Animal shelters feed and house unwanted, sick or abused animals until new owners can be found for them. It can be a challenge to locate and train competent, caring staff and volunteers, maintain a large enough facility and raise sufficient funds for continued daily operation. A shelter should help educate the public about the need to spay, neuter and provide proper veterinary care for their pets. Some animal shelters also help enforce local animal control laws and investigate reports of abuse and neglect.
Instructions
The Kennel
1. Provide adequate space for each animal to lie down, stand and turn around in his sleeping space. This will vary according to size and breed. Small dogs might be fine in a 2x3x2-foot space. Medium dogs should have 3x4x3 feet. Large dogs need a minimum of 4x6x4 feet to be comfortable. Cats can be kept in the small spaces as long as there is a cattery to use for exercise when they are not sleeping.
2. Evaluate each animal as it arrives for general health, immediate care needs, flea, tick and mite control, and for signs of any infectious diseases. Animals with life-threatening infectious diseases may have to be euthanized, even in an otherwise no-kill shelter.
3. Wash and groom each animal, treating any cuts or wounds, removing embedded collars and providing relief from parasites. This includes treating for worms. Make sure the animal is as dry as possible before placing it in its sleeping quarters.
4. Provide a quarantine area to hold newly admitted animals before releasing them into the general shelter population. This prevents the spread of infectious diseases and parasites, and gives the animals a chance to adjust and become calm. The minimum quarantine is five days for stray cats with no apparent health problems, according to veterinarians Miranda Spinel and Kathleen Makolinski. Animals exposed to parvo need a 14-day quarantine, according to the ASPCA, and a minimum of 45 days for rabies.
5. Provide space for daily exercise both indoors and outside. Dog runs should be at least 4x6 feet for small dogs, 6x8 feet for medium and 8x12 feet for large dogs. Catteries should be at least 4x3x6 feet, with multiple platforms and several places to hide.
6. Attempt to locate the current owner of any stray or injured animals brought to your shelter by concerned members of the public. Check for RFID tags (tiny radio transmitters) by passing the detector over the animal slowly from head to tail; search also for tattoos, dog or cat licenses, and other identifying marks that would assist in reuniting lost pets and their owners.
Staff and Volunteers
7. Recruit staff by advertising at pet-supply stores, veterinary offices, online through pet-oriented social networking sites and on local radio and television stations. Attend area job fairs and festivals, fairs and flea markets. Provide literature explaining your shelter's policies and keep a stack of employment applications on your display table. Because volunteers should be 18 or older for purposes of insurance and the ability to sign employment contracts, it is better to avoid schools.
8. Run background checks on all potential employees. Do not hire anyone with a history of abusive or violent behavior toward animals or people, or anyone with drug- or alcohol-abuse indicators. Do not hire anyone with a history of abuse or neglect of children or the elderly.
9. Train staff and volunteers to recognize and respond to signs of abuse and neglect of animals. Obvious violations like failure to provide clean water, adequate food and shade are easy to identify as abuse. Running sores, mucus in the eyes, poor overall condition, whining, cringing and bad hygiene indicate neglect.
10. Teach staff bathe and groom the animals, treat light wounds and recognize signs of disease and parasite infestation.
11. Encourage staff and volunteers to seek additional education at local community colleges and universities, and to pursue degrees related to animal care.
Fundraising
12. Make it easy and convenient to donate to your organization. Accept major credit cards and donations from online banking sites such as PayPal.
13. Start and maintain a newsletter and web page. Post photos of animals that are available for adoption, along with suggested donations for food, housing, veterinary care and spay/neuter services so that interested individuals can sponsor an animal for the duration of its stay.
14. Create targeted fundraising campaigns by limiting your mailings to your newsletter list. This ensures that you are not wasting postage and materials on scattershot mailings. Every dollar wasted is a day of care that an animal will not receive.
15. Form a committee to brainstorm possible fundraisers. Some successful ideas include golf scrambles, car washes, reverse auctions, bachelor auctions, miniature golf tournaments, bowl-a-thons, popcorn and candy sales, carnivals, spaghetti suppers, ice cream socials and karaoke, and talent or dance contests.
16. Create fan groups on social networking sites. Send scheduled announcements of upcoming fundraisers and committee meetings. Keep volunteers informed of opportunities to work events or donate in-kind goods and services.
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