Why is data crucial to saving pets’ lives? “If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it,” said Found Animals Foundation executive director Aimee Gilbreath, quoting the famous Peter Drucker during her session at the 2016 Best Friends National Conference. Understanding that data analysis can be overwhelming, Gilbreath broke her presentation into a step-by-step process:… Learn More

People, even veterinarians and animal shelter workers, are notoriously poor at identifying dog breeds. What’s more, there’s a growing trend to stop identifying shelter dogs by their breed at all. A recent study at Berkeley Animal Care Services in California took a look at whether or not obtaining DNA tests on dogs in the shelter… Learn More

Do you have 15 minutes to help develop feline behavior assessments to help cats find homes, or stay in the home they already have? The Feline Behavioral Assessment and Research Questionnaire (Fe-BARQ) is a survey designed by scientists at the University of Pennsylvania to provide cat owners and specialists with a standardized method for evaluating… Learn More

Why do shelter cats so frequently get sick or suffer behaviorally? Because they’re essentially being held in a form of captivity, usually one originally designed for an entirely different species, the dog. There are many medical and housing interventions that can reduce the stress of captivity for cats, and they are indeed associated with a… Learn More

What would happen if low-cost spay/neuter programs weren’t available? In a study published in the Sept. 1, 2016, issue of the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, researchers sought to identify the characteristics of people who used a reduced-cost spay/neuter program. They conducted 1,188 anonymous surveys and 99 telephone interviews with cat owners who… Learn More

Does your shelter or rescue group counsel adopters on how to carefully and gradually introduce a new cat into the family? If so, many of your adopters may well be ignoring your advice — and things work out anyway. A couple of weeks ago, Million Cat Challenge co-founder Dr. Kate Hurley of the UC Davis… Learn More

Most of us in animal welfare are on board with the concept of community cats — unowned cats who live in neighborhoods, some feral, some social. Can that concept work for dogs, too? It’s not an idea that sits easily with most people. Communities with large numbers of stray dogs in the U.S. are rare,… Learn More

Who is in the best position to know what type of home would be best for a pet in a foster home: the adoption organization, or the foster caregiver? It’s a question that might not have a single answer. Some foster caregivers may prefer to be involved with pets but not be comfortable working directly… Learn More

It’s the most important step you can take to help a newly adopted puppy mill dog adjust, say experts: If you don’t already have one, get another dog. While patience is the quality most needed by puppy mill rescue adopters, research conducted by Dr. Frank McMillan and presented at the University of Florida Maddie’s® Shelter… Learn More

What if playing and interacting with shelter pets didn’t help them get adopted more easily? Would that be a reason to stop? Absolutely not, and here’s why. A number of studies in recent years have looked at the impact of toys, play, grooming and human interaction on pets in shelters. Some have shown those interventions… Learn More