Go from Planning an Animal Shelter to Building an Animal Shelter

Animal Shelter Plans Should Involve Increasing Community Awareness!

It’s exciting to review animal shelter plans and animal shelter designs, but whether the design becomes an actual physical animal shelter building often hinges on one very important question: Is the majority of your community aware of the dire conditions at the animal shelter?

Because you are passionate about helping animals, you probably think that the entire community is just as educated about the dire conditions.  It’s easy to assume that everyone has the same information as you.  You probably say, “Of course my community is aware of the low adoption rates, the high kill rates, and the overall poor conditions at the local animal shelter.” However, recent research indicates otherwise.

A recent PetSmart Charity survey revealed that only 42% of the general population is aware of the pet overpopulation problem in the United States.  88% of respondents underestimate the number of pets euthanized annually.  While it’s always a good idea to take survey results with a pinch of salt, these numbers cannot and should not be ignored!

While the amazing staff and volunteers pour every ounce of energy into saving animals, they often neglect educating the community.  As we’ve mentioned several times in the past: without community support, it’s highly unlikely that any major improvements will happen at the shelter. 

Here are two effective and cost efficient ways to increase community awareness:

1) Gather Statistics and Broadcast via Social Media

You don’t need to be overly dramatic; simply state facts and broadcast these facts on your social media channels (Facebook, Google+, Instagram, Twitter) with a call to action.  For example:

"Did you know Acme County Animal Shelter Kills 77% of the pets that enter the facility?  For more information on how you can help improve Acme County’s animal care, please contact Jane Doe at xyz."

Use our Free Report to collect your statistics and broadcast the results.  Continue to gather statistics about your shelter – the more statistics you have about the shelter, the more you’re able to build your case for support. 

2)  Schedule a Field Trip for Community Leaders

Here’s a recent quote from a community leader:

“I don’t think we truly get the impact you make in the county when we’re sitting around the budget table and we look at a five or six-figure request,” Parker said. “It doesn’t have the personality that being here does.”

Kindly request the community leader take a tour of the shelter.  If the community member can’t make it, why not video tape the shelter and upload the video to YouTube and broadcast it on your social media channels?

It’s up to your shelter’s leaders to increase awareness and community support.  When a community asks, “How can I help?” be ready with your animal shelter plans to show your vision for the future. 

How to Increase Animal Shelter Donations

Source: Belly Rubs Pet Care

Unfortunately, money is necessary to improve animal shelter conditions – specifically major renovations, including animal shelter design and animal shelter building plans and construction.  The biggest mistake we see when helping communities raise money for a new animal shelter, is the mistake of begging for help:

“The animals need your help – please donate.”

“The animal shelter hasn’t been updated in 40 years – please help.”

“Please donate to your local animal shelter.”

Begging likely won't increase donations

These tactics simply don’t work.

The above messages do little to convince the people in your community to part with their money.  Think of how often people are asked to donate money -  it’s rare to be in public without being asked to donate to an organization.  Even the grocery store checkout line isn’t safe. People have become immune to the traditional plea: “Please support our cause because we need help.” 

In order to give your campaign a chance to be successful, you should answer two questions your potential donors are asking about your shelter:

1)      Why should I donate my hard-earned money to the animal shelter vs. every other organization asking for my money?

2)      How will my money be used – will it really make a difference?

As previously mentioned, it's not only important to have animal shelter plans available, but also to have a compelling story about the current shelter and how a new shelter would improve the community for both animals and people.  Educate your community about the current problems at the shelter.  Inform people about the dire situation, and then back up your claims by compiling specific statistics about your shelter – adoption rates, euthanasia rates, and intake rates. 

Community involvement, specifically donations, will only happen with increased awareness of the dire situation at the animal shelter and there’s a specific plan to improve those dire conditions.  

Animal Shelter Plans and An Informed Community Equals New Animal Shelter

Recently, the animal shelter architect team at Shelterplanners designed an animal shelter for Iredell County, NC. Here is a picture of the design plans:

Animal Shelter PlansBecause it can be difficult for anyone other than an architect to understand such designs, we created an image of what the animal shelter would look like when the building was completed. Here is the 3D image:

The design plans and 3D rendering allow a few things to happen:

1) The shelter's staff and local officals can easily show the public the vision for the shelter. 

2) Your local citizens will have something to rally around - the general public doesn't understand architect mumbojumbo! The combination of plans and a 3D rendering will allow more people to understand the proposal. 

The more people truly understand the project, the more likely they will donate and/or support the new animal shelter. 

When your community is involved, things happen. Ultimately, the community decides whether an animal shelter is built. The Iredell County community decided it wanted to support its animals, here's the final product:

 Animal Shelter Plans + Community Support = New Animal Shelter!

Animal Shelter Architects Celebrate with Two Communities – Hard Work Still Pays Off!

Finger Lakes animal shelter building design got its own cake!

Caught in the day to day struggle with animal shelter building plans, meeting budgets, zoning ordinance and building code requirements etc.; we tend to lose sight of the depth and breadth of effort needed by so many to realize a new shelter for their community. 

We at Shelterplanners participated in two gratifying events last week. 

The first was the “shelter project kick-off” held in Bath, New York at the Finger Lakes SPCA.  The gathering included members of the shelter Board of Directors, Staff and the Animal Shelter Architects and Construction Management team.  The Finger Lakes SPCA has been working toward this goal for some time, through successive turnovers of its Board and a very patient and determined Executive Director, Vicki Mosgrove who has guided the SPCA toward realizing its new shelter with steady a hand.

The Finger Lakes SPCA’s dedication and determination gives us pause to consider how truly difficult bringing a new shelter to fruition can be; and we are buoyed by their driving spirit of compassion and kindness toward the animals they serve.  We were thrilled to be chosen as the animal shelter architects for this project.  The animal shelter design plans even got a cake!

Our second event was held near Brevard, NC.  Transylvania County opened and dedicated its new shelter.  The event was attended by close to 200 supporters.  The designated speaker for the County government, Commission Chair Mike Hawkins recalled the 20 year effort on the part of the County and its citizens to bring the shelter to fruition and the consistent support of the County’s citizens throughout the process.  He cited the incredible efforts of the “Friends of the Shelter” who raised the final $350,000 needed to assure the animal shelter would be built.  He noted contributions from the City of Brevard and the Town of Rosman without which the project would not have achieved success.

Dr. Clyde Brooks, veterinarian and Board Chairman of the Friends of the Shelter followed.  Dr. Brooks recalled the endless volunteer hours that so many citizens had contributed to the fundraising effort and how gracious the County Manager, Staff and County Commissioners had been, encouraging and allowing the “Friends” both the time and opportunity to help get the project across the finish line. This was truly a community effort and, once again, for the benefit of the lost or stray companion animals.

We are so gratified to be part of both of these new shelters. 

So for all of you out there struggling with trying to bring a shelter to your community, take heart!  While it may involve way more time and effort than you imagined, these two examples clearly show; with enough perseverance, your efforts will be rewarded!

No-Kill - Should My Animal Shelter Go for It?

                                             

No Kill – Should Our Shelter Go for It?

When the “No Kill” movement was introduced two decades ago it generated a great deal of controversy. Folks in animal welfare began taking sides for and against the concept and its claims and challenge to the industry as a whole.

The world has changed dramatically in the last several years and the “No Kill Blueprint”, articulated by Nathan Winograd in his seminal book “Redemption”, has been applied in animal shelters across the country with remarkable results.  We have assisted more and more groups dedicated to working toward the goal of saving every healthy companion animal in their care, and consistent application of the programs articulated in the “No Kill Blueprint” is the common denominator for achieving successful results.

We have witnessed success with organizations that have confidently declared themselves “No Kill” as well as organizations that have applied the “blueprint” quietly, without any formal declaration.  Results are usually positive in either case and once the community begins to realize success is at hand, a groundswell of support develops in a variety of forms – donations, volunteers, and governmental support. 

If a new shelter (or improvements to an existing shelter) is part of the community’s no kill strategy, animal shelter architects should incorporate specific building plans to match the community’s no kill vision.

More and more we are witnessing local government responding to the desire for improved conditions and outcomes.  Cooperation between humane and rescue groups working positively with animal control elevates the conversation, bringing about a more cooperative effort on behalf of the community’s stray companion animals.

Whether your organization adopts the “No Kill” moniker or not is less important than bringing to bear the strategies that ultimately produce results. After all, improving your animal shelter is less about the grand announcement that you plan to be a no kill, and more about improving the community and saving animals.