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FEATURES
Seeking Many Happy Returns (To Owners)
Missing pets pose a daunting challenge for animal welfare workers: Frantic owners want nothing less than peace of mind, and ideally they’d like a miraculously returned family companion. There’s plenty that shelters can do to aid searches and refer owners to effective resources.
Fire & Ice
Read about how the staff at two shelters rose to the occasion when Mother Nature dealt them huge (and dramatically different) challenges: a massive ice storm that shut down everything in a Massachusetts town, and a catastrophic series of wildfires in Victoria, Australia.
DEPARTMENTS
Letterbox
Scoop
Coffee Break
In your space, you told us about the most creative, funny, or effective adoption promotion your organization has ever done.
Creature Feature
Pat Parelli, one of the world’s most famous horsemen, doesn’t look like a softie. But he practices a kinder, gentler method of training, one that works with the animals and not against them. A series of three-day demonstrations of Parelli’s approach to equines are at the heart of an HSUS initiative to improve the care of horses, who all too often end up abandoned, neglected, or sent to slaughter.
The “101” Department
Applying for grants isn’t rocket science, and the money they provide can be used for all sorts of lifesaving projects at shelters and rescues. But many organizations balk at taking the first steps; the grant process and paperwork can be intimidating. Luckily, there’s a lot of great information available to grant writing newbies.
Q & A
In her recently released Filling the Ark, author and sociologist Leslie Irvine argues for better catastrophe planning and a new view of animals. She discusses her work and her on-the-ground experiences following Hurricane Katrina.
Shelter Medicine
All shelters, regardless of the length of time they’re able to hold animals, should strive for high-quality care. But it’s doubly important in facilities where animals will be held for weeks or even months. An animal exposed to a disease-filled, stressful environment for a longer period is more likely to suffer from the impact of that environment. Lila Miller outlines steps to keep longtimers healthy and happy.
Volunteer Management
Changes to a volunteer program require thoughtful and deliberate planning and action. A common mistake is to rush into making multiple changes without laying the groundwork to ensure success. Here’s how to avoid that error by moving forward in stages.
Off Leash
In these tough economic times, it’s more important than ever for shelters to keep the money coming in. One strategy is to kick the creativity level up a notch. Here’s a smattering of the wacky and wonderful events that shelters have devised to beat those recession blues.
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