the Intake

If you're an animal welfare professional looking to reduce intake, increase RTO, and provide faster solutions for lost pets and worried families, this episode is for you. Katherine Shenar hosts Front Street Animal Shelter's Phillip Zimmerman and Jackie Rose of DocuPet.

This episode kicks off Part 1 of a 2-part interview with Hannah Shaw, widely known as The Kitten Lady, and Jackie Noble, the newly appointed executive director of Orphan Kitten Club, to explore the unique challenges and rewarding experiences of fostering neonatal kittens. The conversation sparked from the 2024 Hill's Pet Nutrition's State of Shelter Adoptions Report that cites some new information about fostering pets. Together, Hannah and Jackie dive into the essential strategies needed for fostering success—from clear communication and access to training and mentorship, to the vital role of veterinary care and fostering retention. They also spotlight Orphan Kitten Club's incredible initiatives, including $3 million in grants and providing 1 million meals of kitten formula, demonstrating the profound impact on kitten welfare. Learn how to set realistic goals, build strong community relationships, and celebrate even the smallest victories in fostering programs. Whether you're a seasoned foster or just curious about how you can help save tiny lives, this episode is packed with insights and inspiration!

In this episode, we sit down with Hannah Shaw, a/k/a The Kitten Lady, an advocate for cat welfare, especially neonate kittens, and Jackie Noble, executive director for the Orphan Kitten Club, Shaw's nonprofit she created to help build innovative programs that save the lives of the tiniest and most vulnerable felines.  Shaw discusses the launch of Cats of the World, a stunning new book that features over 700 photos from 30 different countries, capturing the deep connections between humans and cats while highlighting global efforts to improve cat welfare. Shaw also delves into a groundbreaking UC Davis study on neonatal kitten mortality, revealing that many losses are due to treatable conditions. She also shares insights on the innovative CASA method for assessing found kittens, stressing the importance of thoughtful community conversations. Plus, Jackie joins us to discuss her experience with kitten diversion programs and why continued research is vital to improving outcomes for vulnerable kittens. Whether you're a cat lover or passionate about animal welfare, this episode is packed with stories, solutions, and inspiration!

Hill's Pet Nutrition just released their 2024 State of Shelter Adoption Report, with data suggesting there could be gains in exploring our messaging to potential volunteers around foster opportunities. The Association's Katherine Shenar sat down with three animal welfare professionals who have headed exemplary foster programs that have seen big successes. Listen in as she talks about everything from removing barriers to volunteering to the value of short-term fostering with MSPCA-Angell's Jacquie McKay, Emilee Smith from Fort Wayne Animal Care & Control, and Suzy Clayton, who created programs at both nonprofit and municipal agencies.

Hill's Pet Nutrition just released their 2024 State of Shelter Adoption Report, and you may be surprised to learn that 1 in 3 people would be more likely to adopt if foster-to-adopt were an option at their shelter, or that 64% of respondents would foster if their costs were covered. To capitalize on these insights and learn how to grow your foster program, listen in as The Association's Katherine M. Shenar sits down with Kelly Furnas and Stephani Coe of Carrollton, TX-based Operation Kindness, who will offer tips and techniques they used to increase their foster program by 35% in a year.

The Association's Katherine Shenar hosts Brian Jorgensen of MetLife Pet Insurance and Atlanta Humane Society's Michael Robbins for a talk about an untapped strategy for improving access to care. Learn about partnerships between shelters and pet insurance providers that can change the way shelters help their communities, and hear some common myths about pet insurance busted.

It's true that intake numbers are still below pre-pandemic 2019, yet animal shelters are over capacity. And the numbers show that interest in adoptions is waning. There is a potential solution... But why aren't more organizations prioritizing it? The Association's Katherine Shenar sits down with Abbie Moore and Kristen Hassen of Petco Love Lost to discuss RTO strategies to reunite lost pets with their families. It's time to stop judging owners who've lost their pets, amp up in-house resources, and instead try cool tools for dramatically increasing outcomes, like Petco Love's nifty new workbook.

Taking a dog's or cat's temperature with a traditional rectal thermometer in a clinical or shelter setting… Wish it could be both more efficient and less stressful for the animal? Well, it CAN. Find out how in this conversation between The Association's Katherine M. Shenar, Jamie Driscoll of Mella Pet Care, and Alex Schechter, DVM. Informed by the Fear Free philosophy that aims to reduce fear, anxiety, and stress in pets, this first-of-its-kind health monitoring tool can be used by shelter veterinary teams, as well as by volunteers and foster parents in the home.

Heard the one about the foster volunteer with the sick kitten calling the foster coordinator at 2 am on a Sunday morning, and the foster coordinator then calling the vet to see if it's an emergency? This all-too common scenario can lead to staff burnout , work-life imbalance, and inefficient processes that drain organizational resources. The Association's Katherine Shenar sits down with Greenville County Animal Care to find out how the South Carolina agency solved this problem by taking a chance on Vidaah, an innovative new teletriage program. For more information, visit Vidaah P.S. Shelters, you'll be in good company--almost 100 agencies are using this groundbreaking service.

July is National Lost Pet Prevention Month and Lorien Clemens, CEO and co-founder of PetHub and Jerrica Owen, Executive Director for the National Animal Care & Control Association, share survey results from their 2022 Lost Pet Research Study. The survey shows a gap in perceptions of prevention and return-to-home methods by pet owners as well as animal shelter employees. Learn how you can prevent your pet from becoming a lost statistic and how shelters can help pet owners find their lost pets faster.

With rents increasing as much as 25% across the nation, Dianne Prado, eviction attorney in Los Angeles, helps us understand what we need to know if we rent with a pet. We learned a lot from Dianne and know you will, too.

She's an #animalwelfareshero to many of us working in animal shelters -- Joann Fuller, the person responsible for Hill's Food, Shelter, Love program and champion of #ClearTheShelters 2022, has rolled up her sleeves to make August the best adoption promotion in its 7-year history. Thanks to the support of #NBC and #HillsPetNutrition, thousands of animals will find new homes throughout the month of August. She also shared the history of the Food, Shelter, Love program and why Hills began supporting nearly 800 animal shelters across the United States 20 years ago.

Dr. Anne Kimmerlein, Veterinary Epidemiologist for VCA Animal Hospitals, tells her story of becoming a shelter veterinarian and why she thinks relationships are changing between shelters and private practice veterinarians.

Petfinder.com's Jessica Arnold pulls the curtain back and reveals an area where animal welfare groups are potentially most vulnerable - cyber security. Just like any other online retailer, nonprofit organization, or business, animal welfare organizations are susceptible to hacking and online fraud. Arnold shares her personal story of entering animal welfare work and provides a sneak peek of Petfinder's plan to keep members safer in this digital world. On December 7th, Arnold will facilitate a roundtable discussion at The Association's conference Cybersecurity in Animal Welfare.

A workplace built on constant response and hustle makes for a draining culture. José Ocaño from Best Friends Animal Society shares his observations about Hustle Culture and how animal welfare professionals can take control and escape this toxic environment.

The new vice president for client strategy and success at One & All, DeSean Brown, shared his one bit of advice for fundraisers in animal welfare. It's not what you think but it makes so much sense.

Big brands get to have the biggest voices and attention, while organizations doing the most good are often overlooked. Nonprofit social impact orgs such as animal shelters can't compete with the $$$$ budgets big brands dedicated to media buying, production, talent, product, creative, etc. So how can animal welfare fundraisers and marketers raise hell together, to shake it up and find new and innovative ways to increase donor support and drive sustainable revenue? Hear from animal welfare leaders whose organizations have significantly increased engagement with their donors. Panelists will share their personal stories, lessons learned, and how partnership drove sustainable success, including how a shelter recently embarked on a 5-year plan to significantly increase its level of donor support. Both marketers and fundraisers will gain insights and inspiration to create effective strategies. Questions from the audience will follow the roundtable discussion. The Association's Roundtable series features leaders discussing emerging and critical issues in animal welfare. Moderated by Jim Tedford, President and CEO, The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement The Roundtable Guests: Denise Wong, CEO, One & All Stephanie Ladeira, Chief of Philanthropy & Community Development, Humane Society Silicon Valley Angela Speed, Vice President of Communications, Wisconsin Humane Society

Research conducted by Petco Love confirmed that 1 in 3 pets in the United States will go missing in their lifetime. Petco Love has created a national database of lost and found pets to help ensure your pet will be reunited with you and your family. Hear from Petco Love President Susanne Kogut and Director of Lifesaving Chelsea Staley on how you can protect your furry family member from becoming a statistic.

They invest in themselves! What should fundraisers focus on right now? How do fundraisers commit to professional growth? This conversation explores these ideas and offers reviews on the new fundraising certificate offered through The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement. Whether you're new to fundraising or an experienced veteran, the new, self-paced Fundraising Certificate course helps you enhance your skills and focuses your professional development. Get ready to gain valuable skills on your own timeline. The Executive Fundraising Certificate for senior fundraisers and the Fundraising Certificate for newer professionals is sponsored and made possible by One & All.

The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement and Pethealth Inc. are pleased to announce the 2020 recipient of the Diane & Bob Hoover Annual Innovation Award is Adan Parra and the team at El Paso Animal Services! Though they have multiple worthy initiatives, their focus on using technology to reunite more pets with their loving families was inspiring. Fueled by the creation of Lost and Found pet reports, El Paso's Pet Finder Map is an interactive and comprehensive tool. It's become a central location for the community to post a photo of their lost pet or view pets found. Congratulations, El Paso Animal Services!

A new study from Banfield Pet Hospital® reveals an estimated 75 million pets in the U.S. may not have access to the veterinary care they need by 2030, with an important factor being a critical shortage of veterinarians. Further, with nearly 90% of veterinary professionals identifying as white according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the need to not only increase the number of veterinary professionals in the U.S. but also diversify the talent pipeline is critical. Dr. Chumkee Aziz guest hosts this episode of 'the Intake' and interviews Dr. Michael Blackwell of Align Care, a national effort to increase access to care for pets in the United States.

Jim Tedford, CEO for The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement, interviews author and blogger Vu Le who founded the much loved Nonprofit AF blog that serves as a source of comfort and sanity for nonprofit professionals. Vu Le's irreverent humor continues to delight professionals who try to make sense of the strange ecosystem that is the nonprofit.

Are you helping amplify BIPOC voices? Not sure how? Guest host Jorge Ortega joins Katherine Shenar in exploring ways the animal welfare profession can elevate BIPOC voices with CARE President James Evans and Best Friends' José Ocaño, Senior Director of People and Culture.

Hear from authors Brett Cooper and Evans Kerrigan about their new book "Solving The People Problem" and learn their recommendations so you can have better communication and relationships with your work colleagues, neighbors, friends, and family! A must read for anyone who frequently works or talks to other humans! Learn more about this fantastic book at https://solvingthepeopleproblem.com

Why does the Eviction Crisis matter for animal welfare? 72% of renters own pets and The Humane Society of the United States estimates 11 million pets could be displaced in 2020 without significant intervention. For the last few months of 2020, projections put between 30-40 million American renters will face eviction by the year's end. Amanda Arrington, Senior Director for Pets for Life, guest hosts this episode of The Intake and talks with attorney Cole Thaler about this housing crisis. Thaler is an attorney who co-directs the Safe & Stable Homes Project at the Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation, where he helps low-income Atlanta tenants find free legal representation. Thaler worked at Georgia Legal Services Program and Lambda Legal. He is the co-founder and President of Paws Between Homes, a nonprofit animal rescue organization that provides temporary foster homes to the pets of people who lose their housing. To access the Eviction Response Toolkit referenced in the podcast, visit https://www.animalsheltering.org/eviction-toolkit

Chief Operating Officer Stephanie Shain, Vice President of Field Services Chris Schindler, and Vice President of Operations Claudia Roll, open up with Katherine Shenar about personal experiences in animal welfare around adoption denials. These leaders from the Humane Rescue Alliance in Washington, D.C., educate through their vulnerability and offer their recommendations for helping naysayers and laggards embrace open adoptions .

Michigan Humane Society was founded in 1877 but 2020 brought an opportunity to reinvigorate the mission and service levels to a more human-centric approach to animal welfare. Not just focusing on the animals in the shelter but looking at the health and wellbeing of pets and their people throughout the community has been Michigan Humane's focus these past three years. Now they have a brand to match their work with and renewed energy. CEO Matt Pepper and Communications VP Tom Varitek tells us how they did it.

Laura Oliver, founder of Lionel's Legacy Senior Dog Rescue in San Diego, California, guest hosts this episode of The Intake and interviews Kristen Auerbach and Dr. Ellen Jefferson about the role fostering is playing in animal welfare in a COVID-19 world.

Guest Host Jorge Ortega interviews Kristen Auerbach and Dr. Ellen Jefferson about the Human Animal Support Services movement and how its impacting shelters across the nation. He even asks them about their superpowers.

The first several months of COVID-19 in America led to incredible collaboration and exploration of programmatic and protocol changes. Dr. Josh Fisher sits down with fellow southern shelter leader Cole Wakefield to further explore how rural shelters are managing COVID-19 and the new social services model for animal welfare.

Brian August, Chief Operating Officer, and Rhonda Palos, Vice President for Humane Resources, at Oregon Humane Society share how their organization is navigating the sudden changes and employee issues that COVID-19 has brought. You can incorporate their lessons learned for your own team.

Dr. Josh Fisher, Animal Services Director for Charlotte-Mecklenburgh, North Carolina, joined our EVP Katherine Shenar for a conversation with Jamey Cantrell, Animal Services Director for Plano, Texas. Jamey shares how his award-winning team is navigating COVID-19 and even recalls his experiences with the infamous Tiger King.

Hilary Hager and Lindsay Hamrick of The Humane Society of the United States offer some recommendations for leaders to help support their teams through the uncertainty of COVID-19.

Chris Schindler, Vice President for Field Services for the Humane Rescue Alliance in Washington, D.C., shares how his team is social distancing and working with new protocols in the field. With more than 100 calls per day, animal control officers and humane law enforcement are essential service providers in Washington, D.C. Bonus: you also get to meet Beetlejuice in this interview.

Directing one of the highest intake shelters in the nation, Kristen Auerbach is leading her team at Pima County Animal Center in Tucson, Arizona, through COVID-19 with innovation, determination, and an eye on the future of animal sheltering. Hear her predictions and decide if they make sense for you and your shelter or rescue.

Elise Traub, Senior Director for Legislation and Advocacy for Best Friends Animal Society, talks about community outreach efforts and helping states like California establish animal care and control personnel as essential workers.

Stay at home orders and social distancing due to COVID-19 has required parents to morph into teachers in addition to working full time from home. For many parents, there is no respite from role leaving many exhausted, anxious, and defeated. Jyothi Robertson, DVM, DABVP, shares her experience and offers practical solutions and support. She also extends an exclusive invitation to parents who could use a boost of confidence and a network of empathetic friends.

Phoenix Innovate is a marketing company that works with animal welfare organizations to develop unique fundraising solutions that create increased net revenue and sustainable return on investment by using methods they call Authentic Marketing. Authentic Marketing harnesses a powerful combination of research, data, vision and creativity to build tailored strategies that result in emotionally-engaged lasting relationships between you and your donors.

Hear from Jorge Ortega, Animal Services Director for Guildford County, North Carolina, and how he and his team have been making transformative changes in this beautiful North Carolina city even before COVID-19 arrived.

We sat down with Andi Bernat of The Humane Society of the United States to learn about how their State Directors worked to classify animal shelter personnel as essential during COVID-19 and how advocacy efforts are continuing for animals in spite of the pandemic.

This conversation is with Ginny Sims, executive director for Southern Pines Animal Shelter located in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. More than 5,000 animals a year are transported through EMBARK, the organization's lifesaving transport program. What's Ginny and her team doing to manage COVID-19? Find out!

Leah Craig Fieser, executive director for Brother Wolf Animal Rescue in North Carolina, shares insights into how their rescue group is navigating COVID-19. Hosts: Katherine Shenar, The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement and Kim Alboum, The Humane Society of the United States