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No More Homeless Pets Forum
January 27, 2003 Forming a Coalition |
We don't need no stinkin' coalition? Or do we? Gregory Castle, president of No More Homeless Pets in Utah, shares the whys and hows of the successful Utah coalition, and explains how you can reach out to work with others in your community.
Introduction from Gregory Castle:
"Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success." -- Henry FordHere in Utah, our animal welfare coalition's beginning, our "coming together," coincided with the first Utah's Week for the Animals, nearly a decade ago. Begun by Best Friends, the week was dedicated to promoting the welfare and care of our animal friends throughout the state, and was made official by a Governor's Proclamation. To make the week a success, veterinarians, humane educators, rescue groups, and shelters all contributed their time and effort. The achievements of that first week solidified our belief that we could accomplish more together than we could separately.
In the years that followed, our budding coalition worked together in more and more ways, including holding joint adoption events in malls and fighting side-by-side for better animal welfare legislation in our state. Of course, it wasn't all wine and roses; there were philosophical disagreements, petty arguments, turf wars, and power struggles to contend with. Yet by focusing on our mutual goals, and by reminding each other to focus on our commonalities instead of our differences, we managed to stay together and become stronger.
By the time grant money became available through Maddie's Fund, the foundation of our coalition was already formed, we were already working together toward success. Now that our goals are determined, monitored and funded by Maddie's Fund, our coalition has been formalized and has even stronger incentive and resolve to work through differences, come what may.
It's working. Our latest statistics show that 20 fewer dogs and cats are being euthanized in Utah's shelters each day than in 1999, before our Maddie's Fund project began.
Utah isn't unique. Nationwide, cooperation between private organizations, government agencies, and caring individuals is the key to ending the tragedy of pet overpopulation. Together we can bring about a time when we don't kill healthy animals just because there aren't enough homes.
I'm grateful for the chance to answer any questions you may have, and to share the insights I have gained from the successes and failures I've experienced during the forging of the Utah coalition.
Questions
How do we get reluctant groups to participate in our coalition?
Getting support for a spay/neuter mobile van
Are shelters competing with each other for adopters?
How do you approach a mall about donating a storefront for adoptions?
How do we get vet associations involved in our spay/neuter efforts?
What tactics do we take to put pet stores out of business?
How do you determine who to invite into a coalition?
Getting a city to include animals in its mission and vision
How to get coalition member groups to do spay/neuter before adoption?
Member responses on starting coalitions and mobile vans
Maintaining the coalition's goals when each group has their own
Are shelters stuck with problem animals while no-kills pick and choose?
How should a coalition be structured?
How do we get reluctant groups to participate in our coalition?
Question from Member:
Our coalition is having trouble bringing in members. We have about 12 faithful members but the rescues, etc., are a problem. They do not respond to information we have mailed to them.We are presently working with Animal Control and hope to bring them in soon. The SPCA is another matter. They are not receptive at all. They feel that they know what they are doing; they have been doing things the same way for years, and don't want any help from a small grassroots group as we are.
Also, how do you get groups that are breed-specific that only deal with one particular breed to encourage them to join us? What could they do in our coalition?
Response from Gregory:
You obviously cannot force anyone to be a part of your coalition! The best way to win over dissenters is to go ahead with coalition activities - special adoption events, spay neuter programs, advertising/public education campaigns - with the members you already have. Make them successful and effective. Get as much media coverage for coalition activity as you can. Continue to invite participation from organizations that haven't responded, and be open to them joining you. Nothing succeeds like success!Well-established traditional organizations are often reluctant to participate for the kind of reasons you describe. One tactic is to find out if there are ways in which your coalition or its members can help them. Even helping them in small ways can help to build a relationship of increasing trust.
Breed-specific rescue organizations can certainly be part of your coalition if they subscribe to your basic aims and principles. Invite them in by having them come to your adoption events etc. Some breed rescues seem more concerned about preserving the integrity of their breed than helping homeless animals.
Getting support for a spay/neuter mobile van
Question from Celeste in OR:
A group of several animal welfare individuals and nonprofits are launching the Oregon Neutermobile, a statewide, mobile spay/neuter project targeting animals of low-income caretakers.In some ways, the offers of support have been tremendous. However, there are entire regions of the state we haven't heard a peep out of, despite repeated attempts at contact and invitations that seem to beg a response (we've been positive and enthusiastic).
The message I've gleaned from you in the past is to just happily forge ahead, and when others see our successes and permanency they'll want to join in.
Am I understanding your advice correctly, and if so, do you have anything else to add?
Response from Gregory:
You've got one of our basic messages right. We've seen people who were actively opposed initially join in after a period of time. Our mobile spay/neuter clinic, the Big Fix, has really only received opposition from some veterinarians who see it as competition (surveys show that it's not, as most clients wouldn't have gone to a vet), or downgrading the value of veterinary medicine ("you're doing serious surgeries IN A TRUCK!"). Everyone other than some vets welcome the Big Fix with open arms.If you are receiving a lack of interest from municipal authorities, civic groups, animal welfare organizations or citizens, it may be simply because they have too many other things on their plates in their daily lives and business. Until you drive into town and start 'fixing', they may not appreciate the value of your service.
If you've encountered a lack of interest in providing financial support, it's like anything else - you need to look for better ways of selling the idea to them.
Are shelters competing with each other for adopters?
Question from a Member:
Rescue groups and shelters can do many things to increase their adoptions, but aren't they all just competing with each other? There are only so many adopters out there, and does it really matter which animals get placed into those available homes? Each adoption by any one group just "takes away" an adoption from another group or shelter. Might all those competing efforts be better spent in projects to reduce the numbers of animals out there? Justwondering, because I rarely see this addressed.
Response from Gregory:
Your questions raise several important issues. Yes, in a sense all the rescue groups and shelters in a coalition are in competition with one another for the same 'customers'. We have found that of all the issues that coalition members can disagree over, this one very rarely arises. It just hasn't been a problem.Underlying the point is another question you touch on - by being more active in adopting animals are we 'saturating the market'? This is a fear that has been voiced in our coalition in Utah. Some were fearful that by providing extra resources for no-kill groups to adopt animals, adoptions from the shelters would go down. Precisely the opposite has happened! No-kill adoptions have increased as much as 150%, and shelter adoptions are up over 20%.
There is no evidence yet of market saturation. I believe there is a potential for that to happen - we calculated that if we meet all our goals up to the end of the five-year program, theoretically we will have adopted a dog or cat to one in five of all households in Utah. Yet we continue to exceed our goals. A major part of our job has to be to emphasize the importance of adopting dogs and cats instead of going to breeders or pet stores. This is where our true competition lies.
The final point you raise is a very important one. Ultimately we cannot adopt our way out of the pet-overpopulation problem. Campaigns to educate and raise awareness about the importance of spaying and neutering, and to provide resources to make this easier and less expensive are vital. At the same time, so long as there are animals to be saved, we have to save them.
How do you approach a mall about donating a storefront for adoptions?
Question from Michelle:
Can you give some details on how a group can sell mall management on the idea of an adoption center in its facility?Response from Gregory:
There are a lot of benefits that a mall can gain from having an adoption center in its facility. In purely commercial terms, with the right promotion an adoption center can be run in such a way that it will bring traffic to the mall. The animals are very popular with young kids who will implore their parents to take them there. It is relatively easy to get TV and press coverage for the center. Malls love to get the cameras into their facilities.Here's a strategy to get started. Pick a mall that is well trafficked, but maybe not so full that every retail space is occupied all the time. Adopters tend to be people in the middle to higher demographics, so take this into consideration also. Start by approaching the mall management (the marketing or promotions director is who you need to contact), and suggest putting together a weekend adoption that would take place in one of the common areas in the mall. The mall will usually be able to provide tables and chairs, you bring the animal cages and other equipment you need.
Promote the event by getting it listed in community calendars on TV, radio, newspapers, radio public service announcements (PSAs), posters, and flyers. The mall may be prepared to put a little money into promotion in the form of posters in the mall, details on their marquees, community mailings, newsletters, etc. But don't expect too much from them. You are trying to establish a track record of providing THEM with publicity, not asking them for it. Invite the media. Plan it for a weekend when there are no other major events in town that will pull the media away. Get yourself invited on local TV and radio interview shows to talk the adoption event up before it happens. Get as much media as you can, both to make the adoption a success, and also to show the mall how much coverage you can bring them. There are not many ways in which malls can get this, without paying for it.
Put on a few of these events, a few months apart. Act professionally. Clean up scrupulously during and after each adoption. If any animals are disturbing stores in the mall with loud barking, whining, smelling, etc., remove them quickly so that you don't get complaints.
To give yourself extra ammunition with the mall, conduct surveys at your adoption asking people how they heard about the event, whether they came especially for it, whether they bought things from the stores while they were there, etc. You may be able to give the mall tangible evidence of bringing extra business through your event.
If all goes well, after a few such events, propose to the mall management a permanent arrangement, asking if they have any space they could donate, or provide to you for a minimal rent. If you have established your reputation with the mall as being professional, well organized, and a benefit to their business, your chances of the proposal being well received will be greatly magnified.
How do we get vet associations involved in our spay/neuter efforts?
Question from a Member:
Can you give some specific advice on how to get the state veterinary association and its members involved in spay/neuter efforts?Response from Gregory:
The most substantial resource that I'm aware of for involving VMAs and their member veterinarians in spay/neuter programs is Maddie's Fund. If you're not already familiar with their programs for low-income pet caretakers, go to www.maddiesfund.org for details. These programs are negotiated directly between the VMA and Maddie's Fund, and coalition organizers or members can only play a subsidiary role in setting them up. Lobby your state or area VMA, through its officers and members to get involved.In Utah, we felt it was important to involve the UVMA right from the start of our program, so we invited the then President to sit on our Steering Committee. This has been helpful, though not without its limitations. We found, as you probably will, that no one veterinarian on the board represents the opinions of all veterinarians! Relations have at times been rocky with some veterinarians. Our mobile spay/neuter clinic, the Big Fix, was a particular point of contention for some (particularly vocal) veterinarians. After a while we formed a joint liaison committee with three vets appointed by the VMA, and three appointed by us, to discuss our plans and procedures, and maximize cooperation.
One factor, which often plays into this issue, is the history that many communities have of non-profit rescue organizations asking veterinarians to discount prices for spay/neuter campaigns. Many vets have responded well and joined these programs - usually, but not always, for limited time periods. Many non-profits expect veterinarians to do this and complain when they say they cannot. It's important to remember that sterilization procedures are not very profitable for most veterinarians. They can up-sell their spay/neuter clients with other charges for general examinations, vaccines, heartworm medications, etc., but the kind of clients looking for spay/neuter discounts are not often very good candidates for this. These are some of the business realities that most veterinarians face. It is important to be aware of this when
planning spay/neuter campaigns.
The bottom line is: devise programs which do not involve veterinarians discounting their prices. Find other ways of funding them. Vets will be far more willing to work with you if you plan your campaigns this way.
What tactics do we take to put pet stores out of business?
Question from a Member:
When you mention competing with pet stores, what sort of tactics can we take to compete and put them out of business?Response from Gregory:
I should first clarify one thing. We should only be concerned to put pet stores out of the PET SELLING business, not to wipe them out completely! Pet stores have a very valuable function in providing a source of food, equipment, pet toys, over the counter medications and grooming supplies, information about pet care, etc. etc. Unfortunately, so many of them aggravate the pet overpopulation problem by selling animals that they get from breeders who breed in very poor conditions. It's unkind to the animals and makes it harder to find homes for the abandoned animals in shelters and elsewhere.As to specific tactics:
- provide the public with facilities like attractive adoption centers which are a pleasure to visit
- educate people about the circumstances in which puppies and kittens are often bred for sale
- inform people about the availability of (often much healthier) dogs and cats in shelters, and the availability of abandoned pure-breds
- effective use of the internet to advertise available animals
- use of the media to communicate moving animal rescue stories
- promote the rewards of adopting an abandoned dog or cat.
I wouldn't advocate planning campaigns specifically to stop pet stores selling animals. Rather, go about the business of doing everything you can to find homes for the homeless, and an automatic consequence will be to cut into pet store animal sales.
How do you determine who to invite into a coalition?
Question from Member:
We need advice on how to begin a coalition. How do we define our geographic area? Should it be as "small" as one county or as large as a full state? Do we invite every group we can think of to a meeting including those that may not seem animal-related such as civic clubs, neighborhood groups, etc. or is that overly broad? We could really use some advice as to concrete first steps.Response from Gregory:
Geographic area: a lot depends on the nature of your county and state. Look at factors like size, population, what animal welfare organizations exist within them, and other resources that may be located there. A related question is what resources do you have to run a coalition within the area you define. It is difficult to provide a generalized answer to your question without knowing these and other factors. One guiding principle is 'don't over-reach yourselves'. It will be easier to add to a coalition later than to make it smaller. But I think that your best guide as to what works best as a geographic area will be your own instincts. Follow them, and take it step by step.It would be worth inviting other elements than strictly animal welfare organizations, veterinarians, etc., if you feel there will be interest and enthusiasm from them, and if there is a strong prospect that they will have things to give to the project. It's always possible to make informal approaches to the leadership of such groups to sound them out, without committing your coalition to an involvement with them. Again, don't bite off more than you can chew, and follow your best instincts as to what will work.
Getting a city to include animals in its mission and vision
Question from Member:
Our city is in the process of reevaluating its mission and vision for the future. This seems to be a good opportunity to include a vision of the city's role in supporting responsible pet ownership by its citizens. The traditional "owner's responsibility" argument isn't working, considering that only 38% of the animals taken to our shelter are adopted or taken by a rescue group. Our city has playgrounds, recreation centers, libraries, etc. that provide parents with opportunities to interact with their children in healthy ways. It provides large grants to homeless shelters, the arts, teen courts, etc. We will always have children - and we will always have pet companions. What is your vision of a city that truly supports responsible pet ownership and what would be the role of the city vs. active citizen groups?Response from Gregory:
If your city is both in the course of reevaluating its mission and vision for the future, and enlightened enough to provide large grants to the ventures you list, it sounds as though circumstances may be ripe for getting the powers that be to include improving animal welfare in their future vision and funding plans.I would start with spaying and neutering. Are shelters required by ordinance to fix animals before they are adopted? Does the city provide any funding for spaying and neutering programs for low-income folk? (A good many surveys have shown that most of the pet-overpopulation problem is created in the low income demographic segments of the population.) Such programs are probably best sold to public officials on the basis of the money they can save, rather than responsible animal care. Spay/neuter programs can have a radical effect on shelter impounds, which clearly saves public money. The best example of this that I know of is New Hampshire, where euthanasia in public shelters has been reduced by 90% over the approximately 15 year period that they have had a state funded spay/neuter campaign for low income people.
The city clearly does have a role in this field. Most communities require that their public agencies control pet-overpopulation, and are prepared to pay for it, if only to eliminate a "nuisance". It is a problem created by the public, which alone gives a theoretical reason for the public sector to play a significant part in solving it. The private sector most often provides the caring and passion behind animal welfare. That is not going to change - nor should it. So there will always be a part for active citizen groups to play. Such groups can play a part both in directly helping unfortunate animals, in educating the public to more responsibly care for their animals, and in driving positive change in the public sector.
How to get coalition member groups to do spay/neuter before adoption?
Question from Member:
How do you get the groups in a coalition on board with spay/neuter before adoption, and pediatric spay/neuter, if they are not? It seems as if we can't be asking the public to spay/neuter if we are ourselves are adopting out animals unsterilized. Do you not allow them to participate in the coalition if they are not?Response from Gregory:
You make an excellent point. We are truly working against ourselves if we are adopting out intact animals. As far as private no-kill organizations, yes we make it a rule that they must sterilize before adoption in order to participate in the coalition. Or at least, make reliable arrangements that the adopter will spay or neuter the animal within a short period of time.With public shelters that often have very limited resources, it has been one of our greatest concerns that some such shelters to do not always spay/neuter before adoption. We have put in place an experimental plan with a few shelters, where we help to sterilize their adopted animals. This has been successful, and we plan to extend it to more shelters as resources allow.
Member responses on starting coalitions and mobile vans
Response From Robin in MA:
This vet thinks it is absolutely wonderful to use these mobile units - I'll do quality surgery on your Unit any day you're in town; just pick me up!As added 'fuel', at least once a week, our premiere not-for-profit referral and emergency hospital utilizes the services of a Mobile unit MRI for our patients care (and many human hospitals do the same) ... on A TRUCK! :) And, yes, animals need general anesthesia for MRI and CT scans.
Response From Michelle in VA:
Our group started a coalition because a negative newspaper article was published about the local shelter and some of its practices. Citizens were outraged. That is the typical way I've seen a coalition come to life. In these instances, members are often angry, enthusiastic and willing to work hard and fast to wrong a right. Our group was formed of these angry citizens. It included representation from many of the no-kill rescue groups in the area that were eager and willing to work with the shelter to make change.Perhaps you could simulate this by getting the euthanasia stats for your local shelter and sending out an e-mail to local rescue group leaders about how this could be so much lower if groups worked closely with the shelter and created a vision to make this happen. Many people don't act simply because they do not fully know the true breadth of a problem.
One issue our coalition faces is our shelter is not acting quickly to make change, and we're afraid a lot of members within our coalition might lose steam because of it to turn their total attention back to their other rescue efforts —can you blame them? To reinvigorate our members, we are growing our efforts by assisting shelters that are reaching out to rescue groups for assistance versus spinning our wheels on the one we want to change that doesn't seem to want to. We're not forgetting about our original mission, but we're hoping to take our successes with other shelters back to our shelter to show them what can be done and how it works. Likewise, we know this will win us some points with our county government.
To accomplish some of our agenda items, we are teaming with another coalition that was formed to help a rural shelter two hours from us. Their shelter leadership has already invited our coalition to assist and is openly working with some of our member rescue groups, so it is a natural fit. Since this group is a newer coalition, we are able to offer them our existing talent, research on best practices and local animal-friendly contacts. And, our members benefit from the energy their coalition has. So far, we've saved them some time doing some of the legwork we've already done.
In addition, we contacted our local No More Homeless Pets group and are swapping resources, getting ideas and possibly teaming on a couple of future projects. This group has existed longer than we have, so they have a lot of good resources that will likely save us a lot of time.
I could even eventually one day see our effort going statewide, since we have so many existing coalitions that have already formed in several regions in our state. Our individual coalition has talked about this and would love to see this happen, but we know for now we also can't lose site of our original intent. It's easy to have a project grow out of control, so we're focused right now on our specific region and the original shelter issue that was the reason our group formed. One thing that I could also say is that our coalition has faced facts: helping the case of shelter animals is a long-term project. Our current vision document for one shelter alone outlines a possible 5-year plan, so keep this in mind when thinking about how much of an area should be your group's focus.
I guess I would recommend trying to remain nimble enough to ebb and flow as needed. I tend to have an all-inclusive attitude - the more talents and resources the better, in my opinion. But rescue people are often extremely busy. I would recommend developing a core group of dedicated members and then capitalizing on the resources in your community by inviting them to be involved as needed. Keep members informed and then call on them for specific projects versus expecting them to give up a lot of time to be a core member of the group.
And, I would say definitely invite other non-animal-related groups to participate in your efforts on a case-by-case basis where appropriate. They may not have to be members, but their contributions can be great. For example, a local Indian Princess troop more than doubled the amount typically raised at one of our member group's fundraisers. They fulfilled some of their service hours and contributed to a good cause, and the rescue group put a picture of the girls in its newsletter thanking them. The kids were happy to help and the organization was delighted with the success of the fundraiser. In all, the animals benefited two-fold and then some.
Maintaining the coalition's goals when each group has their own
Question from Member:
When working within a coalition, how do you maintain the coalition's goals and visions when each group has their own? Where do you draw the line between what the coalition wants to do and what each individual group is doing?Response from Gregory:
It goes without saying that being part of a coalition only makes sense if you agree with the mission and goals of the coalition. A coalition will only be successful if it has a clearly defined mission and effective leadership. If your coalition has a vague objective like "The goal of the coalition is to help animals". Everyone will agree with this readily, but it leaves so much room for varying ways of doing it.All coalition partners should agree to WORK TOGETHER to achieve agreed upon goals. This doesn't mean that individual members can't decide for themselves what part to play in working with other coalition partners. But it does presuppose agreement on the idea of working in harmony.
For instance, if the coalition organizes an Adoption Fair where partners can bring animals for adoption to a centrally organized event, those who organize the event should make the rules for participation and make sure they are followed. If you have a committee determining the rules for such an event on behalf of the coalition, with (say) people from different organizations on the committee, your coalition will only operate successfully if these committee members can agree on the rules. If you do not have agreement at this level, you probably are not ready to work as a coalition.
Are shelters stuck with problem animals while no-kills pick and choose?
Question from Member:
Our local humane society claims that the "no-kills" pick and choose animals they want when they are stuck with the "problem" pets. Can you comment on this? They claim that is why a coalition will not work in our area.Response from Gregory:
Does the humane society truly WANT to work with the no-kill groups? Of course, everyone would like to have the most adoptable animals in their program. If the humane society complains that the groups take the most adoptable animals from their shelter, leaving them with no easily adoptable animals, they should be able to change their policy and keep some of the most adoptable. If there is a desire to work together, sharing the animals equitably should not be difficult.Whenever this kind of reason is given for a coalition not being possible, there is usually some other objection underlying it. Not wanting to change, unwillingness to come to terms with the traditional differences between euthanizing shelters and ‘no-kills', feeling threats related to fund-raising, personality conflicts - these are all objections I have heard voiced in similar situations.
The best strategy for this kind of situation is to look for ways in which you can help the humane society to fulfill its goals, and thereby win it over to a more cooperative position. This is not always easy when it is David trying to help Goliath! It will need imagination and creativity. But a coalition is not going to be possible unless partners can see the benefits.
How should a coalition be structured?
Question from Member:
How do we decide how our coalition will be structured and what decisions will be made by which groups?Response from Gregory:
There are a variety of possibilities. The first thing to decide is how decisions will be made. This can be done by a committee, or by a lead agency (if you have one which is strong enough and sufficiently well-respected by other coalition partners) or by an individual (again, if the respect and trust are there).You will probably opt for some form of committee, in which case the next questions are who will sit on it and how will that committee operate. I would strongly recommend limiting the size of the committee to around seven people/organizations. Bigger than that will most likely bog down. Invite representatives from your strongest, most influential, and most enthusiastic and creative organizations. If you're going to be voting on issues (see below), don't have more than one person from each group.
Some organizations or individuals who have not been invited to join the committee may feel that they have been left out and do not have a voice. You can do a lot to vitiate such feelings by maintaining good contact with them, listening to their ideas and opinions, and taking notice. You may also want to have a general session for all coalition members, quarterly or semi-annually in which issues can be aired and discussed.
You then have to decide how your committee will operate. Will you make decisions only by unanimous consent, by vote, or without a formal procedure, operating more from general consent without requiring absolute agreement? This is a decision you will need to make based on your local situation, the nature of the organizations and individuals within your coalition and their relationships with one another.
In Utah, our committee is more of a steering committee with representatives from no-kill organizations, the tradition humane society, the animal services community, and the veterinarians. It operates by gathering the opinions and viewpoints from these different elements, then forming policies and plans from those discussions. It is possible to operate this way because of the strength of Best Friends, which formed the coalition and has been responsible from the start for financing and securing financial support for the program.
Finally, bear in mind that running an effective coalition is all about leadership. Read Twelve Cardinal Rules on Coalition Building for more details. Putting together and running a coalition for the animals will be demanding, but it will also be very rewarding. Good luck!
