Shelter Success Simplified – Details, episodes & analysis

GUEST: Scott Giacoppo. Scott is the Director of National Shelter Outreach for Best Friends Animal Society and oversees the development of lifesaving efficacy and sustainability for animal welfare partners across the U.S. Prior to Best Friends, Scott was president of NACA – the National Animal Care & Control Association – as well as chief of Animal Field Services for the District of Columbia for 10 years, overseeing all animal control and cruelty investigations team members for Humane Rescue Alliance. He began his animal protection career with the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals as the Special State Police Officer for Cruelty Investigations. 

MAIN QUESTION: How can leaders and managers get staff and public buy-in for return-to-field programs?

TAKEAWAYS:

• Removing cats doesn’t work, never has and never will. Removing a cat is not serving the community; it’s clearing a call log. It only solves the problem for a few weeks at most, as new cats will invariably move in to fill the void. 
• Give your team all the information they need to fully understand why RTF is a better approach, how it works in other communities and why the old way is not effective.
• Some staff may be resistant to change because they don’t want to face the fact that they’ve been doing something that doesn’t work or because doing something new that goes against the way they have always done it can be scary.
• When someone calls to have cat picked up, that’s when the discussion about RTF should start. Explain that:
• Removing cats isn’t effective, as another cat will show up to fill the niche.
• Getting the cat fixed, vaccinated and returned decreases nuisance behavior, including spraying, yowling and fighting as well as preventing the birth of kittens. 
• Share humane ways to deter cats from their garden or yard.
• When an officer has an encounter that doesn’t work out well, talk it through with them, asking them how it may have been handled differently and offering suggestions. 

LINKS:

• Best Friends Network 
• Leadership recommendation: Leadership Freak blog 

GUEST: Kimberly Wade. Kimberly is an expert consultant for Humane Network focusing on communications and social media. She was campaign manager for Maddie's Pet Project in Nevada, communications director at Nevada Humane Society, news producer at KOLO 8 News Now, and has a degree in broadcast journalism and communications from the University of Central Florida. 

MAIN QUESTION: What are some tips for animal organizations to create better social media pages and posts?

TAKEAWAYS:

• If you don’t have a photo, you don’t have a story. 
• To take good photos, avoid a busy background. Get a good clear picture of the animal with their eyes wide open and looking at you. 
• You may hear hundreds of similar stories about why animals end up in your shelter or at your rescue group. The public has not. So gather basic information even if it’s not a unique story to you. Find out what you can about the animal and their backstory, especially where they came from and why they are now at your organization. You need details to tell a story that will interest your followers in adopting or donating.
• Make sure you have a positive spin on a story – don’t point blame. Talk about how your organization helped, how your supporters made it possible and a bright future ahead, thanks to the generosity of kind supporters. Ask for specific help if needed, such as donations and foster homes.
• For social media:
  • You want a minimum of one post a day – this makes your posts more likely to appear in your followers’ feeds. Busy and larger organizations should aim for two to three posts a day.
  • Interact with your followers. Like their comments. Thank them when they make a donation or say something nice.

LINKS:

• Humane Network's team 
• Leadership recommendation: “Managing Yourself to Better Lead Others” (article) by Jo Anne Preston
• “Lead the Way in Five Minutes a Day: Sparking High Performance in Yourself and Your Team" (book) by Jo Anne Preston 

GUEST: Kelley Bollen is a Certified Animal Behavior Consultant with a master’s degree in Animal Behavior who has worked in the field of companion animal behavior for twenty years. Kelley is the Owner and Principal Consultant for Kelley Bollen Consulting – an animal behavior consulting business. Kelley consults with animal shelters across the country on the design and implementation of comprehensive behavior programs to improve the welfare of the animals. She leads Humane Network’s Alive & Thriving animal behavior training program for shelter and clinic staff. And Kelley teaches an Animal Shelter Behavior Management Certificate Course through the University of the Pacific with a new program starting September 27, 2021. 

MAIN QUESTION: What tips do you have for shelter and clinic staff for handling animals to make it a more stress-free experience?

TAKEAWAYS:

• Coming to an animal shelter or veterinary clinic is inherently stressful for animals, in part because of all the new surfaces, sounds, and smells, including fear pheromones from other animals.
• Not having secure footing is stressful for cats and dogs so be sure that tables and scales where they might stand have nonslip surfaces. For dogs, make sure there is a nonslip pad right inside the main door.
• Pre-medicating with sedatives can help some animals come to the clinic calmer, but for others their fear may overpower the effects. Sedating the animal in the clinic instead might be a more viable option. 
• In general for cats: Give cats a place to hide such as under a towel, or try a specific towel wrap that can help you be able to perform the procedure. Try minimal restraint first, making sure the cat can have all four feet on a solid, non-slippery surface whenever possible.
• In general for dogs: Before starting an exam, try getting dogs to change their mindset by playing with them or asking them to do a known trick such as sit or shake. 

LINKS:

• Kelley Bollen Consulting
• Kelley's Animal Behavioral Management Certificate Course through University of the Pacific (new course starting Sept. 27, 2021) 
• Kelley's Alive & Thriving training program for shelter and clinic staff 
• Leadership recommendation: “How to Ask Useful Questions” by Josh Kaufman (article) 

GUEST: Mark Robison has been president of CockadoodleMoo Farm Animal Sanctuary for more than 14 years. He is also Senior Consultant at Humane Network and Communications Manager for Options Veterinary Care, a nonprofit clinic. Mark was a journalist for more than 25 years in Stockton, California; Little Rock, Arkansas; and for most of his career at the main newspaper in Reno, the Gazette-Journal

MAIN QUESTION: How should nonprofit animal organizations handle negative reviews, critics on social media posts, and critical investigative reporters?

TAKEAWAYS:

• Respond to all online reviews, including the positive ones.
• Make sure that the person responding to negative reviews understands the big picture and can write clearly and concisely. This person may be you – or you might want to approve responses to negative reviews before they go out. Remember that the response is not just to this individual, but to everyone who will come across the review.
• Respond seriously to criticism, even when it’s unfounded. Express understanding for critics’ concerns. 
• Cultivate supporters on social media by regularly liking their comments and responding to their praise and questions quickly. Be transparent and get ahead of criticisms so that your fans understand the issues and background.
• Hide comments by trolls, and respond fully to people who seem genuine in their concerns. Your main audience is not so much the critic as it is everyone else who might come across the complaint. This will give talking points for your fans so they can respond on your behalf wherever they encounter critics in the future. 
• Don’t take journalistic investigations personally and don’t stonewall or be defensive. Express solidarity with their desire to inform the community and do right by supporters. Being open and honest will often defuse a reporter’s concerns before a situation blows up. 

LINKS:

• Humane Network — website
• CockadoodleMoo Farm Animal Sanctuary — Facebook page
• Options Veterinary Care — website
• Leadership recommendation (article): “Managers: Compassion and Accountability Aren’t Mutually Exclusive" by Amy Gallo for Harvard Business Review

GUEST: Christie Keith is a communications and media consultant with an exclusive focus on animal welfare and veterinary medicine. Her current and recent clients include The Shelter Pet Project, the first public service campaign promoting an animal welfare cause in the Ad Council's 60-year history; Dr. Marty Becker, author and veterinarian; Maddie's Fund; Million Cat Challenge; Dr. Patty Khuly, veterinarian and author; and Vetstreet.com. As a writer and editor, Christie's work has appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle/SFGate.com, Bark Magazine, and the nationally syndicated newspaper feature "Pet Connection." She has been a speaker at a number of animal sheltering conferences such as the HSUS Animal Care Expo, Best Friends’ No More Homeless Pets, and the National No-Kill Conference.    MAIN QUESTION: How can animal organizations avoid blaming the public in their messaging when talking about the challenges they face?   TAKEAWAYS:

• Your organization relies upon your community to make donations to support your work, to adopt animals, and volunteer. If we inadvertently blame the community for animal surrenders, we poison that well and hurt our own ability to be successful. 
• In the past, shelters and rescue groups fell into a pattern of blaming irresponsible pet owners, backyard breeders, and an indifferent public for the problems we were facing. These were real feelings and understandable, but this approach turned out to be undermining our own success. It is important to avoid falling into these old patterns. 
• When creating communications aimed at the public, figure out who the audience is and what you want them to do. This will guide your language.
• Avoid using words like “dumping” or “abandoning” pets. People are turning to you for help with an animal they got from you – that’s what we want them to do. Give support instead of judgment. 
• Invite members of the public to be heroes by becoming a foster caregiver, adopting a pet or donating to help pets in need. Share how rewarding it is to foster or adopt.

LINKS:

• Christie Keith — website
• Leadership recommendation: "8 Ways Your Board Can Fundraise Without Asking" — article

GUEST: Rebecca Guinn is CEO of LifeLine Animal Project, which manages Atlanta’s Fulton and DeKalb County animal shelters and which opened a new shelter, adoption center and clinic in 2019. LifeLine’s community outreach effort provides free vaccines, spay/neuter and other assistance to thousands of pets belonging to underserved Atlantans. LifeLine’s community cat program, the first and largest organized trap-neuter-return assistance program in Atlanta, has sterilized and vaccinated more than 40,000 community cats; and the LifeLine Spay & Neuter Clinics comprise the largest spay/neuter provider in Georgia, having performed more than 140,000 surgeries to date. Rebecca is active in the Animal Law Section of the State Bar of Georgia and is a member of Best Friends Animal Society’s No-Kill 2025 National Steering Committee.

MAIN QUESTION: How can animal welfare leaders and managers keep an eye on the big picture while staying on top of day-to-day fires?

TAKEAWAYS:

• The leader’s job is to keep the focus on the mission and to get others involved in it.
• Build a team of likeminded people, look for each person’s superpower and tap into it.
• Seek out people with skills that complement others on the team.
• We owe our best to the animals every time. Set that standard for yourself.
• Find the gaps in your community, and figure out what’s needed to close those gaps.
• Regularly ask yourself if you're solving the right problems and what you are trying to make better. Perform gap analyses; over time, you’ll get better at solving for the right problems.
• Embrace both ends of the leash.

LINKS:

• Lifeline Animal Project — website
• Leadership recommendation: Nonprofit Tech for Good website and e-newsletter 

GUEST:  Dr. Leslie Appel is the founder and executive director of Shelter Outreach Services (SOS). She is also a courtesy lecturer at the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. Before these roles, Dr. Appel was director of veterinary outreach at the ASPCA. She was also a full-time faculty member at Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, where she was an instructor in Small Animal Surgery. And Dr. Appel was the 2013 recipient of the AVMA Animal Welfare Award. 

MAIN QUESTION: How can animal organizations provide services to rural communities, which often get overlooked?

TAKEAWAYS:

• Dr. Appel’s organization Shelter Outreach Services, or SOS, is specifically designed to meet the needs of rural communities. 
• Before starting a program, assess what’s going on in your community and surrounding counties to understand what services are needed and who might be able to help.
• Also, get advice from a veterinarian early on in your planning about what’s needed to provide veterinary outreach services.
• SOS is set up like the hub of a wheel with its partners as the spokes. Each is essential to success. SOS provides the services and seeks grant funding for big ticket items like anesthesia machines, while its partners who host SOS’s MASH-style clinics in their communities do their own fundraising and grant writing to pay for those services.
• If you want to provide high quality, high volume spay/neuter services, veterinarians and veterinary technicians need training because it is generally not taught in school.  This is best done by having them observe and work alongside an existing team initially.
• High quality, high volume spay/neuter services are not about speed; it’s about creating an efficient flow.

LINKS:

• Shelter Outreach Services
• The Association of Shelter Veterinarians' guidelines for spay-neuter programs 
• Leadership recommendation: "How to Read Non-Profit Financial Statements"

GUEST: T' Fisher is director of operations for AlignCare Health, a program of the University of Tennessee that aims to expand access to veterinary care nationwide. She was founder and director of the Companion Animal Initiative of Tennessee at the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine, as well as vice president of animal welfare at the Houston SPCA. She has a bachelor’s degree in cultural anthropology and bachelor of science degrees in computer technology (with a specialty in graphic design and 3D animation) and in animal science.    MAIN QUESTION: What is AlignCare and how can it help organizations expand access to veterinary care even if they don't have their own clinic?   TAKEAWAYS:

• AlignCare and other access-to-care programs help to keep animals who just need veterinary care with their families and out of shelters. This enables shelters to focus resources on animals who are homeless and really need the shelter. 
• AlignCare benefits private practice veterinarians in the community, as they hate to see an animal euthanized for financial reasons.
• AlignCare is one way for helping with these situations. It covers 80% of veterinary costs for pets who are sick or injured whose people are on a means-tested public assistance program such as Medicaid, food stamps, or Section 8 housing.
• Animal organizations without public clinics can refer people to AlignCareHealth.org to apply for help at a participating clinic near them. (You can check with AlignCareHealth.org to see if the program is operating in your community, or you can help to get it going there.)
• AlignCare and other access-to-care programs typically works with veterinarians to provide incremental care that does not start with “gold standard” care that often involves lots of upfront costs, like diagnostic tests. Instead it relies on veterinarians’ experience to determine the best, most cost effective initial courses of action for sick or injured pets, if additional help is needed, then tests can be ordered. It’s a tiered diagnostic and therapeutic approach to veterinary medicine, similar to the way shelter veterinarians work. 

LINKS:  

• AlignCare
• Program for Pet Health Equity at the University of Tennessee 
• Leadership recommendation: Adopters Welcome Manual by HSUS 

GUEST: Lisa LaFontaine is president and chief executive officer of the Humane Rescue Alliance, based in Washington, DC. In 2019, Lisa oversaw the merger of the Humane Rescue Alliance with St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center to create the first regional, community-based, multi-state animal welfare organization in the nation. The organization is the largest provider of animal services in that region, touching the lives of more than 100,000 animals each year. Lisa was also CEO of New Hampshire’s Monadnock Humane Society. She has served as board member and chairman of the board of the Association for Animal Welfare Advancement, the National Federation of Humane Societies, and the New England Federation of Humane Societies. 

MAIN QUESTION: What lessons have you learned from the pandemic that have led your organization to be even more community facing? 

TAKEAWAYS:

• Remember that animals are social connectors. They can build community and bring people together who otherwise might feel they have nothing to talk about.
• Expand your foster program. This is a great way to start for organizations looking to become a more integral part of their communities. It engages the public, inspiring them to become advocates for animals as they help find good new homes for them.  
• Look into creating virtual support for foster caregivers, such as telemedicine from staff veterinarians and behavior classes or videos with trainers or behaviorists. 
• Use staff and volunteers who have strong skills to mentor other staff, such as with hosting events over Zoom or taking photos.
• Seek more feedback, such as surveys of your volunteers, supporters, and adopters. You can also hold Zoom meetings with volunteers to get their feedback. Volunteers and supporters are a great conduit between your organization and the rest of your community.

LINKS:

• Humane Rescue Alliance
• Leadership recommendation: "3 Simple Steps to Develop a Nonprofit Board Education Plan" by Sabrina Walker Hernandez

GUEST: Susan Cosby is the Senior Director of Lifesaving Centers for Best Friends Animal Society. She was the Director of Lifesaving for the Petco Foundation and served as the Executive Director and founding employee of the Animal Care and Control Team of Philadelphia. Susan was also the President and CEO of the Pennsylvania SPCA and the Executive Director of the Animal Welfare Association in New Jersey.

MAIN QUESTION: What advice do you have for leaders and managers to handle stressful or chaotic work environments?

TAKEAWAYS:

• Make sure your communications with staff are thoughtful and layered. This means repeating important information and using different communication channels because different people absorb information differently, such as verbally, in emails, text messages of apps such as Slack. It is almost impossible to over-communicate.
• Listen and create a feedback loop. Follow-up when people ask questions or you've assigned someone a project. Check in and listen. And when you say you’ll follow-up, be sure to do it so that people have trust when communicating with you.
• Look for opportunities to create moments of positivity. When you tell someone that something is important to you, follow up after they complete it and let them know that they did a good job.
• Nobody likes an inefficient meeting. Make sure they start and end on time and have an agenda and a purpose.

LINKS:

• Best Friends Animal Society 
• Leadership recommendation: Eisenhower Matrix