Liveblogging No More Homeless Pets: Building a no-kill community

It's Sunday morning, the final day of Best Friends Animal Society's No More Homeless Pets conference in Las Vegas. I'm sitting in the second part of Bonney Brown of Nevada Humane's "Building a no-kill community" session.



I didn't see part one yesterday, but I've seen Bonney do this program before, both at Maddie's Fund's day-long seminar at HSUS' Animal Care Expo last spring, and at the No Kill Conference in Washington DC in May. She's a dynamic speaker, but it's her experience bringing her community -- not her shelter, but Washoe County, Nevada (where Reno is located) -- to no-kill.



Although Bonney is director of the private Nevada Humane Society, she shares a facility with, and the no-kill achievement with, the county animal control agency. This is a COMMUNITY effort and a COMMUNITY success.



Bonney: Why do we ges upset about "impulse adoptions"? How many here have SAVED an animal on impulse? Not all impulses are bad. And not all impulses are temporary. People have charitable impulses, and people fall in love or make other changes on impulse, and have it be lasting.



We encourage people coming to our shelter or adoption events to interact with the animals, touch htem, spend time with them. Old school sheltering experts will tell you to minimize contct with animals and people, but what do they do when you walk into a car dealership? They want you to drive the cars.



Comparing car to an animal, well... what's wrong with using these things we've learned from retail to save animal lives?



Sure, we can spread disease, but we have hand sanitizer everwhere, and if we see anyone touching an animal, we ask them to sanitize hands before going to the next, because we ant our animals to stay healthy. We tell them what we want, and we tell them why.



It often helps animals to be touched, makes them feel more comfortable, less stress knowing there is love and affection coming to them. And lower stress has benefits to animals.



Design adoption area to lower stress on the animals AND make it easy for people to see the animals and interact with them. Animals behind bars and glass have a harder time getting adopted. Have cat colonies.



Within minutes of coming in the door, every animal is vaccinated immediately. Not doing that leads to disasters.



Bonney just came from the University of Florida's Maddie's Shelter Medicine Program, where a vet said that some immunity (not total) starts forming immediately, and vaccinating on admission does reduce number of illnesses in shelter.



Our ability to save lives depends on how quickly we can move animals through the building. If an animal is on stray hold at AC, and you want that pet, we'll put your name on it, and on the last day, at 7 AM we'll call you, let you know you can have the pet, then go get the animal, vaccinate, and get the animal into the adopter's home that afternoon -- that's how seriously we believe in keeping their stress, exposure to disease etc to a minimum.



They fast track harder to adopt animals, like seniors, into the cat and dog colonies. Easier to clean, faciliate adoptions, less stress and healthier on animals. More natural environment. Can move around. Cages bad for cats. We provide toys, chairs for people.



Creating cat colony rooms is not expensive. Had converted non-animal holding rooms into colony rooms. One of them does the most adoptions of all their areas. Bright lighting helps with adoptions.



No carpet because cannot be sanitized. They use bedding that can be washed and sanitized in laundry process.



They encourage volunteers to walk the dogs outside, but also inside the shelter. They have a walk buddy program where people can take the dogs out for a day hike, especially long-term residents. But the best is walking the dogs around the shelter, with an "Adopt Me" vest on. Also minimizes some of the over-exciteability some dogs have through barriers.



The other idea hand in hand with "impulse adoptions are bad" is the idea we have to charge a lot so people will value the animal. I understand the idea and the sentiment, but if you look at Saks, sure they're shirts are expensive, but they sell very few of them.



Our business is lifesaving. We cannot fail to use these business models to move our animals like they lose their merchandise. We lower our prices, but we don't lower our screening. We talk to people.



I'm sorry, but don't you all rescue animals for free, and not only that but then invest money into taking care of them? Do you value them less? And if all it required was spending a lot of money, we'd never get expensive purebred dogs surrendered at our shelters because they chewed the sofa.



Shifting the business model from adoption revenue to donation revenue when you're known as the shelter that saves lives, not the shelter that kills animals.



Great programs: Seniors for Seniors, adoptions are free. They still go through screening process. We have donors who underwrite this process -- great program with benefits to the animals and the people, too. That's why it gets to much support.



We also reduce feeds for special needs and homeless pets. Richmond SPCA have "Angel Pet Programs" where they say to the right person, we'll treat that condition in that animal for the life of that animal. Not ALL the expenses but for treating that condition. We do that on a limited basis, but we do reduce the adoption fee.



We work hard to streamline the pet adoption process. Waiting periods cost lives. At vet conference, was just told that every day an animal is in the shelter increases chances of disease. Plus, takes up space need for other animal. And this is a culture of immediate gratification. Making people wait just so you can see if they're "serious" is silly.



Make the forms user-friendly. There will of course be paperwork and interview, but make it as friendly as you can. Many people are alienated by rescue workers or shelters that are so eager to protect this one animal that they alienate adopters.



Maddie's Fund research has shown there are far more people looking for pets than we have in shelters, and they are launching a national campaign to drive people to shelters -- because the fact that most people don't get pets in shelter can be changed. It doesn't have to be that way.



What makes adoptions stick: Matching pets, helping them develop realistic expections and goals, improve the bond. Not adherence to a rigid set of rules, relentless drilling -- those do not correlate to successful adoptions.



we do adoptions all day long, but they only do it a few times in their lives. It should be a great experience, not an interrogation. The person is saving a life, helping this animal, this should be one of life's truly great, truly rewarding experiences. We have the opportunity to make it that.



They won't want to let you down. They'll want thi s to succeed.



Another factor of success is to make staff easy to identify. All wear same color shirt if you don't have logo shirts. And give them some kind of badge.



Barn cat adoptions. Trap-neuter-return is always choice one for feral cats, but there will also be a few cats where that is not possible, so in those extreme cases we take those cats in and put them through our barn cat program. Spayed/neutered, vaccinated, ear tipped. Makes it easy for animal services to know to let those cats go or return them to their area.



We do not charge for barn cats but we do have requirements. Recc'd Barn Cats, Inc. out of Dallas, great all-volunteer organization.



Finding problems and solving them. We do at least one follow-up call on adoptions, and more if there's even a hint of a problem. Then we have the most skilled person on staff for that problem call them back and talk to them about it. It's most our Animal Help Desk staffer, but it could be a volunteer. Our help desk turns around 70 percent of problem adoptions.



Perhaps the most important thing is aggressively and continuously promoting pet adoption. We do it with fun events and promitions and ideas that get media attention. We brainstorm with staff, and borrow/steal ideas from other shelters. We do news releases and PSAs to local media, and create posters. We use templates available on Internet.



Did Valentine's Day "speed dating," the media loved it. Use all holidays -- St Patrick's Day, Mardi Gras -- to create a promotion. The inspiration can come from anywhere. Someone complained, "What's next with you guys, Adopt a pet for Arbor Day?"



"Our goal is to keep this guy as annoyed as possible. So we did it -- Adopt a Pet for Arbor Day at a local nursery." And the nursery was thrilled.



(Huge laughter and applause.)



They do trick or treating at their shelter on Halloween. Brings a lot of people to shelter fo rthe first time. Have dogs dressed in costumes.



Tie into local events.



The power company CAME TO US and asked us to give their energy saving lightbulbs with every adoption!



Stole great idea on "Certified Pre-owned cats" from Michigan Humane. Desperate Housepets. "The Real Housepets of Washone County." "Petzillas: They're cranky and cross and ready for forever homes. Are you ready for the challenge?" Cats with attidues and Chihuahuas that want to snap at everyone. Huge media attention.



Fat cat adoptions: More love per pound. Adopt a plus-sized cat for $10.



Key to our scuess is seeing challenges as opportunities. Example, hoarding cases. Great opportunity to get new donors and new adopters. Make these cats into "celebrities." We once called them "Eviction cats." We try to play down the negative. Nothing to be gained from painting these people as evil demons. They're either good people who got in over their heads or they have a mental illness.



She stresses having great relationships with media.



Took idea from bookstores, and let staff pick "Staff Picks" of available pets.



Highlight individual pets the longer they are in the shelter. Also highlight special needs animals. We tell their story and promote them as individuals.



Barn cats promoted in classified ads as "Non-toxic pest control." Lots of farmers and ranchers love having spayed/neutered vaccinated cats around.



Staying flexible is one of the biggest factors in our success. Lifesaving is always more important than rules.



Old school sheltering is that we don't have enough homes, and we have no choice but to kill these animals, esp the old and ugly and badly behaved. But it's not true, as we and many other communities are learning, there is somebody out there for virtually every animal, it's just a matter of marketing and taking down barriers to adoption and making it easy.



(Note from Christie: Best Friends will be taking this presention and putting it on their website and will have all the wonderful ads and posters. We'll link from Pet Connection when that's available. They're very much worth seeing, and some of them are really hysterical.)



Question from audience: How will someone who can't afford to adopt a pet (free adoptions) pay to care for that animal?



Bonney: There are lots of people out there who don't have health insurance, but no one is out there euthanizing them. So think about what you have to offer THEM. And if the alternative is death... well, things can always get better if you're alive, but not if you're dead. Also, just because someone can't spend $3000 on specialist care doesn't mean that's a bad home. Not saying to place animals in abusive or neglectful homes,but most homes aren't.



Audience Q: Tips on developing foster network.



Bonney: I was just at the Univ of Florida and they had a great presentation on foster programs, and all that will be on the Maddie's Fund website in a couple weeks.

Comments

[Gina Spadafori]

Bonney will be featured in a week, in the Parade magazine article Dr. Becker and I did on choosing a cat. The editor at Parade wrote one of the best headlines ever:



"The perfect cat for you may not be the perfect cat."



I love it, and I so enjoyed talking to Bonney for the article.

[Mary Mary]

Diane,



I don't understand what happened ... did you give Tippy back to the groomer? And why didn't the breeder find him a home instead of a groomer?



I understand the pain of not being able to do everything you want to for an animal.

[Diane]

Puppy pulling on your heart strings



Yesterday I had to make another heart renching decision, a decision that if I had the money and the available time to hold him close, coddle him love him and help my puppy until he was able to walk again I would have.



Tippy Tulips was his name, six months ago almost to the day Tippy came into our lives. While picking up my other pup from the groomers I see this little black head hanging out of an open door dog kennel at the groomers and I ask as we all do how cute is he. The groomer replies would you like to hold him and of course I would who wouldn’t. She tells us that he just arrived from the breeder but that he only has three legs, he was born that way. He was so cute and adorable how can you resist. She also told me that he was brought to her so that he might be able to find a loving home.



I proceed to call my other half my (Honey) to see if he was interested in parenting a new puppy.



Puppies are a lot of work from house training to teething to obedience, playfulness and out of all the hours and attention every waking hour your watching to make sure they don’t get into this and they don’t eat that or bite that or chew on this or that. You buy them bones because there teeth are hurting while they are coming in, and stuff toys with little rattles in them because you smile when you hear the rattle from the other room because you know what they are doing and they are safe.



But every day you wake up sometimes before dawn and Tippy had this way about him. He was sleeping in his crate and he didn’t bark or scratch his cage he made a little shy or a hum so low and slighting just to let you know he was ready to start his day. And every morning I would let him shy hummmm and say come on mom I am ready to start my day.



I get up and put on my robe open his cage and he would wag his tail and it’s a new day, I would say come on Tippy lets go out. I made it exciting to work our way thru the bedroom thru the bathroom, thru the hall way, thru the kitchen to the back door trying to keep him excited to go out and not stop along the way and have an accident. This was my morning every morning. I started every morning with his excitement.



This morning is a morning of calmness, no Tippy no tail hitting the side of his cage, no running thru the house to make it to the door to turn on the switch turning on the light and letting him to the outside world.

[Tangi Adopt A Rescue - Joni]

So much great ideas have been shared here. Thank you so much!

[H. Houlahan]

Christie --



Will you be publishing a summary of the conference that pulls it all together and offers some analysis?