Strategies for Successful Animal Shelters is the first book to assess the relationship between shelter traits, activities and critical outcome variables, such as live release or save rates. This book provides a data-based evaluation of shelter processes and practices with explicit recommendations for improved shelter activities. Using a survey of licensed animal shelters, case studies, and data on state inspections, complaints, and save rates, this book provides an assessment of the activities, processes, and procedures that are most likely to lead to positive outcomes for a variety of animal shelters. The book also contributes to community debate around animal sheltering and provides best practices, methods and means to assess local shelters to ensure the highest level of animal welfare. It is a valuable resource for animal shelter professionals and rescue groups, as well as students in disciplines such as animal science, animal welfare and shelter medicine. Offers best-practice recommendations and how they are used in animal shelters Analyzes which shelter traits, programs and activities are most strongly associated with optimal outcomes, including live release rates Includes an assessment of future research and activities to optimize animal welfare within shelters

The Best Practice Playbook for Animal Shelters outlines proven best practice strategies to keep pets with their families, engage communities to action on behalf of pets in need, create responsible public policy and place pets who do enter the shelter quickly into homes or back to their original homes. This book is a 'must read' for anyone interested in recreating and supporting a compassionate animal welfare system in every community.

Animal Behavior for Shelter Veterinarians and Staff presents and evaluates the available research and programs that address both animal and human behaviors associated with the intake, management and rehoming of dog and cats. Introductions to dog and cat behavior relevant to any animal professional Reviews behavioral reasons for the relinquishment of dogs and cats Describes intake and assessment protocol, shelter design, training and enrichment programs that reduce stress and enhance behavioral well-being Concepts to improve the adoption process and support the human-animal bond post-adoption

"stray" is a straightforward and sometimes hard hitting narrative of an animal shelter veterinarian in the late 1990's in one of the largest animal control departments in the country, the City of Los Angeles. Dr. Mangiamele relates her journey concerning shelter animals and the people that care for them as she works in six city animal shelters. Never before has a reader had the opportunity to explore the inner workings of an animal shelter during the height of pet overpopulation-and to learn about the post-traumatic stress this work creates for employees, rescuers, and adopters. The City of Los Angeles-with its ethnic diversity, wide range of socioeconomic status, local community influences, and celebrities-serves as the backdrop for each chapter. The animal characters are sometimes loving and comic, sometimes dangerous, and often misunderstood. The human characters are dedicated and at times unconventional in their actions and ideas. This book is by no means an easy journey for the reader. These stories are filled with realism that will empower you, fill you with joy, make you cry, make you angry, and maybe change your views; but they will be stories you will cherish. Dr. Dena exhibits courage and honesty as her experiences and stories bring the reader into the true world of animal control. If you have ever loved an animal, or respected someone for doing a job you could never do, this is the book for you.

Abstract: The issues involved in animal sheltering and pet population dynamics continue to be a major focus of epidemiological research. The research described herein addresses trends in animal shelter populations and basic epidemiological questions related to search and identification methods involved in the lost pet reunification process. The research on trends in animal shelter populations describes trends that have occurred in animal care and control agencies in Ohio between 1996 and 2004. This current research involved using a mail survey instrument to collect information from Ohio animal agencies for the year 2004 and comparing the information to results collected in prior years starting in 1996. There has been a significant decline in canine intake and euthanasia numbers for dogs, however these numbers have increased for cats. Overall for all animals, medical care and veterinary relationships have significantly improved. For county dog warden agencies, the odds of euthanasia declined for dogs handled by an agency with a spay/neuter policy. The remaining part of this research addresses basic epidemiological questions on how pets that become lost are reunited with their owners. A telephone survey instrument was used to interview owners who had lost a dog or cat in Dayton, Ohio to identify search methods the owners used to try and find their pets, pet identification methods used, and which methods resulted in reunification. The study showed that a much higher percentage of dogs were reunited with their owners, and that the animal sheltering system primarily resulted in reunification. For cats, the majority reunited with their owners came home on their own and no particular search method seemed to help with reunification. Overall, there were also great differences between pet identification used by owners for dogs and cats. A similar telephone survey was also conducted with people who found pets they perceived to be lost in the same study area. This group believed it was very important to find the owners but most were unable to do so. The findings from this research on lost pets lay the groundwork for further study of improving pet reunification.

This Open Access book brings together authoritative voices in animal and environmental ethics, who address the many different facets of changing human-animal relationships in the Anthropocene. As we are living in complex times, the issue of how to establish meaningful relationships with other animals under Anthropocene conditions needs to be approached from a multitude of angles. This book offers the reader insight into the different discussions that exist around the topics of how we should understand animal agency, how we could take animal agency seriously in farms, urban areas and the wild, and what technologies are appropriate and morally desirable to use regarding animals. This book is of interest to both animal studies scholars and environmental ethics scholars, as well as to practitioners working with animals, such as wildlife managers, zookeepers, and conservation biologists.