Pets for Life 101: Launching Your Community Outreach Program

Pets for Life 101: Launching Your Community Outreach Program Pets for Life Community-based outreach program in Atlanta, Chicago, Philadelphia and Los Angeles Training and mentorship program helping other animal welfare organizations incorporate community outreach Philosophy and approach to reach people and pets in underserved communities to extend pet care resources and information 1

Pets in Poverty 23 million pets in poverty $24,300 for a family of four Systemically poor versus conditionally poor Pet services resource desert little or no access to necessary services and information within their neighborhoods or within a reasonable distance Lack of engagement receiving little or no positive messaging on pet care issues 2

Impact of Poverty on Pets Segregation Housing Mass Incarceration Immigration Trauma/Disempowerment Poverty Mentality (Here & Now) What Makes PFL Unique In-depth community assessment Strategic and consistent doorto-door outreach Quality over quantity Focus on removing barriers Non-judgment 3

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Focus Area Community assessment Rural/Urban/Suburban same process Identify the hot spot Strategic use of resources Results in high percentage of unaltered pets Long-term commitment to defined focus area 6

Pets for Life focus area Veterinarian / pet health outlet Pet supply / grocery store 7

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What We Offer Spay/Neuter package Non spay/neuter medical care Pet supplies Miscellaneous needs (pet deposits, RTO fees, etc.) Transportation Information Inquiries from out of focus area 9

Not Outreach Tabling at events Facebook/social media Hosting one-time events Leaving flyers on doors and at businesses Outreach Meeting people where they are in the community Face-to-face conversations Consistent, long-term presence Conversations on the block on porches, and in people s homes Non-Negotiables No uniforms Free services Don t take people s pets 10

Keys to Success Build a consistent community presence Be patient Consider the community s perspective Let your experiences and conversations guide your actions Don t let perfect be the enemy of good! Jason Schipkowski Mentorship & Training Manager, Pets for Life The Humane Society of the United States jschipkowski@humanesociety.org 11

Pets for Life 101: Launching Your Community Outreach Program Nadia Novik Director of Shelter Outreach Animal Shelter of the Wood River Valley 12

Who Is The Animal Shelter Of The Wood River Valley? 13

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Get Organized! Veterinary partners Internal communication Transport Scheduling 15

Create a schedule for outreach and surgeries o Proactive vs. reactive outreach o Yellow/red zone clients that need more engagement o Have a plan with spay/neuter partners (when, where, how many) Determine what services you will offer o Spay/neuter package what s included? o Non spay/neuter medical needs o Community cat colony care 16

Have a dedicated phone line for your clients to call Have a notebook for gathering information Create a map to make sure you aren t skipping areas The Importance Of Data Collection 17

Transportation Get Out There! 18

Knock On A Lot Of Doors 19

What if the door opens? Be authentic Read your audience Don t make assumptions Don t make promises you can t keep Focus on the long-term relationship Be patient Don t underestimate word of mouth Mention the words free and pets Explain about the program and who you are Get as much info about the people and pets as you can Write down services they need If they say YES to spay/neuter services, have an appointment date to give them and hand out a voucher! 20

The Different Responses 21

The Spay/Neuter Process Call within 48 hours of meeting client to let them know date of surgery or confirm date Reminder call within 24-48 hours of surgery, and every week if appointment is scheduled further out Have extra cat carriers and leashes Have fuel in your vehicle Be prepared for hitches in your schedule Be prepared for calls checking in on the animals 22

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The Day After Surgery Be prepared for calls throughout the day Call the client the day after surgery to check in on their pet Make a note to keep in touch with them to help with other needs provide ongoing contact The importance of data 24

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Nadia Novik Director of Shelter Outreach Animal Shelter Wood River Valley Hailey, ID nadia@animalshelterwrv.org 208.471.8740 26

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Pets for Life Community Outreach Toolkit www.humanesociety.org/pfl-toolkit Pets for Life: An In-Depth Community Understanding http://www.humanesociety.org/pflreport2014 28

Reaching the Underserved Track Advanced Strategies in Community Outreach Thursday, May 12 1:30pm - 3:00pm The History of Community Organizing and Its Relationship to Animal Advocacy Thursday, May 12 3:30pm - 5:00pm PFL in Action: The Dynamics of Pets in Poverty Friday, May 13 9:00am - 10:30am Redefining Cruelty and Neglect Friday, May 13 2:00pm - 3:30pm Sustaining Your Community Outreach Program Saturday, May 14 9:30am - 11:00am Cultivating Support Within Your Organization for the Pets for Life Model Saturday, May 14 11:30am - 1:00pm 29