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Home › Partner News › From hopeless to home: trends in modern sheltering

From hopeless to home: trends in modern sheltering

October 4, 2019Noteworthy

From hopeless to home: trends in modern sheltering

Thanks to new and innovative approaches to modern sheltering, kill rates are declining across the country and adoption rates are on the rise.

Even cities with historically difficult animal welfare challenges are changing fortunes for pets – and their people, too.

Nipping problems in the bud

There is a saying that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Shelters – including rescues, SPCAs, humane societies, and municipal animal controls – often believe that their work begins once an animal comes through their doors.

But increasingly modern sheltering is about preventing animals from entering the shelter system in the first place.

Supporting owners in need and facilitating person-to-person adoptions are among the most effective approaches to reduce unnecessary shelter intake.

Get fixed

The availability of low-cost spay/neuter can reduce the population of unwanted pets substantially. Yet affordable services are lacking in many areas of the country where they are needed most.

According to the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), 87 percent of animals in underserved communities are not fixed. And 77 percent have never taken their pets to a veterinarian.

The challenge is both economic and educational, as well. Public education about the importance of spay/neuter goes hand-in-hand with making those services available.

Not every animal welfare organization has the capacity to offer spay/neuter or other basic, essential pet health services.

But every shelter can partner with local veterinary practices to make affordable spay/neuter more readily available. Some veterinarians have mobile spay/neuter vans to more easily serve communities in need and participate in on-site shelter events.

Petsmart Charities maintains an online searchable database of its clinics that offer spay/neuter services around the country.

And the HSUS has an online state-by-state listing of various organizations that assist pet guardians in need – including low-cost spay/neuter programs.

Modern sheltering: bypass the shelter altogether

Pets are often surrendered by people who did not know they had other options to find their beloved dog or cat a new home.

These animals wind up in shelters – straining facilities that were meant as a refuge for a community’s most vulnerable pets.

When shelters become overwhelmed with dogs and cats who have other options for rehoming it challenges their ability to help those pets who are in greatest need.

Adopt-a-Pet’s Rehome gives pet guardians a huge online platform to help find their pet a new home and bypass the shelter altogether. Creating a pet profile takes just a few minutes and, once live, will appear in searches for millions of potential adopters to see.

Get Your Pet is another, similar online community to pair people who need to rehome their pets with those seeking to adopt.

Food support

Temporary food support is another vital aspect of modern sheltering to keep people and pets together. However, not every shelter has the capacity to manage its own pet food bank.

Consider reaching out to local human pet food banks and work with them to include pet food.

Contact local houses of worship that operate food banks or donation drives. Encourage them to add pet food and basics to their inventory. You might even collaborate with them to drive pet-related donations to their coffers.

Best Friends Animal Society offers tips on how to organize a pet food drive. These activities can be done by your shelter on its own or collaboratively with other pet- and human-resource organizations in your community.

Rescue Bank grants pet food and supplies to qualified nonprofit animal shelters, with particular emphasis on smaller, under-resourced shelters.

What modern sheltering techniques are working in your animal welfare organization?

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GET YOUR PET

Online community connecting people who want to adopt with pets who need a home. Pets bypass the shelter entirely. Think of it as a person-to-person Petfinder.

Learn more at getyourpet.com

DOGS PLAYING FOR LIFE

This is a wonderful program that offers free on-site, hands on, instructional training to shelters around the country so they can develop dog play groups. The concept is that it helps dogs become better socialized, reduces stress, and in turn makes them more adoptable. Free to qualifying shelters, which must be breed agnostic and open admission.

Learn more at dogsplayingforlife.com

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TREAT ME RIGHT

All natural, organic, human grade, and unique dog and cat treats that raise funds for animal welfare groups to help homeless pets.

Learn more at treatmeright.org

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RESCUE REBUILD

Animal shelter renovation program using volunteers from across the country to complete repairs and renovations to shelters, and increase pet adoption.

Learn more at rescuerebuild.greatergood.org

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Clark retired from the Marines after more than 20 Clark retired from the Marines after more than 20 years of service to our nation. And in 2012 he was one of our early adopters - literally and figuratively - when he rescued then 2 year-old Ellie.

Ellie is now 13 and the pint-sized pup is still living large with Clark and his family, who recently gave us this heartfelt shoutout:

"Wanted to thank you for the many years of support your team has provided! It has helped out immensely over the years! Thank you all for what you have done and for what you continue to do."

Sounds like a mission accomplished to us!

Thanks to our partners @ranchocoastal - one of our earliest shelter partners - for this enduring match, and for continuing to waive adoption fees for veterans in our program.

#gotchadayanniversary #adoptdontshop #adoptashelterdog #adoptashelterpet #militaryfamily #usmcveteran #usmc #marinecorps #usmarines #usmarinecorps #petsforvets
Ahoy, mate! Noah retired from the Navy and just th Ahoy, mate! Noah retired from the Navy and just threw a lifeline to Kali, a stunning Cane Corso mix. This big, beautiful girl was in the care of our partners @norfolkanimals which gives veterans we serve 50% off adoption fees.

Click to the next photo to see their freedom ride pic!

#canecorsoofinstagram #canecorso #bigdogs #bigdogsofinstagram #bigdogstrong #adoptdontshop #adoptashelterpet #adoptashelterdog #weratedogs #navyveteran #navy #usn #usnavy #norfolkva
CJ is a disabled Marine veteran who finds joy in t CJ is a disabled Marine veteran who finds joy in the simple pleasures of life, including the addition of an older cat who joined her after the loss of a beloved pet.

Click the link in our bio to read their tale!

Thanks @sdhumanesociety for helping us make this purr-fect story possible and for waiving adoption fees for veterans in our program. ❤️

#sdhumanesociety #femaleveteran #usmcveteran #usmc #marinecorps #cats_of_instagram #cutecat #cutecats #cutecatsofinstagram #nalacat #adoptasheltercat #adoptaseniorpet #oldcatsofinstagram #oldcats #twoisbetterthanone
You know it's love when your new Marine Corps dad You know it's love when your new Marine Corps dad gives up his armchair for you. ❤️

Congratulations to nearly 9 year-old Holly Belle who's already made herself at home. She met Chuck through our partners @fredspca - which waives adoption fees for veterans we serve...oorah!

#olddogsrule #seniordogsofinstagram #adoptaseniordog #adoptaseniorpet #olddogsofinstagram #cutedogs #weratedogs #usmcveteran #usmc #marinecorps #iserved #iadopted #petsforvets
Wishing all of our Jewish friends around the world Wishing all of our Jewish friends around the world a sweet New Year, especially the men and women of the U.S. military who serve in all corners of the world in defense of our freedoms, including the freedom to practice (or not) the faith of our choosing.

L'shana tovah!

#lshanatova #lshanahtovah #roshhashana #roshhashanah #happynewyear #jewishnewyear #freedom #freedomofreligion #sweetnewyear
Meet two of our recent cat-tastic heroes: * Tim i Meet two of our recent cat-tastic heroes:

* Tim is active duty Army and just became cat dad to Iceburg - one cool cat (sorry, we couldn't resist)! Thanks to @jeffcospca for this purr-fect match and for giving veterans we serve $100 adoption fees.

* Andre is an Army National Guardsman with a heart for older pets. He met 11 year-old Camo (great name!) through our partners @nfsaws in Connecticut, which offers our veterans 50% off adoption fees.

#cats_of_instagram #adoptasheltercat #adoptashelterpet #adoptdontshop #nalacat #whitecat #calicocat #seniorpetsofig #adoptaseniorcat #armylife #army #army #armynationalguard #petsforvets #realmenlovecats
It's adoptapalooza "J" edition! * Jonasia is an A It's adoptapalooza "J" edition!

* Jonasia is an Army veteran who visited our partners @bmorehumane and added 3 year-old Josey to her family. This gorgeous hound and her adorable human sister are both so pretty in pink...twinning!

* James is an Iraq war veteran who needed the comfort of a 4-legged battle buddy. Three year-old Nami fit the bill after being in the care of our partners @lollypopfarm!

* Jacob is active duty Army and met Charlemagne at @jeffcospca where this stunning Shepherd-Retriever mix just fetched a new home!

Thanks to all of our shelter partners mentioned in this post - and across the country - who help us place animals in need with our nation's heroes.

#adoptdontshop #armyveteran #army #armystrong #houndsofinstagram #muttsrule #petsforvets #femaleveteran #iraqwar #militaryfamily #militaryfamilies #battlebuddies
Jeff has always believed in doing the right thing Jeff has always believed in doing the right thing as his guiding philosophy. Eventually that attitude led the Marine Corps veteran to save a shelter dog who would forever change his perspective on adoption.

Click the link in our bio to read this truly inspirational tale!

#usmcveteran #usmc #marinecorps #usmarines #marinecorpsveteran #iraqwar #combatveteran #militaryfamily #cutedogsofinstagram #weratedogs #adoptdontshop #petsforvets #muttsrule
22 years after the 9/11 terror attacks we continue 22 years after the 9/11 terror attacks we continue to honor the lives of thousands of souls lost that day and in the years that followed, including two as yet unnamed victims identified within the last few days.

May they all rest in heavenly repose with the knowledge that we will never waiver, we will always stand on the side of freedom, and we will never, ever forget.

#september11 #neverforget #neverforgotten #nineeleven #911 #worldtradecenter #marines #army #coastguard #navy #airforce #fdny #nypd #rip #waronterror #freedom #freedomisntfree #shanksville #pentagon
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