with this unreliable information though 1/3 of the responses correlate with the 3-3-3 rule and the majority stated a 4-6 month range, which based on their memory could easily still have been around that 3 month time frame. There is also no objective information regarding behaviors or time frame. It is all based on the adopter's memory and perceived behaviors. It also doesn't account for the individual personalities of the dogs or what the behaviors were either prior to the shelter or within the shelter. The behaviors they are seeing in the home, while maybe not fully relaxed or affiliative, may very well be significantly better than when in the shelter. ... View Discussion

This isn't exactly what you're looking for but could be helpful-- One thing that's been shown to significantly reduce adoption returns in multiple studies is for the pet to have spent time in foster care ( see info on studies ). Even a few days in foster care can make a huge difference, and it's likely due to factors like how much one learns about a pet's behavior in the home, and if the foster and adopter have contact the foster sometimes acts like a second level of support. I've seen really good results with 3- and 4-week foster stays for cats with long shelter stays or those who aren't doing so well or can't show who they really are in the shelter environment. ------------------------------ Kelly Duer Senior Shelter Solutions Specialist Maddie's Fund ------------------------------ View Discussion

This is brilliant. Just a thought here: have you approached your state's vet school? Perhaps the folks in the Clinical Studies Department at Auburn University can work the rabies vaccination days into their outreach program somehow? Maybe a DVM student group might take it on and help you plan, while one of their vets does the actual shots? (Not sure how this works in your state). This might be something worth looking into. Everyone everywhere seems to be stretched to the limit these days, and yet this is an important public/animal health (=One Health) issue that might get some traction. All the best. ------------------------------ Carol Tinga PhD Postdoctoral Scholar in companion rabbit behaviour & welfare and the owner-rabbit relationship University of Guelph Guelph ON Canada Email: tingac@uoguelph.ca ------------------------------ View Discussion

In a world that seems a bit nutty and with natural disasters affecting so many humans and non-human animals, I just want to say how amazing everyone is for nudging all us beings, bit by bit, into a better place. Your love shines through and it is a beautiful thing to see on a Monday morning. All the best to everyone this week: it can be a very tough go, but every little bit helps. ------------------------------ Carol Tinga PhD Postdoctoral Scholar in companion rabbit behaviour & welfare and the owner-rabbit relationship University of Guelph Guelph ON Canada Email: tingac@uoguelph.ca ------------------------------ View Discussion

Here is one link, and within the article it gives links to studies. To me it's just common sense. Senario. Family gets a dog from a shelter. The dog is there because it was a stray or relinquished. Little known history. It sits in a shelter for who knows how long, and then Boom, it's in a new home with new people, routine, sounds, etc. Three days isn't going to touch the time needed just to relax. New puppy. What happened to mom and siblings? You get the idea. As a rescue I tell people to allow a very minimum of 4-5 months for the dog to begin to feel comfortable, and begin to relax. I check in with them every few weeks, and they can call me 24/7. And that's just the beginning. Enjoy the article. https://rescuedbytraining.com/2024/09/23/debunking-the-3-3-3-rule/ On Mon, Aug 10, 2026 at 7:58 AM ADRIANA DELGADO via Maddie's Pet Forum < Mail@maddiesfund.org > wrote: This is amazing advice Julie! As an adoption counselor for cats, what I also do is when I want to go over what they should do with their new pe, I... -posted to the "Animal Welfare Professionals" community Animal Welfare Professionals Post New Discussion Post New Discussion via Email Manage Profile Re: Returned Animals Reply to Discussion Reply to Discussion via Email Reply Privately to Author Reply Privately to Author via Email Aug 10, ... View Discussion

This is amazing advice Julie! As an adoption counselor for cats, what I also do is when I want to go over what they should do with their new pe, I bring them out of the cat room and sit them down in our cat area for a conversation, without the stimulation of the cats and kittens around. I've found that when people are looking at the cats, they don't pay attention to anything you're saying :) ------------------------------ ADRIANA DELGADO Animal Care Coordinator Palm Beach County Animal care and Control FL ------------------------------ View Discussion

HI Linda, Debunked by who, if you don't mind my asking? I do agree that every animal is different and some may take longer (or not) to acclimate to a new environment. Just curious if there are studies published so I can look them over. Thanks! ------------------------------ ADRIANA DELGADO Animal Care Coordinator Palm Beach County Animal care and Control FL ------------------------------ View Discussion

We do send every animal home with an "adoption packet" that includes some information on decompression (we do utilize the generalized 3-3-3 paperwork to give people a place to stand on). It also includes basic husbandry, local veterinarians, introductions, enrichment ideas as well as contact information back to our Pet Resource Center if there is anything going wrong for the adoption. I know there are also companies that specialize in post adoption follow-up, like https://petszel.com/ that might be worthwhile looking into for you. Otherwise, I hate to say that sometimes people will do what they think is best or the way they were taught and ignore everything that they are given. Sometimes I want to shake people when they call and say "now where do I go for this s/n appointment?" when it's in their email, in a pamphlet, and also a reminder text XD But that's just how some people are. Try to think of them as the memorable exclusions, not the rule. At our clinic we do anywhere from 40-70 s/n a day so if I do only have one person contacting me, that really is a small percentage even if it feels exhausting. I've seen some pretty neat post-adoption podcasts, little reels etc and I think all we can do is just try to communicate to more people and hope that people listen. When possible - always leave a door open a crack (if you have the capacity) for follow-ups. ------------------------------ Rachel Ide Animal Services Director Young-Williams Animal Center TN ----------- ... View Discussion

Hey Devon! Love the sense of community and social pieces offered to volunteers, I know I do enjoy hearing experiences from others, gives me ideas and support, never thought of that for our volunteers, thank you! I would love to chat with you more about the Underdogs program you have and see if that's something that could work for us as well! If you'd have time I would love to hear from you more, here is my email address - bfahie@spcans.ca Cheers, Brianna ------------------------------ [Brianna] [Fahie] [Volunteer Engagement, Shelter ] [Nova Scotia SPCA] [Canada] [Nova Scotia] ------------------------------ View Discussion

Fantastic! It's much easier to get buy-in from a community when it's leaders already see its a need. It's also great to try and start seeding these events in election year. I recommend looking into Bissel's Wellness Days. They should have a way to bring a veterinarian in, and with their big name might even bring more council to your side. Best of luck in this endeavor! ------------------------------ Rachel Ide Animal Services Director Young-Williams Animal Center TN ------------------------------ View Discussion

Hey Jeanette! This is beautiful! Thank you so much for your feedback, it's so easy to get caught up in the day-to-day items and not think about those little pieces that can really make someone feel loved, appreciated and valued! I really love the part about the lifesavers, such a sweet idea! ------------------------------ [Brianna] [Fahie] [Volunteer Engagement, Shelter ] [Nova Scotia SPCA] [Canada] [Nova Scotia] ------------------------------ View Discussion

Hey Daniel, I am so sorry to hear you had an experience like that. Volunteers are so valuable to so many organizations and folks working within the organization need to understand that and ensure to give proper appreciate and respect, even when times are busy or staff are feeling overwhelmed, they can forget that's where volunteers can come in and assist. I am so grateful for the volunteers my organization currently has, so many amazing kind, caring people who give their time to us to help. Thank you so much for your feedback! ------------------------------ [Brianna] [Fahie] [Volunteer Engagement, Shelter ] [Nova Scotia SPCA] [Canada] [Nova Scotia] ------------------------------ View Discussion

Hi Deborah, our biggest concern was taking in an owned animal and all the liability that would go along with that. We would have had to house the owned animal in the same 5200 square foot building as our shelter animals and we didn't feel that was a good idea. Add in all the insurance, legal requirements, etc, that go with taking possession of someone's personal kitty even for a short period of time, with not a huge ROI it just wasn't the best fit. ------------------------------ Kim Kamins Executive Director Fearless Kitty Rescue AZ ------------------------------ View Discussion

Most pet surrender begins before the shelter. Everybody in this group knows that. What we have been short on is a way to get a whole county to act on it before the animals show up at intake. We are trying something new in Blount County, Alabama, and it is moving faster than I expected, so I wanted to lay it out here while it is still early enough to be honest about what is working and what is not. The project is called the Blount County Pet Community Project. Underneath it is a High-Impact Clinic model: free wellness outreach days (rabies, core vaccines, heartworm testing, microchipping) paired with spay/neuter through transport and vouchers, plus a Community Cat TNVR effort. Standard prevention work. The part that changed the response was not the programming. It was the framing. We stopped walking into town councils with an ask. We are not asking Blount's fifteen-odd municipalities to fund a nonprofit. We hand each of them a community project they co-own, and we lead with what the town gets: named as a partner in the press releases, the PSAs, the flyers, the signage on clinic day. The town gets to be the one that brought free rabies shots and spay/neuter to its residents. That is a very different conversation than "will you write us a check." Honest status, because this group deserves the real numbers and not a highlight reel. County Line committed first: $800 for year one, hosting a clinic at city hall, and a donation box. Locust Fork has money in the budget with two ... View Discussion

Yes my dogs I don't consider them as (pets). They are my children. They are my family. So they come first definitely in a emergency situation. So including them is definitely a priority for me. Making information easier to access would be great. View Discussion

We are definitely seeing the effects of wildfires as One Health. In addition to scratchy and sore throats for all of us (including our dog), the herb garden on our porch is struggling to stay healthy. We can see the impact of weeks of smoke on nearby trees, too. And our closest fires to the Treasure Valley are easily a few counties away. It's also telling when the air purifier in our apartment starts working harder. ------------------------------ Shelly Volsche Affiliate Faculty/Applied Research Boise State University ------------------------------ View Discussion

Thanks for sharing. Were your concerns on regulations etc ? It seems daunting to me as well, we are a very small Sanctuary so I am not sure if it's just too big of a change. But we have a good BOD - so at the end of the day, I think we'll make the right decision for us like you did for your org. ------------------------------ Deborah Torrice CFO Road To Refuge Animal Sanctuary CT ------------------------------ View Discussion

We are not a larger organization at all !! I just have "large" ideas and that's what makes me nervous 🤣🤣 If we do pursue , we'd have to grow in staff (we have zero paid employees) , support etc. , but as long as the for profit can cover it all !! ------------------------------ Deborah Torrice CFO Road To Refuge Animal Sanctuary CT ------------------------------ ... View Discussion

I love this idea !!! Best of luck ------------------------------ Deborah Torrice CFO Road To Refuge Animal Sanctuary CT ------------------------------ View Discussion

We're working on starting a thrift store. We're starting online and hopefully get to the point of being in a building. ------------------------------ Bre Hoffman (they/m) Special Little Whiskers Sanctuary Decatur IL SpecialLittleWhiskersKittenRescue.com ------------------------------ View Discussion

I'm not sure I have particularly helpful advice here (I think our shelter does fine, but not paragon-of-volunteer-management well!), but the things that we focus on are: Recruitment: Super low barrier to entry - make it for easy for people who want to engage with us to get their hands on animals immediately. We allow anyone into our cat area during any open hours (the rooms are all open, no cages, so this is easy for us); we allow anyone to take a dog out on a field trip or for a walk around our property; anyone can foster an animal the same day they reach out to us. They sign a liability waiver, and off they go! We work to turn those volunteers into regulars by encouraging them to go through an orientation (which allows them to come during a wider breadth of hours; get dogs out of kennels themselves; etc). But if they opt not to, they can continue to volunteer in this way that requires no formal training. Offer orientation regularly (every other weekend, alternating Saturday and Sundays; individualized orientation if we can't get you into one of those). Talk about low-barrier opportunities to volunteer often on social media; and encourage volunteers to share their interactions with animals on their social media. Retention (oh, how we struggle!) Our conversion rate (of people who go through orientation into people who volunteer "regularly" - at least once a month) is so painfully low :( So take all of this with a grain of salt - this is just stuff we have ... View Discussion

This is honestly what kept me volunteering so long at 1 organization ------------------------------ Bre Hoffman (they/m) Special Little Whiskers Sanctuary Decatur IL SpecialLittleWhiskersKittenRescue.com ------------------------------ View Discussion

It's possible your adopters are experiencing cognitive overload at the time of adoption. If you consider how much is happening in just a few hours, including deciding to adopt a pet, visiting the shelter, the hard choice of picking one pet over another, trying to guess what a cat they meet in a cage would be like in their home, speed-dating to pick a lifetime companion, application and adoption counseling forms and conversations, a barrage of new instructions and reading material at a time of maximum excitement and distraction, it's little wonder that a lot of adopters misstep when they get home. I can't tell you how many times I've seen a newly adopted pet for their first veterinary visit and all of the handouts they were given are still untouched in the go-home bag. It's likely that adopters can only remember a few instructions at that time, maybe even just one to three, and that more than that are not internalized. You ask if other shelters commonly have returns due to poor introductions to new pets, and speaking for the shelters in our region, I would say no. Returns of cats for any reason are low, and when they do occur it's extremely uncommon to be due to an injury. If the scenario you are describing happens often, I'd consider trying a lighter and more focused and individualized adoption experience. Pick the most critical instruction and feature that. If the adoption counselors are speaking more than listening, flip the script and let the adopters do most of the talking ... View Discussion

Great! From what university did you earn your degree? Florida has a great undergraduate degree in Animal Science, and they offer the advanced Masters or Doctoral degrees. ------------------------------ Linda Moore Pet's Second Chance for Life Inc, DBA PSC Welsh Corgi Rescue ------------------------------ View Discussion