G2Z through program development

G2Z through program development – Sharon Harmon (Oregon Humane Society)

Whenever we get an animal into care, it’s our job to get them into someone else’s care as soon as possible.

If we’re still euthanasing animals, then we haven’t found the solution.

– Innovation
– Evaluation
– Modification
– Evaluation
– Innovation

All have the capacity to reach out and see what is happening in other agencies – steal from the best.

What can we do different to speed things up and move them through. It’s a numbers game – how many lives can we save.

Time wasted = lives lost

Every pet who wait in care, is another pet who can’t be saved from another facility.

We need to have a sense of urgency.

Do we have programs that don’t fit our mission – cost us money – distraction. Look at your program – eliminate ‘nice’ programs, focus on bang for buck

Are our policies the problem?
– Home alone for puppies and kittens
– No kids with fragile pets/baby pets (need to be smart, but no blanket bans)
– Mandatory cooling off
– Confinement (people successfully keep dogs without six foot fences)
– Housing
– ‘Gotchya applications’
– Believe people have honest intentions

Returns aren’t a bad thing – we have animals with unknown histories going into homes. When they come back, we know more. It is an opportunity to learn, not an indication of favour.

Review adoption applications – why are people being refused adoptions? If your policies would restrict YOU from adopting a pet, then you need to change them/evolve. You aren’t special.

Need to move out of a ‘protector’ role – we have to start from a position of trust. People coming into your shelters aren’t the enemy. Want a dog, PROVE IT TO ME. Your clients are choosing you – help them be a good pet owner.

There are many places to get pets – but they’re choosing you. Help them make a good choice.

Be open to change.
– What are your self imposed barriers to getting to yes. Could you start from YES! and work to no?

What is the fastest way to G2Z
– Shelters are where pets die. Keep them out of shelters.
– Stay within your means. If you cannot provide good care, keep pets healthy, if animals linger – reduce your intakes.
– Admit only what you can care for. Are you taking
– Empower the public to solve their own problems
– Rally the troops
– Focus focus focus on saving lives. Focus on programs. Efforts. Eliminate exeneraous rpgams
What about the children, what about humane education, what about animal assisted therapy?
If you’re not saving lives, these aren’t needed. We need programs to keep pets in homes

Core strategies
– Preserve the bond
– Take in what you can help (take in the highly adoptable pets and get them up for adoption – fasttrack)
– Help what you take in
– Make it quick
– Do it again

We’re here to help. Adoption process should be quick and easy. Instead of creating a filter to keep people out of your shelter – create a safety net of resources to preserve the bond once the pet is in the home. Clients don’t need to be A+ you’re going to be stacking them up and killing them waiting for A+ homes. Bring C homes up to B homes.

Managed admissions
– Establish your capacity
– Target your lenght of stay
– Be prepared!
– KNow where you are at all times
– The daily huddle – bring staff together

– Transfer what you can’t place in two weeks. Rescue groups can save lives. If you’re killing them, find someone else who wants to take them.
– Mix it up, inventory diversity. Mix it up with another shelter.
– Share the burden. It’s not up to any one group to do everything. Embrace your community. Find other groups to help.

Promotions – ‘everybody loves a bargain’
– The retail model
– Senior support
– Event discounts
– Free cat adoptions (people are getting them free anyway/undesexed)
– Holiday adoptions (halloween adoptions, easter rabbit adoptions)

Foster programs are a critical
– Have homes ready – don’t wait for pets to come in. Have them waiting in the wings.

Volunteer programs are essential
– Constant recruitment
– Highly skilled labour/professional
– Can do everything

Veterinary student partnership
– Free labour
– Education on rescue issues
– Become donors

Don’t mess around – don’t waste time – wasted time is lives lost.

Questions

How do you ‘love returns’?

We hold foster homes as the best thing ever – but we hate returns. It’s not that different.

We have to find it the right home. The life long home. We can’t always get that the first time, as behaviour is different is in the shelter, than the home.

If you have no returns, you have too many screening processing in place. You have a different problem.