“How long do the animals have before they are put to sleep?”
This infamous question is asked of Humane Society staff right here in Green Bay, WI and across the country each day. The answer? It’s not so easy.
Most people expect the answer in a form of a number, but the reality is that it’s not that easy. Here’s the real story:
Each animal that enters the Bay Area Humane Society comes with their own personality, their own story, each an individual. And that’s just how they are treated. Each as an individual.
A dog enters the shelter as either a stray with no known history or surrendered by an owner who can no longer keep him. All dogs are accepted. BAHS turns no animal away. Once admitted, a dog is scanned for any signs of ownership including collars, tags, and microchips. If these are found, an owner is contacted immediately. If there are no signs of ownership or of the dog was given up by his owner, then the dog is given a physical examination, vaccines, preventative de-worming medication, and is treated for any ailments he may have. Records are noted and the he is setup with a comfy place to stay.
Stray dogs are held for a minimum of 8 days before BAHS begins any further evaluation. Wisconsin state law mandates that stray animals are held for a minimum of 7 days, BAHS gives them 8 days. Surrendered animals legally can be put up for adoption immediately, but at BAHS they are held for a minimum of 2-3 days while they adjust to the shelter environment.
Once a dog, either stray or surrendered, has waited through their initial holding period, we evaluate him for both medical and behavioral issues.
Temperament Testing:
In order to get a feel for the individual personality of each dog, we perform a temperament test. The Bay Area Humane Society uses a nationally recognized test, used by other animal shelters all over the country, written by animal shelter professional, Sue Sternberg.
For more information about temperament testing nationally, read Putting Your Behavior Evaluation Program to the Test.
In the temperament test, each individual dog is put into real life situations in which his behavior is observed and his reactions noted. He will be petted and played with. He will be given food and toys, and then those items will be taken away just as they could be in his new home. At one point during the evaluation, a stranger knocks at the door and enters the room to see how he reacts.
These evaluations give the staff some insight into the dog’s personality, and help adoption counselors educate new pet owners about what their new dog may be like in their home. They also give us insight into aggression. If the dog displays aggression during the evaluation, they are likely not placed up for adoption. Keep in mind, BAHS does take into consideration the individual story, history, and personality of each animal when making such difficult decisions. Some animals may have minor aggression issues that can be worked with and corrected. We place them in special behavior programs, in which their issues are addressed. Unfortunately, we are unable to save every dog that shows aggression. As a non-profit organization operating entirely from the support of our community, we simply cannot adopt out an animal that we know is likely to hurt a person or another pet.
Adoption:
If a dog passes temperament evaluation, he will stay until a new home can be found. If the behavior or medical condition of the animal changes while he is waiting for a new home, then the dog will be re-evaluated using the steps above. The great news is that today, the average length of stay for a dog once he has finished his evaluation is only 2-3 days.
A cat that enters the shelter may also be either stray with no known owner, or surrendered by someone who can no longer keep her. All cats are accepted. BAHS turns no animal away. Once admitted, a cat is scanned for any signs of ownership including collars, tags, and microchips. If these are found, an owner is contacted immediately. If there are no signs of ownership, or if the cat was given up by her owner, then she is given a physical examination, vaccines, preventative de-worming medication, and is treated for any ailments she may have. Records are noted and she is setup with a comfy place to stay.
Wisconsin state law mandates that stray animals are held for a minimum of 7 days while an owner can be found. We hold cats for a minimum of 8 days before we evaluate them.
Evaluations:
In order to get a feel for the individual personality of each cat in our care, we perform a feline evaluation. The Bay Area Humane Society uses a nationally recognized feline evaluation as part of the ASPCA’s nationally accredited, Meet Your Match program. This program was developed by an animal behaviorist with the ASPCA, and is used by other animal shelters all over the country.
In the feline evaluation, each individual cat is removed from her kennel and observed and evaluated. The cat is put into a real life situation in which her behavior is observed. She will be petted and played with, and her behavior will be noted.
Much like dogs, many cats that demonstrate aggressive behavior toward people will not be selected for adoption.
We have to consider that the Bay Area Humane Society has a commitment to the community to provide safe animals for adoption.
Adoption… Or Not:
If a cat passes a feline evaluation, she will stay for as long as BAHS resources and space permit. Unfortunately, like every shelter in the country, we are faced with a huge feline overpopulation problem. In the busy summer months, 30 to 40 cats are brought to the shelter each day. Because we turn no animal away, we must face the issue of space. At some point the shelter reaches the maximum number of cats we have space and resources to care for. When this happens, cats are selected for euthanasia. Cats who are sick are selected first. These difficult decisions are made by trained, educated staff members who work so hard to care for these precious animals. A difficult job indeed!
So there’s the answer to the infamous question, “How long do the animals have before they are put to sleep?”
As I said, it’s not so easy.
If you have additional questions or concerns about the path of animal through the Bay Area Humane Society, please contact our Director of Operations, Becky Buffo.
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