Tradition
Animal Welfare
Versus
Progressive Animal Welfare
Traditional Shelter Programs |
Progressive Animal Welfare Programs |
| Open Admission Policy | Limited admission policy with transfers from animal control |
| Nonprofit animal welfare agencies assume government animal control contract | Renounce animal control contracts -- Changes mission to more proactive activity |
| License programs that use visual tags as primary identification, microchips as optional. (As a mean of returning lost dogs home this program is a failure.) | License programs that use microchips as primary identification and visual tags as secondary identification |
| Only 14% of lost dogs and 2% of lost cats are return to owner nationally | Use microchips as primary system to increase RTO rate and reduce stress on shelter capacity. Goal 50% RTO |
| No "bad owner" tracability | Microchips used to foster responsible animal ownership |
| Annual license fee | Free lifetime license upon proof of microchip and s/n |
| No feral cat trap/vaccinate/alter/release programs | Coordinated aggressive community-wide TVAR programs |
| Spay/neuter deposit then refund upon compliance | All animals spay/neutered prior to adoption release |
| A few mobile spay/neuter programs | Every county has a Mobile spay/neuter class A or C van and services low income areas ONLY |
| Dog Training Classes that cost $50 to $200 | Community Wide (Low Cost, $10 to $20) Dog Training Program or training vouchers |
| No Pre-Adoption Testing | Test future adopters for pet care knowledge and bonding potential (Offer low-cost remedial training) |
| Sporadic Low Cost Spay/Neuter Vouchers | County government sponsored spay/neutered vouchers |
| Low Demand for Dogs and Cats Over 1 year of age | Change image of adult dogs and cats with cable excess TV show, obedience fun match, etc. |
| No spay/neuter in low income areas | Target low income areas with mobile s/n vans |
| Individual 4 x 6 dog kennels | Larger group kennels which house 4 to 6 dogs (reduces kennel stress) |
| Small cat cages | Open cat rooms with isolation period to guard against disease |
| Low volume animal control adoptions | Free transfer of animals to animal welfare organizations |
| Limited funds and staff for ac adoption and lost pet programs | Humane organizations handle adoptions and lost/found program in animal control facility |
| Limited lost and found programs | Computerized, networked countywide alerts w/ pictures |
| No sliding scale for low-income fees and fines | Reduced fines for low income animal ordinance violations |
| No program for people who feed feral free-roaming cats | Government sponsored reduced-rate vouchers |
| No breed club certification | Certify according to breed club standard and kennel inspection |
| No animal shelter referrals to pure bred breeders | Everyone in community coalition refer to certified breeders |
| No central pet acquisition place | Coalition sponsored pet adoption referral agency (in mall or downtown storefront) Alternative to classified ads in paper. Have opportunity to educate and direct to responsible source. |
| Nonprofit animal welfare organizations that house animal's, keep them for about 7 to 10 days and then kill them for space. | Animal welfare organizations that uphold the humane ethic and keep an animal until it is adopted. Configuring their shelter to reduce animal stress. |
| 5% of nonprofit budget spent on proactive programs | 40% of budget spent on proactive programs |
| Wait for adopters to come in door. | Aggressive marketing of animals. |
| Animals displayed for adoption in kennels and cages (sometimes noisy, dark and smelly) Adopters left on their own. | Positive showcase for all animals up for adoption (clean, free of smells, minimum barking, well lit with play toys and colorful, descriptive signage) |
| Less than 5% of ac budget spent on proactive programs | Government funding for spay/neuter and microchip programs. |
| Anti-breeding ordinances with heavy fines and fees | No disincentive anti-breeding ordinances that produce heavy fee and fines |
| Very little health care and rehabilitation programs for sick animals. | Develop fund for the health care treatment and rehab of indigent animals. |
| Isolated activity between organizations | Community coalitions |
| No regional goals | Regional goals to reduce impoundment, euthanasia and increase spay/neuter rates especially in low income areas |
| No scientific study of regional pet demographics | Survey and study the problem. |
| Undefined veterinarian participation | Survey veterinarians for early age and low cost spay/neuter and training programs. Offer recognition and appreciation rewards. Free advertisements. |
| Low per capita funding for animal control (less than $2) | Funding of at least $5 to $6 per capita |
| No city official lobby efforts to increase animal program funding. | Create coalition and direct lobby efforts at local government officials who control budgets. |
| Humane education directed at children in classrooms | Humane education (low-cost) directed at adult pet owners before they get a pet,
during the first year of ownership and crisis intervention. Teachers curriculum on animal welfare topics. |
| No rental assistance programs for people with pets | Rental assistance and referrals for people with pets (insurance) |