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No More Homeless Pets Forum
February 10, 2003 Achieving Harmony |
How can we work together when we don't see eye-to-eye? Faith Maloney, director of animal care at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, talks about relating to your staff, co-workers, volunteers and community even when you don’t always see things the same way.
Introduction from Faith Maloney:
If we are to end the killing of homeless animals, we need to be able to work together. Unfortunately, this is easier said than done. People are people after all. We all have different opinions, different backgrounds and experiences, as well as deeply held convictions that we are right! This can and does lead to conflict, and conflict gets in the way of us achieving our goals for the animals.There are ways to achieve harmony and cooperation, but it requires work on all our parts. We need to learn to understand and trust each other. It's vital for the animals we care so much about.
Questions
How to work with a humane society who doesn't like rescues
How to respond to heartbreaking email requests for help
Holding joint adoption events when policies differ
What about when animal control seems hostile to our efforts
Getting groups outside animal welfare involved in our efforts
Maintaining working relationships when you disagree
How to deal with difficult board members
Finding reliable volunteers to follow through
As a volunteer, how do I get the shelter director to listen to ideas?
When negative volunteers impact your other volunteers
Asking county government to put stipulations in a shelter contract
How to say no so you don't become overwhelmed
How to work with a humane society who doesn't like rescues
Question from a member:
How do you deal with a director at the local humane society who hates rescue groups and sees us as competition taking all of the adoptable purebreds, leaving them with less adoptables and making money off of them (which we are not doing!)? We feel that we are helping free up cage space for them to take in more animals without having to euthanize or turn animals away and placing animals in good homes.Response from Faith:
I won't tell you the first thing that came into my head, as I expect you think bad thoughts about him too! But thinking bad thoughts, or worse, acting on bad thoughts does not help the animals.I have heard this argument a few times. It prompts a question: Are they not able to place their own purebreds?
I like the example from Ed Boks at Maricopa Animal Care and Control in Phoenix, AZ. He created partnerships with the local rescue groups and they were only able to take animals from his euthanasia list. MACC has created a very active adoption program and has no problem placing their own purebreds or small dogs. The rescue groups usually do end up taking the less adoptables because they can devote more time to placing them.
But as I hear it from your letter, this HS is not doing a good job of placing their easier to place animals. So this tells me that it is a poorly run establishment, and you have every right to make sure those animals are given a chance to find a new home.
If that is the case, then I would ignore his bad attitude and carry on doing what you are doing to place animals. If there is an opening to discuss how the HS could improve their own adoptions so that more animals of all kinds could be placed, then I'd go for that too.
How to respond to heartbreaking email requests for help
Question from a member in MA:
I am with a rescue group in Massachusetts and we get more and more of this kind of heart breaking email from all over the country but mostly the Deep South. (Example---Subject: Fwd: Taylor Co, WV ---DOG to DIE in 48 Hours if NOT Saved.) In most cases there is very little any of us can do. In others, we might be able to help in a small way. Do you have any suggestions in ways that we can help them in more than just sending them our concern and good wishes or perhaps a little money?Response from Faith:
The Internet is both a blessing and a curse. More and more of the kinds of emails you describe circulate around and around. It is sometimes hard to know what is happening, what is current, what is three years old, or who is sending this plea out.So, that said, the first thing to do if you would like to help with these situations is INVESTIGATE. Go to the SOURCE, if possible. I have seen messages circulating about dire situations based on an item in a newspaper, which upon investigation is not even close to the truth. This is particularly true when it comes to biting dogs, if the source of the article is information from an owner.
We have the luxury of a Network office here at Best Friends that can chase a lot of these pleas to source and find out actually what is happening. To be fair, in most cases there is a genuine need, and we can help by notifying other people in that community. Sometimes they are not what you think. A recent example comes to mind.
I was notified of a man in another state who needed help with a leg surgery on his dog. I asked one of our staff to investigate. It turned out he was a hunter who refused to neuter his hunting dog, which he also planned to breed. Needless to say, we did not offer him any assistance as his lifestyle was not in accordance with ours.
So my advice is to stick close to home when it comes to helping the animals if you don't have time to check all of these pleas out. If you want to help further afield, then do your homework first.
Holding joint adoption events when policies differ
Question from a member:
We are trying to get groups to work together on joint adoption events, but we are finding some of the groups won't work with others because of differing policies. One group does not do same-day adoptions and doesn't want to participate because they don't like groups doing same-day adoptions; another group says we should not allow groups that do not do neuter before adoption, which knocks out many of the rural groups who can't afford it. How can we do a joint event and please all the different policies?Response from Faith:
That's a big one! When we first started group adoptions about ten years ago as part of our annual Utah's Week for the Animals, the early days were pretty tense. There was a lot of suspicion, and niggly negativity. But we did them anyway. The next year, we got more people to join in, and so on. The rest is history! Now everyone gets so excited because animals are finding homes, and in the case of our AC shelter partners, animals are not being killed. We are so proud that many AC shelters do not have to kill any animals during these events because they are all going into homes. We average around 560 adoptions per event.We now do two Super Adoptions a year here in Utah. Everyone in our No More Homeless Pets in Utah coalition is allowed to participate, but the ground rules are set. We have a policies and procedures document that lets people know what is required of them. We have established a uniform fee. We do require neutering and the way we achieve this is to position our mobile spay/neuter unit in the PETsMART parking lot, so that all un-neutered animals go through the unit before going to their new home. (We also work with many rural groups who cannot afford to do this procedure beforehand).
Once at the event, each group has its own application paper work and decides who will qualify for one of their animals. The groups range from Animal Control Shelters who are pretty casual to very posh cat rescues with very strict requirements.
The benefit to all groups that participate is that we can bring in thousands of people to view their animals. Our last one had around 10,000 to 12,000 people over the course of the event. We create a fun atmosphere with local celebrities talking up the animals, and lots of local media.
Best Friends does "home deliveries" on all dog adoptions. (And we are the only group at these events who does that.) When someone has completed all the paperwork, a staff person or volunteer follows the family home with the dog, and does not hand that dog over until they have checked that the yard is adequately fenced. We let people know up front that we do this, so if they are planning on lying about their home, we will find out! Our cats are indoors only, so we do not require home delivery for them.
So that's how we do it.
What I suggest is that if you want to create a group event, establish your own parameters. If you feel OK with having some people not do same day adoptions, then they can be included--but no one is allowed to bad mouth anyone else. In our coalition that is reason to ban that rescue from any future group adoptions, or any other events in the coalition. And we have done that. Some people are so judgmental that they make everyone's life a misery. Those people are not invited back.
With regard to the neuter before adoption rule I know not everyone can station a mobile s/n van by the door, but you might be able to work out a voucher arrangement with a local vet. I know it's not the best solution, but you have to start somewhere.
Of course, follow up calls--visits, or whatever--are essential for us, to make sure the animal is doing well in that new home. But I'm pretty certain that AC shelters do not do this, as they do not have the time or resources.
I see group events like this as a way of breaking down barriers between rescues. It's harder to "hate" people when you share a drafty parking lot with them. And the thrill of knowing that hundreds of dogs and cats have been given a chance is euphoric.
If you would like to get a copy of the rules and procedures paperwork that we use for the Super Adoptions contact Dee at dee@bestfriends.org
What about when animal control seems hostile to our efforts
Question from a Member:
How can we work with our local animal control who is part of the police department and doesn't have adoption hours except for two hours a day and still euthanizes dogs by shooting them in the head or in a gas chamber? We have tried to talk to them about more humane methods and staying open later hours, but they won't listen and seem angry with us for our concerns.Response from Faith:
It is very difficult when there are no lines of communication open between rescue organizations and animal control. The only time I have seen that situation resolve is when one side - usually the rescue organization - makes a concerted effort to "make friends" with the animal control organization. I put that in quotes, because in the initial stages, the communication can feel a bit insincere. But even if it starts off as pretending, it can transform into actual liking given enough time.Many animal control staff get very defensive about their work, and feel that rescue people do not understand them or the constraints that they work under. You mention the hours the facility is open. Often these hours are set by the police department in accordance with the budget they have available and don't have the money to pay staff the overtime needed to keep the shelter open for longer hours.
We are seeing some long overdue transformation in a city in our region, thanks to the efforts of a local rescue organization. The rescue worked long and hard at winning the trust and confidence of the policeman in charge of the shelter. (They have yet to win over a couple of the shelter staff, but they got the 'big guy' to listen to them.)
The way they went about it was to find out what was beneficial to the shelter. The answer was MONEY. The shelter was so limited by the city on what they could spend that this group set up a separate fund. This is what the group told me:
"As a result of sickness in the shelter on Jan 11, we immediately set up a medical fund with a $2,000 opening donation and earmarked that money for two levels of medical care at the shelter FOR ALL ANIMALS."
So rather than always blaming them for what they are not doing, this group found out what was needed most and set about supplying it.
Another rescue north of us made great strides with their local Animal Control Shelter and now have the keys to the shelter so they can open up on Wednesday evening and Saturdays for adoptions. This took a long time to work out! It also meant they had to choose their battles. They took one thing to focus on - i.e. getting the shelter open at hours that served the public and got the animals in new homes.
It's not easy, and I know some situations may be downright impossible, but we have seen great results from rescue organizations extending the olive branch to animal control when sitting down in a friendly, non-confrontational manner trying to fully understand what they are up against. Most people do not want to be killing beautiful animals. If there are ways in which to work it out, the majority of people want that to happen.
We have found too that picking your most diplomatic people for this job also helps. Keep the firebrands in the back room for the time being.
Comment from Jeanne in TN:
We have been working on this one for a couple of years and have made progress with the local animal shelter. Two years ago it probably could have been considered adversarial.It has taken a huge amount of work, one step forward and 3/4 back, but we have moved forward. The biggest thing was for the shelter to see us as a positive force and not negative and this can be HARD. We tried to keep our mouths shut and work quietly to present ourselves as honestly caring... many times leaving the shelter screaming into our cell phones to each other but NOT the shelter or employees.
We are now able to host off-site adoption days for the animals in the shelter. They are now actually asking us to take certain dogs and find them homes! One of our volunteers also got the shelter to agree to a newsletter that is a wonderful tool for shelter news, and had helped boost the moral of employees, as there is an employee of the quarter.
We have been able to get all the animals at least available for adoption on their due out date (previously they were euthanized before they were ever available for adoption!!!). All animals have a chance now, and this has just come about in the past year.
Until the shelter management/employees see some hope for the animals, I think they have no positive focus. It can be done, but in my opinion it has to be done with positive actions, not negative.
Comment from Mary:
Faith's answer was awesome about animal control agencies that are hostile to rescue groups! One thing that I always mention, whether it's to volunteers, rescues, or concerned citizens: if you have a problem (concern, etc.) with a situation, when you choose to broach the subject with the "in-charge person" (director, police chief, volunteer coordinator, etc.), walk into the meeting with 3 solutions! That way, people think before they talk (whining), they have put forth an effort of solution, and they understand that one solution idea may not work, so they have 2 more back-up plans. That allows the supervisor to realize this person is not just a problem maker & pot stirrer but that they really want to help resolve the problem.Getting groups outside animal welfare involved in our efforts
Question from a member:
How can we get other non-animal related organizations involved in helping animals? I think that the human health field and neighborhood associations like block watches and housing services would be great assets to help us promote responsible pet care and spay/neuter but don't know how to begin reaching out to them. It sometimes seems like there is often a human vs. animal mentality and that you can't help both. I think we can. Any suggestions?Response from Faith:
That's a very good idea. Anywhere that people gather you are bound to have a percentage be animal lovers.A few things that we have heard about that might be helpful.
A few years ago Boulder Valley HS in Colorado set up a program for realtors in their area to discuss animal issues and needs. Peninsular HS in California recently began working with the court and now holds classes for people who received citations for animal offenses - like dogs at large, that sort of thing.
Many humane societies and shelters offer "Brown Bag Lunches". Staff brings a lunch and then listens to speakers from the community. And this can be someone from the animal world.
I would like to refer you to another presenter who will be coming on to the Forum next month. From March 31 - April 4, 2003, Dennis Stearns, of Leadership Greensboro and vice president of No More Homeless Pets in Guilford County, NC, will share his insights into how you can be a more effective leader and get more people involved helping animals in your community. ("How to get your community involved in helping animals" is the topic.)
I have heard Dennis speak, and he has a wealth of information on this topic.
Comment from Linda:
I wholeheartedly agree that it is an excellent idea to work with all of the community's organizations! What we have done is look around for coalitions and human services non-profits and agencies in our area. I've made some "cold calls" and found one or two people who "always wanted to be a veterinarian" and the like. You could also ask volunteers to attend some of the programs or meetings of the human services agencies in the area. All they need to do is sit quietly and listen for a while, and introduce themselves politely. If you demonstrate to human services agencies that you respect their work, chances are they will welcome you and your help!Maintaining working relationships when you disagree
Question from a Member:
We have an agreement with our local animal control to call us when he receives feral cat complaints. We try to offer mediation, explaining TNR and why it works vs. trap and kill. For the last year, this has worked well.Recently, AC has gotten a few very vocal complaints in one neighborhood and now AC wants to trap and kill the cats because these people are complaining. We don't want to lose our working relationship with AC, but we want to stop the killing. We have thought about going to the media, or his boss, but will we jeopardize our relationship?
Response from Faith:
Touchy!! I might suggest sitting down with your friendly animal control officer in a neutral setting and discuss the problem with him directly. Animal Control was set up to serve the public's needs and, in my experience, is usually complaint driven. He may have no choice but to act in response to those complaints, and be feeling bad about the whole thing.You could tell him about some of the things you are thinking about, like going to the media, so that he might not feel bushwhacked if you do decide to do that. And then, hopefully, he will not take it as a personal attack.
It would be shame to damage a great relationship that has obviously taken some time to develop. Communication is the key, I feel.
Another idea is to get together with people from the community that are having the problem and have a meeting about TNR and of the long-term benefits for their situation. Maybe if they knew that by removing a colony of cats, they will only be inviting more and more into that area. Then if they know that they will be constantly calling animal control, they might want to consider the alternatives.
How to deal with difficult board members
Question from a Member in NY:
Our organization is in a rut. There are three of us on the board of directors, and we all recognize that the others have contributed a lot, but at the same time we have a serious problem. If new people come on board, one of the directors often drives them off by rejecting all their ideas. I think she feels threatened. We do not want to hurt her feelings, but at the same time we need more help and she does not want to relinquish any control.Do you have any advice for how we can deal with this situation?
Response from Faith:
I think this is the toughest kind of situation we face in our movement, and that is when one person holds an organization hostage and blocks growth and new ideas.I will state the obvious. It's two against one! You have a majority vote to remove this person from her role on the board. I don't see that you have a choice. I don't think that you all started this organization so that it could be one person's hobby? I am assuming that you are in existence to help animals?
I know it's easy for me to say! I am thousands of miles away and she is not my best friend, but you are being negligent in your board role if you allow this situation to continue. She either has to change or go.
Any organization needs new blood and new ideas if it is going to keep pace in this fast moving world. If you value the survival of your organization, you know what you have to do.
I'll be backing you up in spirit!
Finding reliable volunteers to follow through
Question from a Member:
We are an all-volunteer rescue group. Unfortunately, several of us end up doing everything. How do you get volunteers to do what they say they will do? Some make promises and then not only do not show up but do not call and leave others (and the animals we are trying to help) in the lurch. Is there a good way to deal with volunteers?Response from Faith:
I read an article from American Humane Association (AHA) a few years ago on this subject that I thought had some very valuable pointers about volunteers.As I recall, it pointed out that although a volunteer is giving their time and skill, they still needed to be "paid".
Organizations that do well with volunteers have this one down to a fine art. Let's face it, most of us love to be noticed, valued, and appreciated for the outstanding human beings we know we are!
So I would examine your rewards system. I know it's all a bit cheesy and that most of us hard-core people think that a person should volunteer because it's the Right Thing To Do, not for a plaque or a tee shirt. But as you have noticed, for many people, a hair appointment is more important than their service at the shelter.
Volunteering often meets social needs for people and should be factored in. Working in an office nine to five is not very satisfying for the soul. Working with animals fills a big void for many people, but we also like hanging out with our own kind too, so allow for social interaction between volunteers and staff, if any, as well as pooper-scooping.
Another point made by many groups is to have tons of volunteers - way more than you might think you need. They always break down into groups: 1) hard-core, dedicated, would be a staff person if the shelter could afford to hire them; 2) caring people, but busy people. Hard workers but often have to work late or have kids to deal with; 3) the ones that can do one day a month; 4) the ones who like the IDEA of volunteering, but never quite manage to make it out to the shelter. Even that last category can be useful for some job that can be done at home, like writing thank you letters or helping to organize an event.
I know it's very frustrating, particularly when a shelter is all volunteer run. But I hope I have given you some things to think about.
As a volunteer, how do I get the shelter director to listen to ideas?
Question from a Member:
I'm a relatively new volunteer for a local humane society. I have some ideas I've read about that I'd like to see implemented, but the director seems resistant to hearing them. Any thoughts on how I can approach him so he can hear what I have to say?Response from Faith:
You say you are a relatively new volunteer? I would give it some more time before trying to suggest changes. Work on developing a trust relationship with the director. Let him know that you are a reliable, caring person and that he can count on you to do your assigned tasks. Only then, can you really make suggestions on how things could be done differently.This director may have seen many "new brooms" come in over the years, all bright eyed and bushy tailed, telling him what to do and how to do it. When you make the effort to understand why he does it his way, you can establish a dialog about other methods.
Building a relationship takes time, but the rewards for the animals will be great if you do it that way. If you storm in telling him he is doing it all wrong (even if that is true!) you lose, the animals lose, and so does the next person who comes in after you.
Give that a try first.
When negative volunteers impact your other volunteers
Question from a Member:
We have one volunteer who always manages to see the glass as half empty. Her complaining is contagious and other volunteers begin to feel dissatisfied too. I'm sure that our program is not perfect, but I wish we could encourage her to find more constructive ways to channel her feelings and ideas than griping to people who cannot do anything about it. She does love the animals but is causing a lot of problems in our group.Response from Faith:
I think we all know that same person! She gets around, doesn't she?I'm going to assume you have tried talking with her, and that she has no idea that she is like that? How we see ourselves is often wildly different from how others see us. If talking to her has not made a difference, you may have to ask her to leave.
You recall the old story about the bad apple? That's what you have here. As you say her negativity is contaminating the other volunteers. This is highly destructive to your organization's mission to help animals.
I know this sounds ruthless, but remember that bag of apples you paid $5 for at the grocery store? By the time you get around to breaking open the bag, you discover that all of the apples have gone bad. It is better to sacrifice the one bad one than lose them all.
We have a clause in our employee handbook that states that having a positive attitude is a job requirement. Staff can, and has been, fired for negative attitudes. We have also asked volunteers to leave if they cannot control their negativity. The tough part comes when, as you say, they love the animals. But that is not enough to keep her on. You need to be looking at the bigger picture. Think about how many people do not come around because of this one person. How many incredible volunteers have you lost because of her?
Another possibility, if this all seems too brutal, is to find her some job in the shelter where she does not come into contact with the others. That depends on your size, space available, and types of programs you do. But that may give you a way out too. Whatever you do it needs to be done NOW. Waiting will not improve the situation and in fact will make it worse.
Best of luck!
Asking county government to put stipulations in a shelter contract
Question from a Member:
I read about the Fulton County (Georgia) contract being rewritten to include stipulations, such as working with rescue groups, for its county shelter. We have been working with our shelter's management for six months, but they are reluctant to make changes even when we have offered to pay for them or provide man-hours to accomplish them. Is asking the county government to put stipulations such as Sunday shelter hours and working with rescue groups in its next contract with the shelter the best route to go, or do you think it's better to keep trying to work these issues out through our relationship with the shelter?Response from Faith:
That's between a rock and a hard place isn't it? If you were making headway with the shelter, then I would prefer that you continue with that plan, as they are people you will be working with, and you don't want to create enemies if you don't have to. However, that does not seem to be effective.I think you may need to speak to your county government. I'd start in a social way first. Identify the animal lovers, or likers, in the group and take them out to lunch either one at a time or in small groups. Lay out the problems you are experiencing and see if you get some interest in putting in the changes.
If that works, then you can present it to the county folks at a public meeting. You can make sure that the local paper is there to cover the proceedings. There is nothing like getting these issues out before the general public (the voters) to get some action.
Do all of your homework on how it benefits the county - less killing (which saves them money), better PR, etc. Have some good stats to show how this will work. Appeal to the budget savings, not their love of animals in the public meeting.
Be prepared for some uncomfortable times with the current shelter. But everyone will live through this, and don't forget those shelter folks are not interested in losing their jobs so they will knuckle down, and in a year or so everyone will have forgotten all about it! The animals will be better off, and you will be given a plaque by the local government for putting the town on the map as the best place for animals to live. (A bit of creative visualization doesn't hurt!)
How to say no so you don't become overwhelmed
Question from a Member in MO:
Our all-breed rescue group is strictly no-kill but still on the small side with only a few foster homes (me being one), thus we are almost always saturated with as many dogs and cats as we can (safely) handle in foster care. What do you suggest to say or do when well-meaning local folks/friends/etc. call us to say they know of a dog in a kill-shelter who will be put down tomorrow, or someone who "needs to get rid of their dog/cat"... or "found a stray and can't keep it"... Other than trying to refer them to a purebred rescue group, if applicable, or another all-breed rescue - or giving them tips on how to find that pet a good new/forever home... I feel helpless and "bad" sometimes that I have to say "sorry I can't take that dog as a foster right now"... I appreciate that friends and vets give out my number in situations of dogs in need, but I feel that I can't offer enough help every single time.Response from Faith:
This is so difficult for us all. We get involved with animals because we love and care for them. It hurts us when we cannot open our homes, our hearts and our wallets to every animal in need. To us they are all worthy of being saved, but we have to face reality too.At this point in my life, I am very suspicious of people who cannot say, "No." Many of the people who can't say "no" end up on the TV news charged with multiple cases of animal cruelty.
Most of us have limits. Limits in space available, resources, or time. If we don't abide by those limits, we tip over into crisis and then our whole program is threatened.
When I get a call like the one you describe, I ask the person why they cannot help that animal. I have had people reply that they already have a dog or a cat so they can't take another one. (When was it that most of us in rescue had only one dog or one cat?)
I then explain that I (we) have limits too. Just because I love animals and have opened up my home (sanctuary) to many of them doesn't mean I can take them all, just as they can't help this one animal. Somehow that personalizes it for some people, and they begin to comprehend the logistics.
People in crisis don't think clearly. They are desperate for a solution and YOU ARE IT! I try and give people a context in our situation. The sanctuary averages 500 such requests every week. This is mind-blowing to most callers. All they know is their own problem. It's often hard for people to think outside of their own situation, so giving them an idea about the size of the problem explains why I can't say yes to every one of those requests.
People love the idea that the dog or cat or horse that they are involved with can go to a no-kill sanctuary, rescue or foster program, but as I explained to many, many people, being no-kill means we don't kill them! Space opens up only through adoption or at the end of an animal's life.
Stick to your guns too. You cannot just keep being blackmailed until you go under. Keep your eye on you mission and your goal. If that means only being able to help a certain number right now, then that is it. Those parameters will change as time goes on. If you are successful and are able to expand your foster network, then you will be able to help more.
What we have done here, and what you mention in your letter, is provide services so that people can help themselves. Our Network staff has all kinds of resources to share with the caller. What they do with that information is their business, but we are constantly and pleasantly surprised by how many of them take the ball and run with it.
It also makes us feel better about having to say no. We are doing something to help those animals, so I think moving in that direction is a very good idea.
