The f • u •t• u • r • e of
animal sheltering
F o r a l o n g ti m e su rre n d e ri n g a p e t to th e sh e l te r has b e e n th e g o -to s o l u ti o n fo r to u g h p e t p ro b l e ms , a n d th e sh e l te r i n d ustr y has h isto ri c a l l y fo ste re d th e i d e a that sh e l te r s a re th e o n l y s afe s o l u ti o n fo r p e t s i n n e e d. F o r tu nate l y, a n i ma l sh e l te ri n g is g o i n g th ro u g h a re na is s a n c e p e ri o d , a n d m o re o rga n i z ati o ns a re b e g i n n i n g to c ha l l e n g e o l d n o ti o ns a b o u t h ow b e st to h e l p p e t s . Su rre n d e ri n g a n i ma ls to th e sh e l te r is a o n e - s i ze - f i t s- a l l a nswe r to p e t p ro b l e ms . Bu t i f we tr y o th e r s o l u ti o ns o n fo r s i ze , we may j ust f i n d a b e tte r f i t . Th e L awre n c e Hu ma n e S o c i e t y stri ve s to tre at e a c h p e t as a n i n d i v i d u a l wi th u n i q u e n e e ds . Ou r Pe t R e s o u rc e C e nte r st aff f u n c ti o ns as c as e wo r ke r s , wo r k i n g to f i n d th e b e st p o s s i b l e p athway fo r e a c h a n i ma l we s e r ve . In s o m e c as e s , su rre n d e r may b e b e st , b u t ma ny ti m e s i t ’s n o t . What i f, i nste a d o f f i n d i n g n e w h o m e s fo r a n i ma ls , we o ffe re d re s o u rc e s to h e l p th e m ke e p th e o n e s th e y a l re a d y have? What i f we e m p owe re d th e c o m mu n i t y wi th th e kn owl e d g e a n d re s o u rc e s to h e l p us h e l p a n i ma ls b e fo re th e y e nte r th e sh e l te r s y ste m? He re a re j ust a fe w e x a m p l e s o f h ow th e L awre n c e Hu ma n e S o c i e t y is c ha n g i n g th e way we h e l p p e t s i n o u r c o m mu n i t y. • F o u n d a l o s t p e t ? We h e l p p ro v i d e f i n d e r s wi th a l ist o f to o ls fo r l o c ati n g a l o st p e t ’s own e r i n c l u d i n g sha ri n g th e p e t o n p o p u la r l o st & fo u n d s o c ia l m e d ia s i te s , us i n g th e F i n d i n g R o ve r l o st p e t a p p, a n d m o re . L e t ’s b y p as s th e stre s s f u l sh e l te r a n d g e t th e p e t stra i g ht h o m e wh e n e ve r p o s s i b l e . • Pet ne e ds a new home? Even when a pet owner determine s their pet needs a new home , mo st remain emotionall y inve sted in providing their animal a good ou tcome. Teaching pet owners how to safel y rehome a pet on their own using tools like Adoptapet .com keep s the pet in a familiar environment while giving the pet owner ultimate control in selec ting a new home for the pet the y love. • Pe t i s m i s b e h av i n g ? G e t a d v i c e a n d a n i n d i v i d u a l i ze d tra i n i n g p la n f ro m th e b e hav i o r st aff at th e L awre n c e Hu ma n e S o c i e t y o r o n e o f o u r c o m mu n i t y p a r tn e r s . Wi th b e hav i o r su p p o r t , th e p e t may b e c o m e su c c e s s f u l i n th e h o m e th e y a l re a d y have . • Ca n’ t a ffo rd fo o d /p e t c a re su p p l i e s ? Just b e c aus e a n own e r is e x p e ri e n c i n g ha rdsh i p d o e sn’ t m e a n th e y c a n’ t p ro v i d e a l o v i n g h o m e . He l p i n g wi th su p p l i e s s e e ms l i ke a b e tte r s o l u ti o n to us tha n u p ro o ti n g p e t s f ro m a fa m i l y wh o l o ve s th e m. Th e re wi l l a lway s b e s o m e a n i ma ls wh o n e e d to b e at th e sh e l te r, a n d we wa nt to c a re fo r th e m wh e n th e y d o. Bu t we ’d l i ke to s ave ke n n e l sp a c e fo r th e a n i ma ls that tru l y n e e d to b e th e re . Wh e n we c a n e m p l o y a l te rnati ve s o l u ti o ns a n d p re s e r ve th e b o n d b e t we e n a p e t a n d th e i r p e r s o n , we th i n k that ’s th e b e st o u tc o m e . Th e f u tu re o f a n i ma l sh e l te ri n g is n o t j ust a s afe t y n e t fo r h o m e l e s s a n i ma ls - i t ’s p ro v i d i n g re s o u rc e s fo r o u r c o m mu n i t y b e fo re p e t s wa l k th ro u g h th e sh e l te r d o o r s . Th e L awre n c e Hu ma n e S o c i e t y is c o m m i tte d to p ro v i d i n g i n d i v i d u a l i ze d s o l u ti o ns fo r a n i ma ls i n n e e d a n d e x p a n d i n g th e p e t re s o u rc e s we p ro v i d e i n 2 0 2 1. We l o o k fo r wa rd to th e f u tu re a n d e m b ra c e th e re i ma g i n i n g o f a n i ma l we l fa re . Wo n’ t y o u j o i n us ?
W i t h g ra t i t u d e , S ha n n o n We l ls | E xe cu ti ve D i re c to r
