More from Maddie’s Fund – and this one we should all be taking note of…
A recent survey ‘Common Elements of No-Kill Success’, asked No Kill communities (that is, areas that community-wide are saving more than 90% of animal intakes) which programs were most important to saving the lives of their shelter animals.
Now Australia welfare largely still hasn’t moved beyond the idea that DESEXING PROGRAMS! (usually said in a shouty voice for emphasis) are the key to eliminating shelter killing. So if we look at these communities who have put No Kill into practice – those communities who have actually achieved No Kill, not simply speculated on how to get there – what do they say is the most important programs to have?
So, marketing and PR was cited as important to achieving No Kill by every survey respondent – 100% of them. And they’re working hard at it – local media people, website, Facebook, Twitter, e-blasts and community events.
There should be no further doubt that asking people to help you is the number one way to reduce killing.
But it goes even further than that. These organisation have set themselves the clear goal of saving lives and are communicating it with their communities. Killing pets is not inspirational – saving pets is. By reclaiming their lifesaving mission, these shelters are able to communicate honestly and transparently with their public, and in return their public is proud to support and help their local animal shelters. It’s no longer US vs THEM, but ‘we’re all in this together’. And that kind of messaging is invaluable to inspiring people to take action.
Nearly every No Kill community runs adoption and price based specials to get pets into homes.
These organisations have realised that killing pets, while putting up arbitrary obstacles to their adoption, is no sort of kindness. They recognise that they have to compete with pet stores for convenience and approachability. They open late and on public holidays so people can visit. They think outside the box for ways to get people in the door.
Taking responsibility for finding pets homes, rather than simply blaming the community for their deaths, is key to eliminating killing as a tool for shelter population management.
Unsurprisingly, getting the community on board with your lifesaving efforts is another big one. Without your community’s support you’re a just pound with ‘too many’ pets. With the support of the community, you’re a resource which protects pets and offers a safety net and a second chance.
What IS surprising however, is that the top three methods for eliminating the killing of shelter animals in practice, all involve community outreach. The community absolutely is not the problem, but the solution to the killing of pets in shelters.
Volunteers break down the barriers between the community and the shelter. Treated well, they are also some of the shelters’ loudest advocates. That said, just nine of 19 respondents felt that volunteers were vital to their success, indicating that a lack of a volunteer program, while desirable, need not be an obstacle to saving lives.
Its fair to say the rest of the programs become more of a mix and match effort. Only around one third of respondents suggested any of the following’
#5 – Veterinary Care/Behavior Rehabilitation (cited by six respondents), Collaboration (cited by six respondents), Commitment (cited by six respondents)
#6 – Physical shelter (cited by five respondents), Customer Service (cited by five respondents), Spay/Neuter (Desexing) (cited by five respondents)
#7 – Leadership (cited by four respondents)
And literally only a couple of No Kill communities believe the following tools have been key;
#8 – Offsite Adoptions (cited by two respondents), Keeping Pets in Homes (cited by two respondents)
#9 – Staff training (cited by one respondent)
We keep seeing Australian shelters who claim they want to get to No Kill, berating the community with the message that they will only stop killing pets AFTER the community become more responsible and desex their pets (or the government pay for desexing programs, yadda yadda…).
What the experience of actual No Kill communities show, is that whether or not a pound or shelter kills pets, is completely dependant on what their efforts and processes to save lives are today.
As animal advocates we need to drive for those programs that will save lives. We can and should follow in the footsteps of those organisations who have found the secret to eliminating shelter killing.
Desexing is a good thing, but desexing programs are not, and never have been, the key to saving lives.
Thank-you for this! Much needed!
simply hear hear.
Pound Rounds has a model from day one the top 3
#1 – Marketing/PR
Our goal is truly highlight the special nature if the doggies with videos and photos and our feelings when meeting – not just facts but how they make us feel. Happy Endings and a resolution to ensure dogs don’t get killed (with limits our expansion because we don’t have the resources yet to build on the current shelters) means our page is not full of doggies pictures who were killed and thus broke our hearts – every week is a success story – compassion fatigue is addressed by not allowing needless loss of lives and the Happy Endings group. The most important thing is that it is advocacy not just rescue. Advocacy is loud and proud focuses on expanding the base of people that are aware the dogs even need help. Marketing is the number 1 reason our pounds don’t kill (of course we wish the council would do it and we could get some sleep – but we are not waiting for “after” either)
#2 – Adoption Specials
The Pound Rounds Direct Adoption Program model is supported by our council pounds for this exact reason – they know there is no movement in rates and prices for such factors as seasonality or capacity. PR uses it’s own susbsidised adoption program to ensure that for as little as $100 (compared with roughly $300) you can have a desexed and vaccinated come home to you. No obstacles or self interested paradigms impinging on that pets chance of a home. The only catch? It must be a pet who will be killed and is not available to any highly adoptable well sought after pet.
#3 – Community Engagement (including honesty)
The one thing we ask from our pounds is honesty – who will you kill and when? When this is received people are aware and able to help. 20,000 people now know if nothing else that pets in their backyard, in their rate payer funded facilties were being killed (in the case of kitties – still are en masse). Without doing any rescue or any other work at all PR would have considered this enough. Our goal as an advocacy group would have considered this alone successful. So far when the community knows, beyond the caveats place historically by ‘rescue’, they help. Numero Uno. Totally agree with your article as usual. The community is part of the solution and those hiding – including vested interest groups, breed based rescues, pound, shelters the kill rates, lcoations and pets are doing a disservice to the entire community of pets dependant on us to save them. In PR’s view these are not the pounds pets, they are not the councils pets, they are certainly not a breed specific groups pets they are our pets – they are our commmunities responsibility now. If they won’t save them we will, if they choose to kill them if it up to us to stop that – then when they do – it is up to the community to help.
#4 – Volunteers
We are seeing this now more than ever. We have two facilities that have taken all the right steps – although not yet officially No Kill in policy – but hang in there – it’s next – YET it also need to be understood that if a doggy is to ‘live’ in a shelter they need volunteers for the care of their pets. Pounds are purpose built impounding facilities – they are not designed or staffed for a doggy to live there for 3 months and it’s a real burden now for the facilities we work with to ensure the pets get sufficient care. We can get to the point where the doggies are given as long as they need – now they need community members to step in and help them stay well, cared for and loved – in order to still be rehomable.
Each group supporting or helping that facility also needs volunteers – and needs ot be free to ask and receive help unhindered. It was volunteers certainly at Blacktown pound historically that raised the standards of doggies in their care – who were the strongest advocates for and against council in favour of the measures required for the increased rehoming rates they enjoy today. Yay for the acknowledgment of the value of volunteers.
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