Animal Behavior for Shelter Veterinarians and Staff. Группа авторов
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accessible care (Ehnert et al. 2015; McCobb et al. 2018). Like spay‐neuter programs, successful accessible veterinary care programs must carefully consider the community’s needs and existing programs. While the impact and benefits of these programs mirror those of accessible spay‐neuter services in potential significance, accessible veterinary care programs are resource intensive and may not be of strategic value for every organization and community. In addition, these programs may be perceived as a threat to the financial well‐being of existing veterinary clinics. To mitigate this concern, successfully implemented accessible veterinary care programs include outreach to the local veterinary community in the early stages of planning and development (McCobb et al. 2018). Collaborative efforts such as vouchers for care at local clinics may be a less resource intensive and potentially better received alternative for many organizations.
5.3.2.3 Return‐to‐Field Programs
The behavioral health of free‐roaming cats is often best served by avoiding sheltering and placement in a home, particularly for poorly socialized and feral cats. While more detail on these programs can be found in Chapter 7, their inclusion as a safety net program type is important to note.
5.3.3 Behavioral Care
All safety net programs address the emotional health of the animal by mitigating the risk of relinquishment and sheltering. However, an important subset of safety net programs specifically targets the behavioral health of the companion animal in the home. Behavioral reasons for rehoming have been reported in up to 40% of relinquished dogs and 28% of relinquished cats (Salman et al. 2000), though behavior concerns as the reason for relinquishment were reported by fewer than 20% of respondents in a more recent study (Weiss et al. 2014). While behavior as a reason for relinquishment is complicated and multifactorial, behavioral interventions remain an important tool to prevent surrender. Behavioral safety net programs are broadly categorized in this section by type, but significant overlap can exist between these types based on program structure and individual circumstances.
5.3.3.1 Behavior Information Resources
One of the simplest strategies for behavioral support is to provide informational links or handouts on common behavior topics. In the aforementioned survey of sheltering organizations, while only 37% had safety net resources available on their website for pet owners, 80% of those organizations reported that the advice was focused on pet behavior (Russo et al. 2021). In addition to having freely accessible resources on its website, an organization can proactively share relevant information with adopters, with potential surrenderers, or at community outreach events. There are limited published data to support the impact of providing this information to prevent relinquishment, though given the wide availability of freely accessible material to use, the resource investment to collate this information for the organization’s purpose is minimal.
One advantage to this provision of resources is that these resources can cover a broad range of concerns across species. Many behavioral interventions, such as training classes, focus on canine behavioral health, but resources can include information on feline behavior as well as on small mammal, avian, and large animal behavioral health. The benefit of providing such information is likely to be greatest if resources focus on common behavior problems that can be resolved by simple intervention strategies, making individualized counseling unnecessary. In one study, advice provided to puppy owners on puppy raising at a single veterinary visit had lasting impact in reducing undesirable behaviors (Gazzano et al. 2008). Effective advice provided on just one occasion may benefit the pet and client.
Sharing of information and advice through behavioral resources in an easily accessible format has the potential to reach a large number of people. However, its impact may be modest, particularly for challenging behavioral concerns, compared to more intensive intervention strategies. Impact is presumably enhanced by provision of resources in conjunction with an individualized discussion of behavior. An investment of staff or volunteer time is necessary to collate or create resources as well as to provide this individualized discussion when offered.
5.3.3.2 Training Classes
Another general behavioral support program provided by many animal welfare organizations is training classes. These programs vary in their quantity and scope as well as in their fee structure and target audience. There is limited information to assess their efficacy in preventing shelter relinquishment, and the information available is sometimes contradictory. In one study, puppies enrolled in learning and socialization classes were more likely to remain in their initial homes (Duxbury et al. 2003). However, other research has found that relinquished dogs were no more likely to have attended training classes than non‐relinquished dogs (Kwan and Bain 2013) and that attendance at formal training classes did not significantly affect the total number of undesirable behaviors reported by pet owners (Blackwell et al. 2008).
Given these contradictory findings, the impact of these programs on preventing relinquishment is somewhat uncertain and is likely influenced by the individual program structure. There is intuitive benefit for the pet and client through the acquisition of training knowledge and socialization for the pet as well as through the shared bonding activity. However, whatever impact on pet retention there may be from training classes, it is limited if only a small number of pet owners can access them. Many owners may experience barriers due to fees and lack of transportation to the class location. A strategy to mitigate these barriers is to provide fee‐waived training classes directly in communities at high risk of animal relinquishment. This program structure facilitates the safety net benefit to clients and strengthens the relationship of the humane organization with the community. Virtual training classes are another strategy to enhance accessibility, though this format eliminates the socialization benefit and may reduce the learning and bonding experience.
When fees are incorporated into the program, the organization can benefit from the additional revenue. In addition, regardless of fee structure or location, classes can serve to introduce or further acquaint clients with the organization, potentially resulting in the recruitment of new volunteers or donors. Shelters that hold training classes may also choose to have staff or volunteers bring shelter dogs to participate, thus providing an additional benefit for animals awaiting placement.
Though these benefits are numerous, providing training classes can require a fair investment of resources to ensure that a qualified trainer is leading the classes and to manage the class schedule and enrollment. While this resource investment may be offset with class fee revenue, as mentioned, revenue must be balanced with achieving an underlying goal of preventing relinquishment. Creative solutions to achieve this balance can include the recruitment of volunteer trainers or partnership with reputable organizations or companies specializing in training services.
5.3.3.3 Behavior Helpline
Behavior helplines begin to delve into more individualized behavioral support. Helplines can often be staffed by trained volunteers, with questions escalated to the organization’s behavioral staff if necessary. These services may be provided to adopters, potential surrenderers, or the general public and may overlap in structure and scope with the provision of behavior resources. Helplines can be run on‐site or remotely, either electronically or via telephone, and they include an individualized discussion of the behavioral concerns for the pet. Efficient helplines can handle a high volume of contact. Similar services have longstanding use for human emotional health, and Shore et al. (2008) found a strong willingness to use such programs by pet owners if the services were free of charge.
Because there are limited data available to evaluate the efficacy of these programs, their impact on pet retention in the home is uncertain. However, as with the provision of general information, it is reasonable to assume some degree of benefit to the pet and client through the acquisition of knowledge about treatment strategies for behavior concerns. Similarly, it is likely that behavior helplines are more successful when addressing common concerns with relatively straightforward interventions. The benefit of these helplines is impacted by the quality of the advice