There is a call for rescue groups and animal advocates to stop critiquing the appallingly high kill rates at certain shelters, and to instead to try work collaboratively with them. The great irony being that community groups have often been frustrated for years by high kill shelters who resist any dialogue or outside influence, and who only come to the table after their kill rates become mainstream news, and the public become understandably irate.
And it is easy for these beloved legacy organsations to paint community rescue and foster care groups as radicals and agitators;
‘‘We would like to be able to work together, it’s about trying to manage competing passions,’’ Mr (Steve) Coleman said.
…
‘‘We’ll work with animal rescue groups that are reasonable.’’
Ignoring the fact these same supposedly ‘unreasonable’ groups are working collaboratively and successfully with many other segments of the animal management community – small council pounds, fellow rescue groups – and often while managing teams of hundreds of foster carers and volunteers.
Generally, it’s not the community rescue groups who need the lessons in ‘playing well with others’.
High-volume Kill shelters – particularly those who are private organisations who tender to multiple local councils – are being paid to process and care for each and every animal that comes through their doors. These large sums of money (hundreds of thousands, through to millions of dollars each year) are paid through council animal contracts and direct from the public donations.
Having a good working relationship with local rescue groups can be vital to saving more lives, but that does not absolve these wealthy organisation of the responsibility to be helping the animals they’re paid to care for themselves.
With that in mind, I’ve created ‘A Kill Shelters’ Guide to Community Collaboration’. Rather than rescue groups being treated as a nuisance, an enemy, or worst, a scapegoat to validate continued pound killing – rescue groups need to demand that their work is respected and valued.
Thank you for your interest in working with us, your local community rescue/foster care group.
In the interest of developing a harmonious relationship, this guide outlines the top ten issues that often arise when kill shelters begin working with rescue. We hope you’ll take note of these and work with us to develop a program which is both beneficial to pets, and rewarding for both our organisations.
We believe our organisation to be professional, knowledgable and well organised. However, we are also volunteers. Most of us have other jobs and families. Appreciate us. Encourage us. Work to make our lives easier.
Don’t treat us like a supplier who works for you. Equally, don’t treat us like you are doing us a favour. We are in fact helping you with your work and an air of appreciation is vital if you’re serious about getting us on your team.
Our carers will move heaven and earth to help you, if we have a good working relationship. However, we also have limited resources so require you to a fair share of the ‘heavy lifting’.
We are an independent organisation who will speak out if we see injustice or cruelty against animals. In fact we consider this a vital part of our work. By collaborating and communicating together, we hope we will have the opportunity to work with you to resolve any potential issues as they come up, but we also will not be silenced on important issues just to ‘keep the peace’.
We are against the killing of healthy, treatable pets. We want to help you save all healthy and treatable pets. If this is not your aim also, or you feel that having animal advocates in your midst will make your usual operations difficult, then chances are the relationship will not be harmonious.
(That said, the wider pet-loving public is much more unreasonable, much more outspoken and much harder to negotiate with than we’ll ever be – if you need to get your kill rate down or face public backlash, then we might be the better option.)
It is likely that your high-volume kill shelter is being paid by various councils to manage your pound processes. If our rescue group is willing to help you lighten your load by taking ownership of animals for care, rehabilitation and rehoming FOR FREE, make it easy for us to do so.
Do not charge us a fee to help you. In fact if you can, offer us the pet’s vet work and vaccinations for free (or at least highly discounted). Alternatively, allow us to take the pet to our own vet for desexing and treatments, as it will generally be cheaper for us.
If your shelter kills a pet, that is absolutely 100% your responsibility. No matter what level of rescue group involvement you have, it is an enormous bonus for your organisation and should be treated as such. We will do everything we can to help you, however there is never an obligation for our rescue group to save a pet from your kill list.
Saving your pets is your obligation, not ours.
Using guilt by threatening to kill pets we don’t collect, or endeavouring to shift blame to us for pets who are killed, is not only totally unfair, it will quickly spoil any positive relationship we might be building together.
Our community rescue group is supported by a team of volunteers. This means we will need to be given reasonable notice to mobilise helpers to take on each and every pet. Impossible deadlines (like telling us to pick up a pet by COB) build resentment.
Work to either give our group a heads up so we have adequate time to recruit carers, or arrange a third location (such as a private kennels) that can take pets in the short term until we can collect them.
This goodwill works both ways. We will prioritise your pets over private surrenders and work to always make space available for your animals.
If treated well our rescue group will provide you an invaluable resource. We can help with those breeds who don’t do well in shelters. We can support you through high-traffic times like kitten season. We will offer up our carers to assist you with intensive treatment plans for health and behaviour. We can and will do all of these things, but only if we don’t feel like you are simply dumping anything ‘too hard’ into our laps.
Nothing sours a relationship quicker than a wealthy shelter who only calls community rescue for their worst cases – ‘flipping’ the highly adoptable pets and desirable breeds themselves. Community rescue groups like ours need a spectrum of pets to enter our care, otherwise we quickly fill up or go bust.
A failed rescue group is no help to you – or anybody – so our partnership must encompass a variety of pets, not just those who need extra help.
If you are a high-kill shelter, then by definition we are going to want the opportunity to work with animals that you may have previously deemed ‘unadoptable’. No doubt this will make you feel a bit anxious.
Our carers all have various skills, knowledge and capabilities ranging from brand-new-to-rescue families, to experienced rehabilitation homes. We use local resources such as dog trainers, vets and behaviorists. It is our responsibility, and is in our best interests to manage our rescue responsibly and safely. We will take full legal responsibility for any pet we take from you.
You must let us save and rehabilitate what you would previously have killed. That, in fact, is the whole point of this relationship. If changing and challenging your policies is not something you want to consider, then maybe a relationship with rescue is not for you.
We want to be supported and acknowledged for the help we give you. Tell people about the work we do together. Invite us to your onsite events. Include us in your annual report. Help us promote our pets and events.
We have none of your financial or media clout, so don’t treat us like an enemy who must never be mentioned. Your supporters will appreciate your dedication to saving lives. In fact, like the fable of the mouse and the lion, although we are small, we may be of use to you one day – especially in the social media space or grassroots advocacy. You succeed if we succeed.
Our carers are our resource and you agree not to poach or intimidate them. They will remain under our management and our insurances. We will not be simply ‘signing them over to you’. If you wish to create your own foster care network, then we would highly encourage it, but our carers remain members of our group.
It is not ‘your way or the highway’ – this must be a good working relationship open to negotiation. We are guests in your premises, but the animals belong to the community. If we are helping you bring your kill rates down and your community satisfaction up, you must be willing to take on board our suggestions, be happy to discuss your policies and open to be challenged on any failings.
Chances are we have contacts that you could only dream of. Chances are, we have community and volunteer resources that are beyond what you could create alone. We have ideas and experience and energy. We want to be a part of the work you do. Let’s try new things even if you think they might fail. Let’s talk about what other shelters are doing without fear. Let’s blue-sky. Let’s save lives. Let’s do this.
I love this posting, and agree with it wholeheartedly, time to work together for the good of all animals.
Love it!!
Certainly hope it achieves something.
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