Promoting Herd Health SHELTER BEHAVIOR PROGRAMS SHELTER BEHAVIOR COURSE SESSION FIVE

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "Promoting Herd Health SHELTER BEHAVIOR PROGRAMS SHELTER BEHAVIOR COURSE SESSION FIVE"

Griffin Johnson
5 years ago
Views:

! Promoting Herd Health Develop (or decide to wait before starting, if appropriate!

1 SHELTER BEHAVIOR PROGRAMS SHELTER BEHAVIOR COURSE SESSION FIVE Sheila Segurson D Arpino, DVM, DACVB UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program Special thanks to Dr. Sandra Newbury for much of the information provided in this session!! Promoting Herd Health Develop (or decide to wait before starting, if appropriate!) programs which maximize behavioral health of ALL animals in the shelter- herd health Develop programs which also improve the welfare, and likelihood of adoption, of individuals

2 What are important components of a shelter behavior program? Protocols/Plans! Behavior evaluation Enrichment Training Treatment of behavior problems Adoption screening/counseling Follow up Data keeping Program review modification as necessary Key Components to a Shelter Behavior Program Behavioral Assessment Test Behavioral History/ Relinquishment Questionnaire Shelter Behavioral Guidelines/Plan Professional Behaviorist on staff (or available via consult) Foundation Behavior and Training Program Behavioral Problem/ Modification Program Adoption Screening Behavioral Counselling (pre and postadoption) Post-Adoption Follow-up Tracking and Improving Behavioral Health Involves MORE than provision of enrichment and treating individual animal s problems Requires initial/intake evaluation Requires definitions of problems Includes physical health Monitors for shelter acquired problems Evaluates rehabilitation programs

3 Data Keeping/Statistics Improving efficiency/reducing length of stay Case examples Measurements/Data Keeping Why measure??? Data helps us to learn where we are successful and where we need to modify programs Data helps us to plan for the future Data helps us to increase number of pets successfully rehomed! Measurements/Data Intake and Live Release Daily population/ inventory related to capacity (number of animals in care) Average length of stay Health status change Incidence of disease In-shelter mortality Rehabilitation Risk categories for euthanasia

4 Intake and Live Release How do you measure percent live release?? Adoption + Return to owner + Shelter transfer + Release + other?????????????? The denominator drastically influences the answer HOLDING (how long they stay in our care while in treatment or waiting ) BASELINE Intake Outcome Outcome Holding Released Alive Euthanized and Shelter Death 100 cats 50 cats cats 3525 cats If 10 more in holding, there are 10 less in outcome (denominator is now 65) **Using INTAKE as the denominator is the preferred method of calculating LRR LRR = Live Release Rate Baseline Increase holding to 35 cats Increase holding to 45 cats Decrease holding to 15 cats LRR intake as denominator 50/100 = 50% 50/100 = 50% 50/100 = 50% 50/100 = 50% LRR outcome as denominator 50/75 = 66% 50/65 = 77% 50/55 = 91% 50/85 = 59% Why is holding bad? Isn t it a good thing with regard to behavior? The holding population is at risk of: Disease Development of behavior problems Development of welfare impairment Euthanasia The holding population might benefit from: Treatment of disease Treatment of behavior problems Basic training Prevention of disease (ie, vaccination) Holding is not of benefit to the pet unless we are improving their health and/or welfare, and monitoring it on a regular basis!

care) Average length of stay Health status change Incidence of disease In-shelter mortality Rehabilitation Risk

5 Questions? I m good! Question!! Measurements/Data Intake and Live Release Daily population/ inventory related to capacity (number of animals in care) Average length of stay Health status change Incidence of disease In-shelter mortality Rehabilitation Risk categories for euthanasia Daily Rounds Daily assessment of shelter population for: Still in shelter? Health status Medical Behavioral Holding status What are they waiting for and what can be done to expedite movement??

6 Measurements/Data Intake and Live Release Daily population/ inventory related to capacity (number of animals in care) Average length of stay Health status change Incidence of disease In-shelter mortality Rehabilitation Length of Stay Decreased length of stay Decreased at risk period and Increased number of adoptions/time period Decreased length of stay DOES NOT MEAN increased euthanasia! 7 day holding period 100 runs x 365 days = 36,500 cagedays 36,500 cagedays x 1 cat/7 cagedays = 5,214 cats/year 5,214 cats/year 12 months/year = 434 cats/month This means that the shelter can take in cats/day without crowding. Doing the same calculation with 5 day holding period: 36,500 cagedays x 1 cat/5 cagedays = 7,300 cats/year 7,300 cats/year 12 months = 608 cats/month Resulting in a possible daily intake of cats without crowding. This means that by reducing your stray holding period from 7 days to 5, you free up an extra 5 7 cages every day, which will reduce crowding and/or increase potential adoptions.

7 Capacity Which factor is least important when calculating capacity? a) Staff Paid staff + volunteers b) Level/Amount of care provided to/for animals c) Number of cages Capacity is the number of animals which the shelter or rescue group can care for Measurements/Data Intake and Live Release Daily population/ inventory related to capacity (number of animals in care) Average length of stay Health status change Incidence of disease In-shelter mortality Rehabilitation Risk categories for euthanasia

Health status change Health status change Incidence of disease Medical and behavioral In-shelter mortality Due to disease, overpopulation Rehabilitation Recovery from disease Incidence Number of NEW

8 Health status change Health status change Incidence of disease Medical and behavioral In-shelter mortality Due to disease, overpopulation Rehabilitation Recovery from disease Incidence Number of NEW cases in a population over a specified time period Measurements/Data Intake and Live Release Daily population/ inventory related to capacity (number of animals in care) Average length of stay Health status change Incidence of disease In-shelter mortality Rehabilitation Risk categories for euthanasia Risk Categories for Euthanasia Species Age Your organization should be Elderly calculating statistics for each Neonates risk category Breed For most shelters Shelter acquired disease Medical problems Behavior problems Intake source Status at intake (sick vs healthy)

9 Questions? I m good! Question!! Data Keeping/Statistics Improving efficiency/reducing length of stay Case examples Capacity Planning Daily Rounds Animal flow-through Planning

Flow-through Pre-intake planning and diversion Define pathways at intake Identify and ensure adequate capacity at critical flow-through points Check pathways each day at rounds Evaluate efficiency

each path Pathway for food bowl aggression: definitions Mild FBA = growling, lifting lip, eating more quickly or body blocking food bowl with NO bite Moderate FBA = snapping or inhibited bite (does

10 Flow-through Pre-intake planning and diversion Define pathways at intake Identify and ensure adequate capacity at critical flow-through points Check pathways each day at rounds Evaluate efficiency and quality of each pathway s service Defining Pathways at Intake General categories of pathways: Adoption Transfer/Rescue Euthanasia Define potential subpathways Create definitions and protocols for each path Pathway for food bowl aggression: definitions Mild FBA = growling, lifting lip, eating more quickly or body blocking food bowl with NO bite Moderate FBA = snapping or inhibited bite (does not break skin) when in presence of food bowl and approached by person OR growls, lifts lip on multiple food items (food bowl AND food found or stolen ) Severe FBA = Uninhibited bite when in presence of food bowl or stolen food item and is approached by person

11 Pathway for food bowl aggression History of FBA in previous home OR on behavior evaluation mild Move to adoption Adoption counseling re: safety and avoidance (and treatment if treated in shelter moderate or severe Assign trainer, treatment plan for FBA responds Assess response in one week Doesn t respond Moderate or severe FBA and presence of other personal space agg or possession agg yes Referral to rescue coordinator Continue treatment Rescue? no euthanasia Plans/Protocols Needed: Definition for case(s) which requires review prior to treatment or placement for adoption Treatment protocol Contingency plans Ie, what happens if dog bites someone while under treatment Rescue network and PLAN Adoption guidelines Appropriate vs inappropriate adopters Adoption counseling How to avoid aggression How to treat problem (if recommended) Resources for further treatment Follow up plan 2 days, 3 weeks, 3 months, one year Documents to go home FBA safety/avoidance Resources (bhr dept) Recommended reading (Mine!) Treatment protocol (if appropriate) Define (actual or potential) critical dams to flow of path Behavior evaluation test Behavior department review of case Treatment plan Re-evaluation Rescue Rescue group contact Medical evaluation Spay/neuter Adoption counseling (if appointment needed) All dams increase LOS (length of stay) Can any be eliminated or expedited? Ie, with more clear definitions, can behavior department review be eliminated?

12 Capacity For shelter behavior programs, if we hope to have a mixture of highly adoptable and more challenging adoptions (if appropriate for our community), we MUST keep track of data in order to avoid exceeding capacity Flow-through (a reminder!) Pre-intake planning and diversion Define pathways at intake Identify and ensure adequate capacity at critical flow-through points Check pathways each day at rounds Evaluate efficiency and quality of each pathway s service Questions? I m good! Question!!

Case Example: Housing Capacity Food bowl aggression capacity What do you need to know? What data do you want to collect/evaluate? What do you want to know? How many FBA arrive in shelter per month?

13 Case Example: Housing Capacity Food bowl aggression capacity What do you need to know? What data do you want to collect/evaluate? What do you want to know? How many FBA arrive in shelter per month? Per historical information vs behavior evaluation With vs. without other behavior problems What is average LOS with treatment? What is average LOS to send to rescue? How many staff/volunteers available to treat? Number of hours per week required to treat? Likelihood of positive outcome? Does our treatment plan result in a positive outcome (for this problem, success = no bites in new home) Capacity is the number of animals which the shelter or rescue group can care for

14 Capacity for MINIMUM care for moderate FBA dog Time requirements (for behavior staff): AM exercise/basic training and preparation of enrichment toys = 30 min Midday walk = 10 min FBA treatment protocol 15 min x 2 = 30 min PM exercise and preparation of enrichment toy = 20 min 90 minutes, or 1 hr 30 minutes per dog 5 dogs w FBA in shelter x 90 minutes/dog = 450 (7.5 hrs) minutes staff time = 1 full time employee per day to treat these dogs Carrying capacity for this behavior problem is too low if staffing does not meet capacity Either number of dogs treated needs to decrease or staffing needs to increase Other considerations Length of stay/behavior problem If ave length of stay for FBA is 30 days and ave length of stay for jumpy/mouthy dog is 15 days a shelter that is at or near capacity should decline (or transfer) the FBA agg dog and keep the jumpy/mouthy dog Adoption capacity: how many dogs w/ FBA, on average, are adopted per month. If only find home for 1 FBA dog per month, either need to reduce intake of FBA dogs or increase adoption Capacity for FBA dog vs. jumpy/mouthy dog 2 year old FBA dog AM exercise/basic training and preparation of enrichment toys = 30 min Midday walk = 10 min FBA treatment protocol 15 min x 2 = 30 min PM exercise and preparation of enrichment toy = 20 min 90 minutes, or 1 hr 30 minutes per dog If 5 dogs in shelter with this problem 7.5 hrs of behavior staff time/day 2 y.o. Jumpy/Mouthy dog AM exercise/basic training and preparation of enrichment toys = 30 min Midday walk = 10 min PM exercise and preparation of enrichment toy = 20 min 60 minutes, or 1 hr per dog If 5 dogs in shelter with this problem 5 hrs of behavior staff time/day (can treat at least 2 more dogs/day with same amount of staff!)

15 Adoption driven capacity FBA 5 adoptions/month 35 day average LOS 5 dogs x 35 d = 175 caredays 175 d/30 days/month = 6 dogs each day Will have 6 dogs with FBA present, moving to adoption, each day What if increase daily population to twice calculated adoption driven capacity? 6 dogs x 2= 12 dogs present 12 x 30 d = 360 caredays 360 caredays/5 adoptions = 72 day length of stay Housing OVER your adoption driven capacity significantly increases your length of stay. Adoption driven capacity for different problems allocating resources FBA 5 adoptions/month 35 day average LOS 5 dogs x 35 d = 175 caredays 175 d/30 days/month = 6 dogs each day Will have 6 dogs with FBA present, moving to adoption, each day Jumpy/Mouthy 25 adoptions/month 21 day average LOS 25 dogs x 21 d = 525 caredays 525 caredays/ 30 days/mo = 17.5 dogs each day Will have 17.5 (!) dogs present, moving to adoption each day Increased LOS results in more dogs present on daily basis Jumpy/Mouthy dogs are a more efficient allocation of resources for this shelter Questions? I m good! Question!!

16 Diagnostic Screening Establishing a baseline Identifying early signs of a problem Identifying disease Communicating problems to caregivers Establishing and monitoring treatment plans Where to start?? Establish a baseline Intake, LOS, Outcome per: Species Age group Source Intake status (healthy vs. sick ) For each behavior problem Inventory relative to capacity Health and behavior status tracking Incidence of behavior problems In-shelter mortality Rehabilitation (effectiveness and impact on LOS) Where to start?? Asilomar accords Assign a status on intake, after behavior evaluation AND at time of outcome Healthy Treatable- manageable Treatable- rehabilitatable Unhealthy and untreatable Relate intake and/or bhr eval status to outcome status? Ie, if treatable-manageable on intake end up unhealthy on outcome treatment may currently not be best allocation of resources within the organization

17 Based upon baseline data: Prioritize programs and treatment plans which will maximize adoptions and improve welfare What next?? Daily rounds! Develop plans, pathways, and protocols Start with ONE, easy behavior problem Institute on a small scale Identify dams (critical points) and take steps to maximize efficiency (reduce LOS) Re-evaluate program, and data on a regular basis Watch for red flags If health status at intake is drastically lower than health status at outcome, shelter acquired disease is a big problem But, what if I don t have a Modify pathways Ie, if don t have behavior staff, utilizing a rescue coordinator is a good choice to improve live release rate without increasing length of stay

18 The End! THANK YOU to the Barbour Foundation and PetSmart Charities for making this course possible!!

Fast Tracking to Save Lives: Simple to Systematic ASPCA. All Rights Reserved.

Fast Tracking to Save Lives: Simple to Systematic 4 2012 ASPCA. All Rights Reserved. Sandra Newbury, DVM Koret Shelter Medicine Program Center for Companion Animal Health University of California, Davis