Human Animal Support Services

📣 An industry first launched TODAY: The HASS Budget Calculator! Animal welfare organizations nation wide are chronically underfunded. That's why HASS, in collaboration with PetSmart Charities and powerhouse working group of industry professionals, developed a free-to-use tool that arm shelters with the information required to successfully advocate for the financial support needed to support their communities. It's simple: Enter your organization's operational budget information, receive customized results based on your specific specs, shelter data, community population data and more, utilize the report to campaign for the support your community expects and deserves! See details and link to the calculator here: https://lnkd.in/gFVyXFwi

Today is the Olympics Opening Ceremony and to celebrate, we present a winning roster of shelter pets from the dream teams at Austin Pets Alive! and HASS pilot shelters! While athletes hope to bring home the gold during the Paris 2024 Games, these shelter superstars are hoping someone with a heart of gold brings them home today. Show some love and share to help these underdogs (and cats!) score the ultimate prize—a loving family to adopt them! 🏆 💙 Kato from Austin Pets Alive! 💛 Nugget from Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Shelter (BARCS) 🖤 Sherman from Cabot Animal Support Services 💚 Gracie from Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department ❤️ Adriana from Cincinnati Animal CARE 💙 Marceline from Dallas Animal Services 💛 Little Boy from Greenville County Animal Care 🖤 Raquel from Guilford County Animal Shelter 💚 Gussini from Humane Rescue Alliance ❤️ Arturo from KC Pet Project 💙 Bruno from LAAS 💛 Carson from LifeLine Animal Project 🖤 Fandango from Memphis Animal Services 💚 Ethel from Michigan Humane ❤️ Curtis from Friends of Oakland Animal Services 💙 Zoltan from Palm Valley Animal Society 💛 Garlic from Pasco County Animal Society 🖤 Cyrus from Pima County Animal Services 💚 Tuxedo from Riverside County Department of Animal Services ❤️ Kiara from San Diego Humane Society

How can shelters build a budget backed by local government AND community support? Join Austin Pets Alive! President & CEO, Ellen Jefferson, and Senior Director of Research & Development, Maggie Lynch, as they lead a live webinar event on the HASS budget calculator, a tool that is the first step in a process intended to break the cycle of underfunding through better budget planning based on data. Register now and join us live next Tuesday, July 30 at 5 p.m. CT. After the live event, a recording will be distributed within three business days: https://lnkd.in/gF3CqQSd

When it comes to pets relinquished due to housing, we often think of large, blocky-headed dogs as being the primary category of pet that needs our advocacy. However, intake data from HASS Pilot Shelters suggests that small dogs are almost as likely to be relinquished due to housing reasons as large dogs! In our dataset, which was collected from 21 shelters between 2019-2021, we saw population peaks at 11 lbs and 55 lbs and although large dogs make up the greatest percentage of dog intakes at 20% of total dog intake, small dogs were right on their tail at 19% of total dog intake. This suggests that our policy advocacy must be broader than traditional breed, weight, and size restrictions which won't improve housing situations for our smaller furry friends. Adding issues like arbitrary number restrictions, prohibiting or mitigating the use of nonrefundable up-front fees and monthly pet rents, and tenant eviction protections to your organization's policy agenda will be key to creating pet-inclusive housing that is accessible for all people and their pets. See the full study here: https://lnkd.in/gAfHV_JC

How can shelters increase adoptions? HASS determined the following steps through the Competitive Pet Placement Project and spoiler: IT'S WORKING! Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/g2BMBWud

Today, HASS endorsed the National Tenants Bill of Rights, which provides a legislative framework to enshrine the following tenants' rights: ☑ A fair application ☑ A fair lease ☑ Freedom from discrimination and harassment ☑ Habitable homes ☑ Reasonable rent and costs ☑ Right to organize ☑ Safeguards against eviction This currently does NOT include pets, but it's important to support, Our policy specialist, Lauren Loney, and Opportunity Starts at Home, launched by the National Low Income Housing Coalition, plan to connect soon about pet-inclusivity as part of a tenants bill of rights effort. Opportunity Starts at Home is a long-term, multi-sector campaign to meet the rental housing needs of the nation’s low-income people. https://bit.ly/46i66lW

Want to increase adoptions? HASS' Intake Triage project continues and data-driven best practices are coming to the forefront to not only increase adoptions, but support both ends of the leash. Education & Implementation manager, Eliza Torres shares more about how a people-first mindset makes all the difference. https://lnkd.in/gQqVXNRc

Today, the Austin Animal Services Office launched a community survey to gather feedback on what #ATX prioritizes for our animals. At APA!, we know that our community prioritizes lifesaving, we wouldn’t be the organization we are today if this weren’t true. Austin, we have an URGENT ask of you. Please click the link below to fill out the survey TODAY. The survey should take less than 10 minutes of your time. Let your voice be heard. To deprioritize animal lifesaving would be taking Austin 13 years backwards! Our city is at high risk of implementing programming that kills because it’s easier and cheaper. Austin, we demand better. Help us help Austin to keep moving forward. Take the survey: https://lnkd.in/gYMqFpQF #austinpetsalive #austinanimalcenter #austintexas

Lexis Ly is a PHD student at The University of British Columbia studying Animal Welfare. She has published fascinating studies on the reasons behind animal shelter intake, supported-self rehoming and more—much of which HASS' work is built upon! In this episode of People, Pets, and Purpose, we were delighted to speak with someone who has dedicated her time, profound research, and passion toward understanding how to keep people and pets together. Thank you for joining us and listen to the full episode below! https://lnkd.in/gM6VP4Kp

Leadership Transition Update: Vincent Medley, has accepted a new role and is resigning as Director of the Human Animal Support Services project, effective July 21, 2024. The entire HASS and Austin Pets Alive team will forever be grateful to Vincent for all of his contributions to the immense undertaking we call HASS! From the HASS Playbook launch, new programming implementation with our 22 pilot shelters and his field services expertise, his leadership has been a significant force for this project. While we are immensely grateful for all Vincent has brought to HASS and are sad to see him go, his departure does not signal the end of HASS. HASS is much bigger than one leader or even a group of individuals and it will continue the great work we've done to keep people and pets together! Please see a job description for the Interim Director role below and we appreciate the continued support of HASS in the future. https://lnkd.in/eJ_Nvb5