INTRO TO

SHELTER
MEDICINE
The Shelter

• Shelter Types
• Segregation vs Quarantine vs Isolation housing

The Medicine

• Medical Team OUTLINE

• Daily Responsibilities

The Magic

• Source to Home
• Pathway planning
• Capacity for Care
THE SHELTER
WHAT IS A SHELTER?

• Municipal Shelters vs Non-Profits

• Open Admission vs Limited Admission

Shelters

• Animal Rescue Groups

HOUSING AT SFSPCA

Leanne B. Roberts Animal Care (LRC)

Maddie’s Adoption Center (MAC)

Shelter Annex (SA)

 PHYSICAL SEPARATION

The ASV Guidelines for

Standards of Care in Animal
Shelters recommend that from
the point of shelter entry,
animals should be separated by:
• age
• species
• physical health status
• behavioral health status
ISOLATION HOUSING

Housing by physical health status:

• Sick animals are housed separately
from healthy ones
• Isolated housing until cleared of
disease
Separate housing for:
• Panleukopenia
• Ringworm
• Parvo
• Distemper
 QUARANTINE HOUSING

Housing by disease exposed status:

• Separate housing from rest of population
• Usually for a discrete time period (10-14
days)
 FOSTER CARE

All the benefits of segregation and then some:

• Lower exposure to disease than at the shelter
• Opportunities for socialization, exploration and
expressing a wide range of normal behaviors
• Dedicated caregiver(s)
 The Shelter
THE MEDICINE Medicine Team
SHELTER MEDICINE
 SHELTER MEDICINE

Shelter medicine specialists are knowledgeable in:

Epidemiology Facility design

Preventative medicine Public health
Infectious disease control Policy development
Animal behavior Veterinary forensics
Surgery
 SHELTER MEDICINE TEAM

Veterinarians
Veterinary Assistants and Registered Technicians
Medical Volunteers

The shelter medicine team ensures that each animal:

• Receives preventative care
• Receives any needed health care
• Is well and ready for a forever home!
 A DAY IN THE LIFE
“ S O Y O U G E T T O P L AY W I T H P U P P I E S A N D K I T T E N S A L L D AY ”

Lots of physical exams

Sneezing Coughing

Vomiting Diarrhea
A DAY IN THE LIFE

Vaccination
Oral, eye, topical medication

Diagnostics

Data
collection
and analysis
 A DAY IN THE LIFE
SUPPORTIVE CARE

Supportive care includes

things like bandage changes,
fluids, wound care,
medicated bath
SPORE
VOLUNTEER CONTRIBUTIONS
VOLUNTEER CONTRIBUTIONS
THE MAGIC
SOURCE TO HOME
Source to home (STH): the process from source shelters through adoption

Includes every team in the shelter: Intake, Foster, Behavior, Medical,

Volunteer Engagement and Adoptions

Source Shelters:
SF ACC
CHATT (California Humane Animal Transport Team)
Tulare
Kings
Fresno
Merced
Other out of county
Stockton
Oakland
Sacramento
LENGTH OF STAY

LOS = time period from intake

to adoption
 CAPACITY

How many animals in your shelter?

Guiding principles:
• Adoption Driven Capacity
• Capacity for Care
 ADOPTIONS

Every time one animal is adopted, another

animal gets a chance at the spotlight.

Fill the shelter with animals

the community wants.
 CAPACITY FOR CARE IS…

…hunger and
thirst

…to behave Freedom …discomfort

normally
from…

…fear and …pain, injury,

distress illness
 CAPACITY FOR CARE IS…

Providing our best care to a population that is the right size

for us.
 SHELTER MEDICINE MAGIC

Empty kennel space in your shelter on any given day leads

to more animals having access to the shelter overall.
 Spay or Neuter

Arrival IPE ADOPTED!

Available
 Foster Care

Spay or Neuter

Arrival IPE Medical Care ADOPTED!

Available