C4C Success Yes We Can! Dr. Elizabeth Roberts Director Shelter Medicine San Francisco SPCA UW/UCD Eslinger Shelter Medicine Fellow Dr. Anthea Smith Head Shelter Veterinarian Edmonton Humane Society UW/UCD Maddie s Shelter Medicine Fellow Maddie s Shelter Medicine Fellowship Program A partnership between University of Wisconsin Shelter Medicine and UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine programs
San Francisco SPCA Founded 1868 Mission Save and protect animals, provide care and treatment, advocate for their welfare and enhance the human-animal bond. Adoption goal 5500/yr
Edmonton Humane Society Founded 1907 Mission The Edmonton Humane Society enriches the lives of people and companion animals through animal sheltering, programs and services, and community engagement Intake 6380 / yr
How are we similar? Annual intake, high live release rate Animal Control right next door Large modern buildings Well-resourced
How are we different? EHS - stray holding facility for areas surrounding Edmonton EHS - Animal Protection department Community cats / TNR still a radical concept in Alberta Main challenge to C4C in Edmonton is cats, at SFSPCA, dogs. SF SPCA- 2 public facing hospitals
2 Shelters - Real World Challenges and Solutions What is C4C? 4 Pillars of C4C Before C4C Starting C4C Challenges and Solutions in C4C
What is C4C?
Staffing Shortages all shelters Do what you can. Staying within your capacity for animal numbers will help when short staffed Focus on what is most important Recognize limitations, set realistic goals Capacity for care is fluid drops when staffing levels drop Train workers to recognize the early signs of stress, burn out and compassion fatigue and provide resources and flexible scheduling
What is C4C? Daily Population = LOS x Intake
Managed Intake Population Management Pathway Planning Removing Barriers to Outcomes
Before C4C: Capacity based on housing Struggling kennel staff High disease occurrence Absence of natural behaviors Long LOS
How did C4C get started? SF SPCA
Starting C4C
Starting C4C Every sheltering organization has a maximum capacity for care, and the population in their care must not exceed that level. 2010 Guidelines for Standards of Care in Animal Shelters 2014 Million Cat Challenge- First Shelter in Western Canada 2016 Grant from CFHS: Capacity for Care Consult Koret Shelter Medicine Program 2016-2017 Implementation 2018 C4C Bootcamp mentor shelter
It s a journey
Managed Intake
Managed Intake Daily Population = LOS x Intake OR Daily Population = LOS Intake Intake = Outcomes
MANAGED INTAKE - BASIC MATH If an average of 5 cats get adopted per day, and the shelter is housing 250 cats, how long will on average each cat stay before getting adopted? 50 days (250 cats / 5 cats adopted per day) If the shelter has 50 cats and adopts out on average 5 per day, how long will each cat stay on average? 10 days (50 cats / 5 cats per day) Result: same number of cats helped!
Intake Management
Our stake in the ground MAGI C NUMBER
Beautiful Cycle Lower LOS Lower population More efficient processes
Beautiful Cycle Magic number calculation Pathway planning Update SN scheduling Update PP stages Intake timing Stop healthy quarantine SN kittens @ 700g Updated medical protocols Lower Population More efficient processes Lower LOS
Start of C4C 120 100 80 60 40 20 0 July 2016-May 2018 Dog census Dog intake Dog adopt Linear (Dog census) Linear (Dog intake) Linear (Dog adopt)
300 250 200 150 100 50 0 July 2016-May 2018 Cat census Cat intake Cat adopt Linear (Cat intake) Linear (Cat adopt)
Wait! Its says to call first Managed Intake Solutions Please call to schedule an appointment for all pets and stray animals. We advise you to leave healthy stray cats found outside the city limits where they are. If the animal is injured or out in extreme conditions, please call the Edmonton Humane Society. For strays within the city limits, call the city at 311.
Managed Intake Solutions - EHS Kitten co-op program Being honest about the risks of underage kittens growing up in the shelter is most successful at engaging finder for help Supplies freely handed out This year program expanding
Managed Intake Solutions - EHS Non urgent healthy stray cats admitted by appointment Change in admitting hours focus on adoptions on weekends Make easy the type of behavior you want to encourage
Relief Valves If an organization cannot completely control their intake, must have timely and efficient strategies to get back to manageable numbers Intake = Outcomes Transfers out Offsite adoptions Adoption Events
Pet Store Seizure 500+ animals abandoned and seized under the Animal Protection Act February 2018 and brought to shelter Many exotic animals requiring specialized care
Although the Clear Our Shelter event started at noon Friday, people were lining up outside as early as 7:30 a.m. All animals seized from pet store by Edmonton Humane Society find new homes in giant adoption event Edmonton Journal All dogs and most cats on the adoption floor were gone by 3pm Friday
Long-term Legal Holds: Nov 2016 36 dogs / puppies Brought in by Animal Protection officers from breeding operation Dirty conditions, injuries, malnourishment
Long-term Legal Holds: The puppies grew up in our care and we were not allowed to adopt them out for over a year! January 2018
Long-term Legal Holds Solutions: FOSTER Flexible housing Walks Visits / time in offices Playgroup Enrichment
Population Management
Population Management- EHS Portals Forced to keep shelter cat population to a more manageable numbers Had to have a firm rule no closing portals Clear labelling of intended use of each ward extremely helpful
Portals with Curtailments Wagner DC, Kass PH, Hurley KF (2018) Cage size, movement in and out of housing during daily care, and other environmental and population health risk factors for feline upper respiratory disease in nine North American animal shelters.
Population Management - EHS
Rabbits EHS Before C4C In the past: 50+ rabbits in the shelter 9 adopted per month LOS over 5 months!
C4C Solutions - Rabbits Attractive rabbit housing for 6 rabbits built off cat adoption gallery Usually additional 1-3 rabbits in back Rabbits featured in a local pet store If 9 rabbits in shelter, LOS about 1 month
Our Shelter at C4C
Housing up to our noses
Kitten housing
Canine Infectious Housing 4 3 2 1 24 kennels for CIRD
Housing up to our noses 1 2 34 20 kennels per room
Adoption housing Transition housing, aim to use as first negative ringworm housing Closed to public and changed to intake housing
Reduced stress housing
Now we can do more!
Pathway Planning
Pathway Planning Adoptable IPE [AA] Available Underweight kittens IPE Foster AA Available Medical Rehabilitation IPE UAM [AA] Available Behavioral Rehabilitation IPE [AA] UAB Available
Pathway Planning Adoptable 40 total cats and kittens Underweight kittens 150 kittens Medical Rehabilitation Weekly assessment Behavioral Rehabilitation Weekly assessment
Falling off the horse Adult dogs 40 total available and unavailable Puppies We don t know! Medical Rehabilitation Capacity to be determined Behavioral Rehabilitation Capacity to be determined
Identifying Bottlenecks important Spay / Neuter List - EHS Effects everything! Keeping up is critical Spay / Neuter List LOS Disease Total Population Adoptions
Spay/Neuter Challenges- EHS Staffing challenges Cramped space Meeting additional extensive surgery needs of animals (non-spay neuter) in high season when demands on surgery vet is high
Spay/Neuter Solutions - EHS Focus on what is most important Indemnities for elective / non urgent surgeries Spay / neuterathons Bring in extra contract vets, casual tech support Outsourcing specialized surgeries. Stopped teaching in high season Low income spay / neuter surgeries integrated into each surgery day to alleviate some of the overcrowding in our small surgery recovery area
Removing Barriers to Outcomes
Removing Barriers to Outcomes I met an animal than found out they had already been adopted. I waited three hours to meet an animal. My adoption took two hours! It took half an hour for them to read me the medical record, I didn t understand any of it! I spent an hour working with a volunteer to find my best match, then spoke to an adoption counsellor and found out I couldn t adopt the same dog!
Removing Barriers to Outcomes Reactive adoption promotions Adoption holds Long application Long wait times Long adoption process
Removing Barriers to Outcomes Fee waived cats Streamlined adoption process Adoption satisfaction guarantee Free vet exam at local clinics
Summary The payoff of working within your capacity is huge. More animal lives can be saved, all the while maintaining good animal health and welfare. Keep your destination postcard in mind and never give up!
Questions and Further Resources evroberts@sfspca.org https://www.sfspca.org asmith@edmontonhumanesociety.com http://www.edmontonhumanesociety.com Ask an Expert shelter medicine question response system sheltermedconsult@gmail.com. Maddie s Shelter Medicine Fellowship Program A partnership between University of Wisconsin Shelter Medicine and UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine programs