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Managed Intake
Jill MollohanAssociate DirectorLynchburg Humane Society
A little bit about me…
• Owner Assistance• Staff/Volunteers needed• Customer Service• Communication• Help• Training• Forms• Tracking
• Community Cats• Questions
The Plan
• It is not just an appointment system.• It is a full fledge program with resources to keep pets in their home and giving the
owner the responsibility and resources to rehome their pet.
What is Managed Intake?
• Do you have to take in Owner Surrenders in your state or locality?
• Are their regulations/laws/ordinances around owner surrenders?
Know your local laws and ordinances
• Fact ? • Fiction?• Fear?• Trust?• Keep stats and refer to them!• Don’t let the few bad seeds determine your policies
• It’s easy to remember the negatives – that’s why stats are important!
What are your policies based on?
• Most people care and will do the right thing with help and understanding
Philosophy
• People will dump pets on the side of the road• Owners won’t wait• Animals will end up at other shelters• Conflict at the intake desk or on the phone• Public Outrage• (This is why stats are important)
Why are we scared of Managed Intake?
• Allows staff to prepare and plan for incoming animals• Lets owners see you as a resource, not a place to
dump their pets• Gives you more space/time/resources in emergency
situations• Engages the community to be part of the solution• It saves lives
Why is managed intake is a positive thing?
• Staffing and setting up• Listen to problems• Provide Help
• Re-homing• Help with behavior problems• Help with financial problems
• Communicate the “why”• Appointment System
Owner Surrender Assistance Program
• Embarrassed• Need resources• Need to know the “why”
The community in need
• People who like people• Caring individuals• Problem solvers• Kind and generous• Good listeners• Non-judgmental• Firm• Training, training, training
Staffing
• Smile• Maintain non-judgement• Listen• Empathy/paraphrase• Ask Questions
Customer Service
• Reflective Listening• Focus on what you can do, not what you can’t do• Open ended questions• Give them choices• Ask them for help • Know how to handle conflict
Tools for effective communication
• Refer to data and stats to determine most needed resources
• Enroll the community• Always communicate the “why” – more people will
be will to help
Gathering Resources
• Surrender profile – get all info about pet• Photos – give tips for getting great photos• Offer examples and resources for rehoming (adopt-a-
pet, facebook, etc)• Coach them on the rehoming process so they feel
confident• They do the work, you provide them with the help
Organized and Easy Process for Community
• Do you have to take in community cats?• Do you take in stray cats?• Work with your locality • Only take sick, injured, underage• Offer resources just like with owner surrenders• TNR
Community Cats and Stray Cats
Lynchburg Humane Appointment System Stats
Year % Kept/Rehomed # of pets kept/rehomed
2010 34% kept/rehomed 298 animals
2011 kept/rehomed 271 animals
2012 kept/rehomed 366 animals
2013 kept/rehomed 423 animals
2014 kept/rehomed 287 animals
2015 kept/rehomed 189 animals
2016 kept/rehomed 121 animals
2017 kept/rehomed 133 animals
2018 kept/rehomed 205 animals
Resources
Resources
• Wellness services• Landlord letter• Food pantry• No breed labeling• S/N services• TNR program
Resources
Managed Chaos: How to Effectively Manage Open Admissions to Maximize Lifesaving
Dr. Josh A. Fisher, MHADirector
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Animal Care & Control
Overview
▪ Targeted Microchip and Tag Outreach
▪ Increase RTO in the Field
▪ Decrease Stray Pit Bull Intake in Targeted Areas
▪ Safety Net for Owners
▪ Increase TNR and Owned S/N
▪ Decrease Owner Surrenders
Decreased Intake
▪ We all know that identification tags are a true life saver, but microchips are a more permanent solution…
▪ Wouldn’t it be awesome if every animal had both?
Identification Clinics
▪ Why on earth would we want to bring an animal into the shelter when we can drive two blocks and take it home?
▪ How can we make this easier: – Equip each Animal Control Officer with a microchip scanner (Our jurisdiction and
others)
Return them Home
▪ Target areas of high intake
▪ Provide education and services (spay/neuter, microchips, ID Tags, etc.
▪ Work with partner organizations to assist with fence builds, etc.
Decrease Stray Pit Bull Intake
▪ A common surrender reason: Cost of vet/minor medical care
▪ Through grants and donations funds are available to hand out vouchers.
▪ 1 Voucher = $300; valid for 30 days
▪ Owners are interviewed to see if a voucher would help keep the animal in the home versus owners wanting free vet care.
▪ Services also provided:– Free spay/neuter
– Supplying dog houses
– Providing pet food
– Other minor resources
▪ AC&C Officers also provide these services in the field with the assistance of the customer service staff.
Create a Safety Net Program
▪ Free and Low Cost Options
▪ Does your state have programs in place for reimbursement?
▪ Are there other agencies in your area offering these services?
▪ How can it be done/funded?
TNR & Owned Pet Spay/Neuter
▪ Before calendar year 2013, animal owners called 311 for an AC&C Officer to respond to a “surrender” call.
▪ “Field” surrenders were free of charge and offered 20 hours a day.
▪ In calendar year 2012, 4,356 animals were surrendered (both at the shelter and in the field)
Owner Surrenders
▪ How to decrease these numbers?
▪ Start with eliminating field surrender calls.
▪ Then limit surrenders to shelter intake only during regular business hours.
▪ Exceptions: elderly or infirm if approved by supervisor.
▪ In calendar year 2013, 4,373 animals were surrendered. Why?
▪ Owners made hasty decisions and resulted in “surrender remorse”.
Owner Surrenders
▪ Time to make a Plan B: sharing ideas and brainstorming (and approval from the CMPD chain of command).
▪ In calendar year 2014, 3,134 animals were surrendered.
▪ Lower numbers! But how?
Owner Surrenders
▪ Talk to owners about the reality of surrendering.
▪ Limit surrenders to specific days and hours.
Owner Surrenders
▪ How do you implement this?
– Pick a start date and go live.
– Expect an adjustment period of owners not knowing or checking for changes and plan accordingly.
Owner Surrenders
Year # of Owner Surrenders
2015 2,390
2016 2,222
2017 2,599
2018 2,422
– Giving owners time to really think about surrendering (which often lead to making other arrangements)
– AC&C could plan for maximum staffing for individual attention to owners and pets
– Giving rescue partners time to prepare and provide support.
– Efficiency: staff managing their time between animals in the shelter and incoming animals thus saving shelter resources.
How Limitations Can Help
▪ This can help with decreasing surrenders. Why?
▪ Staff can provide all alternative options (often leading to owners keeping their pets)
▪ Detached emotions toward surrender = definite surrender. Calls can prevent that detachment quickly.
▪ Make a brochure resource guide complete with other surrender options, low-cost/free clinics, rescue groups, boarding facilities, etc.
Create a Hotline & Resource Guides
▪ So far so good! Overall, the public has embraced the change. (minimal upset by those that just can’t wait)
▪ Pet owners appreciate the extra time spent by staff to provide the resources they didn’t know about.
▪ What about an increase of stray intake? Would owners dump their pets or lie saying they were strays just to get rid of them faster?
Community Response
▪ Nope! Stray numbers have actually decreased thanks to:
– Emphasis on rehoming
– Education
– Pet owner assistance
The numbers…
Year Total number of animals turned in as
stray
(no known owner)
2013 8,336 (4,209 cats and 4,127 dogs)
2014 7,111 (3,209 cats and 3,902 dogs)
2015 6,612 (2,819 cats and 3,793 dogs)
2016 6,481 (2,782 cats and 3,699 dogs)
2017 6,309 (2,996 cats and 3,313 dogs)
2018 6,046 (2,737 cats and 3,309 dogs)
▪ Now let’s talk about some communities in our area who are also doing AMAZING work!
Enough about Us!
▪ Surrender by Appointment– “Our staff works with residents one-on-one to seek solutions to their pet issues
that does not involve surrender, when possible, and we provide informational resources and referrals: http://burlingtonnc.gov/1862/Pet-Help-Resources .”
▪ Mighty Mouser Program
▪ 91% Live Release for June, 2018
▪ Lincoln County Reached their “No Kill Goal” with a live release rate of 90% over a 12 month period at the end of June, 2018.
▪ “Cat Fix Project”- free spay/neuter services for outdoor cats
▪ They will soon be launching a Pet Resource Program to help residents with their pet needs and keep pets in homes.
▪ Asheville Humane Society is a Non-Profit agency holding the municipal contract for animal care & control services. – Pet Friendly Housing Resource
– Low Cost Veterinary Care
– Behavior and Training Consultation
– Safety Net Services
▪ Progressive TNR Program within NC– 744 surgeries between May 2017 and May 2018
– Thank you to Best Friends for helping to fund this initiative.
▪ Non-Profit Pet Food Bank– Providing service for over 400 families per month
▪ Yes! These programs and changes have made a huge difference.
▪ Benefits:
– Change from a pet repository to a true community resource.
– Improved employee morale
– Improved shelter reputation and community rapport
– Fewer intakes
– Saving lives
Success?
▪ A Huge Thank you to everyone who contributed information for this presentation: – Jess Arias, Burlington Animal Services
– Michel Whaley, Pitt County Animal Services
– Hannah Beaver, Lincoln County Animal Services
– Tracey Evans, Human Society of Ashville
Thank You!!
Questions?
Contact Info:
▪ Dr. Josh A. Fisher, MHA
▪ Director
▪ Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department
▪ Animal Care & Control Divisions
▪ 704-336-7552
▪ www.charlottenc.gov/AnimalsCMPD/
