|
FEATURES
Feline Good
There’s a growing movement in shelters around the country to provide innovative enrichment programs to their feline residents, putting kitties on par—for the first time, in many cases—with dogs and the quality of care they’ve long received. Want to get in on the trend? It starts with shelter staff, volunteers, and potential pet adopters changing their overall understanding of cats.
Climbing the Ladder
Animal shelters have come a long way, largely due to the ever-increasing professional experience and qualifications of the folks who run them. If you want to make a lifelong career of sheltering, if you hope to gradually climb the ladder from scooping poop and walking dogs to guiding the direction of an organization, it’s not enough to simply love animals—you must develop your skills. Here’s how to do it.
DEPARTMENTS
Letterbox
Scoop
Coffee Break
In your space, you told us about your most difficult and interesting field rescues.
Creature Feature
Chinchillas are insanely cute—and that can prove to be a problem if infatuated new owners fail to research the exotic rodents’ substantial care needs. Learn what’s out and what’s in when it comes to advising someone on adopting a chin.
The "101" Department
The idea of animal welfare organizations working together harmoniously might seem like a pipe dream, but groups around the country are forming coalitions to work toward the common goal of saving animals’ lives. Learn what these alliances have achieved, and how the groups in your community can lay down their arms and join hands.
Q & A
Mike Arms draws on the experience of a nearly 40-year career in animal welfare to talk about how shelters can better promote their pets.
Shelter Medicine
Animals brought to shelters in mass numbers don’t just come from animal hoarders. They may also arrive from raids on puppy mills, pet shops, or illegal animal shipments, or be victims of natural or manmade disasters. All shelters should have a plan in place for handling the influx when such situations occur.
Volunteer Management
Animal shelters are often so desperate for volunteers to offset their small budgets that their volunteer programs are developed quickly, with very little structure or planning. A more successful approach is to step back, slow down, and plan a volunteer program in a series of building blocks, in order to prevent major problems and support healthy growth.
Off Leash
Good with words? Enjoy brain teasers? Have a dictionary (or Google) handy? Then you’re going to enjoy matching wits with our animal welfare-themed crossword puzzle.
| 
