#animalcareexpo �� 17 with shelters and rescues to retrofit existing facilities and design new ones for seven years. In 2016, she received the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies’ Innovation Award for her work improving the lives of animals in Canadian shelters. “We see a lot of communities wanting just bigger and bigger facilities with the thought that they will be able to care for more animals,” she says. “But what happens with those facilities, generally, if we overbuild it, we end up just taking care of a lot of animals,” which takes time away from community outreach and surrender-prevention programs. Thankfully, there’s no linear relationship between human population and homeless animals, she says, meaning shelters in growing communities don’t necessarily need to get bigger—just smarter about satisfying animals’ basic instincts and increasing adoptions. Simple housing changes and strategies combined with reduced length of stay are most important, says Wagner, and the effects of soothing spaces on animal health and well-being are “pretty amazing,” especially when it comes to preventing upper respiratory illness in cats. Traditional shelter housing is durable stainless steel that lasts a long time, meaning housing isn’t replaced as often as we discover better ways to house animals, Wagner says. Cats are small and (generally) quieter, meaning it’s harder to see when housing isn’t meeting their needs. “There’s no intention to house these animals in a way that doesn’t meet their needs,” Wagner says. “It’s just become more obvious that by improving cats’ living spaces we can prevent this illness that we thought was endemic previously.” Conserve your resources while improving animal health and well-being—join us for this practical workshop that’s all about identifying your limitations and maximizing what you already have. FREEDOM FROM FEAR AND DISTRESS: PAIRING AND CO-HOUSING FOR CANINES Friday, May 12, 9:30 a.m.–11:00 a.m. Do your kennels evoke highly reactive behavior? Are you triggerstacking? At a Chicago shelter, dogs receive vital socialization and exercise during daily playgroup sessions, which help minimize their stress in a shelter environment. If a dog yawns, licks the air and raises one paw, does that mean he’s tired, hungry and waving hello—or is he stressed? In this workshop, presenters Marissa Martino and Andrew Mathias decode dog body language and offer tips and tricks for safely introducing dogs in a potentially stressful shelter environment—a skill that will quickly become one of the most useful tools in your shelter toolbox, says Martino. Learning how to properly introduce dogs opens the door for co-housing and playgroups, which can reduce not only stress, but potentially length of stay. When dogs are relaxed, they “show better,” says Mathias, and when staffers know more about a dog’s behavior in co-housing and playgroups, introductions between shelter dogs and potential adopters’ dogs are likely to go more smoothly. “We had a really shut-down, fearful dog in the kennel that we couldn’t even get out for a walk because he was so fearful,” says Mathias, but after being paired with another dog, he was soon jumping in people’s laps. “Our trainers and our dog team weren’t able to break through that wall, but that helper dog was able to break through that wall the first day.” Whether you want to enhance your existing knowledge or you’ve never heard the term “shelter dog playgroup,” Martino and Mathias aim to teach you ways to recognize successful dog pairings, safely break up squabbles and help your wallflower pups join the fun—skills that you can pass on to staff and volunteers at your organization. OPPOSITE PAGE, FROM TOP: ROB DAY; ANIMAL HUMANE SOCIETY. THIS PAGE: JOSH FEENEY PHOTOGRAPHY/SAFE HUMANE CHICAGO
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