Tag Archives: shelter

Effective Community Programs

While so much of what we do is focusing on animals that have already become homeless, spending a small amount of your annual time and budget on community programs can greatly decrease your intake over time. In this article we will cover common myths of community programs, which programs to prioritize, and how to implementContinue reading “Effective Community Programs”

5 Keys to volunteer onboarding

Whether your organization has 100’s of volunteers or only a few, onboarding can feel like a daunting task. However, getting volunteers up and running can make the difference in success for your animals. In this article we will talk about the 5 keys to a successful onboarding program. Keys to a successful onboarding program

Keys to a successful adoption event

Off-site adoption events can be a great way to generate interest in any animal at the event but they also get your team out in the community and are a great opportunity for marketing, fundraising, and networking. Whether you frequently have adoption events or if you’re brand new, this article will cover the top thingsContinue reading “Keys to a successful adoption event”

Returns – The 5 most common reasons and how to prevent them

Unfortunately, returns are an inevitable part of any rescue or shelter. However, there are steps we can take to prevent returns without introducing adoption barriers. In this article, we will cover the most common reasons people state for returns, how to prevent these things from causing returns, and how to identify the top reasons inContinue reading “Returns – The 5 most common reasons and how to prevent them”

Create and maintain rescue partner relationships

Many rescues and shelters have more animals than they can find homes for in their community. The solution is often to find a partner rescue in a part of the country that has a higher demand. In this article we will go over how to create relationships with partner rescues and how to maintain those relationships to save more animals in your community.

Long Stay Dogs – How to get them adopted and prevent long stays

Despite all your efforts, sometimes there are dogs that seem stuck in your program. In this article we will go over how to identify reasons for long stay dogs, ways to help get those dogs adopted, and how to prevent long stays in the future. Long stay trends The first step to identifying trends inContinue reading “Long Stay Dogs – How to get them adopted and prevent long stays”

Data tracking – How to get started

You may see organizations like Best Friends Animal Society, Maddie’s Fund, or Faunalytics using data to inform their decisions. This practice is the most effective way to save lives. However, getting started can be intimidating. Even if you already track some data, you may want to be tracking more. In this article we will coverContinue reading “Data tracking – How to get started”

What to send home with adopters

While we can try to prepare adopters during the application process, there are always going to be some hiccups, especially with first time adopters. Providing physical guides can help decrease questions for your staff and prevent issues with the animal. In this article we will talk about the 4 categories of topics you should provideContinue reading “What to send home with adopters”

5 Ways to prevent burnout

Now more than ever, rescues and shelters are bursting at the seams, volunteers and staff are working twice as hard, and adoption rates have plummeted. This is a recipe for burnout. In this article, we will go over how to recognize burnout and how to prevent it. What does burnout look like? The way burnoutContinue reading “5 Ways to prevent burnout”

The ‘why’ and ‘how’ of post-adoption follow up

In this article we will cover why post-adoption follow up is necessary, what you should include in that communication, and how to make follow up part of your team’s daily tasks. Why you should follow up Get ahead of problems. Very rarely does someone bring a new animal home without any issues. Maybe they areContinue reading “The ‘why’ and ‘how’ of post-adoption follow up”

Email templates

This is a list of email templates that you can use for your rescue or shelter to quickly communicate with vets, other rescues, and adopters. If you are interested in a template that is not listed, shoot us a quick email at hello@rescueallies.com Quick jump: Vet partnership Rescue partnership Trainer partnership 72 hour dog adopterContinue reading “Email templates”

Role Definition – How to create a well rounded position

As we all know too well, animals don’t burn people out of rescue, people do. Part of that burnout is often caused by overworking. While most shelters and rescues are often under-staffed, it’s important to consider the capacity any single person has to perform well. In this article we will cover how to define aContinue reading “Role Definition – How to create a well rounded position”

5 ways to recruit fosters

Now more than ever, there is a desperate need for foster homes. With adoption rates down, shelters are bursting at the seams. Let’s talk about ways to recruit fosters to your program. 1. Use your network As a rescue or a shelter, you have a larger network than you may realize. Working from your communityContinue reading “5 ways to recruit fosters”

Breaking through your emergency mindset

It is easy to get caught up in the day to day and to become very reactionary to problems rather than preparing for them. There is always going to be an emergency, that is the very nature of rescue. But, there is a difference between actual emergencies that you cannot predict or prepare for andContinue reading “Breaking through your emergency mindset”

Limiting factor series – Introduction

The official definition of a limiting factor is “the environmental factor that is of predominant importance in restricting the size of a population”. In terms of a shelter or rescue, it is the one thing that prevents you from your goal before anything else. Shelters and rescues often struggle to fill multiple areas like fundraisingContinue reading “Limiting factor series – Introduction”

Limiting factor series – Finances

Finances is the most common of the limiting factors but, identifying it as your most pressing issue to work on is the first step. The second step is determining how far you need to go to move past finances preventing you from reaching your goal. If your goal is to increase intake, how many animalsContinue reading “Limiting factor series – Finances”

Limiting factor series – Space

Space is a limiting factor that you may think is a permanent limitation. But, you don’t need space to house every animal, just enough space to house animals in need at the time they need that space.  Imagine you have space for 90 animals but you have the staff and finances for 10 more. FindingContinue reading “Limiting factor series – Space”

Limiting factor series – Staff

Staff limiting factors can feel difficult to determine. So let’s break it down.  Animal capacity per staff What types of staff / volunteers do you have? Some examples are:  Full time staff (experience ranging from 0-5) Part time staff (experience ranging from 0-5) Fosters Adult / puppy dog fosters Adult / kitten cat fosters  MedicalContinue reading “Limiting factor series – Staff”

Quick Guide to creating a foster program

Whether you are a brick and mortar shelter or are starting a foster-based rescue, this guide will walk you through how to get a foster program off the ground and things to keep in mind as you move forward. 1. Scaffolding The first step is to lay the groundwork for your program. Here are someContinue reading “Quick Guide to creating a foster program”

Building an online adopter community

Your adopters, if allowed, can be one of a rescue or shelter’s greatest assets. Adopters already know your organization, they believe in you, and more often than not, they are grateful to you for bringing their pet into their lives. So, how do you capitalize on this relationship? You build an adopter community. 1. CreateContinue reading “Building an online adopter community”

Helping animals in your community – keep them out of your shelter

A shelter or rescue’s primary role is to provide care and find suitable homes for animals with nowhere to go. While this effort often takes all hands on deck, dedicating resources to preventing animals from entering your care could save more lives in the end. Let’s go over some places to start. 1. The topContinue reading “Helping animals in your community – keep them out of your shelter”