Proven Strategies

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Editorials

The Best Friends Network editorials are written by industry professionals from Best Friends who come from all different types of animal welfare backgrounds - municipal shelters, private rescue groups, animal control departments, and every other kind of animal welfare organization. Our experiences range from cleaning kennels to directing departments, founding organizations to organizing communities, and everything in between. In our editorials, we provide insights and opinions about industry trends, issues, and happenings. Our goal is to keep Network partners and other animal welfare organizations in-the-know on current events and best practices.


2024 Editorials


Field Return to Home: Keep Pets Home Where They Belong – A Lifesaving Strategy
By: Tawny Hammond  July 31, 2024

The Importance of Maximizing ‘Capacity for Care’
By: Brent Toellner  July 23, 2024

Capacity of Care: It’s Your Community
By: Tawny Hammond  June 21, 2024

Setting the record straight on managed intake
By: Brent Toellner   May 14, 2024


2023 Editorials


2022 national dataset shows mix of ups and downs
By: Whitney Bollinger  June 16, 2023

Are spay/neuter requirements saving lives or standing in the way of lifesaving?
By: Brent Toellner  June 14, 2023

More Florida shelters choosing to adopt out FIV/FeLV-positive cats
March 28, 2023

Managing feline disease outbreaks  
February 7, 2023

Taming canine disease outbreaks in shelters  
January 31, 2023


2022 Editorials


Top five editorials of 2022  
By: Liz Finch  December 20, 2022

The reality of today's shelter struggles  
By: Brent Toellner  November 14, 2022

Overwhelmed? Under-resourced?  
By: Brent Toellner  July 26, 2022

Survey sheds light on factors impacting pet acquisition  
By: Liz Finch  July 19, 2022

2021 was a challenging year – but it’s not all bad news  
By: Brent Toellner  June 7, 2022

Stepping up pay ranges for animal welfare staff  
By: Liz Finch  May 16, 2022

We do what?  
By: Sue Cosby  March 15, 2022

Best Friends’ program endorsements: Arming shelters in their efforts to progress policies and procedures  
By: Liz Finch  February 23, 2022

The paradox of adopting out unaltered animals  
January 18, 2022

Engage with intention  
By: José Ocaño  January 11, 2022


2021 Editorials


One Size Does Not Fit All When It Comes to Animal Welfare Agreements  
By: Sue Cosby  November 30, 2021

Managing the Transport of Heartworm-Positive Dogs to Increase Lifesaving  
By: Erin Katribe, DVM, MS  November 15, 2021 

Balancing Needs of Shelter Animals, Community in Times of Crisis  
By: Liz Finch  October 5th, 2021

Help! We Just Can’t Keep Up!  
By: Sue Cosby  September 27, 2021

Exploring Ways Shelters and Rescues Can Close Gaps to Accessing Care  
By: Liz Finch  September 14, 2021

The State of Access to Veterinary Services Today – An Interview with Aimee St. Arnaud  
By: Liz Finch  September 8, 2021 

Shelters Prove They Can Reach 90% Goal—and Stay There  
By: Liz Finch  August 24, 2021

Getting Out of the Staffing Shortage Rut  
By: Brent Toellner  August 18, 2021

Keeping up the Pace of Lifesaving  
By: Brent Toellner  June 25, 2021

The 2020 Data Set is Here!  
By: Vicki Kilmer  June 22, 2021

You Asked the Potential Adopter What?  
By: Sue Cosby  June 9, 2021 

Setting the Record Straight on Shelter Returns  
By: Brent Toellner  May 18, 2021


2020 Editorials

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion Efforts Take Rightful Place at Center Stage  
By: José Ocaño  December 18, 2020

Outdated policies prevent shelters from partnering with the public to save lives  
By: Scott Giacoppo  July 31, 2020  

Animal Welfare Should Tear Down Walls to Pet Ownership   
By: Liz Finch  July 10, 2020

Is Spay/Neuter an Essential Service During the Pandemic?  
By: Aimee St. Arnaud  April 30, 2020

Using the Current Absence of S/N to Gain Long-Term Advantages for Community Cats  
By: Peter Wolf  April 14, 2020

Why Putting Human Health Above Unlimited Spay/Neuter is the Right Thing to Do  
By: Sue Cosby and Erin Katribe, DVM  March 31, 2020