The University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine has a partnership with Maddie’s Fund. Through the Maddie’s Shelter Medicine Program, shelters may request a shelter health assessment which includes an on-site visit. A shelter visit is the best tool to provide Shelter Medicine veterinarians the opportunity to understand the unique strengths and challenges of a particular shelter. A wide range of sheltering topics can be performed during the on-site assessment. “Whether responding to community
criticism or working to become a model agency through best policies and practices, we have worked with shelters of all shapes and sizes,” reads a statement on the UF Maddie’s Shelter Medicine Program website. “Whether a shelter is struggling with the basics or ready to take programs to the next level, we work to find ways to help shelter leader- ship meet their goals and improve shelter animal health and well being.” When Sarah Brown was appointed
as the new chief of Manatee County Animal Services (MCAS) in 2016, one of the first items on her agenda was to put in a request for the Assessment Program at UF. In 2011, MCAS announced that it would become the first no-kill agency in Florida. Sarah wanted to continue with that goal in mind while improving the lives of the shelter animals. She thought knowing how the shelter fared when thoroughly assessed by an outside agency, would be beneficial information. “We were turned down,” recalls
Sarah. “They told me that we were doing well.” In reality, the shelter had seen its
share of public criticism. The animal community, at large, was at odds with one another. Sarah was heading into a firestorm, and some friends and colleagues wondered to themselves whether or not this was the right move for her. Except for one colleague, her mentor Sherry Silk, CEO of Humane Society of Tampa Bay. “Sherry encour- aged me to take the position,” said Sarah. “She pushed me and told me that it was my time; that I could make a difference.” When asked what she saw in Sarah,
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Sherry said, “Oh, I saw a desire and a fight in her, and knew that she could bring change to Manatee County Animal Services. She has a drive that makes her a very powerful advocate for shelter animals. Sarah is a very strong woman.” The opportunity to make Manatee
County a true no-kill community and work with partners, was certainly a great opportunity. But, community collabora- tion was severely lacking in Manatee County. Sarah went about improving partnerships and reaching out for help. “No one can do this alone,” she
said. “When a shelter is out there trying to do everything, it is just impossible, and you're going to hit roadblocks until a real community collaborative with shelters and advocates is formed.”
The cover letter was from Sarah Kirk, DVM, MS and Cameron Moore, Program Manager: “We commend the staff for their clear
commitment and concern for the animals in their care and their openness in sharing their daily routines and ideas with us, as well as their eagerness to learn about new practices and skills.
MCAS has an impressive and dedicated
volunteer base. The Executive Director is forward-thinking and embraces change, and the shelter has an excellent software program to collect data. Your recently hired full-time shelter veterinarian has training in High Quality High Volume Spay Neuter (HQHVSN) and has written protocols for medical conditions. During our visit, we also identified
opportunities for shelter operations improve- ment and more life-saving strategies. We are inspired by the dedication of the shelter staff to care for the animals, eagerness to incorpo- rate practices to increase animal health and placement in homes, and the desire to be a model shelter. We look forward to continuing our collaborative partnership in support of your life-saving mission.” Sarah was invited to speak at the
Sarah and JoeBob, the shelter cat. Two years after taking the position,
MCAS Save Rate was 94% in 2018. Still, the UF Shelter Assessment Program weighed heavy in the back of her mind. When the shelter was over capacity late last year, she sent a plea to the University of Florida, again. This time, the UF Maddie’s Shelter Medicine Assessment Program team agreed to visit the shelter. “They spent a couple of really
intense days with us,” said Sarah. “I was very transparent with them. Talking about the good, the bad and the ugly. We focused on operations and our intake processes.” When the full written report from
the UF Maddie’s Shelter Medicine Program arrived on Sarah’s desk, she took a deep breath before opening it.
annual training conference for the Florida Animal Control Association (FACA) earlier this year. She recalled how she felt when the UF Shelter Assessment Program initially turned her down. “Our shelter was over capacity and all I could hear in my head was that we were doing fine.” Sarah reminded her audience that,
“We’ve all stopped being the pound. There is no more dog catcher mentality.” She gave a brief history of animal welfare, going back 10 years. “With what was going on in 2008, the low priority was adoptions. It was all about kennel space; euthanizing all ferals. Then, we had the animal welfare movement: no kill, community activism, support and the idea that we should start to address the issues instead of ignoring them.” But, the new expectations for
shelters – saving the treatable and adoptable – led to more overburdened shelters. In 2008 the placement rate for Manatee County Animal Services was 37%. By the end of 2018, they had achieved 94% placement. How was this achieved?
Continued on following pageg THE NEW BARKER 29
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