Ready/Wait Assistant Animal Care Volunteer Training Manual

Ready/Wait Assistant Animal Care Volunteer Training Manual Thank you for choosing to be an Animal Care volunteer! This manual will help you understand the basics of volunteering in the Animal Care department. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask any Animal Care staff or veteran volunteer. Attendance and Vacations If you are unable to work your shift, please contact Volunteer Services at 720-241-7160 or volunteer@ddfl.org. This way we know that you will be out and we may be able to find another volunteer to fill your shift. If you would like to permanently change your position or the day or time of your shift, please contact the Volunteer Services Manager at volunteer@ddfl.org. Getting Started Please wear your volunteer nametag, t-shirt and closed-toe skid resistant shoes for all shifts. Individual hand sanitizers are in a bin on the table at the lockers. Please return the sanitizer when your shift ends. Clock in at the time clock for every shift. Please check in at the Animal Care supervisor s office. Once you clock in, continue down the hallway and make a left at the end. Go through the door and the supervisor s office will be on the left across from the RL room doors. The bulletin board just north of the office has information about Animal Care staff members working in specific areas. Information for volunteers, including new procedures, will be posted on the bulletin board or included in the volunteer binder. Please do not attempt any of these processes or techniques until you have been trained by a League staff member or volunteer trainer. Safety & Equipment All the supplies you will need are located in the cattery rooms. If you need additional supplies please see an animal care staff member. Cleaning Chemicals Verify what cleaning chemicals are currently being used. Sometimes these change. You can find this on the animal care white board or in the volunteer board. Rescue is used to clean and sterilize all kennels. It is also used to clean the floors. TET Glass Cleaner is used on windows and doors. 1

Slips, Trips, Falls, and Cat Bites If one of these occurs, notify the Animal Care supervisor on duty immediately. Fill out an incident report. For cat bites, please visit your doctor. Signage Watch for and read all signage on kennel before opening the kennel interacting with the cat When to notify staff: You can find staff in their offices or use the telephone paging system to locate a staff member. 1. If the cat is sick and needs to be moved to TLC 2. If the cat has diarrhea 3. If the cat appears stressed- not eating or using litterbox 4. If the cat is showing signs of aggression 5. Any situation you are unsure about. DOGS The Ready/Wait List The R/W Staff member will print the ready/wait list for dogs and cats first thing in the morning. You will use the list to know which dogs or cats will need to be moved to the adoption floor. Ready/Wait dogs are moved first so that they are up and available by the time we open. Ready/Wait cats are then moved. The list is printed more than once a day so cats usually take up the rest of your shift. Kennel Mods Kennel mod refers to a modular, or group, of kennels. Each of the kennel mods has a number, 1 12. Each kennel within a mod is identified by a letter, A F. Starting closest to the Food Prep room, mod 1 has kennels 1A 1F. Most dogs available for adoption are in mods 1 through 5. Dogs that are in mods 6 through 12 are usually not yet available. When first starting in the kennel area, stick to mods 1 5 until you are experienced in reading dogs body posture. Kennels G and H are located behind the mods. They are numbered 1 12 and are referred to as the puppy kennels. G and H kennels usually contain unavailable dogs. IN THE KENNEL AREA Gloves are located at each mod and trash bags at every other mod. Signs are also located the dog kitchen. Nylon leashes are located in the food prep room and throughout the kennel area. Safety Walking Hazards 2

The walkways are narrow; be careful of hoses, doodlebugs, and squeegees that are in use. Always coil the hose neatly after use. Hang the doodlebugs and squeegees so they don t protrude into the walkway. Always use proper leash techniques. Wet surfaces and floor drains can also pose hazards. Concrete and Metal Surfaces The heavy kennel gates can pinch fingers (or doggy toes). It s easy to get clothing loops or leashes caught on the kennel bolts. The G and H kennels are small and the doorways are very low. Be careful not to bump your head when working in this area. Animals Some of the dogs (mostly in G/H kennels and mods 6 12) have not yet been evaluated. Even a dog that has been okayed for adoption may behave differently in the kennel than it did with the evaluator. Dogs that are fearful or highly aroused may be unpredictable. If a dog makes you uncomfortable, don t go in the kennel. Let a staff member know. Slips, Trips, Falls, and Dog Bites If one of these occurs, notify the Animal Care supervisor on duty immediately. Fill out an incident report. For dog or cat bites, please visit your doctor. Ready/Wait Dogs Finding Empty Dog Kennels If space allows, each dog on the list will be assigned its own kennel. If there is not enough space, more than one dog may be grouped with another that is on the list. If there is more than one dog that is already being housed with another on the list, than they will most likely be kept together. If there is not enough space for the above to happen, then the dogs will be introduced to an already kenneled dog. o This will be done with a staff member s help. Volunteers should not introduce dogs for the first time without a staff member Taking the Dog out of the Kennel Talk to the dog calmly and softly. Shelter dogs do not know or trust you, regardless of how friendly they seem. Actions such as bending over them to put on a leash, or even just reaching out to pet them on top of the head, may be perceived as threatening to dogs, regardless of your intention. Don t rush. The calmer and quieter you are, the calmer the dog will be. If the dog is standing at the gate, you may be able to open the gate and slip the loop of your leash gently over the dog s head and lead the dog to a cutoff. If the dog is rambunctious, you may need to enter the kennel to leash the dog. If it is difficult to get into the kennel, you may be able to distract the dog away from the gate by tossing a treat as far into the kennel as possible (against the glass is best, so that it makes a noise). Slip inside, close the gate behind you, and walk all the way into the kennel. Have your leash ready. No matter what kennel area you are working in, always be alert for any signs on the kennel that indicate that a dog may be dangerous or may have been exposed to a contagion. If you ever feel uncomfortable with the behavior of a dog, don t go in the kennel. You can ask a staff member. 3

Two Dogs in a Kennel It can be especially challenging to get into a kennel with two dogs and get out with one of them. If the dogs are in kennels A, B, E, or F, you can use the cut-off gate. Once you are in the kennel and have leashed one of the dogs, you may toss a treat for the kennel mate. Open the gate and let your leashed dog go through the gate s gap ahead of you. Slide out of the kennel and close the door quickly behind you. Loose Dog The kennel area is enclosed, but if a dog escapes your control, shout LOOSE DOG to alert anyone who might be opening a gate or walking a dog. Do not attempt to catch a dog that is running. Never grab a dog by its collar. Follow the dog, but do not chase it. Always use your slip leash. Dog Fight If a dog fight occurs in a kennel, do not enter the kennel. Never attempt to break up a fight by putting yourself between the dogs. Yell, bang on, or kick the kennel gate. Make lots of noise to try and startle the dogs. If that does not work, spray the dogs with a water hose and call for help. Report any dog fight immediately. Updating the Dog s Kennel Once the dog is in its new kennel, make sure to record the kennel #, Date, and your initials on the kennel card and then place the new kennel card on the kennel. Find an empty computer to update. This could be in the ready/wait kitchen, at a number of different computers in the back, or in visiting rooms 1, 2, or 3 on the adoption floor. Sign into Chameleon. The computer logins are posted next to each computer. Once you are logged in, enter the animals A# and push F12 to find the animal in Chameleon. Input the animals new kennel number in the kennel# slot. Then update the animal s status from ready/wait to available. Push F8 to update all. 4

Printing an Animals Adoption Bio Click on the Reports Tab, Click on run a report Click on adoption bio (individual) for one animal or click on adoption bio (mult animals) for more than one animal. 5

For multiple animals Enter each animals A# in the blank box and then click on the arrow to the right to add the animal to the report. Once you are finished entering all the A# s, click on the OK button. 6

After you have moved the Dog Scan through the adoption bios and make sure that they are all updated appropriately by comparing them against your list. Print the adoption bios. They print off in the photo room which is next to the Animal Care Office. Place the adoption bios on the correct kennels on the patron side. CATS The Ready/Wait List The R/W Staff member will print the ready/wait list for dogs and cats first thing in the morning. You will use the list to know which dogs or cats will need to be moved to the adoption floor. Ready/Wait dogs are moved first so that they are up and available by the time we open. Ready/Wait cats are then moved. The list is printed more than once a day so cats usually take up the rest of your shift. Ready/Wait Cats Each cat will be assigned a specific single kennel or colony. If a cat is unknown as to whether it will get along with other cats in a colony, a staff member will help you kennel the cat. If a single kennel is assigned to a cat and is not available when moving the cat up for adoption, contact the ready/wait staff member for a new assigned kennel. When kenneling a cat in a single kennel that is on a special diet, please ensure the cat gets the right food. If the correct food is not available, contact the ready/wait staff member to get the correct diet of food. If a cat is assigned to a colony and has a history with other cats, but is not getting along with other cats in the colony, contact the ready/wait staff member for some assistance. Moving a Cat from its Kennel Approaching the Cat Get the cat s attention before opening the gate by talking calmly and softly. Avoid using the S sound. Open the gate slowly and do not block the opening with your body. Allow the cat to come to you. Give the cat the opportunity to check out your fingers before you pick it up. Don t rush. Rushing will raise the cat s anxiety level and make it less likely to accept handling and more likely to become fearful or aggressive. If a cat doesn t seem to want to be handled, ask a staff member to help you. The Football Hold (only remove cat if absolutely necessary) Control the cat s head and neck before you lift it from the cage. o The cat will feel safer in a firmly held position left hand controlling the head and neck, right elbow supporting/gripping the hindquarters, and right hand controlling the front feet. Always control the cat s neck and head. A cat will usually feel calmer if you grasp the scruff of its neck with your free hand. 7

Supporting a cat s weight solely by the scruff of the neck is unacceptable. Try to keep the cat s face away from other cats. Some cats are cat-reactive Putting the Cat in a Carrier If you are transporting the cat out of the room where he is kenneled, always use a carrier. League cat carriers open from the top, like a picnic basket. Load the cat into the carrier head first. If the cat resists, try putting them in rear first. When finished with the cat carrier, return it to the ready/wait kitchen for sanitation. Support the back end and rear legs with one hand and the front paws with the other hand. Set the cat s rear into the carrier and close the lid quickly. Do not leave a cat in a carrier unattended. Sterilizing a Cat Carrier Once back in the ready/wait kitchen, spray out the carrier to remove hair and debris. There is an Rescue spray bottle located in the ready/wait kitchen in the bottom drawer. Spray the inside and outside of the carrier. The Rescue concentrate is 8oz and should sit on the carrier wet for 5 minutes. At the end of 5 minutes, rinse the inside and outside of the carrier and dry. Updating the Cat s Kennel Once the cat is in its new kennel, make sure to record the kennel #, Date, and your initials on the kennel card and then place the new kennel card on the kennel. Find an empty computer to update. This could be in the ready/wait kitchen, at a number of different computers in the back, or in visiting rooms 1, 2, or 3 on the adoption floor. Sign into Chameleon. The computer logins are posted next to each computer. Once you are logged in, enter the animals A# and push F12 to find the animal in Chameleon. Input the animals new kennel number in the kennel# slot. Then update the animal s status from ready/wait to available. Push F8 to update all. 8

Printing an Animals Adoption Bio Click on the Reports Tab, Click on run a report Click on adoption bio (individual) for one animal or click on adoption bio (mult animals) for more than one animal. 9

For multiple animals Enter each animals A# in the blank box and then click on the arrow to the right to add the animal to the report. Once you are finished entering all the A# s, click on the OK button. 10

After you have moved the Cat Scan through the adoption bios and make sure that they are all updated appropriately by comparing them against your list. Print the adoption bios. They print off in the photo room which is next to the Animal Care Office. Place the adoption bios on the correct kennels on the patron side. Finishing Up Sweep and Mop the ready/wait kitchen Take all laundry to the laundry room. Take the trash to the trash compactor. Other Ready/Wait Volunteer Duties This is helpful to the rest of Animal Care, but is not required Cage-Wash Cage Wash is located across from the Foster Department. It is where cat kennel doors, SMAM gates, cat carriers, safety equipment, carts, flight kennels, bird cages, dip mats, and anything else that can be hosed off, degreased and disinfected goes to be sanitized Anything that is on the LEFT side of the room is UN-SANITIZED. Anything that is on the RIGHT side of the room is SANITIZED. Sanitizing Carriers To sanitize items, place them on the left side of the room near the center. Turn on hose and squeeze trigger. Spray off organic matter and spray organics down the drain. Connect the proportionator containing Rescue to the hose. The proportionator will dilute the Rescue to the proper dilution. Spray the items thoroughly with Rescue. Place a Soaking in Rescue sign on top of the items. SOP #: Revision #: Implementation Date Last Reviewed/Update Date: September 5, 2014 SOP Owner: Animal Care Approval: Duane Adams Allow items to soak in the Rescue for a minimum of 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, rinse the items with water. Dump out excess water into drain. Stack items in an orderly fashion on the shelves on the right side of the room. Do not stack items on the floor under the shelves Squeegee excess water and debris on the floor to the floor drain. Remove debris from the drain and place in the trash. Turn off the water and depressurize the hose. Roll hose up neatly and replace onto the hanger. 11