Looking for a way to make a difference in
your shelter’s population of homeless pets?
It may be time to update your thinking
about lost and missing pets.

Few things are as controversial in the animal welfare world as free pet adoptions, primarily out of concern that the homes the pets go to won’t be as good as those where the adopter pays a fee. A recent study concludes those concerns are unjustified.

Did you know that at around 118 decibels, shelters are noisier than a passing subway train and even louder than a jackhammer? That’s tough on our puny human ears – in fact, OSHA regulations say we should be wearing ear protection at levels above 90 decibels – but it’s even worse for dogs, who hear three times better than we do.

Talk about a heartwarming story. Dr. Rachael Kreisler, a veterinary lecturer at the University of Pennsylvania, has launched a program to help save the eyesight – and lives – of shelter kittens by recycling partially used tubes of the antibiotic ointment used in the eyes of human newborns.

Ever wish you could make your shelter bigger? Doing that usually involves capital campaigns and architects, but keeping your facility’s pets health automatically creates greater capacity — no hardhats required.

Is that senior dog in your shelter just stressed out, or in pain? Is she not eating because she feels anxiety, or because she’s nauseated? Can she be helped to feel better and if so, how?

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Wish there was a magic tool that could alert you that a foster puppy or kitten was in trouble, or reassure you that they’re not? That tool exists; it’s called a scale.

The City of Austin, Tex., went from a 50 percent save rate to saving over 90 percent of the community’s homeless dogs and cats in just two and a half years. How did they do it?

Animal sheltering can be a dirty business, and staff and volunteers aren’t always clear on how to keep shelter animals healthy by understanding and applying principles for cleaning and disinfection.