Getting to Zero

1
Getting to Zero

• The road to ending euthanasia in Hamilton County,
  TN

2
Leadership

• Forget the past
• Envision positive picture of what you want
• Get management team involved
• Set-up Mission (purpose why organization
  exists)
• Set-up Vision (what you want to see in 3 to 5
  years)
• Set-up Strategy (how you are going to get
  there)
• Set-up Long-term Objectives (what you want to
  achieve in 2 years)
• Set-up Short-term measurable goals (for each
  department, each manager, each person for next
  year with goals, dates of completion and criteria
  for success)
• Have Manager and Team meetings to review goals
• Celebrate Success
• Keep plan fluid and modify as things arise

3
Is Your shelter Ready for Change? Taking the
initial steps necessary for a healthy animal
population.

• Require spay and neuter of animals leaving
  facility
• Establish low-cost spay and neuter certificates
  for low income people
• Work with other groups to establish low-cost
  alternatives to spay and neuter
• Vaccinate at intake
• Create isolation Rooms
• Hire Veterinarian Vets Assistance
• Staff Training
• Follow-up
• Work with local and state governments on animal
  welfare legislation

4
Clean-up Your Own Act. Changing processes,
procedures and programs.

• Establish detailed job descriptions for all
  positions
• Establish standard operating procedures for each
  position, step-by-step
• Establish quality control measures and monitor
• Establish training programs to teach and to set
  expectations
• Work to change the culture with your vision and
  mission
• Each person contributes to these
• Give each person, team and manager a concrete
  view of how they contribute
• Example You are not cleaning cages, you are
  creating a welcoming environment for people to
  come and adopt more animals into forever home.
• Get team members to contribute ideas of how to
  continuously improve things to better accomplish
  the mission and vision

5
Rescue Be a Hero.

• Work with your community to rescue animals in
  need
• Go beyond expectations Rescue when you know
  there is no one else to care
• Examples
• Marion County121 Perry Link Humane Society
• Polk County40 Abandoned Animals
• Cartersville, GaPuppy Mill Auction 20,000
• Dog FightingFirst Felony Conviction 21Pits
• Bledsoe CountyShih Tzu Puppy Mill Rescue 41
• Do it from the heart

6
Building Media Relations and Public Relations. 
Be a resource.

• Get to know people in the media and establish
  working relationships
• Send out informational pieces that would be
  helpful to their audience
• Be available to them at all times to comment on
  animal welfare
• Send out news releases on upcoming events
• When something is news worthy and media needs
  video or photos call them on the spot for live
  coverage
• Always present stories to focus on what is in the
  animals best interest
• When you have an event, use relationships
  established to publicize events

7
Build a Team Staff, Rescue Groups, Volunteers.

• Assess your team skills against organizational
  mission, vision, strategy and goals
• Assess each team member to determine skill and
  commitment levels
• Establish goals and training
• Monitor closely manage as necessary
• To change a culture quickly, you may have to
  change some team/management members
• Once you have the proper team in place, it is
  easier to establish working relationships with
  rescue groups and volunteers
• Rescue Groups
• Screen them closely
• Do onsite visits
• Target the best ones
• Work out programs that are win-win
• Example C.A.T.S.
• Volunteers
• Recruit via internet, fairs, off-site adoption,
  campus, etc.
• Assess their needs and talents
• Have formal job descriptions and trainings
• Utilize their unique talents and needs
• Provide them with a friendly, structured and
  rewarding experience
• Recognize their talents formally and informally

8
From Chains to Fences How to begin changing the
mindset of your community through humane
education and community outreach.

• Find any group of people and start talking to
  them about
• Animal welfare, spay and neuter, humane treatment
  of animals, your facility, and your plans.
• Tell them what you need from them.
• Change Local Culture through the Children
• Establish humane education outreach to the
  children through the school system as part of
  character building program
• Humane Educational Society
• Outreach Manager 12,000 students annually
• BuildingHumane Educational Center
• Interactive with live dog rooms and free roaming
  cat rooms
• Kid Kindness programs

9
Theres a New Sheriff in Town Changing animal
control to animal protection.

• Shift from old mindset of Catch Kill
• Move to Animal Protection
• Be Seen As a Helper
• Solve Simple Problems on Site
• Change Uniform to be People Friendly
• Dont worry about the numbers, do whats best for
  the animals
• Use as opportunity to educate people
• Establish working relationship with community,
  leaders and law enforcement

10
Bend but Dont Break How to face the difficult
situations and conversations head on.

• Be honest
• Put the animals first
• There will always be political issuestry to be
  positive in all of your communication
• Pick your battles carefullymake it about the
  animals and not your ego
• Give people a positive vision of what you want to
  happen for the animals and how everyone can work
  together to get there.
• Ask for support of all your efforts and your
  vision of the future

11
Dont Go Backwards Motivating your staff,
volunteers and board to hold onto the vision
through difficult times.

• Crisis ManagementHave to Get Beyond
• Easy to get caught up in managing from one crisis
  to the other
• Have to break the cycle with vision and
  leadership
• Animals DO come first
• Survival of organization is key to making a
  better future
• Work Through Strong Management Team or Dedicated
  Skilled Volunteers
• Compassion Fatigue Happens
• Good people can burn out and give up
• Watch for signs, coach, train, support
• If it continues and begins to affect quality over
  time, must act
• Re-group and re-establish teams focus on the
  mission
• Reward, Recognize and Celebrate
• Small notations in a meeting or email go a long
  way
• Have formal recognition and award programs
• Publicize
• Have some fun!