Impacts of shelter & housing design on animal health Barb Jones, DVM, MS Resident, Koret Shelter Medicine Program UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine bjones@ucdavis.edu www.sheltermedicine.com
Goals Highlight aspects of shelter design and animal housing that have a significant impact on the physical and psychological health of shelter animals. Whenever possible, information will be based on scientific data (limited!) collective clinical impression of shelter veterinarians, shelter medicine specialists, & other experts
What s your situation? Stuck in ancient facility, no hope for improvements in the foreseeable future Our facility if fairly old, no plan to build or renovate in the near future In the process of planning / implementing renovations or a new building Recently finished renovations or building a new facility (Happy? Yes or no?)
No hope for getting out of your ancient facility? A new facility is not the best solution to every problem! Many improvements can be made WITHOUT renovations or building. You may be able to use your existing facility more wisely.
Goal Setting Why build or renovate? Think beyond to house more animals More space will not necessarily save more lives In 4 words or less, what are some other reasons? Next, prioritize your goals
Goal setting: Capacity Calculate minimum required capacity = Annual intake x average length of stay / 365 days Even better: calculate on a monthly basis = Monthly intake x average length of stay / 30 days Also consider peak and future (projected)
Capacity calculations: Varying length of stay for dogs DOGS 3 day avg 7 day avg 14 day avg 30 day avg 60 day avg Annual intake 12,100 12,100 12,100 12,100 12,100 Average length of stay 3 7 14 30 60 Intake x length of stay (Animal care days) 36,300 84,700 169,400 363,000 726,000 Divide by 365 days Minimum capacity for dogs 99 232 464 995 1989
Capacity Calculations: Monthly basis for cats CATS January April July October Monthly intake 60 140 240 100 Average length of stay 21 21 21 21 Intake x length of stay (Animal care days) 1260 2940 5040 2100 Divide by 30 days Minimum capacity for cats 42 98 168 70
Capacity calculations: future projections for cats CATS Current: 2007 Projected: 2010 Projected: 2020 annual intake 15,550 18,220 20,700 average length of stay 14 14 14 intake x length of stay (Animal care days) 217,700 255,080 289,800 divide by 365 days Minimum capacity for cats 596 699 794
Optimal shelter capacity Sufficient to hold every animal in humane single housing for required hold period Consider peak & future as well as average intake Aim to be ~80% full Sufficient to humanely house a reasonable number and variety of animals for adoption for a reasonable period Devote additional space to different populations / segregation rather than more of the same
Animal shelters should be designed to: Minimize disease transmission Minimize stress Avoid crowding Excessive population density has a profound, negative impact on animal health Appropriately house target animal population
Minimizing Disease Transmission
Disease transmission in shelters Fomites Environmental contamination Direct animal contact Airborne It is NOT true that the majority of diseases in a shelter setting are airborne, especially in cats.
Where s the proof? Neither acutely nor persistently infected cats were found to excrete detectable amounts of [herpes or calici] virus as an aerosol healthy sentinel cats remained free of infection from shedding virus carriers over a 6 month period. Although housed in the same air space, healthy cats were separated by at least 1 meter from shedding carriers and fomite transmission was prevented. Gaskell RM, Povey RC. Transmission of feline viral rhinotracheitis. Vet Rec 1982;111:359-362 Wardley RC, Povey RC. Aerosol Transmission of feline caliciviruses: an assessment of its epidemiologic importance. Brit. Vet. Jour. 1977;133:504-508.
Droplets? Definitely! Sneeze droplets can travel up to 4 feet Cages too close together allows direct spread of respiratory viruses
Aerosol Transmission in Dogs? Yes, absolutely Distance of 20 feet or more Fomites & environmental contamination still very important
Back to Fomites Any object that may become contaminated with pathogens and thus serve to transmit disease. Dishes, bedding, leashes, etc. Hands and clothing of animal care staff Best opportunity for contamination during cleaning
Typical cat cleaning procedure Remove cat from cage Place in temporary holding cage Empty and clean cage Return cat to cage Repeat for next cat
Creative visualization exercise
Before cleaning
Part way through cleaning
What about the person doing the cleaning?
Moral of the story? Housing systems should NOT be designed such that animals must be handled in order for cages or runs to be adequately cleaned.
The Solution? Double sided runs with guillotine doors for dogs Double-sided cages for cats In the meantime, spot cleaning for cats
Significant fomite transmission? Dose of pathogens that can be transmitted on a fingertip through a few moments of contact is small compared the dose transmitted by cleaning staff
What s potentially wrong with this picture?
Minimizing disease transmission by direct contact Sufficient capacity for single animal housing adequate population segregation More numerous smaller housing areas vs. fewer larger areas Use all-in/all-out housing whenever possible
Capacity to house all animals singly At least for duration of required holding period Particularly important for open-admission shelters Critical for shelter populations with: High proportion of aggressive animals Low proportion of previously vaccinated animals
Problems with forced group housing Disease transmission Especially canine distemper Aggression /injuries Stress
Prevent direct contact between adjacent cages: Similar problems to forced group housing Disease transmission Aggression Stress
Adequate capacity for population segregation Priority sub-populations requiring segregation: Different species Sick animals respiratory disease, GI disease, skin disease, etc. Young animals Recovered animals Others?
Lower priority segregation in terms of animal health: Strays vs. owner-relinquished animals Available for adoption vs. unavailable
Making Population Segregation Easier More numerous smaller rooms vs. fewer larger rooms Flexible-use areas Most / all areas sufficient for AT LEAST medium-term housing
All-in / all-out housing Widely used in livestock production Reduces disease transmission and stress All animals moved in around the same time No further additions until area is empty again Easiest to implement using more numerous, smaller rooms vs. few larger rooms
Testimonial working 4 years in a small limited-intake private shelter, I ve realized that no amount of fancy new caging, expensive cleaning agents, or yelling at, I mean training, the staff is as effective against infectious disease as the all-in/ all-out animal flow we use here. Our shelter director closes the doors to intake at the end of the week, and, because she is incredibly effective at getting animals adopted, we usually have only a few animals in a room (sometimes none!) before opening the doors to the next week's flood. These rooms are cleaned thoroughly once empty.. we do not have the problems other shelters see with URI, etc. unless the all-in/all-out system breaks down and greater than half the kennels/ cages are holding animals for a longer than a week. I highly recommend you generate enough space and flexibility to use all-in/all-out flow.
Multiple Smaller Housing Areas: Multiple Advantages Allows flexible population segregation Facilitates all-in, all-out housing BONUS: decreases barking noise
Reducing Barking Noise Block visual access? No impact on barking in one study May increase social isolation Multiple smaller dog housing areas rather than fewer larger housing areas Most effective shelter design method Baffles or soundabsorbing materials May help somewhat Hard to clean Other approaches: Classical music Compatible pair housing Behavioral conditioning program using positive reinforcement for quiet behavior
Minimizing Disease Transmission through Environmental Contamination
Minimize changes in housing Decreases opportunities for contamination Consider keeping animals in the same housing throughout their shelter stay Is a built-in move from holding to adoption really necessary?
Housing changes trigger viral shedding in cats successful stimulation of herpes virus re-excretion occurred in over 50% of recovered cats by the natural stress situation of a change in housing. Gaskell RM, Povey RC. Experimental induction of FVR virus re- excretion in FVR-recovered cats. The Veterinary Record 1977;100:128-133.
What about Ventilation, Drainage & Flooring systems? How important are these in reducing disease transmission? Little to no data available
Ventilation & air exchanges Various recommendations Number of air exchanges, air filtering methods, air flow patterns Bottom line: Adequate ventilation & good air quality within animal housing units Separate ventilation systems ideal for dog areas Complementary solutions: Decrease population density Allow access to outdoor air
Outdoor Access Indoor /outdoor dog runs Indoor / outdoor enclosures for cats Highly recommended, especially in mild climates Benefits: Fresh air Sunlight Environmental enrichment Opportunity to eliminate outdoors
Outdoor enclosures for cats
Drains Individual vs. trench? Either acceptable if drains are: well designed properly functioning appropriately placed easily cleaned Inappropriate drain placement
A few more thoughts on plumbing Sink in every animal housing room Paper towel AND hand sanitizer dispensers Designated area for easy cleaning of transport carriers or cage banks Green systems MUST allow use of effective disinfectants Bleach or potassium peroxymonosulfate
Flooring Balance cleanability, durability, cost (Sealed) concrete most common Ideally should be periodically resealed Problems: porosity, cracks DO NOT paint concrete Troweled-on multi-layer epoxy resin Non-porous, durable Good installation essential More expensive
Shelter & Housing Design to Stress clearly linked with disease Often a particularly severe problem for cats Stress in cats easily overlooked Minimize Stress
3 simple cat de-stressers Minimize changes in housing [herpes] virus re-excretion [was stimulated] in over 50% of cats by the stress situation of a change in housing. Avoid exposure to dogs cats with high dog exposure had significantly higher urine cortisol than cats with low dog exposure. Provide hiding places Hiding was negatively correlated with cortisol concentration and may be an important behavior for coping with uncontrollable and unpredictable captive environments.
Most shelter cat cages are too small
Comparison Smallest cat cage: 18 x 18 x 28 = 5.25 ft 3 of space Assume 10 pound cat Equivalent to housing a 100 pound person in a telephone booth! Acceptable for a few hours at most
Recommended space per cat Typical cat space allowance: 24 x 36 = 6 ft 2 (0.56m 2 ) Minimum 1m 2 (10.8ft 2 ) floor space recommended cats housed in single cages with a floor area of 1.0m 2 had significantly lower stress scores than those in cages with a floor area of 0.7m 2. Minimum recommended cat cage dimensions: 60 x 28 = 11.7 ft 2 = 1.1m 2 Kessler, M. R. and D. C. Turner (1999). "Effects of density and cage size on stress in domestic cats housed in animal shelters and boarding catteries." Animal Welfare 8: 259-267.
More cat space recommendations Enough space to stretch to full body length At least 3 ft between feeding, resting & elimination areas Space to accommodate an adequately sized litterbox and a hiding box Sufficient floor space for locomotion & play
Enough space to stretch full body length
At least 3 ft between feeding, resting & elimination areas
Space to accommodate an adequately-sized litterbox
and a hiding box Feral Cat Den (ACES) CatEShack (C Specialities) Hide, Perch & Go Box (BC SPCA)
Sufficient floor space for locomotion (and, if we re lucky, play!)
Are any of these cages large enough?
Why give cats more room? Minimize stress reduce disease improve behavior Minimum welfare standard good example for adopters Decrease population density May speed adoptions
Why not give cats more room? Fewer cat housing units can be built in the same area. More expensive However: the same number of animals can be housed in half the kennels if they move through the shelter twice as fast. Increase efficiency rather than population density
An example from dairy medicine Doubling the typical size of all pens in a new dairy...increases the annual total facility cost by approximately $60 per cow per year. It is not difficult to calculate a combination of reduced death rate, culling, treatments.. and increased production to yield $60 per cow per year. Nordlund KV, Cook NB. Co-mingling dairy cows: pen moves, stocking density, and health. Meeting of the American Association of Bovine Practitioners 2006.
What about group housing for cats? May improve welfare Precautions: Not recommended for first few days of shelter stay Health screening required Not suitable for all cats
Group Housing Recommendations Maximum group size: 10 cats Recommended space allowances: 1.7m 2 (18 ft 2 ) floor space per cat At least 1 meter distance between cats (including vertical distance) All-in / all-out housing Numerous smaller rooms vs. fewer larger rooms Enriched environment Hiding boxes, multiple feeding & elimination stations, shelves, climbing structures
Optional Upgrades
Adoption vs. Holding & Isolation A common problem in shelters is that housing in new intake, holding and/or isolation areas are inferior to adoption housing Less spacious More crowded Darker Less well-ventilated Mores stressful Less enriched Harder to clean Not double-sided
Adoption New intake
A tale of 2 kitties Adoption Holding
Another tale of 2 kitties Adoption Isolation
For dogs, isolation is often the only area where runs are single-sided.
These animals need good housing Newly admitted animals: just recently vaccinated highest stress levels highest risk of disease Sick animals: need optimal housing to promote recovery need housing that can minimize handling From the animals point of view, and from a disease control point of view, the quality of housing in new intake and isolation areas must be AT LEAST as good as housing in adoption areas.
From a shelter design publication: "animal holding facilities are more utilitarian than those provided for adoptable animals because the emphasis is on housing as many animals as possible vs. marketing the animals. Most long-term holding of animals occurs once animals have been cleared for adoption, not during the initial, relatively short holding period."
Quiz Yes= true No = false Aesthetics for humans are more important in areas of the shelter that the public sees. Only shelter animals held long-term have high stress levels. It is important to have adequate capacity for single housing in new intake areas. Enrichment is particularly important in long-term housing. Inadequate housing and crowding are acceptable in short-term, non-public holding areas.
Consequences of Crowding Crowding increases stress Behavioral signs of social stress due to excessive population density include decreased social interaction decreased litter box activity and decreased exploratory behaviors. Crowding increases the risk of disease High housing density was identified as a likely risk factor for both T. foetus and Giardia infections. [For] T. foetus, we found no association between infection and any environmental variable [except] dense population housing." Overall KL. Recognizing and managing problem behavior in breeding catteries In: August JR, ed. Consultations in feline internal medicine. Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders, 1997;634-646. Gookin J, Stebbins M, Hunt E, et al. Prevalence of and risk factors for Feline Tritrichomonas foetus and Giardia infection. Journal of Clinical Microbiology 2004;42:2707-3710.
What is Crowding? Too many animals in a given area Facility consistently over capacity Doubling up double sides Multiple animals per run Group sizes too large Animals squeezed in wherever there is space More animals than staff can adequately care for Frequent delays in animal processing Animals kept in conditions that would not be considered acceptable for other animal-housing facilities Consider lab animal standards Frequent disease or fights
How can Crowding be Avoided? Limit intake Decrease the average length of shelter stay Process animals efficiently, avoid delays Prevent illness & behavior problems Invest in community programs aimed at decreasing intake Increase euthanasia Often not necessary unless crowding is beyond control by other methods
Design Shelters to Adequately House Target Population Consider the characteristics of specific segment(s) of the animal population the shelter plans to serve and house.
Example 1 Private, limited-admission, rapid turnover shelter in an affluent community Intake: transfer of highly adoptable puppies and kittens from multiple source shelters. All-in/allout housing Separate adoption vs. holding areas Adequate isolation & quarantine areas Longterm housing High capacity for single housing of aggressive animals
Example 2 Municipal animal control facility in a poor, rural community with very limited resources High intake, low adoption rate, high euthanasia rate, but potential for high transfer or rescue rate. Group housing for cats Separate areas for young animals Low to moderate capacity isolation areas Longterm housing Capacity for single housing of animals
Example 3 Adoption-guarantee shelter in upper-middle class area High investment per animal, relatively long shelter stays Limited intake, primarily adult owner surrenders Group housing for cats Quarantine areas Play areas for dogs High capacity for single housing Medium to longterm housing
Suggested Resources Shelter design info sheet on Shelter Med website www.sheltermedicine.com Shelter Health Portal Information Sheets Animal Sheltering Magazine & Resource Library www.animalsheltering.org HSUS Expo Planning and Building an Animal Shelter American Humane Shelter Medicine textbook (chap. 5) www.catterydesign.com & www.kenneldesign.com
Thank you for your attention! Questions? Barb Jones, DVM, MS Resident, Koret Shelter Medicine Program School of Veterinary Medicine University of California, Davis bjones@ucdavis.edu www.sheltermedicine.com