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A VERY FAST TOURof a (recently) very fast-

changing industry

Animal Welfare Origins

Animal Welfare Today

Hot Topics

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1,500 years of Animal Welfare

3300 BC thru the 1800’s• 3300 BC: Indus region

religions felt animals are ancestors reborn (Bronze Age)

• 500 BC: Monotheistic faiths: Animals as property

• 1800’s: first SPCAs, first discussions of general welfare• Still largely animal control for

rabies prevention• “Dog catchers” rewarded “per

dog” • Lots of ugliness and corruption Onlookers, not protesters

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A subtle shift occurs in the 1820’s

Protective legislation

• Since then, Dual Principals have guided “Animal Welfare”• Human morality (rabies

prevention)• Humane treatment (animal

rights)

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Animal Welfare has everything you should NEVER discuss on a first date!

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1930’s: First pet food ads suggest dog’s value

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It still took 45 years to consider adoptions!

Formation of Animal Protection Societies• London 1824• New York 1866• Erie County 1867• San Francisco 1868• Massachusetts 1868• Pennsylvania 1868• PA Women’s SPCA 1869

(1st to allow adoptions. Now called Women’s HS)

Caroline Earle White - Foremother of American Animal WelfareCo-founder of PA-SPCA, Founder of Women’s Branch of the Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the American Anti-Vivisection Society

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1960’s: Animal Welfare as we know it

The Five Freedoms

• Freedom from Hunger and Thirst

• Freedom from Discomfort • Freedom from Pain,

Injury or Disease • Freedom to Express

Normal Behaviour• Freedom from Fear and

Distress

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Also in the 60’s the Internet was born. Then, in 1995…

Animal Welfare gets a boost

• Only 100,000 web sites existed in ‘95

• Search engines are born • PETFINDER launches at

www.clemson.edu/~betsy/petfinder.html

• I was told, “You can never unify adoption groups. They’ll never get along.”

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Why was Petfinder’s impact revolutionary?

New in the last 16 years• Proliferation of foster-based

rescue system is made possible• Rescue individuals are nationally

supported for the first time• Fostering and marketing become

the norm• Consolidation of virtual adopters

online allows millions to directly benefit homeless pets annually

• Shelter worker’s commitment to animals is validated by foot traffic like never before

• Promotion of pets as family to over 6 million people each month

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Petfinder’s new call for blogger partners

• New look• New engine• Provides an

opportunity for syndication to Petfinder audience of 7 million visitors a month!

• Pet care• Training (dogs and

cats)• Pet health• Celebration• Funny, cute, too!

• Pet news

JANE@PETFINDER.COM

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Alright, so this is really a story about a Dalmatian

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Animal Welfare TodayA fast maturing industry

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Animal Welfare today• Perhaps 5,000 U.S.

physical animal shelters (12,600 adoption groups on Petfinder)

• 6-8 million animals enter shelters each year

• 3-4 million euthanasias• 3-4 million adoptions• Unknown number of feral

cats (managed and unmanaged)

• Over 62% of hhs have pets (only 30% have children)

• Over $100 million in subsidized s/n alone

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What informs Animal Welfare Today

Animal Rights

Animal Control

Religion/Culture!

Animals exist for Man

Ethics: Human

Rabies Prevention

Investment in the

status quoJust in! Increasing body

of research data fuels

moral debate!

Religion/Culture!

Animals are Relatives

Ethics: Animals are

Sentient

The very passionate field of ANIMAL WELFARE

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Who are Animal Welfare partners?

Humane Societies/SPCAs • Municipal/Gov’t Shelters • Foster Based Rescue Groups • Breed Specific Groups • State/Regional Associations • Animal “Rights” Groups • Assistance Groups • Veterinary Offices • Individuals

Retailers ClinicsFollow upServicesEvents

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People are REALLY serious about adoption

How committed are you to adoption/rescue (as opposed to getting a pet from a pet store

or breeder?)

Very

Somewhat

Not really. I just want a great pet.

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Audience: Does it matter who your adoption partner is?

Shelter19%

Foster Group24%Don't care

51%

Don't know the diff6%

Would you rather adopt from a shelter or a rescue/foster group?

19One lone staff member fell in love

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Please ADOPT ME!!!!

Big ideas and hot issues in animal welfare

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WRITERS, THIS MEANS YOU!Calling all FIRST FOLLOWERS:

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Still failing: Cats

• Pet Cats / Feral Cats

• Community cats guestimated at 9-90 Million

• Lack of community awareness/involvement

• Cats fare far worse than dogs in Animal Welfare• More cats than dogs in shelters

• 2.5% of lost cats returned to owners (8.5% for dogs)

• 55% of cats in shelters die there (27% for dogs)

• Check out CATalystcouncil.org

“The cat situation is a freakin’ mess!”*quote from highly respected national

animal welfare professional

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Highly controversial: Pit Bull Type Dogs

• Proliferation of Pit Bull type dogs face:• Breed-specific legislation• Insurance and community

discrimination• Dog-fighting/abuse

• That big head means:• Longer “length of stay”• Risk of kennel deterioration• Increased euthanasia

• Need:• Education; Promotion;

Population reduction

Once known as America’s babysitter. Maybe next: Stubby Dog

New Yorkie?

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Watch out: “No-kill”. Seem like a no-brainer?

• Origins SFSPCA partnership with animal control to divide and conquer (marketing)

• Incredibly effective for marketing and donations

• No Kill / Kill is divisive and demoralizing

• “Euthanasia” is sugarcoating and dishonest

• Reality: What do we do with unwanted pets in our community

• Unintended consequences of calling a shelter a “kill” shelter

• Embedded in this issue:• The numbers game to obtain

“zero euthanasia” of “adoptable” pets

• Many “no kill” organizations are foster groups with no shelter

• Some shelters are contracted/chartered to take all strays. What happens when they are full?

• When a “no kill” facility fills up, what happens to the pets they have to turn away?

• Less controversial synonyms• “No Kill” = Limited Admission• “Kill” = Open Admission• Definitely less politically charged

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Hot Topic: Standards of Care

• Ideal to move to Zero Euthanasia causes:• A lot of pressure on institutions• Holding pets longer

• Physical needs of shelter pets• Assn of Shelter Veterinarians

have created written standards

• Mental/Emotional needs• Uniform Quality of Life

standards still needed

Petfinder.com Foundation’s: Train To Adopt pilot showedhuge correlation between mental stimulation and adoptability

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Opportunity: Transport Does “Supply” = “Demand”?

Does Supply = Demand? Challenges:• Regulation/Best Practices• Disease containment

• Rabies, heartworm

• Expenses

• Some urban areas in the US have far fewer incoming “adoptable” (desirable?) dogs than they need. • Some folks are filling the

gap by bringing dogs from overpopulated areas

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Crises: Customer Service• We here stories of people

being turned off of adoption

• Only 74/120 shelters passed our secret shopper customer service tests• Resource-stretched

people / programs• Compassion fatigue

amongst staff / volunteers• 6%: Not “people people”

No6%

Somewhat43%

Very51%

Are shelter workers courteous and pro-

fessional?

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Hot Topic: Customer Service

Yes40%

No60%

Have you ever con-tacted an adoption group and received

no reply?

What has been your experience with the adoption process?

Very positive and happy

Mostly positive and Happy

I haven't had an experience yet

Adoption process was unpleasant (but I'm happy with my pet)

Very unpleasant

Unpleasant

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Growing issue: Animal Hoarding• Complex issue with

components of:• Mental Health;• Public Safety; and• Animal Cruelty

• Increasing in prevalence with estimated 900-2,000 new cases each year

• Pressure to avoid euthanasia or go “No Kill” has led to institutional cruelty in some cases

• Prosecution alone unsuccessful – requires collaboration with social services and animal welfare

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Shifting Role of Shelters

Meeting the mission Challenge of the last 10%

• The homeless popluation of dogs is harder to treat / care for / adopt

• Breed-o-graphic issues are more expensive and controversial to tackle

• Per pet cost benefit?• Increasing cost of saving a

life• What if it cost $1000 to

save each pet?

• Fewer “easy” dogs; cats. • Community outreach into

underserved regions• Maintaining relevance by

expanding responsibilities• Behavior hotlines• Training Wheels• Yappy Hour• Dog parks

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Percolating issue: Mass Sterilization (aka S/N)

Benefits Cost

• $106 Million per year (over $500 Million if you include private s/n)

• Potential loss of genetic diversity held by “the great American mutt”

• Shifting adoptable population to bully breeds

• Behavior and health risks to pets • increasing some cancers• weight related diseases up• dog-dog aggression in females

• Costs (financial and emotional) associated with diseases linked to obesity

• Unquestionable over-population in some regions

• Decreases roaming behavior in males

• Decreases yucky sexy-cat behaviors

• Human health! High positive correlation with rabies control

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Big news: Non-surgical sterilization

17% of s/n is subsidized83% is in private practice

Impact of not being more efficient in subsidized s/n• Current annual spend

$106,000,000 @ $50 each

• Reduce to $25 and save $53,000,000 each year

• Check out ACC-D.org

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Friday came and slipped slowly by.

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So, what can you do?

• Instigate• Watch out for and identify new

trends• Create new conversations • Frame the future

• Catalyze• Highlight proactive programs in

your community• Bring people and ideas together

• Reiterate• New information needs to be

introduced several times and framed several ways to “catch on”

• Use your traditional and your social networks

Above all else: Pets as family

• Does your point of view of pets as family members ring through everything you produce?

• Use your might to stretch the expectations of what it means to be a good pet parent

• Always spotlight good citizens (pets and humans)

• If you see something you like, allow yourself to start a movement –by being the first to follow

Embrace your role in increasing ethical literacy

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