Learn about new initiative for lost-found pets - Ep33

02/19/21 • 29 min

Guest: Susanne Kogut is president of the Petco Foundation. She started out in corporate law before her passion for animals led her to become executive director of the Charlottesville-Albemarle SPCA. She is also vice-chair of the board of trustees for HABRI, the Human Animal Bond Research Institute.

Main question: How does Petco Foundation's new lost-and-found-pets initiative work, and why should shelter organizations participate?

Takeaways:

1 in 3 pets will be lost during their lifetimes, about 10 million each year.

Because supporting the human-animal bond is a fundamental part of our missions, getting them back home should be a priority for animal welfare organizations.

Petco Foundation is creating a national database and leveraging pet facial recognition technology so that there is one central place to seek help with a lost or found pet, making a successful outcome more likely. Dogs and cats are included.

It’s free to sign up and connects with many existing shelter management software platforms.

Grant opportunities are available to encourage groups to sign up so that their animals are included in the database. Additional grants are available to help organizations get animal management software if they don’t already. See Petcofoundation.org/findingrover for details.

“Stray” can have negative connotations so consider using “lost” or “missing” to describe pets who are found or picked up.

And lastly, it’s important not to make assumptions about pets who come to your organization looking rough. Such pets very well may come from loving families but being out in the elements or underlying health issues may give a false appearance of neglect.

Links:

Petco Foundation

Signup and details for Petco Foundation lost-and-found-pets initiative: https://www.petcofoundation.org/findingrover

Leadership recommendation: Tips on using Martha's Rules for board and other meetings

Recorded February 16, 2021

Main question: How does Petco Foundation's new lost-and-found-pets initiative work, and why should shelter organizations participate?

Takeaways:

1 in 3 pets will be lost during their lifetimes, about 10 million each year.

Because supporting the human-animal bond is a fundamental part of our missions, getting them back home should be a priority for animal welfare organizations.

It’s free to sign up and connects with many existing shelter management software platforms.

“Stray” can have negative connotations so consider using “lost” or “missing” to describe pets who are found or picked up.

Links:

Petco Foundation

Signup and details for Petco Foundation lost-and-found-pets initiative: https://www.petcofoundation.org/findingrover

Leadership recommendation: Tips on using Martha's Rules for board and other meetings

Recorded February 16, 2021

Previous Episode

Strategies for successful virtual community events - Ep32

GUEST: Elkie Wills is the senior director of community engagement at San Diego Humane Society, where she has held a number of positions over the past 11 years. She was also community outreach coordinator at Humane Society of Yuma, Arizona.

MAIN QUESTION: What can organizations do to successfully engage their communities virtually?

TAKEAWAYS:

It’s important to keep in touch with donors and supporters especially when in-person meetings and events are not possible during the pandemic. Virtual communications can fill this gap.
Your organization can reach as many people or more with virtual programs than with in-person ones.
Virtual programs allow flexibility to try a wider range of topics with a wider range of guests. And people can participate in the program from anywhere, increasing your potential audience.
Adults can be an important virtual audience, even more than kids.
Virtual tours with a limit on attendance can be a great way to make a strong connection with supporters. Supporters can view areas that may otherwise be off limits, such as surgical suites, and they can get up close with animals who might otherwise be shy around crowds.

LINKS:

San Diego Humane Society
Canva — for creating professional designs, including video presentations
StreamYard — for improving live streaming events such as on Facebook Live
Convio — for online fundraising
Leadership recommendation: Mail-Tester.com

Next Episode

Tips to help new leaders in animal welfare - Ep34

GUEST: Kurt Fenstermacher is currently Deputy Director of the Environmental Services Department for the city of El Paso. He also created a new El Paso Department of Animal Services, which has an open-admission shelter with annual admissions of more than 25,000 animals where he was interim director for two years. He is also a Certified Animal Welfare Administrator with the Association for Animal Welfare Advancement and currently a teaching assistant with University of the Pacific’s Animal Shelter Management Certificate Program.

MAIN QUESTION: What advice do you have for new animal welfare leaders and managers?

TAKEAWAYS:

Follow the five practices of exemplary leadership laid out in the book “The Leadership Challenge":

~ Model the way – set an example with your own actions

~ Inspire a shared vision toward fulfilling your organization’s mission and goals.

~ Challenge the process to find ways to improve your organization.

~ Enable others to act

~ And encourage the heart – celebrate your team’s successes.

For one week, track how you use your time. Often how we think we are using time is not how we are actually using it. Developing time management skills are essential for leaders and managers.

Share your mission and goals regularly and widely such as at the bottom of meeting agendas and posted around your facility.

If you're a new leader, don’t expect to know everything. Ask for help.

Revisit the five Leadership Challenge practices to make sure you've, say, been celebrating achievements and modeling high standards of work behavior, etc.

LINKS

Book: "The Leadership Challenge: How to Make Extraordinary Things Happen in Organizations" by James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner

Webpage: The Leadership Challenge's Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership Model

Book: "From Bud to Boss: Secrets to a Successful Transition to Remarkable Leadership" by Kevin Eikenberry and Guy Harris

Website: Bud to Boss workshops

University of the Pacific's animal shelter management certificate program run by Humane Network

Leadership recommendation: “12 Best Donor Management Software Comparison"