The Best Friends Podcast

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2020 by the numbers Jun 24, 2021

Show notes

Did you know that nearly half of the animal shelters in the United States are now no-kill? That is just one of many encouraging discoveries in the Best Friends 2020 National Dataset.

Each year, Best Friends undertakes this massive data collection and compilation effort to measure lifesaving progress towards the no-kill 2025 goal. It is the most comprehensive, accurate dataset tracking sheltered dogs and cats in the United States. It shows us what’s happening at the national level and provides us data on individual communities. Other critical data points such as what is happening to cats and dogs are also collected and shared.

What does the data tell us about what happened in 2020? Have we been able to continue the downward trend in shelter deaths? How much did COVID-19 pandemic play a role, and what do we think will happen next year? We spoke with the director of business and intelligence for Best Friends, Vicki Kilmer, to find out.

Unicorn Foster Squad Jun 17, 2021

Show notes

One of the most at-risk populations in animal shelters is large dogs. In communities big and small, urban and rural, big dogs struggle to make it out alive most often due to behavioral issues.

Whether they came into the shelter with those behaviors or not, time in a shelter environment is stressful. Stress can lead to undesirable behaviors; undesirable behaviors mean longer stays in the shelter, and more time in the shelter can lead to more stress.

This week we look at one organization's unique and creative foster program designed to rally the community to help save these "behavior dogs." It's an idea so good that they were awarded a Rachael Ray Save Them All Grant through the Best Friends Network and are now teaching others around the country how to assemble their own "unicorn squad."

If "nobody's perfect," then why do we expect all pet adopters to be? Jun 10, 2021

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Every time someone chooses to adopt an animal, we have the opportunity to positively change that person's life and save the life of an animal. So why do we still put up so many barriers that make adopting an animal so unreasonably difficult?

The reasons to deny a pet adoption are as vast as they are inane. Sometimes it's because of age (of the adopter and/or the pet). Others are rejected because they are a renter, while another potential adopter may own a home, but the yard doesn't have a fence. Some organizations go so far by asking if you plan to have children anytime in the next decade. This often grueling and unnecessarily invasive adoption process does little to determine how much a pet will be cared for and drives good people away from our lifesaving work.

This week we speak with Lawrence Nicolas, the Chief Operating Officer for the Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League in West Palm Beach, Florida. Lawrence tells us about their open adoption process that sends roughly 6,000 animals to new homes each year while maintaining a return rate of under 4-percent.

The 2021 Best Friends National Conference Jun 03, 2021

Show notes

Each year, thousands of people hit the road and converge at the Best Friends National Conference. It's a highlight of the year, which is why the cancelation of last year's event due to COVID-19 was such a disappointment. This year the conference is back but will, for the first time, be held virtually.

A virtual Best Friends National Conference has benefits. For example, no travel means more people than ever before can attend. It's one of the largest ever, with 135 speakers and 91 different sessions. And at just $55, the registration fee is more affordable than ever (don't forget to use the discount code podcast (all lowercase) when you register to save $10!).

This week we hear from two people involved in the planning and execution of the conference and learn how they're working hard to ensure the virtual version will not just be a good but one of the greatest in Best Friends history

Managed intake programs May 27, 2021

Show notes

The pandemic forced a lot of changes across the industry. The lockdowns, for example, required shelters to find ways to provide services while being closed. The massive support from the public who offered foster homes took much of the burden from the shelter system, but there was still a need to take in animals. Many shelters decided to try implementing a managed intake program.

The objective of managed intake is to find the best possible outcomes for pets, which often doesn’t mean entering the shelter.

This week we are sharing a Best Friends Network town hall on this topic, and we hear from two leaders who have implemented this program in their community. Learn how changing your intake procedures saves lives, keeps families together, and fosters a positive relationship with your community.

Kitten Action Team May 20, 2021

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When a resident of Sacramento, California, calls the 3-1-1 customer service hotline to report kittens in need, they don't route that call to a uniformed animal services officer. Instead, a member of a new volunteer-powered field response team is assigned the case.

These dedicated volunteers (who were already performing T-N-R across the city on their own) are empowered to make decisions based on what they feel is the best solution in each instance. This repeatable and straightforward program is another way to engage the pet-loving public in the work of saving lives.

Heather Wright and Denise Bell, the co-leads of the Front Street Animal Shelter's Kitten Action Team, joined us to talk about the ins and outs of the program and how it's been going in the first few weeks since they hit the streets.

Saving lives in rural Indiana May 13, 2021

Show notes

The Brown County Humane Society, an open-admission shelter, has been a shining example of no-kill success for a long time. They first reached the 90% save rate benchmark in 2008. At that time, there were still many naysayers who didn’t even believe no-kill was possible at all, let alone in a community like Brown County.

Since that time, the organization has continued to increase its save rate - staying above 95% since 2010. In 2019 it was 98.3%! And they’ve done that with an intake of roughly 700 animals a year. That is significantly higher than similar communities, which on average take in half that many. They are a lifesaving model we can all learn from - whether you are in a rural area to not.

This week we hear from <a href="https://www.bchumane.org/">Brown County’s</a> shelter manager, Caity Friedersdorf, who shares the programs and approaches that have driven the success for more than a decade in this rural Indiana community.

Ed Jamison - Part Two May 06, 2021

Show notes

Check out part one of our interview with Ed Jamison here.

In 2017, Ed Jamison left his position as Chief Animal Control Officer in Cleveland, Ohio, to take on the director position at Dallas Animal Services (DAS) in Texas. With an annual intake of more than 32,000 animals that year, he accepted what many would call a formidable challenge laid out by city officials to create a safer community for people and pets.

In 2018, they launched the Dallas90 campaign, a rallying cry to the community to step up and support the effort to save every healthy or treatable pet at the shelter. It was an ambitious goal, but DAS attained a 90% save rate for the 2020 fiscal year.

In this second part of our discussion Ed, we talk about the status of the DEI efforts, his new role with the nonprofit Operation Kindness, supporting, and the role he thinks rescue organizations can play to support municipal shelters, whether they be in the biggest cities, or the smallest towns in rural areas of the country.

Ed Jamison - Part One Apr 29, 2021

Show notes

From his decision to join the Army the day after September 11th, 2001, to his first position as the only full-time shelter employee in Garfield Heights, Ohio, Ed shares what he sees as the keys to his success, and the lessons he’s learned that we can all use.

Keeping ourselves whole Apr 22, 2021

Show notes

Whether you call it burnout, compassion fatigue, or something else, the constant demands in the animal services field can be at times overwhelming. There are so many animals in need, but only one of you, right?! The feelings that come with those beliefs are can be incredibly challenging and sometimes can drive people away from the field or to self-destructive acts.

Due to the importance of the work, we are continually living in a state of urgency quite literally with lives hanging in the balance. It is easy to become lost in our work and not take time to recharge and care for ourselves.

This week, we talk with Meryl Schwarz, a certified professional coach specializing in working with those suffering from compassion fatigue.

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