COVID-19 Resources: Animal Care & Control
As more people practice social distancing and more states establish shelter in place orders, we can expect that adoption traffic into your facility will soon slow. Having fewer outlets for live outcomes is one reason why limiting the number of pets coming into our shelter is critical.
The resources on this page will help you execute a managed intake process and improve your Return to Owner efforts.
Field Services & Return to Owner
Managed Intake
It’s imperative that your community understands the urgency of your shelter’s situation and the importance of keeping their pets at home so you can focus resources on animals in immediate need. But for the animals who are surrendered, having a managed intake plan is critical.
VIDEOS, WEBINARS, & PODCAST
- NACA guidelines and why should shelters follow them
- Managing Intake 101 webinar
- Ask the Expert - What is the best way to regulate intake and still be able to help shelters?
- Best Friends continues lifesaving with food delivery
DOWNLOADABLE PDFs, PLAYBOOKS, & SOPs
- American Pets Alive! - Intake Diversion Protocol
- Managed Intake or Admissions Training Playbook
- Pet Community Resources
- Shelter Policy Platform (NACA and Best Friends Animal Society)
PARTNER EXAMPLES
- Humane Society of Harlingen- Alternatives to Surrender
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES & INFORMATION
- Home to Home - Keeping animals out of shelters through direct home placement.
- Leading shelter medicine veterinary programs' endorsement of NACA guidelines on animal control agency and animal shelter practices during the COVID-19 pandemic
- Providing rehoming services
- RedRover Relief Emergency Boarding Grants- provides financial assistance for pet boarding while pet owners are ill and unable to care for their pets due to the COVID-19 virus.
- Shelter Animals Count
Field Services and Return-to-Owner
Especially in challenging times, ACOs play an important role in reserving facility space for the neediest animals by returning pets to their homes and providing retention resources so pets stay with their families.
Organizations that provide animal control services should ensure their officers are making every effort to return pets to their homes. These resources can help:
VIDEOS, WEBINARS, & PODCAST
- Radical RTO: A Conversation between Gina Knepp, National Shelter Engagement Director, Michelson Found Animals Foundation, and Tawny Hammond, National Director of Leadership Advancement, Best Friends Animal Society webinar
- El Paso Animal Services- How to deliver an animal safely
DOWNLOADABLE PDFs, PLAYBOOKS, & SOPs
- Field Return-to-Owner Training Playbook
- Michelson Found Animals- "So you found a lost pet" infographic
- American Pets Alive!- What to do when you find a lost cat
- American Pets Alive!- What to do when you find a lost dog
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES & INFORMATION
- Best Friends: Cats and COVID-19
NACA Statements
- Animal Control Functions During the COVID-19 Pandemic
- Cat Intake Protocol Recommendations During COVID-19 Pandemic
- Continuity of Animal Control and Sheltering Services
- Officer Safety (June 2020)
- Officer Safety During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Data
- Chameleon- We Need Your Chameleon Data! Our friends at Pethealth have created a set of aggregated data showing trends for intakes, outcomes, foster, and transfers. The 24Pet ShelterWatch Report is published weekly and features metrics week by week and year over year, helping shelter directors like you make informed decisions. We’re hoping to start including municipal data from shelters using Chameleon software – this requires your permission. Please reach out to Karen Griggs at karen.griggs@pethealthinc.com, Managing Director, Client Services at Pethealth for more information.
- 24Pet ShelterWatch- Download social media content designed for animal welfare organizations to share stories.
- Shelter Animals Count- Help measure the impact of COVID-19: Update your April data. We hope you’ve had a chance to review the COVID-19 Impact Data Summary. Thank you to all the organizations submitting data to make that report possible. Help us to continue to identify COVID-19 impact trends by logging in to Shelter Animals Count and adding your April data by Friday, May 8. Log into SAC here.