Rescue Group Best Practices Guide

Rescue Group

Best Practices Guide

This publication Rescue Group Best Practices Guide is intended to provide

general information about rescue best practices The information contained in this

publication is not legal advice and cannot replace the advice of qualified legal

counsel licensed in your state The Humane Society of the United States does not

warrant that the information contained in this publication is complete accurate

or up to date and does not assume and hereby disclaims any liability to any person

for any loss or damage caused by errors inaccuracies or omissions

CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ...................................................................................................5

INTRODUCTION ...............................................................................................................7

SECTION 1  ORGANIZATIONAL STANDARDS

CREATING YOUR MISSION AND VISION ...........................................................................9

INCORPORATING AND APPLYING FOR

501C3 TAXEXEMPT STATUS .....................................................................................9

FORMING YOUR TEAM .....................................................................................................9

Building a Board of Directors ................................................................................................................................. 10

Building Your Staﬀ .................................................................................................................................................... 11

Building a Volunteer Network ................................................................................................................................ 14

OBTAINING INSURANCE .................................................................................................15

CREATING A BUDGET AND BUSINESS PLAN ..................................................................16

FUNDING YOUR ORGANIZATION ...................................................................................16

Types of Funds to Have ........................................................................................................................................... 16

General fund .......................................................................................................................................................... 16

Spay/neuter and general veterinary expenses................................................................................................ 16

Speciﬁc medical cases ......................................................................................................................................... 16

Creating a Development Plan ................................................................................................................................. 16

Marketing and branding ...................................................................................................................................... 17

Fundraising ............................................................................................................................................................ 17

Grant writing ......................................................................................................................................................... 17

Cost containment ................................................................................................................................................. 18

IMPLEMENTING A CULTURE OF RESPECT ...................................................................... 18

Engaging in Humane Discourse ............................................................................................................................. 18

Preventing Compassion Fatigue ............................................................................................................................ 18

Customer Service Skills ........................................................................................................................................... 19

SECTION 2 | ANIMAL CARE STANDARDS

THE FIVE FREEDOMS .....................................................................................................21

STANDARDS FOR PRIMARY ENCLOSURES .....................................................................21

CONTENTS

PHYSICAL WELLBEING .................................................................................................. 24

Vaccinations and Parasite Control ........................................................................................................................ 24

Disease Prevention ................................................................................................................................................... 24

Spay/Neuter ................................................................................................................................................................ 25

Microchipping ............................................................................................................................................................ 25

Food ............................................................................................................................................................................. 25

Working with a Veterinarian ................................................................................................................................... 25

MENTAL WELLBEING ....................................................................................................26

Stress .......................................................................................................................................................................... 26

Fear Free .................................................................................................................................................................... 26

Enrichment ................................................................................................................................................................ 26

Easy automatics .................................................................................................................................................... 26

Win-wins ................................................................................................................................................................ 27

In-cage enrichment .............................................................................................................................................. 27

Out-of-cage enrichment ..................................................................................................................................... 27

Other stress relievers .......................................................................................................................................... 28

Socialization .............................................................................................................................................................. 28

VETERINARY POLICY ...................................................................................................... 29

EUTHANASIA POLICY .....................................................................................................29

SECTION 3 | OPERATIONAL STANDARDS

RECORDKEEPING ..........................................................................................................31

TRANSPARENCY .............................................................................................................31

DETERMINING CAPACITY ............................................................................................... 32

EXCEEDING CAPACITY ...................................................................................................33

ANIMAL INTAKE .............................................................................................................34

Sources of Animals ................................................................................................................................................... 35

Creating a Plan ........................................................................................................................................................... 35

Partner with a Local Shelter ................................................................................................................................... 36

Pet Retention Strategies ......................................................................................................................................... 37

Owner Surrenders .................................................................................................................................................... 38

CONTENTS

Strays ...................................................................................................................................................................... 38

Temporarily Holding an Animal ......................................................................................................................... 38

Use of Boarding Facilities ................................................................................................................................... 39

Transporting Pets ................................................................................................................................................. 39

SHELTERTYPE FACILITIES .............................................................................................39

PROGRESSIVE ADOPTIONS ............................................................................................ 40

Process ................................................................................................................................................................... 40

Setting Your Adopters Up for Success ............................................................................................................ 42

Events and Other Advertising ............................................................................................................................ 42

FOSTER HOMES..............................................................................................................

DISASTER PREPAREDNESS ............................................................................................43

SECTION 4 | COMMUNITY BUILDING

WITH OTHER ANIMAL WELFARE ADVOCATES ...............................................................45

Potential Partners to Increase Lifesaving Eﬀorts .............................................................................................. 45

Building a Transfer Program with Local Shelters ............................................................................................... 45

Building a Transfer Program with Out-of-State Rescues .................................................................................. 46

Building Coalitions .................................................................................................................................................... 46

WITH YOUR SUPPORTERS ............................................................................................ 

Website ....................................................................................................................................................................... 47

Social Media ............................................................................................................................................................... 48

APPENDIX

(These documents can be found at humanepro.org/rescuebestpractices)

A SAMPLE BUSINESS PLAN

B SAMPLE BUDGET

C SAMPLE EUTHANASIA POLICY

D SAMPLE INTAKE PLAN

E SAMPLE PET RELINQUISHMENT

F SAMPLE TEMPORARY PET RELINQUISHMENT

Rescue Group Best Practices Guide 5

The Humane Society of the United States thanks everyone who

provided their wisdom and insights to make this publication as useful

as possible to the rescue community, including PetSmart Charities,

whose grant funding made the original (2015) publication of this

guide possible; Abby Volin, who wrote that original version; and to ev

eryone who reviewed it: Todd Cramer, Amber Sitko, Jan Elster, Kaylee

Hawkins, Stacy Smith, Kathy Gilmour, Mandi Wyman, Whitney Horne,

Britney Wallesch, Carie Broecker, Laura Pople and Jme Thomas.

We would also like to acknowledge contributions from current and

former HSUS staﬀ: Betsy McFarland, Inga Fricke, Natalie DiGiacomo,

Sarah Barnett, Hilary Hager, Kathleen Summers, Joyce Friedman,

Lindsay Hamrick, Danielle Bays, Darci Adams, Windi Wodjak, Anne

Marie McPartlin, Dr. Melissa Beyer, Vicki Stevens and Kelly Williams.

Last but not least, we extend our gratitude to all the rescue groups

whose staﬀ and volunteers work so hard to keep pets with their

families whenever it’s possible, and to support homeless pets when

it’s not.

ABOUT THE HUMANE SOCIETY OF THE UNITED STATES

The Humane Society of the United States is the nation’s most eﬀec-

tive animal protection organization. Established in 1954, the HSUS

seeks a humane and sustainable world for all animals—a world that

will also beneﬁt people. The HSUS is America’s mainstream force

against cruelty, abuse and neglect, as well as the most trusted voice

extolling the human-animal bond. The HSUS works to reduce suﬀer

ing and to create meaningful social change by advocating for sensible

public policies, investigating cruelty, enforcing existing laws, sharing

information with the public about animal issues, joining with corpo

rations on behalf of animal-friendly policies and conducting hands-on

programs that make ours a more humane world.

Acknowledgements

Rescue Group Best Practices Guide 7

Rescue groups are vital in the world of animal welfare and are

collectively responsible for saving hundreds of thousands of animals

every year. Some shelter animals, such as neonatal kittens or those

with medical or behavioral challenges, may be diﬃcult for shelters

to place into homes. Rescue groups have resources to help these

animals, making the groups' partnerships with shelters invaluable.

They are incredible, lifesaving organizations. But what does it mean

to be a rescue? Does it simply refer to an organization that takes in

homeless animals and ﬁnds them homes? Does it mean being part

of an organization with 501(c)(3) nonproﬁt status? Does it mean

the rescue provides trap-neuter-return services to community cats?

Actually, a rescue can meet all or none of these criteria.

This manual was designed to provide structure and guidance to all

types of rescue groups. It describes best practices for these organi

zations and, perhaps more importantly, suggests ways to implement

them to help rescues operate at their maximum potential. This guide

can be used to evaluate the health of established organizations and to

help new groups get oﬀ to a successful start.

While there is no one-size-ﬁts-all way to run a rescue group, there are

standards—both from an organizational and an animal care stand

point—that all rescue organizations should meet. Above all, rescuers

owe it to the animals in their care to run their rescue operations in

the most professional, collaborative and humane manner possible.

Ultimately, as rescue groups adhere to best practices, they

become more eﬃcient and eﬀective. This allows rescuers not only to

humanely take in and adopt out more animals, but also to build trust

within the community; support pet owners so they can keep their be

loved pets, work successfully with local animal welfare advocates; and

help solve the problem of pet homelessness on a community level.

Introduction

Rescue Group Best Practices Guide 9

Rescue organizations should be run just like any other business. With

a solid foundation in place, you will have more support to grow

your rescue group, allowing you to bring in more animals and save

more lives.

CREATING YOUR MISSION AND VISION

If you are thinking about starting a new rescue group, deﬁne your

mission and vision before you do any other planning. Where is the

greatest need in your community? What do you hope to accomplish,

and why? Conducting a community assessment can assist you in de

termining the type of help the animals in your community need.

Typically, forming a rescue group consists of creating an organization

that takes in animals who have been transferred from a shelter, relin

quished by their owner or found as a stray; fosters them in a home

environment; and adopts them out.

There are other ways to help. Consider the needs in your community

before deciding what type of rescue group you want to start. If the

market is already saturated with traditional, adoption-based rescues,

you may want to think about creating a prevention-based organiza

tion that keeps pets in their homes and stops them from entering the

shelter and rescue system in the ﬁrst place. Your organization can sit

at the bottom of a broken dam, holding buckets to lessen the deluge

of rushing water, or you can start from the top and plug the holes to

prevent the water from leaking in the ﬁrst place. Prevention-based

organizations might focus on low-cost spay/ neuter, trap-neuter-re

turn for community cats, lost-and-found, behavior assistance, legal

assistance, pet food pantry operation or other valuable programs.

INCORPORATING AND APPLYING FOR 501C3

TAXEXEMPT STATUS

WHY: Incorporating as a business in your state is an easy way to

show the world that your rescue group is a legitimate business ven

ture and that you are treating it as such. Further, the corporate for-

mation protects individuals in the organization from legal liability and

debt incurred by the rescue group. More importantly, your organi

zation has a signiﬁcantly better chance of being approved for 501(c)

(3) tax-exempt status if you incorporate. And having that tax-exempt

status is crucial for your organization’s ability to grow. Not only is

the organization exempt from federal income tax, but you can entice

donors with a tax deduction for their contributions and apply for the

many grants that are awarded only to nonproﬁt organizations. Non-

proﬁts can also apply for a mailing permit that gives them a special

reduced rate for mailings.

HOW: Check your state’s requirements for incorporating a non

proﬁt with your state’s corporate ﬁling oﬃce (usually called the

department of state, secretary of state or something similar) and

investigate other resources. Contact the state oﬃce responsible

for businesses to ﬁnd out what your state’s speciﬁc requirements

are or check out the comprehensive state-speciﬁc resources. Many

oﬃces will provide a packet of information on how to incorporate,

along with sample documents. You will also need to draft articles

of incorporation and bylaws in conjunction with incorporating your

organization; these serve as the primary rules governing the manage

ment of your corporation. Even if your state does not require bylaws

as a matter of law, it is still a good idea to draft them because they

deﬁne your business structure and specify how your organization will

conduct its aﬀairs.

You can ﬁnd samples for drafting articles of incorporation by search

ing for state-speciﬁc samples on your state’s government website.

When you are ready to apply for tax-exempt status, all the informa

tion you need is on the IRS website. Keep in mind that it can take

many months to obtain 501(c)(3) status, so do not get discouraged.

Moreover, you may want to consult with an attorney or accountant

who specializes in nonproﬁts, even if it’s just to have them review the

completed application.

Also remember to check whether your state has speciﬁc licensing

requirements, if any, for operating a shelter or rescue group. You

can usually ﬁnd any laws pertaining to animals in your state’s agricul-

ture code.

FORMING YOUR TEAM

Every rescue group needs three layers of support to build a full

team. At the top is the board of directors. These are the members

who oversee the strategic direction, or long-term planning, of an

organization. The next layer consists of staﬀ, including an executive

director, who run the day-to-day operations of the rescue group.

Some rescue organizations are able to pay a few staﬀ members, but

generally these groups rely on volunteers. It is still important to call

these dedicated members “staﬀ” regardless of whether they are

Organizational standards

Rescue Group Best Practices Guide 10

paid, because it demonstrates that your organization is run profes-

sionally. Doing so also gives individuals a sense of ownership, respon-

sibility and appreciation for the hours they contribute. The ﬁnal layer

of your team is the volunteers—people who help out on a regular

basis by supporting the staﬀ. Whether they foster animals, assist at

adoption events, transport animals to veterinary appointments or

participate in countless other activities, volunteers are the lifeblood

of any rescue group.

BUILDING A BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Every organization has a board of directors, which is a body of elect-

ed or appointed members who oversee the activities of the corpora-

tion. Their responsibilities are detailed in the organization’s bylaws,

but typically, members of the board are responsible for governing

the organization, appointing and reviewing the executive director,

approving budgets, approving an organization’s policies and other

similar tasks. Board members have an obligation of allegiance, care

and duty to the organization. For rescue groups, it is important to

recruit people who will help the organization fulﬁll its mission state

ment by providing advice and implementing long-term goals that

will help the organization plan for the future and create the vision of

what it will become.

Board members are not the ones who run the day-to-day aspects

of the rescue group (unless the organization has a “working board,”

where board members double as staﬀ), but instead are involved in

strategic planning. That is, how will the organization get from where

it is today to where it wants to be in a few years? The board of direc

tors is a group that advances the organization’s mission by providing

advice, money, time and expertise. A sample strategic plan devised

and implemented by a board of directors may be helpful.

Generally, board members on working boards are expected to be

heavily involved in strategic planning, fundraising and policy decisions

for the organization. When forming your board, think about the type

of people who are going to help fulﬁll the organization’s mission and

goals: Someone with fundraising abilities? Public relations or market

ing savvy? Legal or accounting abilities? Management background?

Political connections? Choosing friends and family to serve on your

board may be necessary at ﬁrst, but once you become established

you will want to be more strategic in selecting board members. An

independent board is important for your organization’s credibility.

Having family members on the board could be viewed negatively, so

it is an important point to consider.

Check the laws in your state to determine the exact number of

people you need on a board, but at a minimum you will need to have

a president, a secretary and a treasurer. The executive director is not

ORGANIZATIONAL STANDARDS

Rescue Group Best Practices Guide 11

normally a board member, but is instead accountable to the board

of directors and also serves as the bridge between the board and

the staﬀ who carry out the day-to-day functions of the organization.

Board members will need to be willing to commit their time and

resources to the organization. You may want to implement term

limits for members of the board or have nonvoting members who

are there exclusively in an advisory role. It is helpful to have a job

description so that prospective members will know what will be

expected of them.

Importantly, the board of directors is responsible for approving new

contracts (such as foster agreements or adoption contracts) and

authorizing certain individuals (usually the executive director, the

board president and the board vice president) to sign documents on

the organization’s behalf. You may also want the board to authorize

speciﬁc individuals to sign agreements relevant to their area of ex

pertise. For example, the board might allow the adoption coordinator

to sign adoption contracts or authorize the volunteer coordinator to

sign volunteer agreements.

In keeping with good practices and to build a trustworthy organiza

tion, it is important for the board to create well-documented polices

that foster transparency. For example, it is essential to have a conﬂict

of interest policy for the board of directors, a document retention

policy, a code of ethics, a harassment policy, a whistleblower policy

and, if applicable, written compensation practices.

A strong board of directors is vital to the current success and future

development of your rescue group. Pick your board members

thoughtfully!

BUILDING YOUR STAFF

While the board of directors is accountable for the long-term goals

of the organization, the staﬀ is responsible for running the day-to-

day operations of the rescue group. After you have ﬁled the articles

of incorporation and applied to the IRS for tax-exempt status, the

next important task is developing your team. Although the majority

of your staﬀ will be unpaid volunteers with other jobs and obliga

tions, it is crucial that all individuals involved are committed to their

positions to ensure that the rescue runs as smoothly as possible.

Do not put someone into a role simply because they oﬀered or be

cause you are eager to ﬁll the position. The person’s skills must align

with the post. For example, the outgoing individual who loves meet

ing new people but has never balanced a checkbook would better

serve the organization as a volunteer coordinator than the ﬁnancial

coordinator. Similarly, the individual who does not bat an eyelash

at mounds of paperwork, yet gets easily stressed by demanding

customers, might be a great ﬁt for the records manager but not the

adoption coordinator. Do not be afraid to move people around and

try them in diﬀerent roles until you have the right ﬁt. Even though

it can be diﬃcult to leave a crucial position empty until you ﬁnd the

perfect match, in the long run your organization will be much better

oﬀ having the right people in place.

Below is a basic template to use in building your rescue group’s staﬀ,

including suggestions for job responsibilities and helpful skills. This

list is not meant to be all inclusive, so use it as a starting point and

tweak it to ﬁt the needs of your organization. And do not be afraid

to split these positions among several people—there is plenty of

work to go around! Just remember that you do not need to ﬁll all

these positions immediately. Start small and continue to build as

your rescue group gains more volunteers. Once your rescue group

is established, it is certainly appropriate to pay staﬀ according to the

laws of your state. Organizations that have paid staﬀ ﬁnd that it leads

to less turnover and more consistent policies and procedures.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR This person is the face of your organization

and chosen by the board of directors. In addition to being the rescue

group’s spokesperson, this individual is responsible for the day-to-

day operations of the organization and interacts with the board of di

rectors as well as other staff members and volunteers. The executive

director ensures that the organization is operating according to its

mission statement and developing funds and policies for its future.

The individual in this position should have business and media savvy

as well as a considerable amount of patience and tact.

RECORDS MANAGER An obsessively organized and detail-oriented

volunteer should fill this post. This individual should be tech savvy as

she will be dealing with paperwork and animal management soft

ware. The records manager will update each animal’s profile with

current location, medical history and outcome, and she’ll update

bios and pictures for the group’s website and other listings. As your

organization grows and the number of animals coming in and out on

a weekly basis increases, this becomes one of the most overwhelm

ing jobs. Find a couple of people to share the work or rotate the

responsibilities every few months.

FINANCIAL COORDINATOR Do you know someone who is an

accountant or math whiz? This person might be a good candidate to

keep track of the organization’s finances, both outgoing expenses

and incoming donations. When it comes time to file your 990 tax re

turns with the IRS, this person will prepare the information for your

group’s accountant. If someone in your rescue group or community

is an accountant, ask if she will donate her services come tax time. If

you do not have this type of contact, seek help from a professional.

If your rescue group has its 501(c)(3) status, you can inquire about

receiving a reduced rate.

ORGANIZATIONAL STANDARDS

Rescue Group Best Practices Guide 12

CORPORATE RELATIONS COORDINATOR You need someone

who can reach out to corporations—such as pet stores or big-box

chains—and other service providers to negotiate prices for food,

veterinary services, transport and other items so your rescue can

minimize expenses.

FACILITY DIRECTOR Are you going to have a brick-and-mortar

facility to house some or all of your animals? Or even a few cages

in a storefront? If so, you will need someone to run each facility.

Ideally, this person will live close to the facility because he will have

to be at the location on a frequent basis, including during emergency

situations. The facility director will create protocols to care for the

animals and ensure their well-being, as well as train, schedule and

supervise volunteers. This position is ideal for someone with com

munity outreach experience who can turn a job cleaning cages into

a fun task in which volunteers feel invested. Good people skills are

also a must as this person will be the face of the organization at that

facility. It is critical to have someone on staff who knows how to han

dle unvaccinated animals and animals who may have been exposed to

diseases in the community like parvovirus and panleukopenia. They

must also have an in-depth understanding of effective cleaning and

sanitation protocols, and they should be familiar with the Association

of Shelter Veterinarians’ Guidelines for Standards of Care in Animal

Shelters (which outlines best practices for running an animal facility)

and understand how to implement these standards. When setting up

your own facility, be sure to look into local kennel or zoning ordi

nances at the outset. Many other issues will have to be considered as

well, such as how to fund the facility and deal with challenges such as

neighbors who may oppose your group’s presence.

FOSTER COORDINATOR This position requires someone with a lot

of patience and good people skills. The foster coordinator needs to

give prospective foster providers a clear list of what the group will

provide and what the foster provider will be responsible for when

caring for animals. Importantly, this person needs to be constant

ly accessible via email and phone to respond to foster providers’

questions in a timely manner. Additionally, the foster coordinator

will coordinate returns and find a new foster homes for pets when

necessary. This post might also start a continuing education

program designed to keep foster providers learning and engaged. It

is essential to build good relationships with foster providers to keep

them happy and willing to continue fostering! It is also a good idea

to have this person implement a support network (such as a listserv

or a group on social media) that enables foster providers to connect

with each other.

ADOPTIONS COORDINATOR/COUNSELOR The adoptions coordi

nator position is great for someone who has reasonable email access

throughout the day and time to field the many inquiries she is likely

to receive. You want someone who would not feel compelled to use

rigid rules for adoptions but instead would use general guidelines

as set by the board of directors and is comfortable communicat-

ing with potential adopters to support the adoption process. This

is another position that requires considerable tact, sensitivity and

thoughtfulness. This post is a good fit for someone who is a “people

person” and understands that customer service is critical to adop

tion success.

ADOPTION EVENT COORDINATOR Who likes to get up early

during the weekend? Grab this person to be the event coordinator

and have him plan and run weekly adoption events. Responsibilities

include showing up every week to set up and break down the event,

having the appropriate paperwork on hand and projecting a warm

and welcoming appearance to all potential adopters and foster pro

viders who pass by.

VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR It is a good idea to have a volun

teer coordinator on board to manage the various volunteer needs

throughout the organization. This person will take all volunteer

inquiries and direct them to the appropriate staff member, as well

as handle volunteer orientation and training sessions. This person

should be comfortable using social media and other methods to

actively recruit volunteers when needed. Because the volunteer

coordinator is also responsible for troubleshooting volunteer issues

and potentially terminating volunteers who do not work out, choose

someone who is just as comfortable having difficult conversations as

she is engaging and motivating volunteers. It is also important

for the volunteer coordinator to have a general idea of the needs

within each area of the organization so she can create or modify

shifts when there is an imbalance. For example, if one facility has

50 volunteers to fill 14 shifts, but another location has only 10, the

volunteer coordinator can request that some people move to the

second location. Because this person will have contact information

for all volunteers in the group, she will be a good resource when

other immediate needs arise, such as when an animal needs trans

port to a new home or to the veterinarian. This is also the go-to

person to coordinate with any outside group, such as a local school

or business, that wants to partner to provide volunteers for a day.

Having a photographer on staﬀ (either a volunteer at your

organization or someone in your community willing to do-

nate time) is key. A good picture can make all the diﬀerence

in getting an animal adopted. Watch How to Photograph

Shelter Pets for some great pro tips!

ORGANIZATIONAL STANDARDS

Rescue Group Best Practices Guide 13

MEDICAL COORDINATOR This person is responsible for schedul-

ing veterinary appointments and working as a liaison between the

rescue group and any veterinarians the organization works with. It is

confusing and wasteful to allow everyone from the rescue to contact

the veterinarian when an animal has a medical issue. It will make

everyone’s life easier if only one or two people from a rescue group

are allowed to approve veterinarian appointments. Putting approved

veterinarian services in writing and faxing/emailing the authorization

to the veterinarian before an appointment can reduce confusion and

make the experience better for foster providers and veterinarians.

Many veterinarians appreciate the clarity this process provides, and it

can also make it easier to cross-reference invoices with billing state

ments down the line. The only caution is that the medical coordina-

tor should have constant access to email and phone, otherwise there

may be problems scheduling and approving emergency appoint

ments. Because medical situations can be unexpected and urgent,

it is crucial to identify someone as the backup for this position. The

medical coordinator should have a general knowledge of common

animal health problems so he can readily determine when it is nec

essary for an animal to see the veterinarian. This person should also

establish protocols for certain situations. For example, if there is an

emergency and a foster parent takes his foster animal to the veteri

narian without getting prior approval from the medical coordinator,

who would be responsible for the bill?

BEHAVIOR AND TRAINING SPECIALIST This person (whether on

staff or not) will assist animals in your rescue with enrichment, train

ing and addressing behavior issues, as well as pets and pet owners

struggling with behavior problems at home (as a means of surren

der prevention). The individual should have experience in humane

training techniques that use positive reinforcement. It is helpful to

have standard operating procedures already drafted for common be

havior issues that could occur with your rescue animals. The person

in this position should work closely with the volunteer, foster and

adoption coordinators to help prevent problems before they start.

Reaching out to local dog training facilities is an option as well; many

trainers will be happy to provide ongoing training for fosters. Check

out Fetching the Perfect Dog Trainer by Katenna Jones for advice on

finding a dog trainer who uses positive reinforcement training meth

ods. The HSUS’s Guide to Cat Behavior Counseling and the related

online course are also great resources.

COMMUNICATIONS/MARKETING/PUBLICITY SPECIALIST

Someone with excellent communication skills, social media savvy

and web design experience is perfect for this job. This is also a great

opportunity for someone who enjoys planning fundraising events

or someone who wants to help but is not able to volunteer on a

regular basis. Be careful in your choice—whoever represents you on

social media will be considered the face of your organization. If you

ORGANIZATIONAL STANDARDS

Rescue Group Best Practices Guide 14

would not trust the person to give an interview to the media, she is

probably not the best person to manage your organization’s online

presence. You will also want a backup administrator, someone else

who has access to your social media channels, in case you lose the

main volunteer.

GRANT WRITING COORDINATOR Notice the word “coordinator”

on this one. It is not reasonable to expect one person to write all the

grant proposals for your rescue, but it is helpful to have someone

who can search through the resources to find applicable grants and

form a team of people to draft the proposals. The coordinator keeps

track of grant applications in progress, proposal deadlines, proposal

specifications and eventual outcomes.

FUNDRAISING EVENTS COORDINATOR A fundraising team is nec

essary to help offset the organization’s expenses. Tasked with leading

your rescue’s fundraising efforts, the individual in this position

should have experience in event planning and should organize several

different types of events throughout the year.

COMMUNITY OUTREACH ORGANIZER

This person will build long-term relationships with community

members as a representative of your rescue group and so must be

personable, engaging and have excellent customer service skills.

Ideally, the candidate originates from the communities being served

and/or is fluent in community language(s). The primary purpose of

this role is to build trusting relationships among stakeholders—pet

owners, your rescue group, veterinary, behavioral and other service

providers, other local animal organizations—to ensure pets in your

community have access to all available resources needed to thrive

with their families. This individual will conduct ongoing outreach to

pet owners in your focus communities, connecting them with spay/

neuter, vaccination and other veterinary/behavior/wellness resources

for their pets when requested by community members. They may

also assist with transporting pets to and from spay/neuter or other

veterinary appointments, and follow up with clients via phone and

home visits as needed to support the family and their pet(s). Further,

this person will assist in planning, organizing, advertising and imple

menting community outreach events, as well as collect data neces-

sary for ensuring your program is meeting its objectives and focusing

resources in areas with the highest need.

There are countless other positions your organization can create

to make the rescue group run smoothly. Think about the goals and

needs of your organization and plan accordingly. And remember,

nothing is set in stone—you have the ﬂexibility to adjust positions

and responsibilities to make them work for you. Once you have your

team in place, create an organizational chart so that it is clear to

all staﬀ and volunteers who is in charge of each area within your

rescue group.

BUILDING A VOLUNTEER NETWORK

Volunteers are a crucial part of any rescue group—you cannot run an

organization without them. From taking care of animals to running

ORGANIZATIONAL STANDARDS

Rescue Group Best Practices Guide 15

and share a success story along with pictures. Seeing happy pets

in their new homes or learning that 20 animals were adopted in

one weekend is often the most fulﬁlling part of volunteering for a

rescue group.

As volunteers get more engaged, they may also want to try new

things. Take their oﬀers of help seriously and, if possible, give them

room to try new things that could beneﬁt your group. Sometimes

their suggestions might not be feasible. If this is the case, do not

simply say “no,” but explain the reasoning and oﬀer alternatives. This

increases their buy-in and interest in the group, and it can help retain

those who are truly interested in helping long-term.

For more information, check out the HSUS's resources on

staﬀ/volunteer management.

OBTAINING INSURANCE

Every rescue group should carry insurance to protect the organiza-

tion, its individual board and staﬀ members and its volunteers.

General liability insurance is important to carry; it will cover claims

for bodily injury or property damage to people not associated with

your organization. This ensures that your organization is covered if,

depending on the policy, a customer slips on a wet ﬂoor during an

adoption event, a volunteer transporting a pet to her new home has

a car accident and injures the other driver, or a cat bites a potential

adopter. Additionally, you need to purchase workers' compensation

if your organization has paid staﬀ, and possibly property insurance if

your rescue has its own facility. You can also buy insurance to cover

medical costs for volunteers and fosters who are injured while per

forming tasks for your organization.

Although forming a corporate entity protects individuals from per

sonal liability for any corporate wrongdoing, directors and oﬃcers

of a board can still be personally sued for reasons such as misuse of

company funds, fraud, violating the law, gross negligence and neglect

of legal and ﬁnancial duties. As such, it is a good idea to purchase di

rector and oﬃcer (often called “D&O”) liability insurance to protect

corporate directors and oﬃcers in the event of a lawsuit. This type

adoption events, from transporting animals to creating pet bios and

taking pictures, there are countless opportunities for volunteers to

help your rescue. Having a structured program in place is essential to

recruiting and retaining volunteers. Providing training, guidelines and

support for volunteers will help prevent frequent turnover.

In creating your volunteer program, think about your organization’s

speciﬁc needs and the characteristics of your ideal volunteer. Then

ask for just that in your position description. Also think about what

the volunteers are going to get out of the experience. When crafting

a position description, consider elements such as the purpose of the

job, work involved, training required, learning opportunities oﬀered,

commitment needed, level of diﬃculty involved, skills necessary and

type of environment expected. You should also consider listing the

physical, mental and emotional requirements. At the same time, do

not make your program so rigid and demanding that it discourages

or excludes people who want to volunteer on a somewhat limited

basis. Make room for everyone.

Communication is essential when it comes to running a successful

volunteer program. What are your expectations of volunteers, and

how can they provide feedback to you? Asking for a minimum time

commitment (three months is usually a good length of time) pro

vides consistency for everyone involved and gives the volunteer an

out if the experience ends up not being right for them.

It is important to hold an orientation and training session before

you allow volunteers to roll up their sleeves and dig in. Try to hold

orientations and trainings on a regular basis so that you do not lose

someone interested in volunteering because the next orientation is

too far in the future. The orientation should provide an overview of

the organization, details about what is expected of volunteers and

additional information that will help people decide whether or not to

participate. The training session should cover all relevant rules, pol

icies and procedures, as well as detailed information people need to

accomplish their speciﬁc tasks. Handing out a volunteer manual that

summarizes everything you went over in the orientation and training

is a good practice. You should also create “how-to” guidelines for

every task volunteers are asked to do at your rescue. Even better,

supplement the manual with pictures, and keep it easily accessible.

This will help volunteers and create consistency within the organi

zation. The training session is also a good opportunity to collect a

liability waiver from all volunteers (you should also obtain liability

insurance, which is discussed in the next section). If you hold events

at pet stores and other locations that you do not own, make sure you

check for any age requirements before accepting volunteers under

18 years old.

Do not forget to show your volunteers the fruits of their labor. Let

people know on a regular basis which animals have been adopted,

ORGANIZATIONAL STANDARDS

It is important to work with trainers and behavior

experts, but they are not always easy to ﬁnd. The

following resources may be helpful in ﬁnding a good

partner for your organization:

 apdt.com

 m.iaabc.org

 ccpdt.org

 dacvb.org

Rescue Group Best Practices Guide 16

of insurance usually covers legal fees, settlements and other costs.

Sometimes the D&O insurance will also protect a corporation if it is

named as a defendant in a lawsuit.

CREATING A BUDGET AND BUSINESS PLAN

As a tax-exempt organization, you are required to stay in good

standing with the IRS. This means annually ﬁling a 990, 990-EZ or

990-N tax return with the IRS, in addition to fulﬁlling any local and

state requirements. Engaging in good accounting practices from the

beginning will help you stay organized and focused. An essential step

toward this goal is creating a budget for your organization. Develop

ing a budget will require you to thoughtfully estimate costs for the

year for items such as food, veterinary care and insurance, and it will

help you plan fundraising events to support your eﬀorts.

Running a rescue is a legitimate nonproﬁt endeavor and should be

treated as such to ensure that the organization will be there for the

long haul. Creating a business plan will help you think about building

a sustainable future for your rescue group by outlining your mission,

forecasting budgets, making priorities and setting strategic goals.

You may want to consult a ﬁnancial adviser to get started on the

right foot. From the beginning, you need to think about where you

want your organization to be in six months, one year and ﬁve years

down the road. Think of the business plan as a roadmap to keeping

the organization on track, achieving your goals and fulﬁlling your

mission. Strategically planning for your rescue group will help ensure

that your organization is around to help animals for many years

to come.

You can ﬁnd a sample business plan in Appendix A and a sample bud

get in Appendix B, available at humanepro.org/rescuebestpractices.

FUNDING YOUR ORGANIZATION

Funding a rescue organization requires some basic business skills in

marketing, fundraising, grant writing and cost containment. Plan to

set aside $5,000 to $10,000 for startup costs for your rescue group.

This should cover startup items such as food, bowls, toys, blankets,

cages, carriers, collars, leashes, litter boxes, litter and veterinary

funds for your ﬁrst few charges. Even if you run a foster-based orga

nization and ask foster providers to cover the daily cost of food, it is

a good idea to have backup items on hand.

Once your organization is established, it is important to have a

reliable and constant source of income. Without a solid plan in place,

your rescue group will not be sustainable.

TYPES OF FUNDS TO HAVE

Good accounting practices require that you keep track of how

donated funds are spent. It is helpful to have several funds to which

people can donate to help you care for the animals.

 GENERAL FUND The majority of your donations will fall into this

category, and any funds that are not otherwise earmarked will

go here. You can use this money for anything needed to run your

rescue, such as veterinarian bills, pet food, utility costs, animal

transport and staff salaries. Having a “donate here” button on

your webpage or social media accounts will help with fundraising

for general funds.

 SPAY/NEUTER AND GENERAL VETERINARY EXPENSES You

will always need more funding for spay/neuter as well as veteri

nary care. Make it easy for people to donate to those causes

by letting them know that you are trying to build funds in

these areas.

 SPECIFIC MEDICAL CASES Promoting specific animals with spe

cial needs is a great way to pay for unusually expensive cases. Be

careful to ensure that all funds designated for a particular animal

are used for that animal only. All extra funds must be returned

to donors and not used for other animals. Make sure you are

upfront and clear to potential donors about where and how the

funds will be spent so they do not feel misled.

CREATING A DEVELOPMENT PLAN

Do not rely on adoption fees as your sole source of income. Between

spay/neuter, vaccinations and veterinary fees, many times the adop

tion fee will not even cover the amount of money you have to spend

on an animal before he can be adopted. While adoption fees are a

way to defray some of these costs, you will need to develop a plan

that brings money into your organization on an ongoing basis.

A rescue group based in Arlington, Virginia, exempliﬁes how an

organization can diversify its funding base. While some of its

revenue comes from adoption fees, the bulk comes from

donations, fundraising events and partnerships with its for-proﬁt

subsidiary businesses—two pet boutiques and a full-service pet care

company. An organization in Chicago, Illinois, uses the proceeds from

its boarding and training center to fund the nonproﬁt rescue group.

While these speciﬁc models may not be feasible for your organiza

tion, the lesson is clear: Diversify your funding base, and do not count

on adoption fees to cover all your costs.

Creating a development plan will provide a path for your organization

to grow and focus on long-term goals. It will also enable you to deter

mine which fundraising eﬀorts work and where you should concen-

trate your energy. Importantly, it will help ensure your organization is

there for the long haul.

ORGANIZATIONAL STANDARDS

Rescue Group Best Practices Guide 17

MARKETING AND BRANDING Marketing and branding are essen-

tial for highlighting your organization and attracting more donors,

volunteers and adopters. Do not be intimidated; marketing is simply

using strategies and tactics that help you build relationships with

supporters and fulfill your mission. Creating a marketing plan on an

annual basis is an effective tool to help you achieve your goals as it

creates a unified vision for everyone in the organization and guides

decisions about resource allocation.

There are numerous ways to market your organization. Start a

newsletter or fundraising appeal letter (either printed or electronic)

highlighting all the wonderful animals your organization has rescued.

People are more likely to give when they are proactively asked to

donate. There are simple and inexpensive programs available to help

you create a newsletter without the help of a graphic designer. And

remember, people want to hear about the great work your group

does for animals. You are the voice for the animals in your care, so

tell their stories.

Another way to advertise your rescue group is to start a branding

campaign—create a logo and put it on T-shirts, bags and other items

to sell. There are numerous companies that will do this for your orga

nization at little or no cost. Once you do create a logo and finalize

your organization’s name, protect your brand by purchasing all web

site domains with that name (including both .org and .com suffixes),

apply for a copyright for your name and apply for a trademark for

your logo. You can find information on how to apply on the United

States Patent and Trademark Office’s website. It is possible to fill out

the applications yourself, but you may want to hire an attorney to

ensure it is done properly.

FUNDRAISING Fundraising efforts need to be given the same, if

not more, attention as your efforts to save animals’ lives. In general,

if your organization is unable to raise sufficient funds to pay for its

work, it is unlikely that you will be able to raise those funds at a later

time. More importantly, attempting to raise funds after you have

obligated your rescue group to specific projects is not a sustainable

way to run your organization and makes it unlikely that the group will

last for long.

Fundraising activities are regulated by state law. The majority of

states require nonprofits that solicit donations from within that state

to register with its governing body. Each state has different regis

tration requirements, so make sure you have submitted the correct

paperwork and registered in every state where you are soliciting

donations. You may want to consult an attorney familiar with fund

raising regulations to ensure full compliance.

Fundraising should not be the responsibility of just one person.

Create a committee charged with developing creative ways to bring

in more funds to your organization, as well as planning and running

fundraising events.

There are a whole host of ways you can fundraise for your organi-

zation: Cultivate donors, establish membership tiers, offer animal

sponsorships, create “in honor of” and “in memoriam” funds, sell

plaques for adoption event cages, post a wish list, develop a planned

giving program, encourage in-kind donations, pursue corporate

sponsorships, send direct mailings, plan fun and creative events—the

list is endless.

When planning an event, consider how many volunteers you will

need, how much time it will take to plan, how you can advertise the

event, how much money you can spend on the event, how much

money you plan to raise from the event and how you can measure

success. Note that it is not always about how much money you

raise—sometimes the exposure you gain is even more valuable.

Many times, all you need to do to secure a donation is ask—so do

not be shy! A rescue group in New York City once reached out to a

cat litter company requesting a donation for the nonprofit organiza

tion. The company’s response? It sent 180 eight-pound bags of litter

at no cost.

This brings up another important point: Do not forget about in-kind

donations, which are contributions of goods or services. Many orga

nizations prefer to contribute in-kind donations, which can be just as

valuable as cash donations.

Send thank-you emails for every donation, whether cash or in-kind,

and reserve thank-you letters in the mail for larger donations. It is

crucial to include specific information in thank-you notes so that

donors can receive tax deductions for their contributions.

GRANT WRITING This is another area where you should build a

dedicated team. Recruit people who are highly organized, know the

organization well and are good writers. The grant writing process

is not as overwhelming as people often fear, and once your writers

have a couple of proposals under their belt, they will feel more con

fident and comfortable with the process. The HSUS has a compre-

hensive list of grants, and Candid, formerly The Foundation Center, is

ORGANIZATIONAL STANDARDS

Always send a thank-you note to your donors, even if they

only give a small amount. People appreciate the personal

contact, and if you can give an example of how the funds

were used (e.g., picture of a dog toy or cat bed) it helps

cement the connection.

Rescue Group Best Practices Guide 18

another great resource to look for more traditional sources of grant

funding. Grant writing is about building relationships, knowing your

organization and simply following directions.

COST CONTAINMENT To be a good steward of your donors' funds,

you need to get the most bang for your buck. There are some well-

known strategies such as buying in bulk, but there are also less

er-known ways to save funds for your rescue group. For example, ask

rescue-friendly stores for discounts, contact local grocery stores for

ripped bags of food or dented cans they can no longer use, set up an

Amazon wish list for supplies, check your city and county for surplus

equipment sales, and, if allowed by your state's veterinary medicine

laws, talk to your local hospital about donating infant eye medication

and used medical equipment for use pursuant to your veterinarian’s

instructions. (Note: Make sure this is legal in your state.)

IMPLEMENTING A CULTURE OF RESPECT

While we spend so many resources caring for the animals, we often

forget to care for ourselves as well as the thousands of other people

in the animal welfare community.

The homeless animal issue is a problem bigger than any one orga-

nization can solve. Only through a comprehensive and collaborative

approach will we be able to decrease intake at shelters and rescue

groups (through such initiatives as bolstering spay/neuter and vacci

nation clinics, implementing TNR, increasing pet retention and shut-

ting down puppy mills) and ﬁnd loving homes for adoptable pets (by

conversation-based adoption counseling, expanding foster networks

and increasing transfer rates between shelters and rescue groups).

No single organization can do it alone, and we have a responsibility to

foster a culture of respect within our own organizations and extend

it to others.

ENGAGING IN HUMANE DISCOURSE

In the animal rescue community, we all know there is no one way

to rescue animals. There are more than 10,000 rescue groups in the

U.S. and Canada, and each organization has a diﬀerent and valid way

of running its program. The animal welfare world has historically

been divisive but, by working together, we will solve the problem of

animal homelessness. We need to recognize that not all communi

ties can transform overnight and that it truly takes a village to save

homeless animals.

Humane discourse is not about stiﬂing criticism, nor is it meant to ex

cuse unacceptable practices. Instead, it is about ﬁnding appropriate

ways to increase dialogue between diﬀerent organizations and using

suitable outlets for discussing diﬀerences. Set aside time in your

next staﬀ meeting to discuss issues of concern instead of posting

your latest frustration on social media outlets or discussing it during

an adoption event. Also think about the impact of the language you

choose. For example, are you rescuing an animal from a shelter

or with a shelter? How can changing that one word impact your

relationships? We all lead by example, and when others see us always

speaking positively and bringing up issues in an appropriate manner,

they will follow suit. Language has an impact. When we tear down

shelters, we risk tearing down shelter animals: Who wants to adopt

from an entity that is considered “bad”? This only serves to create a

greater reliance on limited rescue resources, and it does a disservice

to animals in need.

For more information, check out the HSUS's Humane Discourse

Toolkit and resources on coalition building.

PREVENTING COMPASSION FATIGUE

This work of animal rescue can take an emotional toll. Many of us are

called to do this work because of our love of animals, and it can be

painful to see so many in need. Compassion fatigue is the emotional,

physical, social and spiritual exhaustion that causes a pervasive de

cline in our ability and energy to feel and care for others, and it is the

normal consequence of caring. On an individual level, it can manifest

as anger, cynicism, inability to empathize, feeling like what we do is

never enough, guilt or hopelessness, and can lead to

ORGANIZATIONAL STANDARDS

Rescue Group Best Practices Guide 19

resistance to change, feeling powerless and apathy. When multi-

ple people in a group are experiencing compassion fatigue, it can

manifest at an organizational level, with high rates of turnover, lack

of ﬂexibility, inability for teams to work together and undermining

the mission of the organization. In order to do our best work for

the animals, we must, as individuals, prioritize our own wellness and

self-care, despite our inclination to run ourselves ragged “for the

animals.” The animals need us at our best, and it’s our obligation to

take care of ourselves ﬁrst before we assist others.

Learning to recognize the signs of compassion fatigue can help us

to recognize when we might need to step up our self-care, or step

back our levels of engagement. Learning skills to both ameliorate and

manage acute moments of stress as they are happening, as well as

have a healthy relationship with our capacity to help and our bound

aries, can help us thrive in the long term in the work. Conversations

about compassion fatigue and self-care, setting boundaries and

managing workloads should be standard in organizations, no matter

the size. Anyone who is struggling should remember that they’re

not alone, that it’s normal, and that help is available—whether by

reaching out to others on their team, taking a break, or accessing

professional mental health support. The success of our movement

depends on each of us being at our best, and we’re in this together;

caring for ourselves and our teams will only allow us to be that much

more eﬀective for the animals we are so committed to helping.

For more information, check out the HSUS's resources on compas

sion fatigue.

CUSTOMER SERVICE SKILLS

Good customer service should be the cornerstone of every interac-

tion your organization has with people—whether they are the gener-

al public, potential adopters, volunteers, shelter personnel or animal

control oﬃcers. Every person involved with your rescue group is an

ambassador for your organization. Set a good example and ensure

that everyone associated with your rescue treats customers and

potential customers in a welcoming and nonjudgmental way.

Most people are good and treat their animals well. Remember that

many will not have the knowledge that you have, so before thinking

a question such as “Can you ship a dog to me?” is a red ﬂag, con

sider that the person may be legitimately unfamiliar with rescue, or

that this is his ﬁrst pet. Keep in mind that if someone comes to your

organization wanting to adopt, they are already trying to do the right

thing, and you do not want to scare them away by treating them

with suspicion.

Good customer service is essential to the success of your organiza

tion as your reputation is priceless and easily destroyed with one bad

encounter. Be accepting of feedback that may not be positive, and

take it as a learning experience. Keep an eye on reviews on Yelp and

other review sites such as Great Nonproﬁts to see what the general

sentiment is about your organization and your brand. One of the

most frequent complaints from potential adopters is that they did

not receive a response to their inquiry or application. Combat this

by setting organizational standards for responding to questions and

adoption applications so that, for example, all inquiries receive a

reply within 24 hours, and all adoption applications— even if they're

not approved or the animal is not available—receive a response.

Do not miss out on opportunities for an adoption. Make sure your

available pet postings are updated frequently to ensure that all listed

animals are currently available. It can be frustrating for an adopter

to fall in love with a pet online only to ﬁnd out the pet is not available

after all.

A few practical tips for good customer service: Be prompt with re

sponses to inquiries, and use a friendly and warm demeanor; provide

accurate, current and easily accessible information on your organiza

tion and the animals in your care; actively listen and be friendly to

the people who approach your rescue group; always remain calm

and professional; and say thank you to the people who work with

your organization.

For more information, check out the HSUS's resources on

Customer Service.

ORGANIZATIONAL STANDARDS

Rescue Group Best Practices Guide 20

Rescue Group Best Practices Guide 21

Regardless of whether your organization houses animals in foster

homes, an adoption center, boarding kennels or some other type of

facility, or even just temporarily for a trap-neuter-return program,

you must ensure they receive the highest standards of care.

THE FIVE FREEDOMS

While groups can disagree on speciﬁcs (e.g., which brand of food

is best, whether harnesses or collars are preferable), there are ﬁve

fundamental freedoms to which every animal is entitled:

1. FREEDOM FROM HUNGER AND THIRST All animals need ready

access to fresh water and a diet that allows them to maintain full

health and vigor. This must be specific to the animal. For example, a

puppy, an adult dog, a pregnant cat and a senior cat would all need

different types of food provided on different schedules.

2. FREEDOM FROM DISCOMFORT All animals need an appropriate

living environment, including protection from the elements and a

clean, safe and comfortable resting area. Animals must be provided

with bedding and not sleep on a cold, hard floor. Overcrowding will

increase an animal’s physical discomfort and should be avoided. Do

not forget about temperature and environmental factors, such as

noise levels and access to natural light. And if an animal is outside, he

must have shelter from the elements as well as appropriate food and

water bowls that will not freeze or tip over.

3. FREEDOM FROM PAIN, INJURY OR DISEASE All animals must

be afforded care that prevents illness and injury and that assures

rapid diagnosis and treatment if illness/injury should occur. This

entails vaccinating animals, monitoring animals’ physical health, rap

idly treating any injuries and providing appropriate medications for

treatment and pain.

4. FREEDOM TO EXPRESS NORMAL BEHAVIOR All animals need

sufficient space and proper facilities to allow them to move freely

and fully and to engage in the same types of activities as other ani

mals of their species. They also need to be able to interact with—or

avoid—others of their own kind as desired. They must be able to

stretch every part of their body (from nose to tail), run, jump and

play at will. Are you overcrowded? Are you housing too many animals

in one room? If so, the animals are probably unable to experience the

fourth freedom.

5. FREEDOM FROM FEAR AND DISTRESS All animals need both a

general environment and handling that allows them to avoid mental

suffering and stress. The mental health of an animal is just as import

ant as her physical health. Are you providing sufficient enrichment?

Allowing the animal to hide in a safe space when needed? Ensuring

that there is not too much noise? Are there too many animals in one

room? Remember, psychological stress can quickly transition into

physical illness.

The Five Freedoms were first articulated by England’s Farm Animal

Welfare Council, but they apply to every type of animal in every type

of setting, including shelters, rescues and even private homes. Most

organizations tend to do a good job of providing Freedoms 1, 2 and

3, but 4 and 5, which focus more on an animal’s psychological needs,

tend to be overlooked. It is important to examine your operations

from the perspective of the animals in your care. If each and every

animal is not receiving all Five Freedoms, you must reexamine your

policies and procedures, and you certainly must not take any new

animals into your program until the situation is resolved.

The Association of Shelter Veterinarians’ Guidelines for Standards of

Care in Animal Shelters—which were developed for “traditional brick

and mortar shelters, sanctuaries and home-based foster or rescue

networks”—are our profession’s most useful tool, largely because

they are premised on the Five Freedoms. The guidelines should be

used as your touch point for answering every question from “Is my

animal housing humane?” to “Is my organization trying to care for

too many animals?” The operating guidelines below are adapted

from the ASV guidelines, and following them is necessary to ensure

the Five Freedoms. Note that these are minimal considerations, not

complete operational plans. We recommend that you read the ASV

document in its entirety and consult your veterinarian to develop

written standards for your organization.

STANDARDS FOR PRIMARY ENCLOSURES

The physical space that will serve as an animal’s primary enclo-

sure—the place where he will eat, sleep and spend the majority of

his time—must be safe, sanitary and of suﬃcient size to provide a

humane quality of life. IMPORTANT: Cages, crates and carriers that

are intended for travel or short-term, temporary conﬁnement are

unacceptable as primary enclosures; it is also unacceptable to keep

animals on wire or gridded ﬂooring.

Animal care standards

Rescue Group Best Practices Guide 22

High

Quality

of Life

Always

Competent

caregiving;

welfare

safeguarded,

nurturing

environment

FREEDOM

from

Hunger &

Thirst

FREEDOM

from

Pain, Injury

or Disease

FREEDOM

from

Fear &

Distress

FREEDOM

from

Discomfort

FREEDOM

to Express

Normal

Behavior

HAPPINESS

All Mental

& Physical

Needs

Borderline

caregiving;

animals

at risk

Often

Rarely

Never

Yes +/- No

Good

Quality

of Life

Poor

Quality

of Life

A life not

worth living

Borderline

Quality

of Life

Cruelty typically prosecuted

Minimal caregiving competency

Incompetent

caregiving;

animals

suﬀer

Five Freedoms for Companion Animals

ANIMAL CARE STANDARDS

ADAPTED FROM A CHART CREATED BY GARY PATRONEK FOR THE FARM ANIMAL WELFARE COUNCIL, 2009.

Rescue Group Best Practices Guide 23

Ensuring that an animal has adequate space can be a challenge, par-

ticularly when several animals are kept in the same room or when an

animal must be conﬁned in a kennel or cage. Regardless of the type of

housing used, every animal must be able to:

 Stand up, sit down and lie down comfortably.

 Stretch fully from tip of front toes to back toes.

 Carry her tail in normal carriage (for cats and certain breeds of

dogs, that means having the tail fully extended).

 Engage in normal sleeping, eating/drinking and urinating/defecat

ing behaviors (most animals prefer not to eliminate near where

they eat and sleep, so allowing sufficient space to distinguish a

“potty area” is important).

 Assume normal posture when sleeping, eating/drinking and

urinating/ defecating.

 See out of the enclosure, but also avoid being seen.

With respect to dogs, there are no hard-and-fast rules about ken-

nel dimensions because there is so much variation in size among

breeds—what is essentially a palatial kennel for a Chihuahua can be

cruelly small for a Saint Bernard or Great Dane. Therefore, when

determining the appropriate enclosure for dogs in your care, use

the rules of thumb above as your guide. Does each dog have enough

room to stand up, sit down, turn around and lie down comfortably?

Can the animal establish a potty area suﬃciently far away from the

eating and sleeping areas (even dogs who are housetrained and

walked regularly may have an accident or two, particularly while

adjusting to a new routine)? Does the animal have room to express

normal behaviors, like running and playing? If not, the primary enclo

sure is not large enough.

For cats kept in cages, it is vital to ensure that their enclosure allows

them to hold their tails in normal posture (straight up) and lets them

stretch from the tips of their front toes all the way to their back toes.

While the ASV guidelines state that there must be at least 2 feet of

triangulated distance between cats’ food/water, bedding and litter

box areas,

†

this is a bare minimum, and they should have as much

space as possible. When cats are housed in groups, each requires a

minimum of 18 square feet of ﬂoor space, and regardless of the size

of the room, ASV guidelines recommend a maximum of 10–12 cats

per room.

For TNR programs, it is acceptable to keep cats in appropriate-sized

traps the day before and after surgery, as these are temporary enclo

sures. In most cases, cats can be returned and released the day after

surgery. Minimize stress by keeping the trap covered with a towel or

sheet. More details on housing cats for TNR can be found in

The Return-to-Field Handbook. In addition to size, there are other

factors to consider in determining whether an animal’s environment

is humane. Inside the enclosure, the animal must have a comfortable

place to sleep—typically that means soft towels or bedding materi

als on a bed or other platform raised oﬀ the ﬂoor. They should also

have toys, particularly those that provide mental as well as physical

stimulation. Cats need places to hide, scratching posts and options

for sleeping and perching (they prefer to be oﬀ the ﬂoor, so vertical

space is a must). The longer the animal will stay in your care, the

more mentally and physically stimulating her primary housing area

must be.

The environment in which the primary enclosure is located is equally

important; for instance, the animal must have an appropriate tem

perature. The American Veterinary Medical Association recommends

ambient temperatures between 60–80 degrees, but individual animals

may have needs outside that range. Fresh air is important and can

help prevent disease. Appropriate lighting is vital—just like peo

ple, animals need regular light/dark cycles to support healthy sleep

patterns. And while adding music can be soothing and help mask

unpleasant sounds like barking and electronic machinery, animals

should also have periods of quiet to facilitate rest. Consult your vet

erinarian for guidance on establishing the appropriate environment

for the animals in your care.

At least 2 feet between a cat's

food/water, bedding and litter

2 feet

Litter

Food

Resting

2 feet

ANIMAL CARE STANDARDS

Rescue Group Best Practices Guide 24

Animals’ primary housing areas must also be safe and able to be

thoroughly sanitized. Ensure that there are no sharp edges on cages

and that there are no gaps or spaces where a pet’s head or paw might

get stuck. If animals will be kept in foster homes, encourage care

providers to look around the entire area and remove any breakables,

items that they do not want potentially soiled or damaged and items

that may be hazardous to a pet (e.g., poisonous houseplants, exposed

electrical cords, trash, household cleaners). You may want to encour

age foster providers to invest in outlet safety plugs and childproof

latches for drawers and cabinets.

PHYSICAL WELLBEING

Appropriate health care, including routine and preventive care,

should be provided to all animals in your organization’s charge. Track

and record typical indicators of health like weight, temperature and

body condition score, but also pay attention to anything that seems

out of the ordinary for the animal, as this may be an indication that

something is wrong. Create a list of health issues to look for with

your veterinarian, draft a written protocol for foster providers and

document any health issues you suspect an animal may have.

To prevent the spread of disease and safeguard the public (including

foster homes), immediately isolate any animal showing signs of con

tagious disease. Have medical contact information readily

available for all foster providers in case of an emergency, and provide

fosters with clear guidance as to what is considered normal, what

symptoms are indicators of illness and what symptoms require imme

diate veterinary attention.

VACCINATIONS AND PARASITE CONTROL

Ensuring that all animals are appropriately vaccinated is a critical

part of running a safe and humane rescue organization. In addition,

animals need protection against parasites (e.g., ﬂeas, heartworm)

and zoonotic diseases (diseases that can spread between species,

such as the rabies virus). Consult your veterinarian to determine

what vaccinations and medications should be given to the animals on

a routine basis, and consult your state’s laws on vaccinating animals.

Keep individual veterinary records on each animal with speciﬁc dates

of each vaccination or treatment.

DISEASE PREVENTION

Remember that animals may arrive with diseases that are diﬃcult to

remove from the environment (like ringworm or parvo), so limiting

them to places that can be completely and easily disinfected is essen

tial. In shelter settings it is recommended that all surfaces, including

walls and ﬂoors, be made of nonporous materials so disinfectants like

bleach can be easily applied (and remember to always clear all or

ganic material before applying bleach—otherwise the bleach can be

ANIMAL CARE STANDARDS

Rescue Group Best Practices Guide 25

deactivated). In foster home situations, that can prove more diﬃcult.

Bedding and other materials should be routinely washed with bleach

and machine dried to kill any viruses. Creative holding options (e.g.,

children’s baby pools and pet exercise pens) can be useful, partic

ularly for puppies and kittens. While foster settings are deﬁnitely

more challenging in terms of thorough sanitation, the risks may be

outweighed by the beneﬁts: Animals are less stressed when kept in

a home setting. Talk with your veterinarian about the best isolation

protocols to follow.

SPAY/NEUTER

Ideally, every animal should be sterilized prior to adoption. Some

rescue groups have an adopter pay an extra deposit that is returned

upon proof that the animal has been sterilized. This system does

not ensure 100% compliance, and it requires organizations to spend

extra time and resources on follow-up. Pediatric spay/neuter is safe,

eﬀective and common practice. All animals who are 6 weeks of age,

weigh at least 2 pounds and are healthy should be sterilized prior to

adoption. However, do not let strict adherence to this rule undermine

a potentially successful adoption. If an animal is too unhealthy for

surgery, your group may want to hold oﬀ on ﬁnalizing the adoption

until after she has recovered in her new home and been altered. Get a

letter from a veterinarian that details the animal’s condition if she will

always be too unhealthy for spay/neuter. This is particularly import

ant in areas that have diﬀerent licensing requirements for altered and

unaltered pets.

MICROCHIPPING

According to a study published in the Journal of the American Veter-

inary Medical Association,

†

only 22% of lost dogs and fewer than 2%

of lost cats that enter shelters are reunited with their families. Those

statistics are drastically diﬀerent for microchipped pets. More than

52% of microchipped dogs and more than 38% of microchipped cats

are returned home. However, further research reveals that only 58%

of the animals’ microchips are registered in a database with the own

er’s contact information, making nearly half of the chips ineﬀective in

helping pets return home.

Your rescue should ensure that all adopted animals are microchipped

and encourage adopters to register and update it with their current

contact information, listing your organization as the second contact.

This way, if the animal gets lost and the microchip does not have

current contact information, your organization will be notiﬁed. In

addition to microchipping, keep a collar and an identiﬁcation tag on

all animals, including indoor cats, before they go to their new homes.

Animals in foster care and those attending adoption events should

also wear collars with identiﬁcation.

Check out the HSUS's tips for reuniting lost pets with their owners.

FOOD

Just like many people, some animals have speciﬁc dietary needs to

accommodate issues such as food allergies or weight management.

Have a veterinarian assess each animal’s dietary needs. The following

are standards for providing nutritious food and water:

 Animals should have access to fresh, clean water at all times, and

it should be changed at least daily.

 Animals should have access to nutritious food at an amount ap

propriate for their age, weight and health. Conduct research and

talk to your veterinarian to determine the best food for your pets.

There are resources that can help you determine how much food

to give your pets as well as which foods are appropriate.

 Throw out uneaten food after a maximum of 24 hours.

 Store food carefully to protect it from spoiling and keep it safe

from insects and rodents.

WORKING WITH A VETERINARIAN

Veterinarians are critical partners in helping rescue groups carry out

their mission. Some states legally require a veterinarian to oversee

your medical protocols, so it is important to build relationships early

on. In addition to having a partner for spay/neuter procedures, many

of the animals in your organization will need extensive veterinary care

before they will be ready for adoption. Some things you will need a

veterinarian for are spay/neuter, general care, emergency care, pre

ventive medications (such as ﬂea/tick and heartworm medication),

rabies vaccinations, implanting microchips and—for animals who

are suﬀering and for whom there is no treatment to alleviate their

pain—humane euthanasia. Some rescue groups prefer to work with

veterinarians who have experience in shelter medicine, as they

may be more familiar with the types of issues the animals in their

care experience.

Veterinarians enter the profession because they want to care for

animals. They are also business owners and have a bottom line to

manage. Financial pressures, especially in a down economy, are often

†

JAVMA (Vol. 235, No. 2)

Only 22% of lost dogs and

fewer than 2% of lost cats are

reunited with their families.

ANIMAL CARE STANDARDS

Rescue Group Best Practices Guide 26

a major concern for veterinary practices, and veterinarians often ﬁnd

themselves pulled between the pressure to provide pro bono care

and the reality of paying their bills. Be mindful of these pressures

when approaching them to partner with your organization, and aim

to build a mutually beneﬁcial and successful relationship. You should

be honest and upfront with what you will need and continue to have

an open dialogue along the way.

Your relationship with a veterinarian may take on a variety of forms,

from oﬀering discounted prices or vouchers for animals in your care

or providing care for a limited number of patients per month. If one

practice is not able to meet all of your veterinary care needs, it may

be necessary to establish partnerships with several providers. Review

services and prices at the outset and put your agreement in writing,

including names of individuals authorized to approve veterinary

appointments and care. This will help prevent misunderstandings

before they occur. And make sure you highlight how working with

your organization will be beneﬁcial for the veterinarian’s practice;

e.g., by referring adopters. For veterinarians who are just starting

out, partnering with a rescue group is a great way to build clientele

and quickly gain experience in a wide array of skills.

MENTAL WELLBEING

Animal welfare organizations tend to focus their attention on the

ﬁrst three freedoms, ensuring their animals receive proper nutrition,

veterinary care and adequate shelter. But the last two freedoms are

equally important, and your group must take steps to ensure that

each animal’s mental well-being receives just as much attention as

their physical. Ensuring the mental health of the animals in your res

cue’s care is just as important as ensuring their physical welfare.

STRESS

Failure to meet Freedoms 4 (freedom to express normal behavior)

and 5 (freedom from fear and distress) causes animals to experience

stress, and stress translates directly into disease, which can increase

veterinarian bills, decrease adoptability and put a strain on your

entire organization. Therefore, it is in your best interest to make sure

that the animals in your care stay as stress-free as possible.

Even though many animals are stoic, meaning they do not disclose

early symptoms of distress or disease, there are behaviors that to the

careful observer indicate stress:

 Urinating/defecating on bedding

 Extreme overstimulation or fear response at the sight of people

or other animals

 Barrier/kennel aggression

 Repetitive behaviors (e.g., pacing, spinning, licking)

 Being shut down, unresponsive, withdrawn or hiding

 Under- or over-grooming

 Not eating

 Cats using the “litter box lounge” (it is not normal for cats to lie in

their litter box)

 Excessive or inappropriate vocalizing (especially loud/repetitive

sounds)

Remember, you need to know what is normal to recognize what is

not. If a cat who is normally very vocal suddenly stops “talking,” or if a

dog who normally greets people politely in the kennel suddenly starts

lunging or barking, those could be indicators of stress. All signs of

stress should be addressed immediately, either by adding enrichment

to relieve boredom, removing the stressor (e.g., placing the animal in

a quieter room) and/or obtaining veterinary attention.

FEAR FREE

The Fear Free Shelter Program provides free online trainings to

shelters and rescues. They cover how to identify emotional stress

in homeless pets, how to minimize stress and how to treat animals

experiencing emotional challenges.

ENRICHMENT

Enrichment is not a “nice extra” for animals awaiting new homes; the

ASV guidelines expressly state (Page 34) that it is not optional:

The purpose of enrichment is to reduce stress and improve

well-being by providing physical and mental stimulation, en

couraging species-typical behaviors (e.g., chewing for dogs and

rodents, scratching for cats), and allowing animals more control

over their environment. Enrichment should be given the same

signiﬁcance as other components of animal care, such as nutri

tion and veterinary care, and should not be considered optional.

The good news is enrichment does not have to involve a lot of time,

expense or expertise.

Easy automatics

There are ways to provide enrichment almost automatically, just by

incorporating it into cage/kennel setups and the general environment.

Hiding boxes for cats, toilet paper rolls for rodents, scratching posts

for colony rooms and safe chew toys for dogs can all be incorporated

into your basic cage/kennel setups along with food and water bowls.

Putting up window perches for cats, playing a nature video or per

haps even installing a ﬁsh tank can be “add-ons” that all residents of a

room ﬁnd stimulating and enjoy.

ANIMAL CARE STANDARDS

Rescue Group Best Practices Guide 27

Win-wins

Using enrichment techniques to help make cleaning and other

processes easier is another way to incorporate enrichment without

adding undue burdens. If you hold several dogs in a kennel situation,

incorporating playgroups gets everyone outside for easier cleaning

while the dogs exercise and play. Give cats interactive toys to distract

them while their cages are spot-cleaned.

In-cage enrichment

For most people, shelter/rescue volunteering and “dog walking” are

synonymous, and that is deﬁnitely a much-needed service for animals

living in kennels or cages. But walking alone is not enough for many

shelter dogs. Integrating comprehensive enrichment programs, like

feeding dogs out of interactive puzzles or "brain" toys rather than

feeding from a bowl, rotating diﬀerent scents like lavender in their

kennel, and working on training are all critical to the mental health

of shelter dogs. In addition, when a dog is taken out for a walk, it’s

important to integrate training into the process. For example, many

dogs will jump and bark out of excitement. Waiting for them to

settle before opening the kennel door can help reduce their stress

and teach them valuable impulse control behaviors. Dogs should be

allowed to sniﬀ on walks. A fast-paced stroll around the property may

help burn energy, but dogs reduce stress much faster when they are

allowed to sniﬀ and explore their environment. Quality over quantity

is the key.

Enrichment does not have to be fancy or expensive. The key is to

be creative and give animals safe—in terms of avoiding accidental

ingestion of foreign materials, etc.—activities and toys that not only

prompt physical stimulation, but also engage their brains and require

them to solve problems.

Out-of-cage enrichment

Enrichments that provide both mental and physical stimulation

should also be provided outside of the animal’s cage/kennel. Dog

walks, for example, are often either just a quick potty break or a

long hike designed to tire the dog out physically. Both opportunities

are important, but how often do dogs catch on and take longer and

longer to potty, knowing that once they do they will immediately

have to go back inside? Trips outside the kennel should not be just for

exercise; they should provide opportunities to engage the animal’s

brain. Reinforcing polite walking manners, for example, or using

ANIMAL CARE STANDARDS

Rescue Group Best Practices Guide 28

IT IS NOT DIFFICULT TO ENRICH THE

INSIDE OF A KENNEL/CAGE FOR AN

ANIMAL AWAITING A NEW HOME:

FOR DOGS

 Stack cereal boxes and smear the innermost box

with peanut butter so the dog has to rip the box

es apart to reach the treat.

 Place their dinner in water and freeze it so the

dog has to lick his kibble out, or serve meals in

Kongs with kibble on the bottom and wet food

on top. Throw out uneaten food after a maxi

mum of 24 hours.

 Fill Kongs with peanut butter, or better yet,

freeze stuffed Kongs (Kong has a program

where shelters and rescues can get free or

low-cost, slightly flawed unsaleable Kongs).

 Blow nontoxic bubbles throughout the room,

and let dogs try to catch them.

 Read or do paperwork while sitting in

the kennel.

FOR CATS

 Add objects like caps, paper bags, tissue paper or

empty boxes to cages.

 Place treats in balled-up paper or another ingest

ible material so the cat can bat it around and

work to open it and find the goodies.

 Grow fresh cat grass or catnip.

 Groom cats inside their cages.

 Put catnip inside socks or strips of fleece,

and knot them.

 Stuff tuna or other treats inside an old toilet pa

per tube, then plug the tube with tissue paper as

an extra obstacle for the cat to remove.

 Put strips of carpet or scratching posts inside

the cage.

 Feed wet food in half of a plastic egg to

make the cats work to get the food out.

clicker training to teach a new skill not only engages the mind, it helps

increase the dog’s adoptability. And it does not have to be all work—

creating scent trails for dogs to follow or letting them dig for treats

in sandboxes or wading pools allows them to expend energy and use

their senses.

You can also engage cats both physically and mentally. Believe it

or not, cats can be clicker trained just as easily as dogs! And there is

an added beneﬁt to engaging cats—research shows that people are

most likely to adopt a cat who engages with them and initiates

a physical connection. Thus, encouraging cats to approach

people and even teaching them to politely paw at passersby can

be lifesaving!

Other stress relievers

For animals whose stress is not relieved by enrichment alone, there

are other techniques you can use. Sometimes just changing their

location can make all the diﬀerence. If an animal needs a quieter

space, moving him away from sources of noise and stress can help;

conversely, for the dog who needs lots of stimulation, putting her in a

kennel right in the center of the action can do the trick. Some groups

swear by products like Feliway and Comfort Zone, which simulate

natural calming pheromones. Thundershirts are available for both

cats and dogs to help relieve anxiety, and music and techniques like

Tellington Touch (TTouch) and Reiki can be used to calm anxious

animals. Medications are viewed by many as a last resort, but an

argument can be made that animals are better oﬀ being successfully

medicated before their stress behaviors become lasting bad habits.

Talk with your veterinarian about options and protocols.

SOCIALIZATION

Not too long ago, fosters were warned to keep foster pets far away

from their own pets and children to avoid spreading disease. Puppies,

in particular, were to be kept isolated until they had their full series

of vaccinations. Nowadays, we know that the beneﬁts of proper

socialization far outweigh the risks to anyone involved. Of course

it is vital to ensure that all pets are properly vaccinated and that all

interactions are closely monitored, but ensuring that foster pets are

acclimated to all types of animals, people and environments is a criti

cal component of preparing them for adoption.

Kittens and puppies experience their socialization period between

birth and 16 weeks of age, which means that time in a foster home

directly shapes the kind of dog or cat these young animals will be

come. Foster homes should be provided with a socialization checklist

for kittens and puppies to ensure that the animal is introduced to a

variety of ﬂoor surfaces, men, women, children, objects and places in

a positive manner. It is imperative that young animals be encouraged

but not forced to interact with objects or people if they are afraid.

ANIMAL CARE STANDARDS

Rescue Group Best Practices Guide 29

Using high-value treats like cheese (for puppies) or baby food (for

kittens) will ensure they create positive associations with many of the

situations they will need to navigate as adults.

VETERINARY POLICY

It is important to have a policy in place, approved by the board

of directors, regarding veterinary care. This policy should include

instructions to the executive director on various aspects of veter

inary care so that the director does not have to ask the board for

permission every time the organization seeks medical attention for

an animal in need. The policy should cover issues such as how much

the organization can spend on an animal without board approval,

which conditions will be treated and under which circumstances, and

which health situations require board approval prior to treatment. It

is critical to have a protocol in place so that a rescue group does not

overextend its resources and jeopardize the entire organization by

addressing more medical issues than it can handle.

EUTHANASIA POLICY

There are times when the only humane option for an animal is

euthanasia. The issue of euthanasia in rescue groups generally arises

when an animal is suﬀering (physically or mentally) from something

from which there is no medical or behavioral treatment and the most

humane decision is euthanasia.

The decision to euthanize is never easy, but you can ﬁnd guidance

within the Five Freedoms (Page 22). While euthanasia philosophy

may diﬀer between individual organizations, policy should always

ensure that an animal receives all Five Freedoms through the end

of life. Once an animal’s quality of life has deteriorated to the point

where freedom from discomfort and pain (physical and mental) is no

longer possible, euthanasia becomes the humane option.

Drafting a clear euthanasia policy and having it approved by the

board of directors will allow you to create a policy that adheres to

the values of the organization. It will also help your rescue group

maintain consistency and avoid problems down the road. You can

ﬁnd a sample euthanasia policy in Appendix C, available at humane

pro.org/rescuebestpractices.

All euthanasia must be conducted humanely by a veterinarian or cer

tiﬁed euthanasia technician who administers an injection of sodium

pentobarbital. While not always required, pre-euthanasia sedation

should always be available and used as appropriate to provide the

most low-stress experience possible for the animal. The animal must

be made comfortable throughout the procedure. Find humane eu

thanasia trainings by searching humanepro.org/trainings.

ANIMAL CARE STANDARDS

Rescue Group Best Practices Guide 30

Rescue Group Best Practices Guide 31

Having strong day-to-day operations will help ensure that the animals

in your rescue group’s care receive all Five Freedoms (Page 22). It will

also get your animals into loving homes faster, enabling your organi

zation to save even more lives.

RECORDKEEPING

Good record-keeping is crucial for the operation and growth of a

rescue group. Having the ability to review what you have done in the

past is the best way to make adjustments and plan where to con

centrate your resources in the future. If you are not getting enough

adopters or are receiving too many returns, perhaps it is time to

change your adoption procedure and policies. Noticing a trend

where you have a dip in intake in December but an overload in May?

Start shifting your marketing eﬀorts and promotions to get as many

animals as possible adopted by April. Is that foster provider really

trying to adopt out her charges, or is the animal who is taking a year

to place a particularly diﬃcult case? Are you taking in more animals

with severe medical issues than you realize? Is there a particular

type of animal who you are having diﬃculty adopting out? Are there

common reasons why people are returning pets? You will not have

this valuable information without keeping good records. Moreover,

keeping good records is crucial when applying for grants because

funders want to know about your organization through data and

demonstrated outcomes. Grant reporting will also likely require this

type of information.

What types of records should you keep? For the animals in your care,

keep records of their name; microchip number; species; physical de

scription (e.g., breed, color, identifying marks); age; sex; source (own-

er, another shelter, Good Samaritan, etc.); where the animal came

from (location found if stray, address of person surrendering owned

pet); medical history, including sterilization, rabies certiﬁcate and

vaccine history; behavior issues; location within your organization;

adoption applications and contracts; outcomes (e.g., fostered, ad

opted, returned); and full body, side and close-up facial photographs.

Monthly adoption reports will help you determine adoption trends

and pinpoint why some animals are returned. Once you know why

people are returning pets, it will be much easier to devise solutions

to stop returns for common reasons.

Software will help you track the number of foster providers in your

network along with the average length of time animals stay in foster

care until they are adopted. You can also determine whether you are

taking in too many severe medical or behavioral cases, as well as the

average amount spent per animal. All of these statistics can help you

plan your fundraising eﬀorts and convince your board when it is time

to change course.

It is also important to maintain up-to-date records on your volun

teers, foster providers and donors. Having current contact informa-

tion on ﬁle will make communication quicker and easier when you

want to send out a call to action, such as ﬁnding a foster for

an animal in need or asking people to attend a fundraiser. And keep-

ing notes on which foster providers can handle speciﬁc types of

medical or behavioral issues will make it that much easier to make

good matches.

It is also essential to keep track of your funds—where they are

coming from and where they are going. This will help you plan your

budget, determine where you spend the majority of your funds and

decide where you can cut costs.

In order for us to collectively end pet homelessness, having data from

across the country is essential. We recommend submitting your data

to Shelter Animals Count, which collates data from thousands of

organizations across the country to help guide lifesaving programs.

There are also many software programs available that will help you

track the diﬀerent types of data. Join the Maddie’s Pet Forum to ask

other rescuers for advice on which software program might best ﬁt

your organization’s needs.

TRANSPARENCY

Transparency is essential for building trust, both with the public and

other shelter and rescue partners. Keeping records and providing

them upon request, or even posting them on your website, is one way

to show potential adopters and partners that you manage a profes

sional and well-run organization. Rescue groups should readily share

information about their operations, experience and the animals in

their care. They should also always be upfront about how donors’

funds are used and the impact they make; an animal’s outcome;

policies and procedures for adopting and fostering; and all statistics,

such as the number of animals in the organization’s care. Transparen

cy also means allowing people to visit your facility (if you have one) or

the foster homes where your animals reside (unless personal safety

Operational standards

Rescue Group Best Practices Guide 32

is an issue). Make it easy for people to contact your organization by

providing current contact information on your website and respond

ing to inquiries promptly.

DETERMINING CAPACITY

According to humane care standards, it takes approximately 15

minutes per day to provide basic care for each animal in a shelter

environment (to clean the living environment and provide daily nu

trition). So, for example, if you have one hour per day to care for the

animals, that means you have the capacity to care for four animals,

including your own pets. You can use the UC Davis Virtual Consultant

to assess whether your housing for animals is adequate to ensure

humane care.

If you provide more than minimum care (e.g, enrichment, grooming,

monitoring health and behavior and showing the pet to potential

adopters), you’ll spend even more time caring for each animal. You

can determine whether you’ve calculated the correct capacity by

checking whether all animals have access to the Five Freedoms

(Page 22).

Rescue groups often have a variety of types of temporary homes for

their animals—from brick-and-mortar facilities to cages at pet stores

to foster homes. You should calculate the correct capacity, still using

the Five Freedoms as a guide, for each of these diﬀerent types of

environments to ensure that your organization is not exceeding ca

pacity and putting your charges at risk of inhumane treatment.

The foster coordinator or another staﬀ member needs to ensure

that foster providers are not overwhelmed with the number of

animals they take in and that all animals in the home are receiving

humane care. One way to implement this is for the foster coor

dinator to have ongoing discussions with each foster provider to

determine capacity (the upper limit of animals who should be kept

in that home) based on predetermined factors (e.g., space, time the

foster provider spends at home, potential for creating an isolation

room, the foster provider’s own pets), while also taking into account

OPERATIONAL STANDARDS

Rescue Group Best Practices Guide 33

the needs of the foster pet. For example, special medical treatment

or behavior modiﬁcation will reduce the foster provider’s overall

capacity to care for additional animals, while a mother and her babies

can be can be considered just one animal if the babies do not need

specialized care. You can also ask foster providers to send a health

and behavior report on a regular basis and require them to attend

at least one adoption event per month so an organization can keep

an eye on the animals. It is important not to set a capacity number in

stone, but to use it as a starting point and allow room to adjust for

the speciﬁc and evolving situation of each foster home.

In determining capacity, it is essential that all animals have suﬃcient

space in their primary enclosure, whether it is a cage or a home.

According to the Association of Shelter Veterinarians’ Guidelines for

Standards of Care in Animal Shelters (Page 7):

Primary enclosures must provide suﬃcient space to allow each

animal, regardless of species, to make normal postural adjust

ments, e.g., to turn freely and to easily stand, sit, stretch, move

their head, without touching the top of the enclosure, lie in a

comfortable position with limbs extended, move about and

assume a comfortable posture for feeding, drinking, urinating

and defecating. In addition, cats and dogs should be able to hold

their tails erect when in a normal standing position. Primary en

closures should allow animals to see out but should also provide

at least some opportunity to avoid visual contact with other

animals. Tethering is an unacceptable method of conﬁnement

for any animal and has no place in humane sheltering.

Crates should never be the permanent residence for an animal. That

being said, whenever an animal is in a crate (whether for transport,

an adoption event, crate training or any other reason), it should be

large enough for the animal to lie down, sit and stand in a natural

position. Animals should not share a crate unless it is a female with

oﬀspring or when there is a behavioral beneﬁt. Even then, such con

ﬁnement is acceptable only if the crate size allows the above criteria

to be met without the animals having to lie on top of each other.

Some states may require your organization or the state Department

of Agriculture to inspect your foster homes to ensure they meet

basic standards of care under state law. Be sure to check your state

laws as they pertain to foster homes.

EXCEEDING CAPACITY

While most rescue groups responsibly help animals and only take in

the number of animals they can properly care for, there are rescue

groups that have had their animals conﬁscated due to animal cruelty

and neglect. Being over capacity is especially heartbreaking because

often the people involved started out with the best intentions but

eventually took in more animals than they could humanely care

for and became overwhelmed. Until we cure the root problems of

animal overpopulation, there will be a never-ending source of animals

who need our help. It is so easy to take in more animals than your

organization truly has capacity for. The truth is, however, when a

rescue group exceeds its capacity for humane care, whether or not

it is intentional, it can ruin the lives of both the animals and people

involved. Being over capacity is considered a form of animal cruelty

because it inﬂicts widespread suﬀering over a long duration of time.

Learning the signs of exceeding capacity and reporting someone you

suspect to the proper authorities will prevent animal abuse and save

an organization that is going down the wrong path.

If your organization transfers animals to another rescue group,

whether that group is local or many states away, it is important to ask

to see the group's policies on animal care, foster home inspections

and veterinary care. Consider requesting to see the conditions of the

home or facility most often used to house animals.

In extreme cases, animal hoarding is deﬁned as having more pets

than one can provide humane care for; failing to provide minimal

standards of nutrition, sanitation, shelter and veterinary care; deny

ing both the inability to provide basic care and the impact that failure

has on the animals and people in the household; and continuing to

accumulate more animals. Hoarding is less about the number of

animals a person has in her possession and more about the quality of

care provided to each one.

Many times, the continued accumulation of animals occurs because

the individual wrongly thinks that only she can provide adequate

care for them. In many cases, the person really does care about the

animals and tries to provide for them. The typical proﬁle of a rescuer

who has exceeded capacity is someone who is preoccupied with

animals, believes she has special abilities to communicate with

them, spends most of her time and funds on the animals and tends

to be socially isolated, having little contact with others besides

a veterinarian.

Signs that a rescuer may be over capacity

include:

 Having many animals with a poor external appearance to

people or other animals.

 Keeping many unsocialized or undersocialized animals.

 Maintaining impossible adoption standards because no one else is

“good enough” to care for the animals.

 Facing widespread disease that is usually only present in over

crowding situations (e.g., URI, parasites, kennel cough, FeLV).

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Rescue Group Best Practices Guide 34

 Taking animals to the veterinarian only once, even when fol-

low-up care is needed.

 Refusing to euthanize animals whose physical health is compro

mised to the point that they no longer have a good quality of life.

 Keeping the bodies of animals who have passed away.

If you suspect that someone in your organization or elsewhere is

exceeding capacity, what should you do? If it is both possible and

safe, you should try to visit the person’s home and see whether the

animals are in danger. Convey your concerns to the director of the

rescue group or members of the board of directors. If that is not

possible, you can talk to your local animal control agency or shelter,

public health department, mental health department, adult or child

protective services or your local district attorney’s oﬃce. If you

suspect animal cruelty, you should call the police department in the

town in which the animals are housed. In many cases, you can re

quest a welfare inspection anonymously. You can use these resources

for other suggestions on how to report suspected cruelty.

For more information, check out the HSUS's resources on cruelty

and neglect.

ANIMAL INTAKE

Rescue groups often do not feel that they have much choice when it

comes to bringing animals into their organization. They tend to bring

in the ones in the greatest need—animals from the local shelter when

the shelter has reached its capacity, or animals with treatable medical

or behavioral challenges that may be better addressed in a foster

home. Despite the temptation to always take on the hardest cases,

organizations should try to balance the types of animals who come

into the rescue.

Once an organization accepts an animal, the rescue may be

expected to keep the animal until she has been adopted unless anoth-

er arrangement is in the best interest of the animal, such as transfer

to a well-resourced animal shelter. If a rescue group is regularly

transferring animals to other organizations because it does not have

the necessary resources, the group needs to immediately reevaluate

its policies. Further, the organization should stop accepting additional

animals until it has a handle on its current population. This situation

is diﬀerent from when an organization partners with other rescue

groups in a diﬀerent area of the country and responsibly transfers

animals to them on a regular basis.

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Rescue Group Best Practices Guide 35

SOURCES OF ANIMALS

Taking in animals from the streets, owner surrenders and local shel-

ters are traditionally acceptable sources of animal intake, based on

your organization’s mission. If you take in strays, make sure you notify

the local animal shelter and other rescue groups so that a uniﬁed

eﬀort can be made to reunite the pet with his owners. It is import

ant to recognize that not all “stray” cats need to be rescued. Many

community cats, whether feral or friendly, are cared for by residents

and do not need to be scooped up by your rescue in order to ﬁnd

them homes. But they may need a little help. Community-focused

programs like TNR, aﬀordable/accessible spay/neuter for owned cats

or services to support community cat caretakers may be what’s need

ed in your area. If a rescue group purchases animals directly from

breeders, dealers or auctions, they are inadvertently creating demand

for dogs for sale and perpetuating the problem of puppy mills. If your

rescue group acquires pets from bulk sources of animals, make sure

you consider all of the ramiﬁcations and avoid creating a situation

where unscrupulous breeders are proﬁting from your kindness. If you

take in a litter, make sure the mother is also safe—whether from a

breeder, puppy mill or shelter.

Under no circumstances should a rescue group acquire pets by

stealing them from their owners, no matter how poorly the animals

are being treated. Instead, if you see an animal being neglected or

abused, you should immediately report this to your local animal con

trol department or the police.

When determining the source of your organization’s pets, consider

the impact that it will have on your local community. For example,

take stock of the shelters in your state and, if they are overcrowded

or overwhelmed, think about reaching out locally before spending

signiﬁcant resources importing pets from other areas. Or ask

whether there is a particular niche you can ﬁll, such as caring for

neonatal kittens.

CREATING A PLAN

It is important to create a plan for every animal that comes through

your organization. While most rescue groups have the luxury of time

with their charges, it does not mean the animals should

languish in foster homes. The faster you can adopt out your orga-

nization’s animals, the more animals you can save. To create a plan,

your rescue group should evaluate, both medically and behaviorally,

every animal upon arrival and then keep the animal in a quiet and

stress-free environment. You should also create a protocol outlining

every step taken for each new animal who enters your rescue, such

as creating a new record in your system, scheduling a spay or neuter

appointment, implanting a microchip, administering vaccinations and

setting reminders for booster shots.

Talk to your veterinarian about best practices for bringing a foster

into a new home. You will probably want to isolate the foster from all

other animals for a certain amount of time after arrival to ensure that

there are no disease concerns. During that time, it is also important

that the animal is housed in an area that can be properly and easily

sanitized. Use the ﬁrst few days to allow the animal to transition from

her previous situation, feel safe, show her true personality and exhibit

any health issues. After the animal has adjusted to her new situation,

or after a time period of your organization’s choosing, you should

reevaluate the animal and update your ﬁndings and description.

While most rescue groups do not hesitate to take their charges to the

veterinarian, it is also a good idea to have a list of trainers and behav

ior experts that you work with regularly to evaluate and train animals

who have potential problems. Nipping treatable behavior issues in

the bud as early as possible gives the pet the best chance for a suc-

cessful adoption.

When creating a plan for the animals who come through your orga

nization, you should consider their age, health needs and psycholog-

ical needs. A healthy young cat with special markings or a litter of

10-week-old puppies should be fairly easy to adopt, and the organi

zation should try to ﬁnd those animals a home as quickly as possible.

Animals who need more time to heal or become comfortable in their

new environment should not be pushed into adoption until they are

truly ready. Then again, some people love adopting the hard-luck

cases. You do not need to pass up such an adoption as long as you

fully disclose any medical or behavioral issues (as with all adoptions).

With some coaching, a doting adopter may be able to socialize that

shy street kitten just as well as your foster can. Some organizations

use a medical waiver to ensure the adopter knows the animal is sick

and promises to provide proper treatment. Your state laws may

also require you to disclose medical and behavioral histories on the

animals you place.

While the length-of-stay concept was developed for shelters, the

same theme applies to rescue groups. Essentially, this entails calcu

lating how long on average animals stay in your organization from

in take through adoption or other disposition to help determine your

A formal behavior assessment may be helpful to your

rescue group. It should be done in conjunction with regular

monitoring of behaviors in the foster home, at the veteri-

nary clinic and in public. By creating a holistic picture of the

animal's behavior, you can more eﬀectively place the animal

into an appropriate home.

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Rescue Group Best Practices Guide 36

organization’s eﬃciency. This also means putting more adoptable an-

imals on a fast track to adoption and giving more space and time to

pets who need a longer period of adjustment prior to going to a new

home. This approach beneﬁts all animals in your organization and

allows you to rescue more animals over the course of a year. Check

out these resources on fast-tracking your highly adoptable animals.

Any animal who is in your care for more than six weeks should be

regularly assessed to ensure the Five Freedoms are being met. You

can ﬁnd a sample intake plan in Appendix D, available at humanepro.

org/rescuebestpractices.

For organizations that use multiple adoption coordinators, each

one should be in charge of a set number of animals that includes a

range of fast-track and slow-track charges, along with any who are in

boarding or have to remain at a veterinarian’s oﬃce. For example, if

each adoption coordinator is in charge of 10 animals at a time, they

should ideally have four who will be easy to adopt, four who will be

more diﬃcult to adopt and two who are staying at the veterinarian or

boarding facility. This will ensure that someone is keeping tabs on all

the animals who come into the rescue group and that no animal is

inadvertently left at the veterinarian’s oﬃce or boarding for months

at a time. This system also sets the adoption coordinator up for

success and prevents the frustration of having too many diﬃcult

charges at once.

PARTNER WITH A LOCAL SHELTER

Partnering with the local shelter is a great way to build relationships

and help solve the animal homelessness problem in your community.

Building a successful and productive relationship takes a lot of work

and trust, and it requires building mutual respect between rescue and

the shelter staﬀ. Once you get to know each other as individuals, it

will be much easier to work together on diﬃcult issues. A few ways to

start building mutually respectful and trusting relationships include:

 Taking the shelter director and/or rescue coordinator out to lunch

or holding an informal gathering.

 Holding monthly meetings to discuss animal welfare issues in

your community.

 Asking the shelter staff to identify what they see as the

major needs in the community and where they need the most

help.

 Implementing “no bash, no trash” agreements—if the

shelter staff is not worried that anything they discuss with you

could be used against them, they will be much more willing to

work with you.

 Being accountable for things your volunteers and staff say and

do—if they start spreading rumors, it is your reputation that is on

the line.

 Asking the shelter staff to identify scenarios that concern them

most about a partnership and building solutions to those issues

before they even arise.

 Being a role model—if volunteers see the rescue group’s staff

engaging in respectful behavior, they will follow suit.

 Eliminating the “us vs. them” mentality—the language you use

matters.

 Provide a “lifetime commitment to the animals” or an “adop

tion guarantee.”

 Instead of saying that you are “rescuing an animal from a shel

ter,” say you are “rescuing an animal with the shelter.”

 Treating the shelter as your partner.

 Talk to the shelter staff to get the full story about each animal,

and include that information in the animal’s bio.

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Rescue Group Best Practices Guide 37

 Follow up with the shelter staff to let them know the animal’s

outcome.

 Sharing successes. Credit each other through social media and

other outlets when there are happy stories that took the efforts

of multiple animal welfare organizations. This will show that

you are a united front and not separate agencies competing for

public support.

 Identifying issues and troubleshooting problems through open

communication.

 Planning ahead. Map out the year so you can solve problems

before they arise. For example, if you know kitten season starts in

April, you can launch a joint campaign to adopt out as many cats

as possible by March to make room. Or better yet, launch a “beat

the heat” spay/neuter event in January so there will be fewer kit

tens needing rescue in April.

This is not to say that if you see or hear of something happening

in your local shelter that sounds questionable, you should not do

anything. Instead, go to the shelter with your concerns in a respect

ful manner, and get to the bottom of the problem. Building strong

relationships with shelter staﬀ will make those diﬃcult conversations

much easier to have.

When developing new relationships with shelter staﬀ, it may be

helpful to put yourself in their shoes. Rescue groups have the luxury

of only taking in animals when they choose, but imagine if you could

not limit the number of animals who came into your organization on

a daily basis, nor know how many would be coming in every day. How

would you feel if you found out that one of the rescue groups you

transferred animals to was later charged with hoarding or cruelty?

When we start to understand other people’s viewpoints, it allows us

to be more compassionate toward them.

PET RETENTION STRATEGIES

There is tremendous value in realizing that many of the people who

contact your organization to surrender their pet, or individuals who

return a pet they adopted from you, do not truly want to give up their

animals. Thankfully, many reasons for pet relinquishment are solvable

problems. While the traditional solution to owner surrender place

ment requests is to automatically take in the pet for care and adop-

tion, this can lead to an overwhelming number of pets to rehome.

Moreover, this approach assumes that the pet’s current home is not a

good one because the animal is being surrendered, but even the best

pet owners sometimes need a little extra support and knowledge.

Many people are happy to be presented with a solution that might

allow them to keep their pet.

By having either a few retention strategies or a formal program set

up to oﬀer guidance, solutions and free or low-cost resources, you

can help pets stay in the homes they already have and save time,

space and funds for animals who truly have nowhere to go.

For example, since many cat behavior issues are solvable, having

a volunteer trained to provide cat behavior counseling over the

phone can help many cats and owners stay together. This can pre

vent your group from being overloaded with cats who already had

a good home, but whose owners just needed a bit of guidance. The

HSUS's Guide to Cat Behavior Counseling is a good learning tool

for new cat behavior counselors and can also be a helpful resource

for cat owners. If feline behavior counseling becomes a big part of

your work, consider having volunteers take the self-paced, online

companion Cat Behavior and Retention course.

Other pet retention solutions and services you might oﬀer are

dog training using partner dog trainers who oﬀer free or low-cost

positive reinforcement training, including phone sessions; covering

protocols to resolve common behavior issues such as house train

ing, separation anxiety and squabbles among pets; tenant advocacy

to help people keep their pets in the face of landlord threats when

the law is on their side; low-cost temporary boarding through part

ner kennels for pets of people in crisis; referrals to free or low-cost

spay/neuter and veterinarian care through partner veterinarians;

the creation of or referral to a pet food bank for people going

through a ﬁnancial rough spot; and allergy and shedding solutions.

Start small, with one resource—perhaps one that addresses the

reason you most frequently encounter for owner surrenders. Then

assess how the program is going and add to your list of solutions

and resources when possible.

Oﬀering your pet retention strategies to adopters from the begin

ning goes a long way toward preventing returns and setting your

adopters up for success. Build relationships with your adopters

so that they feel comfortable coming to you for assistance when

issues arise. Some other ways to set your adopters up for success

include sending them home with pamphlets on how to handle

common behavior and medical issues; letting them know about the

pet retention methods you oﬀer; always telling adopters about any

existing issues with the pet upfront; and letting them know that

you are there for assistance if they need help.

You can start your pet retention eﬀorts by simply putting some

supportive text on your website, in an automatic reply email and on

your outgoing voicemail message. Look at the following websites to

get ideas for wording you can use:

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Rescue Group Best Practices Guide 38

 Humane Society Silicon Valley

hssv.org/services/pet-surrender

 Philly Animal Care and Control Team

acctphilly.org/resources/

 Asheville Humane Society’s Safety Net Program

ashevillehumane.org/ community-solutions

 Nevada Humane Society Online Behavior Tips

nevadahumanesociety.org/?s=behavior+tips

 Maddie's Fund Pet Retention Resources

chewonthis.maddiesfund.org/category/pet-retention

 Keeping Families Together Eviction

Response Toolkit

humananimalsupportservices.org/keeping-families-together

OWNER SURRENDERS

If none of your pet retention strategies work, another option to oﬀer

people looking to rehome their pets is a courtesy post with your

organization. Under those circumstances, the owner keeps the pet in

his home while the rescue group helps ﬁnd a new home by listing the

pet through the usual means or bringing the pet to adoption events.

A potential new owner ﬁlls out your organization’s application, and

the old owner typically decides whether or not to approve it.

For those owner-surrender pets you do take in, get as much medical

and behavioral information about the pet as possible. You also

need to ensure that the person surrendering the pet is indeed the

actual owner. Ask for information (e.g., contract from wherever the

individual obtained the pet, veterinarian bills, microchip registration,

licensing) that suggests that the individual surrendering the pet is the

only owner and have him sign a document stating that fact. You do

not want to be in a situation where someone surrenders an animal

and later the actual owner or co-owner comes to your facility to get

the pet back.

When someone returns an animal they adopted from your rescue,

make sure you record the reasons for the return. This will provide in

sight on what types of pet challenges the community can and cannot

handle, and it will help you determine which surrender prevention

resources you should work on ﬁrst.

You can ﬁnd a list of information to consider, including an owner

surrender agreement, in Appendix E available at humanepro.org/

rescuebestpractices.

STRAYS

If your organization takes in strays, check your local laws regarding

stray hold periods. Many communities have stray hold laws that

require an organization to hold animals for a certain period of time

to allow owners to ﬁnd their lost pets. In some communities, only

the organization that has the county contract is allowed to take in

stray animals, or only certain types of organizations (shelters versus

rescue groups) are required to adhere to the stray hold.

If you do decide to take in strays, make sure you also have a program

that tries to unite lost pets with their owners. Having a microchip

scanner is essential, as is creating some sort of community resource

that allows lost pets and their owners to be reunited. Two good

resources for developing an eﬀective lost-and-found program are

Mission Unite and Missing Animal Response Network. Always notify

the local animal control department and other rescue groups when

you take in a stray; many owners do not think to contact multi

ple organizations when searching for their lost pet. This is a great

opportunity to coordinate eﬀorts with your local shelter or animal

control agency. Having a centralized lost-and-found program for your

community will help reunite more lost pets with their families.

As with owner surrenders, you should collect information about the

stray from the ﬁnder. Include as speciﬁc a found location as possi

ble, how long they have seen the animal outside and any observed

behavior. This kind of information can help you determine whether a

stray cat is really a community cat who can be sterilized, vaccinated

and returned home. You can ﬁnd samples of stray cat intake forms in

the Return-to-Field Handbook.

TEMPORARILY HOLDING AN ANIMAL

Some rescue groups may want to oﬀer people a temporary home for

their pets to prevent owners from surrendering their animals while

they solve a speciﬁc issue, such as a hospitalization or

recovery from a natural disaster. Before oﬀering this service, howev-

er, you should think through all the potential issues and design a con-

tract that addresses them. For example, how long are you willing to

hold the animal, and what happens if the owner fails to return? Who

makes medical decisions for the animal while the pet is in the res

cue’s care? Who is responsible for veterinarian bills? What happens if

the animal gets lost or escapes and causes damage or an accident? If

the animal becomes seriously ill or injured, who makes the decision

about euthanasia?

It is helpful to require the owner to have some sort of contact with

you about the pet on a regular basis (in the form of in-person visits,

emails or phone calls) to help ensure that the human-animal bond

remains strong during the absence. Importantly, do not forget to

listen carefully when people come to you asking for temporary help.

Someone might think she’s asking for temporary fostering when per

haps what she really needs is help with transport or keeping allergies

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Rescue Group Best Practices Guide 39

at bay. If you dig a little deeper, you may be able to solve the problem

without having to take in the animal at all.

You can ﬁnd a list of information to consider, including a temporary

owner-surrender agreement, in Appendix F, available at humanepro.

org/rescuebestpractices.

USE OF BOARDING FACILITIES

Some rescue groups have the luxury of their own holding facility or a

relationship with a veterinarian or boarding facility that will provide

them with kennel space. Best practices dictate that these types of

housing facilities should be used as short-term and/or emergency

situations only, and no animal in a rescue group should be boarded

indeﬁnitely. For any boarded animals, you need to make a plan

(including evaluation, training and marketing) to get them into a

foster or permanent home as soon as possible. Moreover, daily en-

richment and socialization is a must for any animal in boarding

or a cage. Warehousing animals and letting them languish in a cage

is unacceptable.

TRANSPORTING PETS

Transporting pets is an important part of the rescue process for

many communities. But doing it according to best practices is crucial

to ensure the health and safety of all animals involved—the ones

you are transporting, as well as any animals they come into contact

with before and after transport. At a minimum, you need to comply

with all state and federal laws, which in most states require a health

certiﬁcate prior to transport. In addition, some states require a

license to transport animals from other states for resale or adoption.

The United States Department of Agriculture also requires animal

transporters to obtain a license, adhere to certain standards for

cleanliness and safety, and undergo regular inspections in certain

circumstances, and failing to obtain the proper license, especially if

the transporter is transferring animals for a fee, could result in a ﬁne

or other penalties. Consult ask.usda.gov for details on federal laws

that may apply.

The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement created a list of

best practices for transporting animals that every transporting vehi

cle and organization should follow.

SHELTERTYPE FACILITIES

For those rescue groups that would like to use a facility to hold some

or all of their animals, there are several options. One is to partner

with a local pet store for some space. PetSmart Charities and other

organizations have programs that include rescue groups as adoption

partners, where approved rescue groups can keep animals in their

stores. If you do not have any of these stores in your area, talk to a

local pet store. It can be a mutually beneﬁcial relationship if done

correctly—your animals have a place to stay, and they may draw

more customers into the store. Just make sure you have a contract

in place that lays out what each party is responsible for (e.g., who

cleans and cares for the animals, who provides the food, protocol for

an emergency) to ensure a peaceful partnership.

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Rescue Group Best Practices Guide 40

Another option is to open your own adoption center or have oﬃce

space that provides space for some of your animals. Just remember

to comply with local laws, such as department of health require

ments for facilities that house animals, zoning laws and any other

relevant regulations.

It is also vital to comply with humane standards of care. See Stan

dards for Primary Enclosures (Pages 21-24) for information on what

constitutes suﬃcient space in a primary enclosure. For cats, it is

important that they have at minimum 2 feet triangulated between

their food, resting place and litter. For vertical enclosures or group

housing situations, it is important that each cat have at least 18

square feet of space.

†

Keep in mind that it is essential to have a plan in place to get any

animal whose primary enclosure is a cage into a foster or permanent

home as quickly and as appropriately as possible. It is not fair to the

animals to leave them in cages for an unlimited period of time. Ani

mals who live in a cage must also receive daily enrichment

and socialization.

PROGRESSIVE ADOPTIONS

Having an innovative, progressive adoption program is essential to

getting your animals into new homes and expanding your organiza

tion’s ability to save more lives.

PROCESS

It is unfortunate, but the public’s perception

•

is that many rescue

groups have standards so strict that it is almost impossible to adopt

from them. This only discourages people from adopting a pet and in

stead drives them to purchase an animal from a breeder or pet store.

Keep in mind that if someone comes to your organization wanting

to adopt, they are already trying to do the right thing. You want to

make potential adopters feel welcome and make dealing with your

organization a positive experience to increase the chance that they

will adopt a pet.

Building a barrier-free adoption program starts with a philosophical

commitment to celebrating people’s willingness to adopt, meeting

them where they are in terms of their attitudes toward and their un

derstanding of pet care, and investing in their success with guidance

and practical support. Putting this philosophy into practice requires

several steps:

 Implementing progressive policies that remove barriers and in

crease options for homeless pets in your community

 Offering adoption counseling that relies on open and easy

conversations to set pets and their owners up for success

 Developing marketing strategies that overcome barriers

 Training team members to deliver the program appropriately

The animal welfare ﬁeld is moving toward greater adoption suc-

cess by building adoption programs that are based on research and

data. A progressive, barrier-free adoptions policy means that rescue

groups approach potential adopters in a nonjudgmental manner that

allows adoption counselors to get to know the potential adopter,

reveal what issues concern the person and determine how to create

a successful adoption. Through these conversation-based adoptions,

you can build relationships with adopters so that they view rescue

groups as a lifelong resource for their pets and return for advice and

support when concerns crop up.

Progressive adoption programs put less emphasis on written appli

cations and instead use open conversations to better understand

and communicate with adopters. While rescue groups should collect

basic contact information and a list of topics that the potential

adopter wants to discuss, the application should forgo any lengthy in

quisition. When organizations throw up barriers to adoptions—such

as landlord checks, home visits, veterinarian checks, fence require

ments and verification of current pets’ vaccinations—it can prevent

one of your animals from going to a loving home. But it will not stop

a potential adopter from getting a pet from another source. Barri

ers merely provide a false sense of security. As unsettling as it may

be, in reality, you have no control over what happens to a pet from

the moment she and her new owner walk out your door and head

for home. And despite commonly held fears, agencies that aim for

barrier-free adoption policies are not placing animals carelessly; they

just take care not to miss out on opportunities to place their animals

into good homes.

While there are millions of pet dogs and cats living in U.S. homes,

according to the American Pet Products Association's 2019-2020

National Pet Owners Survey, only 43-44% of these pets come from

shelters or rescue groups. This statistic suggests that the majority of

pet owners are able to successfully care for their pets without the

need for approval or assistance from animal welfare organizations.

By trusting adopters and providing them with the support and infor

mation they need without judgment, you can place more animals in

loving homes and save more lives.

•

PetSmart Charities, Pet Adoption & Spay/Neuter: Understand-

ing Public Perceptions by the Numbers [webinar] (November 27,

2012).

OPERATIONAL STANDARDS

†

Guidelines for Standards of Care in Animal Shelters,

The Association of Shelter Veterinarians, 2010, Pages 8 and 31.

Rescue Group Best Practices Guide 41

Ensuring that your policies are current with the latest research will

help you reach more adopters and increase your lifesaving capacity.

For example, studies show that, despite fears in the animal welfare

community, adopting out animals for a reduced fee, or even no fee,

does not increase the likelihood that pets will end up in the “wrong”

hands. The bond created between people and their pets means

more than any amount paid. Research also indicates that pets given

as gifts are not more likely to be relinquished. Thus, rescues should

reconsider blanket policies that ban adopting out pets to be given as

gifts. Of course, in such cases, organizations should work closely with

adopters to learn about the gift recipient and ensure a good match.

Another way to gain the trust of potential adopters is to implement a

“satisfaction guaranteed” adoption policy. This entails judgment-free

adoptions as well as judgment-free, no-fault returns. In addition

to always taking back an animal the organization has adopted out,

it means allowing the individual to adopt another animal without

judgment. Keep a positive spin on returns. Realize that they can

provide your organization with crucial information about a pet so

that a better match can be made in the future. Staying positive also

increases the chance that your group will retain the former adopter

as a supporter and a potential home for another animal. And while it

is a good idea to keep a few spots open for inevitable returns, rescue

groups should also allow adopters to rehome an animal themselves.

Because returns can be unpredictable, allowing adopters to rehome

an animal can save rescue groups time and resources. Adopters

should provide rescue groups with the new owner’s contact informa

tion so that the organization can continue to oﬀer support to

that pet.

It is important to make adopters feel welcome at every stage, in

cluding returns, without fear that they may be ridiculed. Above all, it

is crucial not to vent about your customers or potential customers

through social media or any other means of communication, as no

one wants to adopt from a group that might criticize them. Avoid

creating a culture in your organization where people are labeled bad,

wrong or stupid—they are who rescue groups rely on to ﬁnd homes

for the animals, and organizations should embrace the opportunity

to share helpful information.

At the end of the adoption process, many rescue groups use an

adoption contract to formalize the agreement between the adopting

organization and the adopter. In addition to demonstrating

transfer of ownership from the adopting agency to the adopter,

adoption contracts also serve to protect adoption agencies from

future liability.

Consult with an attorney who is licensed in your state and familiar

with issues pertaining to animal law when drafting or implementing

legal documents such as contracts. Not only do you want to ensure

that such documents are tailored to meet the requirements of all

OPERATIONAL STANDARDS

Rescue Group Best Practices Guide 42

federal, state and local laws, you also want to ensure that your or-

ganization is protected in the event that there are future issues with

the pet.

Examine your contract to make sure you are not undermining your

adopter-friendly approach. For example, replace “no refunds”

language and demands to return animals to your agency if adopters

cannot keep them. Instead, focus on inﬂuencing pet care through

engaging adoption conversations and follow-up support.

As far as deciding what fee to charge, conduct market research in

your area and ﬁnd out what other shelters and local rescue groups

charge, as many adopters check prices at various organizations in a

community before deciding which one to adopt from. It is important

to set the fee at an amount that is not so high that it constitutes a

barrier to adoption; charging a reasonable and competitive fee oﬀers

adopters an additional incentive to choose your organization.

SETTING YOUR ADOPTERS UP FOR SUCCESS

A crucial part of adoptions is setting your adopters up for success.

Remember that it should be up to the potential adopter to deter

mine what makes a good match. Adopters have a sense not only of

what kind of pet they are looking for, but more importantly, what

their concerns are. Many people looking to bring a new pet into their

lives admit to worrying that a rescued pet will be unhealthy or that

not enough is known about the animal’s background. Find out what

issues concern a potential adopter about adopting a pet, and have a

direct conversation addressing those issues.

While there are several programs that help adopters make a match

based on personalities and lifestyle, no matching system is perfect,

and many potential adopters choose with their heart. The avid

runner may want a lazy pet around the house. The couch potato

may want a more active dog to motivate him to exercise. The adults

in a family with young children could be seasoned dog trainers. If a

potential adopter wants a speciﬁc pet, there is no reason an orga

nization should not let the individual try out the adoption. Call the

arrangement a trial period, a foster-to-adopt or something similar.

What is the worst that could happen? The pet is returned after a

couple of weeks, and you and the pet are no worse oﬀ than before

the trial. Remember not to judge the adopter for a return. Allow the

person to adopt another pet from your organization, and view the

experience as an opportunity to gather more information about the

animal. The best outcome? The adoption works out, and you have a

happy adopter and a happy pet.

In addition to copies of all medical and behavioral information on the

speciﬁc animal, send adopters home with information that lets them

know what to expect with a new pet. For example, how can they

expect the pet to behave on the ﬁrst day in a new home? What kind

of food should the pet eat, and how much per day? What are some

common medical and behavioral issues and ways to resolve them?

When it is time to take a pet to the veterinarian? Addressing common

pet issues, as well as speciﬁc concerns identiﬁed by the adopter, and

explaining the “satisfaction guaranteed” policy will put adopters on

the path to success.

When resources allow, it is a good idea to follow up after an adoption

to build your personal relationship with the pet owner, provide sup

port to the adopter and her pet and possibly enhance your visibility

and reputation within the larger community. A happy adopter can

become a repeat adopter, recommend the organization to a friend

or become a volunteer, donor or foster provider for your rescue

group. So, if possible, have someone contact adopters after they take

their new pet home to check in and oﬀer support if needed. Ask the

adopter when and how he prefers to be contacted (usually phone or

email), and let him know that your organization is available for assis

tance and advice. If it is not possible for your rescue to proactively

follow up with adopters, be sure to let them know that the organiza

tion is always available to assist with questions or concerns. Provide

adopters with a phone number or email address that gives them

direct access to someone at your organization. Setting your adopters

up for success from the beginning will make it much more likely that

you will end up with satisﬁed adopters in the long run.

EVENTS AND OTHER ADVERTISING

A large part of adoption success also depends on where you hold

adoption events and how you market the animals, especially ones

who may be more diﬃcult to place. Partnering with PetSmart Char

ities or a puppy-friendly pet store are good options, but don’t forget

to think outside the box. Holding adoption events in areas that get a

lot of foot traﬃc, such as grocery stores, big-box stores, farm supply

and garden centers and even car dealerships allows you to reach

potential adopters who might not stop at a pet store.

The UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program recommends having

diﬀerent types of animals at an adoption event, while keeping in mind

that too many animals at one time can be overwhelming. “Consider

species, age, breed, color, behavior, and special characteristics when

evaluating the need for variety. While many adopters are seeking

friendly, healthy, young animals, some will seek out hard luck cases,

older animals and those with special challenges."

†

As far as advertising the animals in your organization, always be

truthful about any medical or behavioral issues. You can put a

positive spin on them (“Fluﬀy prefers to have you all to herself” as

opposed to “Fluﬀy hates other cats”), but never lie—it will ruin your

organization’s credibility. Do not forget to promote your harder-to-

OPERATIONAL STANDARDS

Rescue Group Best Practices Guide 43

† sheltermedicine.com/library/resources/?r=adoption-driven-

capacity

adopt pets (e.g., special needs, geriatric), too. Using special promo-

tions or cute marketing gimmicks will help move those diﬃcult cases

into homes in no time.

For more information, including a complete guide on how to create

a progressive adoption program, check out the HSUS's resources on

adoptions and the Adopters Welcome manual.

FOSTER HOMES

Foster homes are the backbone of many rescue groups—without a

strong network of foster providers, rescue groups simply could not

take in as many animals. Having a structured fostering program is

essential to the organization’s ability to care for animals.

Once you decide how to structure your fostering operations, develop

a manual explaining your standard operating procedures. A fos

ter manual for staﬀ, volunteers and foster families to reference is

critical; it should make clear how your program is structured, what

the expectations are, who the primary contacts will be, how certain

common situations will be handled and who to contact in case of a

veterinary emergency. The foster manual must be easily accessible to

foster providers at all times.

Make sure you are clear upfront about what expenses the rescue

group will handle and which will be the responsibility of the foster

provider. Be honest with foster providers about what they are getting

themselves into, and try to ease them in. Give new foster providers

the easy charges until you have seen their dedication and pet care

abilities. It is of course important that foster providers’ own pets are

all healthy and generally well cared for. Provide plenty of opportuni

ties that help the foster providers get their animals adopted. Morale

and motivation are higher when foster providers have frequent suc

cess and do not have animals staying in their homes for years on end.

Remember that your foster providers may need an occasional break,

especially the ones who take in hard cases.

Keep track of how many pets (owned and foster) each foster provid

er has at any given time and do not let well-intentioned people take

on too many animals. Keep in mind that some states—Kansas, for

example—require animal foster homes to be licensed or inspected.

For more information, check out the HSUS's resources on foster

programs.

DISASTER PREPAREDNESS

Regardless of the type of organization you run, it is important to

have a disaster preparation plan in place so your group is prepared

for the unexpected. If you have a facility, make sure you have over

head sprinklers in case of a ﬁre and conduct a walk-through with a

member of your local ﬁre department. Foster-based organizations

should provide foster homes with clear instructions about what to do

in an emergency situation and also determine how they are going to

communicate with foster providers if a disaster occurs. Every orga

nization should have emergency contacts and know where boarding

facilities and pet-friendly hotels are located in case of an evacuation.

Foster providers should have an emergency kit for their charges

containing food and supplies for at least three days.

All organizations should ensure that their ﬁles are backed up on a

regular basis and are available from anywhere. You do not want to

be in a position where, for example, you cannot board a pet because

your vaccination records are inaccessible.

For more information, check out the HSUS's disaster

preparedness toolkit.

OPERATIONAL STANDARDS

Rescue Group Best Practices Guide 44

Rescue Group Best Practices Guide 45

Your rescue will not be able on its own to ﬁnd a home for every

homeless animal in your community. To solve the problem of pet

homelessness, it will take a concerted eﬀort from many members

of the community. Building strong relationships with others will help

keep the focus on the animals.

WITH OTHER ANIMAL WELFARE ADVOCATES

A signiﬁcant reduction of the euthanasia rate in a community

is not possible without strong collaboration among many

community actors.

POTENTIAL PARTNERS TO INCREASE

LIFESAVING EFFORTS

Joining forces with other animal welfare advocates will greatly

enhance your ability to save lives and ﬁnd more homes for animals.

A collaborative eﬀort between your organization and the following

programs and partners is required to create a safe community for

pets. Many of these programs and partners likely already exist in

your community; determine which organizations are advocating for

animals, and reach out to them to ﬁgure out a way to work together.

And if any of these programs are missing, it may be the perfect time

to start one.

 SHELTERS Most communities have several different types of

shelters that take in animals. An open-admission shelter takes in

every animal that comes through its doors, as well as strays and

other animals in need. Limited-admission shelters have more in

put as to which and how many animals they take in. As a commu-

nity, we need to try to keep animals out of the shelter, but once

they arrive at the door, shelters can provide them with the safe

and enriching environment they need until they can be adopted.

 RESCUE GROUPS These organizations often act as transfer

partners to help keep shelter populations at a manageable level,

allowing all animals to receive humane care and more pets to find

loving homes. In addition to foster-based groups, this category

also includes prevention-based organizations and trap-neuter-re

turn groups that manage community colonies and keep those

cats out of the shelter.

 HIGH-VOLUME, LOW-COST SPAY/NEUTER AND

VACCINATION CLINICS These organizations make sterilization

and vaccination accessible to everyone in the community. This, in

turn, helps to reduce the number of homeless animals.

 VETERINARIANS AND COST ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS It is

crucial to have a partner within the veterinary community that

provides services to shelters and rescues at a reduced cost.

Veterinarians can also potentially provide cost assistance pro

grams that cover sterilization, medical care, vaccinations, pet

food and other pet-related products for low-income households,

enabling families in need to give their pets the best care.

 EDUCATION Rescue groups and shelters need to be a resource

to the public for informed pet ownership. Offer a bevy of free in

formation sessions to encourage people to use certain programs,

such as vaccinations, licenses, spay and neuter opportunities,

training and so on. It is also essential to implement a surrender

prevention program to help keep pets in their homes and out of

the shelter. Developing a lost pet program will help reunite pets

with their families.

 BUSINESS PARTNERSHIPS Develop relationships with local

vendors to get them involved. Pet stores can donate products or

space for events, while other local businesses can help raise funds

or donate supplies. This also provides additional channels to

spread the word about adoptions or other services that your or

ganization may offer. Get local trainers and behaviorists involved

with your organization. Ask the media to cover a special event or

donate remainder advertising space.

BUILDING A TRANSFER PROGRAM WITH

LOCAL SHELTERS

Part of having a good relationship with your local open-admission

shelter or animal control agency involves becoming eligible to accept

animals from them. This helps the shelter keep its population at a

manageable level and allows you the chance to provide assistance

to animals in need of specialized care that the shelter does not have

the resources to cover. Many shelters already have a process in place

through which they approve new partners, but do not be afraid to

have an honest conversation with them if there is something in the

Community building

Rescue Group Best Practices Guide 46

application or overall program that concerns you. Oﬀer to send the

shelter data that will give them the information they want, such as

the number of animals you took in during the prior year, number of

animals you adopted out, number of foster homes, average number

of animals per foster home and average length of time an animal

stays in your foster program. If necessary, you can agree to permit

an inspection at a mutually agreeable time if a problem should arise.

You should also oﬀer to send the shelter monthly statistics on the

animals (e.g., whether they have been adopted, any health issues) as

transparency helps build trust.

Make sure that any agreement has clear policies on who is eligible to

pull animals, how the shelter determines which animals are available

for transfer to rescues, how it notiﬁes rescue groups of the available

animals, how much time you have to accept an animal and pick her

up from the shelter, how the animal is transferred from the shelter

to the rescue, what is included in the transfer (e.g., sterilization,

vaccines, microchip, medication, FIV/FeLV testing) and what fees the

shelter will charge.

Also, do not be afraid to negotiate. If a shelter typically insists that

rescues accept whatever animals it selects, but your organization

specializes in Pomeranians or senior cats, let them know. (By the

same token, do not insist on taking every Pomeranian, for example,

who comes into the shelter, as the shelter may want to adopt out

certain animals itself.) While you cannot take all the highly adoptable

animals, try to take easy cases from time to time to give your orga

nization a break. Let the shelter know what medical and behavioral

cases your organization can and cannot handle. If the shelter charges

fees for pulling animals or medical treatment it has provided, talk to

the staﬀ if those fees are prohibitively high for your organization,

and work on a compromise. If you approach the staﬀ in a respectful

manner, talk about your concerns, listen to theirs and can think a

little creatively, you should be able to reach a mutually acceptable

agreement that will allow you to save more lives together.

BUILDING A TRANSFER PROGRAM WITH

OUTOFSTATE RESCUES

Many organizations transfer animals to rescue groups in diﬀerent

parts of the country where the supply of animals is low. Always ad

here to state, federal and local laws when transferring animals across

state lines. At minimum you will need to get a health certiﬁcate from

your veterinarian. If your organization does transfer animals to other

rescue groups or sanctuaries, ensure that the receiving organization

provides the same level of care that you would provide. Find your

“rescue soul mate”—a partner organization that shares your group’s

philosophies on core issues such as adoption policies, temperament

testing, fostering, training, medical protocols and when it is appropri

ate to euthanize.

Visiting a facility, or meeting with people from the receiving rescue in

person, is a crucial step in conﬁrming that the animal is being trans

ferred to an organization that follows best practices.

Some transfer programs take animals from the shelter and transport

them directly to adopters. But fostering makes a huge diﬀerence,

not only helping to ensure that the animals are physically healthy

when they are sent on their way, but providing the animals with some

time in a home to grow more emotionally and behaviorally healthy.

Allowing animals to settle down and relax in a home environment can

be an important step in preparing them for a long trip and the new

environment that awaits.

Placing animals in foster care before their trip also gives the orga

nizations insight into the animals’ true personalities, allowing your

partner to advertise the animals with accurate descriptions before

they even arrive at their destination. It is also important to provide

the destination partner with all medical records and behavioral notes.

BUILDING COALITIONS

Building a coalition of many animal welfare and protection organi-

zations in your area is another method of getting the message out

concerning homeless animals on a community level. It is also a great

way to keep tabs on the progress your community is making and to

identify and troubleshoot any problems as a team. While coalitions

are not always easy to build, the payoﬀ can be well worth

your eﬀorts.

Reach out to other shelters and rescue groups, and insist on humane

discourse among all parties. You want to create a safe space to work

together. Early meetings should focus on establishing a culture of re

spect, trust and accountability. Start small, with a limited and speciﬁc

focus; determine why you are meeting and what you hope to accom

plish; and identify your short-term and long-term goals and projects.

Early projects could be as basic as having joint events to establish a

culture of respect and trust.

It is vital to always keep your common goals in mind and remember

that this is about the animals, not individual egos. Some common

goals could be:

Do keep in mind that if the shelter is able to adopt

out an animal, it is a win-win situation for everyone as

the shelter gets an adoption while your organization has one

fewer animal to care for.

COMMUNITY BUILDING

Rescue Group Best Practices Guide 47

 Keep animals from entering the shelter.

 Create a safe environment for those who do end up

in the shelter.

 Improve rates for adoptions, returns to owners and transfers to

rescue groups.

 Eliminate euthanasia of adoptable animals.

It is important to acknowledge that there will be diﬀerences in

opinions among the players; know that it is perfectly acceptable

to disagree!

Choose someone to lead the group who has a calm demeanor and

strong interpersonal skills. The person should be neutral, fair, patient,

a good listener, open-minded, determined and experienced with

conﬂict resolution. Instead of someone who may criticize the partici

pants’ current eﬀorts, choose someone who will focus on everyone’s

strengths to determine how to solve areas of weakness. It may even

be preferable to get an outside facilitator to lead the early meetings.

Remember to identify other beneﬁts of working in a coalition

and resources you can share, such as trainings, adoption space

and workshops.

When set up carefully, a coalition can be a great resource to all animal

advocates in a community and help organizations save more lives.

For more information, check out the HSUS's resources on

coalition building.

WITH YOUR SUPPORTERS

While having solid operations is crucial, it will not mean as much if

you do not have a way to get your message out. A communications

plan should include ways to engage supporters in both one-way con

versations (such as a website and newsletters) and two-way conversa-

tions (such as social media sites) to make the biggest impact.

WEBSITE

Building a good website is essential to your operations. Your website

is often the ﬁrst place people come to get to know your organization,

so make sure it tells a story. There are many programs out there

that make it easy to build a website, even if you do not have any

computer programming experience. Having a clear and professional

website will allow you to make the best possible impression on

potential supporters.

Some items you should post on your website are: your organization’s

COMMUNITY BUILDING

Rescue Group Best Practices Guide 48

contact information, including email, phone number, city and state;

your mission statement; a list of staﬀ and board members; a current

list of adoptable animals; information on how to adopt, foster and

volunteer; and a very easy way for people to donate.

Many of the universal pet adoption sites (e.g., Petﬁnder, Petango)

make it easy to link your list of adoptable pets to your organization’s

website. Many software programs will update the list on the pet

adoption site and your webpage simultaneously.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Using social media is one of the best ways to build a community for

your organization. It is great for marketing your rescue, showcasing

adoptable animals, engaging new and existing supporters, recruiting

additional foster providers and volunteers, and fundraising. The list

of social media applications is growing by the day. Think about which

sites will work most eﬀectively for your organization, as well as how

many you will have time to keep current. Remember, if you open

up a dialogue with supporters, responding to their comments and

questions in a timely manner is an essential part of maintaining good

customer service.

Think of your website as a one-way conversation that allows you to

disseminate information about your organization, and view social

media as a tool that allows you to have a two-way conversation with

your supporters. It is important to create a social media policy so

that your organization is strategic in terms of the content and timing

of any posts. This is especially important when more than one person

has access to the organization’s social media account. You want to

ensure that your messaging is consistent across every medium you

use. Thus, it is a good idea to have at least one person in charge of

monitoring your group’s postings and ensuring that inquiries are an

swered in a timely manner. Social media is also a great way to show

you are part of a team by giving praise or “shout-outs” to partner

organizations.

Keep the posts interesting and diversify the content to hold the

attention of your supporters. For example, showcase an animal ready

for adoption one day, then make a fundraising appeal for an animal

in need of extensive medical attention, and then follow up with an

announcement about your upcoming adoption events. Use stories

that pull on the heartstrings sparingly, and be sure to show the end

result—“before and after” photos make it easier for your viewers to

handle the diﬃcult parts of the story. Consider highlighting, with the

owner’s permission, situations where your pet retention program

successfully kept a pet in their home.

It is important to keep your followers updated on all action requests,

whether you are asking them to donate for medical costs or meet

a special need to foster or adopt an animal, so that your supporters

remain engaged and ready to help again.

Above all, remember to always be professional in your postings and

comments—your online presence is the face of your organization,

and you want it to be a positive one.

COMMUNITY BUILDING

Our Promise

We ﬁght the big ﬁghts to end suﬀering for all animals.

Together with millions of supporters, we take on

puppy mills, factory farms, trophy hunts, animal

testing and other cruel industries.With our aﬃliates, we

rescue and care for thousands of animals every

year through our Animal Rescue and Response team’s

work andother hands-on animal care services.

We ﬁght all forms of animal cruelty to achieve

the vision behind our name: a humane society.

And we can’t do it without you.

1255 23

St. NW, Suite 450, Washington, DC 20037

humanesociety.org

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