no kill louisville summary of policies

8/6/2019 No Kill Louisville Summary of Policies

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Animal Shelter

Summary of Policies &

Procedures

May 2011


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1.0 Introduction

2.0 General Shelter Operations2.1 Locations2.2 Telephone & E-mail

2.3 Hours of Operation2.4 Animal Records2.5 Shelter Statistics2.6 Holding Periods2.7 Owner Requested Euthanasia

3.0 Intake Procedures3.1 Stray/Lost & Found3.2 Owner Surrenders3.3 Intake Evaluations

4.0 Animal Care

4.1 General Policies4.2 Cleaning4.3 Feeding4.4 Animal Movement4.5 Animal Handling4.6 Veterinary & Health Issues4.7 Socialization4.8 Feral Cats4.9 Died In Kennel4.01 Volunteer Program

5.0 Disposition5.1 Return to Owner5.2 Adoption5.3 Rescue Groups5.4 Foster Care5.5 Euthanasia

6.0 AppendixA. Medical Exam FormB. Owner Surrender FormC. Stray Animal Surrender FormD. Lost & Found ReportE. Rescue Registration FormF. Adoption Survey Cat

G. Adoption Survey - DogH. Volunteer ApplicationI. Foster ApplicationJ. Daily Evaluation Form - CatK. Daily Evaluation Form Dog


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1.0 Introduction

No Kill Louisville believes in a proactive approach to animal sheltering that places the

lives of the animals as the utmost priority. Our goal is to create a community in which no

adoptable or savable animal is killed. No Kill Louisville firmly believes that there are alternatives

to ending an animals life that must be explored and exhausted in every way for each individual

animal. It is important to think outside the box rather than to accept the death of an animal.

Animal sheltering simply does not have to continue in the same way it has for years. We can

save over 90% of all animals that come through our doors. The procedures, programs and

policies outlined here are meant to guide shelter operations in such a way that makes life-saving

easier than it ever has been, all while maintaining the health and comfort of the animals.

2.0 General Shelter Operations

2.1 Locations

The physical addresses of the No Kill Louisville Animal Shelter are 3705 Manslick Rd, Louisville, KY 40215 (hereafter"Manslick location") and 3516 Newburg Rd, Louisville, KY 40218 (hereafter "Animal House" or "Animal House

Adoption Center"). An offsite adoption location where adoptable animals maybe seen daily is the Petsmart at 3580South Hurstbourne Pkwy,Louisville, KY 40299.

2.2 Telephone & E-mail

Animal House: (502) 473-PETS (7387). Manslick location: (502) 574-5511. The telephone system is subject tochange in order to make it moreefficient and user-friendly. E-mail system is yet to be determined.

2.3 Hours of Operation

The Manslick location is open from 12 noon to 7 pm Tuesday through Sunday for owned animal surrenders, lost andfound services, and adoptions. Animal House is open 12 noon to 7 pm Tuesday through Sunday for adoptions only.Both locations are closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. The shelterwill remain open with regularhours duringall otherholidays.Regular Petsmart storehours & closings apply to the offsite adoptions at the Petsmart location.

2.4 Animal Records


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2.4.1 In order to insure detailed records on all animals, staff mustenter into the database all care and treatment(except routine cleaning and feeding) around the time such care and treatmentwas given.

2.5 Shelter Statistics

2.5.1 The shelterwill release monthly statistics including but not limited to the following (eachwillbebroken downfurtherby species): intakes, adoptions, return-to-owners, transfers to rescue groups.

2.5.2The statistics will also include the number of animals killed in the categories outlined in Section 5.5.3.

2.5.3 Comparison statistics will also be made available for the same month of the previous year.

2.5.4 The number of active volunteers, total number of volunteerhours, number of active fosterhomes and thenumber ofeach animal in foster carewill also be made availableeach month.

2.6 Holding Periods

All animals relinquished as straywillbeheld for 5 days. Stray animals requiring immediate, emergency medicalcare offsite or immediate foster care (such as infants) will remain in the system for 5 days andwill notbe transferredto a rescue group or adopted out during this time. Detailed records of these off site strayswillbe made available tothe public in a binder orbulletin board for anyonewho comes searching for a lost animal.

2.7 Owner Requested Euthanasia

The Animal Shelter does not perform owner requestedeuthanasia. Owners requesting this servicewillbe referred totheir private veterinarian. If the owner cannot afford to take their pet to a private veterinarian, they may surrender the

animal to the Animal Shelter. However, the animalwill notbeeuthanizedwithout passing through normaleuthanasiaprotocol as described in Section 5.5.4.

3.0 Intake Procedures

3.1 Stray/Lost & Found

3.1.1Anyonewho brings a stray animal to the shelterwillbe asked to fill out paperwork, which includes specificinformation on when andwhere the animalwas found. This information is entered into the computerby an intake

counselor.

3.1.2All stray animals will immediatelybe given a full-body scan with a microchip readerby an intake counselor.Any microchip information that is foundwill immediatelybe pursued.

3.1.3 Finderswillbe asked if theywouldbe interested in fostering or adopting the animal if its owners are notfound. If yes, theywillbe contacted after the 5 dayholding periodby the foster coordinator.


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3.1.4 General physical description of the animalwillbe immediately cross-referenced against the shelters databaseof all lost reports.

3.1.5Anyonewho brings in a catwith a feralear-tip will immediately receive onsite counseling and Alley CatAdvocates willbe contacted to assist in the return of the cat.

3.1.6 Once a kennel cardhas been generated and printed, the animal is ready forevaluation.

3.1.7 There are no stray surrender fees.

3.2 Owner Surrenders

3.2.1Animal owners thatwish to surrender their petwill firstbe counseled in pet retention. The purpose of petretention counseling is to find a solution that may allowan owner to keep their pet. Surrender paperworkwill notbesupplied until after an attempt at counseling is made.

3.2.2Animal owners must fill out a basic owner surrender form that includes an animal survey. This information is

entered into the computerby an intake counselor and a kennel card is generated and printed.

3.2.3 When the situation allows, animal owners that are unable to present up-to-date vaccination records willbeasked to take the animalhome for one (1) day after intake staff administers vaccinations. This allows the vaccine tobegin to takeeffect on the animals immune system before the animal is exposed to pathogens. This reason isthoroughlyexplained to owners, who will sign an agreement form. Once the animal comes back the next day, theowners will complete the surrender contract.

3.2.4All animal owners must sign a surrender contract, which states that the animal is, in fact, their own and theyrelinquish all ownership of the animal. This completes the surrender process. The animal is ready to beevaluated.

3.2.5 There are no owner surrender fees.

3.3 Intake Evaluations

3.3.1All animals will receive an initial medicalexamination, whichwillbe recorded on a medicalexam form andentered into the computer. Examinations willbe performed as long as the animal can behandled safelywithoutimmediate danger to the intake team or the animal itself.

3.3.2Animals in a physical state of distress, thought to be pregnant or severely illwill notbeexaminedby the intaketeam. Theywill immediatelybe taken to the vet area for theirexamination and additional medical assistance.

3.3.3 Except as outlined above, all animals will receive the following upon intake:DHAPP (dogs) or FVRCP (cats) vaccinations, rabies vaccination (only animals 4 months and older), intestinal

parasite dewormer, and topical flea & tick medication. Dogs will also haveblood drawn for a heartworm test.

3.3.4 The intake team will give a second full-body scan for a microchip. Any microchip information foundwillbeconfirmedwith previouslyentered information. The animalwill also beexamined for any other identifying information,such as a tattoo.


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3.3.5An initialbehavior assessmentwillbe noted. These are very general observations to be used as a benchmark.It is useful to knowif the animals behavior is improving or deteriorating after acclimating to the shelter, and can helpdetermine placement of the animal.

3.3.6 Cats that are very frightened shouldbe given a feral catbox, with a towel sprayedwith FAP, to assist them intheir adjustment to the shelter. (More information on feral cats can be found in Section 4.8)

3.3.7 Pictures willbe taken by the intake team. Pictures need to be of thehighest quality possiblebecause theywillbe used immediately to help animals find rescue or foster care, be returned to their owners orbe adopted. Eachanimal shouldhave a side profile picture and a full-on picture of their face.

3.3.8 The intake team must collaborate and make an initial determination/ suggestion of the appropriate placementof the animal, which may include foster care, return to its colony, adoptions, rescue, oreuthanasia. The intake teammustenter these suggestions into the computer as well as communicate directlywith the appropriate coordinatorsand caregivers about newintakes.

3.3.9 Once the intake process is complete, the animalwillbe moved to an appropriate available cageby animalcare staff (see section on animal movement) orbe put into temporaryhousing in the intake area until a cage is made

available.

3.3.01Appropriate sanitation measures willbe taken afterhandling each animal, including but not limited todisinfecting all surfaces andwashing hands.

4.0 Animal Care

4.1 General Policies

4.1.1 All animals will be treated with respect and compassion by all staff and volunteers.

4.1.2 Utmost care will be taken to reduce cross-contamination among animal populationsthrough careful cleaning protocols and segregation of adoptable, stray, and medical isolationanimals. Dogs should never be housed in the same room as cats.

4.1.3 All shelter staff and volunteers should strive to meet the basic needs of all shelter animals,except those animals which pose an immediate danger. This includes but is not limited to fresh

water and food on a daily basis, time outside of their enclosure on a daily basis, appropriategrooming and health care, and mental stimulation.

4.2 Cleaning


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4.2.1Animalhousing areas willbe cleaned thoroughly once a day, in the morning. Cages and kennels will then bespot cleaned throughout the day.

4.2.2 Cleaning duties fall to the Animal Care staff and specially trained volunteers. Animal Care staff are assigned tospecific areas of the shelter to avoid cross-contamination.

4.2.3 Kennels and cages shouldbe completely cleaned as soon as an animal is moved out to make room for anincoming animal.

4.2.4 Complete cleaning protocol for the 2 main dog kennels is as follows:1. Do dailyevaluations using the forms in thebinder. Record ill-appearing animals on the veterinary log.2. Mark cages with animals that appear to be illwith a red Im not feeling

well kennel tag on both the inside and outside run doors. Thesewillbecleaned last once all the other kennels are completely finished.

3. Get all dogs on the inside of their runs and securely close all guillotinedoors. Cleaning willbegin on the outside portion of the runs.

4. Don clean protective clothing, located at the southend of thebuilding - suit,boots, gloves, hair protection.

5. Get the cleaning cart from the southend of thebuilding.6. Collect any laundry and place in thehamper. Collect any foodbowls, empty

uneaten food into the trash, and stackbowls on cart. Collect any toys andplace in basket on cart.

7. Measure out the proper amount of detergent cleaner into the sprayhoseattachment.

8. Identify any severely soiled kennels and spray them down to give themtime to soak.

9. Poop scoop the kennels, emptying all feces into the trash.10. Place poop scoop into the detergentbucket to soak.11. Hose down all kennels with detergent spray, covering every inch of

concrete and chain link.

12. Scrub all kennels with the stiffbristlebrush. Placebristlebrush in itsdetergentbucket to soak.

13. Spray thewalkways.14. Remove the detergent spray attachment from hose and rinse kennels with

water. Rinsewalkways as well.15.Attach the disinfectant spray attachment to thehose and spray all kennels

down withbleach, including kennel doors. Spraywalkways as well. This needs to sit for 10minutes. Move thebristlebrush and poop scooper to thebleachbucket.

16. Rinse kennels andwalkways withwater.17. Squeegee all kennels dry. Let the kennels dry completely to the air.18. Open guillotine doors and close them again after the dogs have moved

outside.

19. Repeat the process on the inside portions of the kennels.20. Pay special attention to the dog beds. Flip them over and spray thoroughly.21. Refillwaterbuckets.22. Once thehealthy animals kennels are done, bring them all to the inside

again and close their guillotine doors. Repeat above cleaning process with any animals thatappeared sick.

23. Be sure to spray thewheels of the cartwith detergent andbleach.24. Using hand-held sprays, wipe down door knobs and all commonelements

such as guillotine door pulleyhandles.


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25. Tie up the trashbag and laundrybag.26. Remove protective clothing. Put suit in the laundryhamper and putboots

in their detergentbasin. Thoroughlywashhands after removing gloves.27. Considerwashing face, too! Usehand sanitizer afterwashing.28. Open guillotine doors again for the sick animals, closing them again after sick animals are on the inside of

their kennel. Vet staffwillexamine animal and isolate if necessary.

29. Open all guillotine doors so thathealthy animals may go in and out.30. Move laundrybag to the laundry room. Washhands thoroughly and use

hand sanitizer.31. Replaceblankets and toys where needed.32. Perform general cleaning of the kennel area.

4.2.5 If dogs go out forwalks throughout the day and are given ample opportunity to relieve themselves outside of akennel, the need for spot cleaning is greatly diminished. However, any feces in the kennels shouldbe promptly spotcleaned as follows:

1. Close guillotine doors to keep animal on side you are NOTcleaning.2. Wearing a pair of gloves, remove feces from kennels with a clean bag. Wipe floor of kennelwith

clean paper towel if necessary.3. Abnormal incidents of diarrhea or vomit shouldbe immediately reported to the vet staff, and not

cleaned until theyhaveexamined it or taken samples, if necessary. To reduce potential cross-contamination, useboot covers if you must spot-clean a kennelwhere a dog appears to be ill, andremove them immediately.

4. Remove any damaged toys that the dog has torn apart.5. Remove & replace any soiledbedding.6. Use a fresh pair of gloves, fresh paper towels, and freshbags between each kennel.

4.2.6 Complete cleaning for cats (also generally applies to puppies housed incages) is as follows:

1. Do dailyevaluations for all cats. Mark cages where cats appear ill and clean these last. Record ill-appearing animals on the veterinary log.

2. Wear a fresh pair of gloves witheach cat. Usehand sanitizerbefore putting on a fresh pair ofgloves.

3. Prepare freshbowls ofwater and food for the cat and place on the cart.4. If cleaning a cagewith a feral or frightened cat, remember to wait for them to enter their feral cat

den and close & latch the round door. Remove den from the cage and place on a table or in thecatexercise room, never on the floor during cleaning. **Note: if necessary, use cat tongs to aid inclosing & opening the round door if the cat is particularly aggressive.

5. If cleaning a cagewith a friendly cat, move the cat into its own carrier. Each cat cage shouldbeassigned a carrier. Try not to hug the catwhen moving it. Carriers shouldbe placed on a table orin the catexercise room, never on the floor during cleaning.

6. Dump uneaten food in the trash and dump water down the sink. Putbowls on cart to be cleaned.7. Remove toys and place on cart to bewashed or throwthem away if severely damaged.8. Remove any towels to bewashed and place them in laundryhamper.9. Remove paper and dump in trash.10. Use a paper towel to remove feces or urine cakes from litterbox. Completely dump and replace

cardboard litterboxif needed. Addextra litter if needed.11. Remove litterboxand place temporarily on cart on a clean layer of newspaper.12. Spray the cat cagewith a detergent to remove organic matter. Follow-up with a disinfectant and

allowthis to sit for the appropriate amount of time. Be sure to spray & wipe the cage doors, too.


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13. Allowthe cage to air-dry.14. Add a fresh layer of newspaper.15. Add a fresh towel.16. Replace the litterboxand add thebowls you prepared in step 3.17. Place newtoys in cage.18. Retrieve the cat carrier & put catback in cage. Or, replace cat den and open the round door.

19. Thoroughly spray and disinfect the cats carrier.20. Remove gloves, usehand sanitizer, and move on to the next cat.

4.2.7 Spot cleaning for cats can be done throughout the day oreach morning for cats that are particularly clean.Cats can become stressedby the cleaning process and, because they are stressed, more susceptible to disease.Spot cleaning does not involve removing the cats from their cages. Spot cleaning protocol for cats is as follows:

1. Wear a fresh pair of gloves witheach cat.2. With onehand, gently prevent cat from escaping byblocking its chestwith yourhand. Or, in the

case of feral or frightened cats, wait until the catenters its feral cat den and close the round door.3. With your otherhand, use a paper towel to remove feces or urine cakes from the litterbox.4. Replace anybedding if soiled.

5. Replace food andwaterbowls if they are soiled orempty.6. Open the round feral cat den door, if applicable. Close cage door, remove gloves, usehand

sanitizer, and move on to the next cat.

4.2.8All intake, animal care, and adoption staffwill participate in a rotating schedule that involves keeping commonareas (such as hallways, lobbies, andbathrooms) clean. Staffwill notbe asked to clean an area outside their normalworkstation. Forexample, adoptions staffwill not clean the intake lobby and vice versa. Vet staffwill maintain laundryin the vet trailer, and animal care staffwillbe responsible for keeping the laundry going in the animal care area. Staffwillbe responsible for the cleanliness of theireverydayworkenvironment, including but not limited to desk space(personal and shared).

4.2.9 Animal Care staffwillbe responsible for maintaining the appropriateexercise areas for the animals in their

care. Forexample, the Animal Care staff focused on cleaning the adoptable dog kennelwill also ensure thecleanliness of the adoptable dog exercise yard, including but not limited to trash pick-up, poop-scooping, and

perimeter checks. Sociable cats willhaveexercise rooms available so that Animal Care staff can let them stretchoutside of their cage at least once a day. These rooms shouldbe cleaned and disinfectedbetween each cat.

4.3 Feeding

4.3.1Appropriate food type and measurements willbe given. Measurements will depend on the quality of the food.We intend to enter a contractwith a pet food company for free food. However, the companyhas notbeen determinedyet so feeding charts are not available at this time. Regardless, animals willbe fed an appropriate dietbased on theirspecies, health, weight, and age.

4.3.2 Healthy adult dogs and cats willbe fed once a day in theevening in clean bowls.

4.3.3 Underweight, obese, very young and very old animals willbe given smaller portions throughout the day, aminimum of twice a day.

4.3.4 For any unhealthy, very young or very old and underweight or obese animals, the feeding schedule andspecific dietwill fall under the discretion of the veterinarian.


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4.3.5 Waterbowls shouldbe kept full and clean at all times.

4.4 Animal Movement

4.4.1Animals need to be moved into foster care, adoptions, rescue, and out of medical isolation as quickly aspossible to insure adequate space. Staff members responsible for moving animals are primarily the foster and rescuecoordinators and animal care staff.

4.4.2 Newintake animals shouldbe moved to the appropriatehousing quarters by the animal care staff responsiblefor the section where the animalwillbehoused. This requires good communication among intake and animal carestaff.

4.4.3 Unclaimed stray animals shouldbe moved into foster care or into the adoption buildings at the Manslicklocation as soon as possible after the 5 day strayholding period is complete.

4.4.4 Owner surrender animals in goodhealth and of sound temperament may immediately move into the adoptionareas, to be worked up for adoption at a later time, but as promptly as possible.

4.4.5Adoptable animals from the Manslick location shouldbe moved to Animal House Adoption Center and offsiteadoption locations on a dailybasis when spacebecomes available.

4.5 Animal Handling

4.5.1All staffwillbe trained in howto safely and compassionatelyhandle all animals, including frightened, fractious,questionable and feral animals. Once trained, staffwillbeheld accountable for proper animalhandling. Volunteerswill also receivehandling instructions on their first day of training, butwill onlybehandling adoptable animals unlessapprovedby the director.

4.5.2 The use of safetyequipment shouldbe reserved only for those animals who truly pose a danger to staff.Overuse of safetyequipmentwillwarrant further training.

4.5.3 Staff and volunteers should knowto request assistance from another staff member if they are unsurehowtosafely or appropriatelyhandle a certain animal.

4.5.4 Catch poles should neverbe used on cats. Safetyequipment used mustbe appropriate for the species of theanimal.

4.6 Veterinary & Health Issues

4.6.1 Dailyevaluations willbe performed first thing every morning by Animal Care staff. Any appearance of illness inan animal shouldbe immediately recorded on the veterinarians log and the kennels shouldbe markedwith a tag.Tag mustbe on both inside and outside doors in the case of double sided dog runs.

4.6.2 Veterinary staff members are responsible forexamining animals that appear ill or injured, dispensingmedications daily, spay/neuter surgeries, andeuthanasia of animals.


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4.6.3 Cleanliness of the veterinary area is of utmost importance. Exam tables will always be cleaned immediatelybefore and after use, the floorwillbe routinely mopped, staffwill change into clean scrubs (provided) afterhandlingan ill animal. Staffwill use gloves when appropriate.

4.6.4All staffwillbe trained in medical red flags to knowwhat needs to be reported to the vet staff.

4.7 Socialization

4.7.1All animals require daily socialization for mental and physicalwellbeing. It falls to staff to care for all strayanimals, but staff may share socialization duties with volunteers for adoptable animals.

4.7.2 Most dogs shouldbewalked a minimum of once a day, ideally 3 times a day. Use common sense:walk under-the-weather dogs last, but any dog that appears severely ill should notbe touched and shouldbe moved to medicalisolation as soon as possible.

4.7.3 When appropriate, dogs shouldhave a daily opportunity to run in a fenced area, preferablywith other friendlydogs.

4.7.4All dogs shouldhave daily opportunities for people time, including being pet, brushed, talked to and giventasty treats.

4.7.5 Kennelenrichment, such as toys or peanutbutter-stuffed kongs shouldbe provided to dogs wheneverpossible.

4.7.6 Healthy cats shouldhave the opportunity to walk in a room at least once a day and receivehuman interaction.

4.7.7 Toys shouldbe provided to cats either inside the cage orhanging on the outside.

4.8 Feral Cats

4.8.1 Cats thought to be feral upon intakewillbe providedwith a feral catboxwith a towel thathas been sprayedwith Feliway (feline appeasing pheromone). A towel mustbe placed over the catscage and maybe slowly raised over several days to help the cat adjust. Cats thought to be feral on intake may turnout to be frightenedhouse cats who, after an adjustment period, are social.

4.8.2 Unclaimed stray cats that are unsuitable for adoption shouldbe neutered and returned to the location wheretheywere trapped. Educational information (such as doorhangars) willbe distributed in the neighborhood.

4.9 Died In Kennel

4.9.1 When an animalhas died in their cage/kennel, staff or volunteers must report the incident to a veterinarytechnician immediately so that thebody maybeexamined.

4.9.2 The cage or kennel mustbe thoroughly cleaned and disinfected immediately.


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4.9.3 If the animalwas in group housing and the animal is suspected to havedied of a contagion, the animals directlyexposed mustbe moved to medicalisolation for monitoring.

4.9.4 If the shelter is open to the public, thebody mustbe coveredwith a towelbeforebeing moved.

4.9.5 Thebody is to behandledwith respect and care at all times.

4.01 Volunteer Program

4.01.1 Volunteers must fill out volunteer paperwork (See AppendixH) and attend a general orientation.

4.01.2 Volunteers will also receive a copy of the Volunteer Handbook

4.01.3Additional training sessions willbe made available to increase the capabilities of volunteers, such asadoption training, cleaning protocol training, lost and found training, etc. Additionalhandbooks willbe made availableto volunteers who go through these training sessions.

4.01.4A strong volunteer program is thebackbone of a successful animal shelter.Wewould like to see an increase to at least 300 active volunteers.

5.0 Disposition

5.1 Return to Owner

5.1.1 Process

1. Anyonewishing to viewlost animals may do so during regularbusiness hours.2. A lost report mustbe filedbefore animals maybe viewed.3. Staff or volunteers mustwalk people through the lostholding areas.4. Once an ownerhas successfully found their lost pet (and the pet matches the description on the lost report

they filed), the ownerwillbe required to give additional identification of the animal, such as pictures, medicalrecords, or a receipt of purchase.

5. Staffwill fill in a Return to Owner form and the ownerwill sign stating that this is their pet and they areclaiming it.

6. Fees mustbe paidbefore the process is complete. Fees willbebased on vaccination, licensing, microchip,and spay/neuter surgery at cost, plus $5 per day that the animal is housed at the shelter. Fees maybewaived at the discretion of NKL management.

5.1.2 Field Returns

A financial incentive is available forevery field return that an Animal


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Control Officer successfully facilitates. No Kill Louisvillewill providehalf of this monetary allowance to LouisvilleMetro Government andhalf to the Animal Control Officer, per field return. Animals mustbe completely processed andentered into the shelters database to be considered for this incentive.

5.1.3 Volunteer Lost & Found Team

1. A volunteer lost & found team willbe assembled. Theywill report to the IntakeTeam. The Lost & FoundTeam willbe proactive in facilitating reunions among lost pets located at the shelterwith their owners.

2. The lost & found team will cross-reference all lost pets with listings on various media sources.3. The lost & found team will use a flyer template and intake photos to create flyers foreach animal. These

flyers willbe faxed ore-mailed to veterinarians within 10 miles ofwhere the animalwas found.4. The lost & found team may also create large, bright posters for individual animals and post these at major

intersections nearwhere the animalwas found. Theywill also be responsible for removing these postersonce the animalhas been found orhas otherwise left the shelter system.

5. The lost & found team may also maintain online listings of lost animals in order to give the public a way tosearch for their lost pet.

6. The lost & found team will assistwith taking calls ore-mails from the publicwho wish to file lost or foundreports with the shelter. The lost & found team will file these reports and counsel people about other steps

they can take in order to find a lost pet (or to find an owner).

5.2 Adoption

5.2.1 Adoptable animals willbe located at Animal House Adoption Center, the Manslick location, in foster care,and offsite adoption centers such as the Petsmart on Hurstbourne Pkwy.

5.2.2 Petfinder.com willbe the primary internet media for promoting all adoptable animals, but otherwebsites(which may include adoptapet.com and petango.com) will also be used.

5.2.3 Adopters willbeencouraged to fill out an application (See Appendices F &G) firstbefore going to see the

animals. However, potential adopters may just lookwithouthaving to fill out an application first.Applications willbe requiredbefore animals willbe taken out for potential adopters.

5.2.4 Adopters willbeescorted through adoption areas.

5.2.5Adoption counselors will interviewadopters andwill promote animals that seem like a good fit for their lifestyle.

5.2.6Adoption counselors will check landlord and vet references.

5.2.7Adoption counselors willhandle adoption agreements and fees.

5.2.8Adoption fees willbe no higher than $135 for dogs and puppies, and $85 for cats and kittens. Promotions maybe run at any time and may include lower adoption fees.

5.2.9 If more than one person submits an application for the same animal, backup applicants willbe notifiedwhenthe animal is adopted.

5.2.01Adoption counselors will also be responsible for follow-up calls at the following intervals: 3 days, 3 weeks,and 3 months.


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5.2.02 People looking for a specificbreed of dog or cat may file an adoption application. These breed requestapplications willbe kept for up to 90 days. Applicants willbe informedwhen an animal fitting that description isavailable for adoption from the shelter. Intake team willbe able to access these applications via the database so that

people may immediatelybe alerted to animals.

5.2.03All adoptable animals willbe spayed/neutered (unless considered unfit for surgeryby veterinarian),

microchipped, up to date on vaccines and preventative medicine, and licensedbefore adoption.

5.3 Rescue Groups

5.3.1A full time Rescue Coordinatorwillbe on staff to facilitate the transfer of animals to rescue groups.

5.3.2Animals willbe spayed or neutered prior to being transferred unless an animal is consideredby a veterinarianto be unfit for surgery. Rescue groups wishing to beexempt from this policy must receive approval from the director.

5.3.3 Rescues willbe charged for medical services (at cost) performed at the shelter.

5.4.3 The shelter musthave a completed Rescue Registration Form (See AppendixE) on file and must receiveapproval from the Rescue Coordinator, with guidance from the Director as needed, before animals maybetransferred to their care.

5.4.4Any shelters or rescues thatwish to have animals transferred to their care musthave a euthanasia policy thatagrees with our own.

5.4 Foster Care

5.4.1 Foster caregivers must fill out foster paperwork (See AppendixI) and attend a general foster orientation beforethey can receive their first foster animal.

5.4.2 Foster caregivers will also receive a copy of the Foster Handbook

5.4.3 Additional training sessions willbe made available, such as howto care forbottle feeding puppies & kittens.

5.4.4 Free dog training classes will also be made available for foster caregivers to attendwith their foster dogs, withthe goal of making the dogs more appealing to adopters, more likely to have success in their newhome, and to

provide a supportive resource for foster caregivers.

5.4.5 Fosterhomes increase the capacity of a shelter. Wewould like to see an increase to at least 1,000 animalsentering foster careevery year.

5.4.6 Fosterhomes will notbe limitedby county or state, butwillbe limitedwithin 50 miles of Louisville unlessapprovedby the shelter Director.

5.5 Euthanasia


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y The cat is feral and all attempts to relocate or neuter and return the cathave failed;y The likelihood of success in any of the steps appear poor in the reasonably foreseeable future such that

continuedholding of the animalwould not alter this prognosis; and/or,y The animalhas been determined to be vicious and ordered to be destroyedby a court orhearing officer

under law, and all appeals havebeen exhausted.

5.5.5 Euthanasia willbe performed in the vet area by vet staff trained in euthanasia, and under the direction of aveterinarian.

5.5.6 Emergency, off-hours cases in which an animal appears to be irremediably suffering willbe transported to alocal 24-hour vet, forexamination andeuthanasia if the animals prognosis is poor or grave and the animal cannotbestabilized. Veterinary observations mustbe documented in writing and given to the Director at theearliest possibletime.

5.5.7Animals willbeeuthanizedby lethal intravenous injection of sodium pentobarbital, except as follows:

y Intraperitoneal injections maybe used only under the direction of a licensed veterinarian, and onlywhenintravenous injection is not possible for infant animals, companion animals other than cats and dogs, feral

cats, or in comatose animals with depressed vascular function.y Intracardiac injections maybe used onlywhen intravenous injection is not possible for animals who are

completely unconscious or comatose, and then only under the direction of a veterinarian.

5.5.8All animals willbe sedated or tranquilized to minimize their stress or discomfort and to ensure staff safety.However, neuromuscularblocking agents may notbe used.

5.5.9 No animalwillbe allowed to witness any other animalbeing killed orbeing tranquilized/sedated for thepurpose ofbeing killed.

5.5.01 Following their injection, animals willbe lowered to the surface on which they arebeing held andwill notbepermitted to collapsewithout support.

5.5.02An animal may neverbe left unattended during theentireeuthanasia process.

5.5.03 Death mustbe verifiedbefore thebody is disposed. Verification of deathwillbe confirmed foreach animal inall of the following ways:

y By lack ofheartbeat, verifiedby a stethoscopey By lack of respiration, verifiedby observationy By pale, bluish gums and tongue, verifiedby observationy By lack ofeye response, verified if lid does notblinkwhen eye is touched and pupil remains dilatedwhen a

light is shined on it.

5.5.04 Once death is verified, bodies willbe stored in the freezer andwillbe incinerated as needed.

5.5.05The room in which animals are killedwillbe cleaned and disinfectedbetween each procedure.

5.5.06The room in which animals are killedwillhave adequate ventilation that prevents the accumulation of odors.

5.5.07The following verification process willbe used to ensure the appropriate animalhas been retrieved foreuthanasia:


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y Two people must confirm that the correct animal is in the room. One person reviews the animals notes andcalls out identifying information of the animal (such as Neuteredblack lab, 2 years old) to which thesecond person responds yes or no. This continues until all identifying characteristics havebeen verified.

y The animal is scanned over its entirebody for a microchip.

5.5.08Theentireeuthanasia process from start to finish is as follows:

1. Sedate aggressive or fractious animals beforehandling.2. Check paperworkwith the animal to ensure a proper match. Criteria to be reviewed are:

y Animal Identification Numbery Speciesy Breedy Gendery Spay/neuter statusy Primary colory Markingsy

Attempted contact of ownerhas been madey Verification of sign offby Director & Veterinarian

3. Scan each animal for a microchip, even if this has alreadybeen doneby another staff member. Scan theentirebodybecause microchips can travel.

4. Check the Lost animal database and rule out any possible matches.5. Inject animalwith prescribed dose of sedation as warrantedbefore injection of pentobarbital.6. Two employees are to be presentwhen pentobarbital is administered to any animal.7. One (1) cc of pentobarbital is administered per 10 pounds ofbodyweight through intravenous injection.

Exceptions to intravenous injection havebeen outlined in Section 5.5.78. Verify the death of the animal as outlined in Section 5.5.03.9. When the animal is dead, employees administering the pentobarbitalwill complete the disposition portion of

the animals record.

10. Enter amounts of pentobarbital and sedation used in the Controlled Substance Log along with the dataregarding each animal killed and the initials ofbothemployees.

6.0 Appendix

A. Medical Exam Form

B. Owner Surrender Form

C. Stray Animal Surrender Form

D. Lost & Found Report

E. Rescue Registration Form

F. Adoption Survey Cat

G. Adoption Survey - Dog

H. Volunteer Application


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I. Foster Application

J. Daily Evaluation Form - Cat

K. Daily Evaluation Form Dog

no kill louisville summary of policies

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