Last month, we looked at some unforeseen fallout from the no-kill movement: dogs and cats who are not adopted quickly and end up spending weeks, months, perhaps the rest of their lives in a shelter. For some animals, life in a shelter may be better in many ways than the life they knew before. They get fed and watered regularly, they aren't mistreated. But in exchange for safety, they give up freedom and control over their environment and are subjected day after day to all the stresses associated with shelter life. These stresses can make them more susceptible to illness, exacerbate existing behavior problems, and create new ones. Then when an animal does fall ill or a behavior problem is observed, the shelter holds on to the animal even longer in an effort to solve the problem, thus further delaying possible adoption and extending the stay in the shelter.
It's a Catch-22 situation, but progress is being made on several fronts - disease control, shelter design, and behavior modification, for example - but most importantly in the attitudes and sensitivity of shelter personnel for the well being of their longer-term residents.
In 2000, the School of Veterinary Medicine at UC Davis, operating with a grant from Maddie's Fund, began a six-year Shelter Medicine Program. The purpose of the program is to train veterinarians for work in a shelter environment. Although many veterinarians already work full- or part-time in a shelter, few have been specifically trained in "herd health" management. This involves disease control in a large population of animals through vaccination regimens and cleaning practices, facility design, and stress reduction. Ironically, these areas are already emphasized in the training of veterinarians for food animal practice, but not for small animal veterinarians. The information gathered through this program can be shared with shelters across the country to improve the lives of the animals in their care. It is also hoped that other institutions will be encouraged to start similar programs in partnership with shelters in their area.
A revolution in shelter design has taken place in the last several years. Due in large part to the no-kill movement, shelters are placing greater emphasis on creating comfortable, varied habitats for the animals, rather than simply warehousing them. Even traditional shelters are finding that providing spacious, attractive areas not only improves the well being of the animals, but also encourages the public to visit, thus increasing both adoptions and volunteer help.
Go To Page: 1 2
| Here's the follow-up discussion on this article: | View all related messages |
For a complete listing of article comments, questions, and other discussions related to Sherrie Walker's Homeless Pets topic, please visit the Discussions page.