Leadership and Program Delivery in Speci

Leadership and Program Delivery in Special Needs Areas : 

Leadership and Program Delivery in Special Needs Areas Designing Programs in Rural, Isolated or Other High Needs Regions

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This presentation is based on services provided at the Sicangu Lakota Nation (Rosebud Sioux Tribe) of South Dakota, southeastern and central Oklahoma, and the Wind River Reservation of Wyoming. Funding for these efforts has been generously provided by: Friends of Animals PetCo Foundation PetSmart Charities IFAW Summerlee Foundation

Leadership is the Key to Success Leadership Means Creating Communication in Order to Develop Effective Services While Overcoming… : 

Leadership is the Key to Success Leadership Means Creating Communication in Order to Develop Effective Services While Overcoming… Geographic isolation Social isolation Poverty Cultural issues

Isolating Factors : 

Isolating Factors Chronic poverty Rural isolation and Social and/ or racial marginalization Create an atmosphere in which the needs of animals are often overlooked. Overt animal neglect and/ or cruelty can evolve. Animal abuse is often a symptom of human suffering.

Work As An Equal… : 

Work As An Equal… Do not bypass the local infrastructure or authority. This will take extra time but will ‘embed’ your program. Work with tribal offices, religious organizations or other community service agencies. Find common ground; your efforts will be appreciated. They know more than you do about their problems .

Include local authorities in press releases and publicity, and make sure their efforts are recognized. : 

Include local authorities in press releases and publicity, and make sure their efforts are recognized.

Reasons for Other People’s Involvement May Not Be Your Own: Validate Them : 

Reasons for Other People’s Involvement May Not Be Your Own: Validate Them Health and safety issues Cultural and community issues Animal welfare A combination of all

Communication Means… : 

Communication Means… Recognizing that, “how things got like this,” effects how things are! This is about empowerment. Ask questions, incorporate suggestions. Do not minimize the experiences of those you’re assisting. The experience of animal ownership may be very different for those you’re serving; do not expect others to be like you. If you are not genuinely respectful, someone else should communicate with your host. Be sensitive to issues that may not seem relevant to you. Understand the logistics of the area you are serving, including roads, transportation, availability of phones, outreach, etc.

Creating a Strategy for Effective Change… : 

Creating a Strategy for Effective Change… Defining the problems Designing the program

Problems: : 

Problems: Large numbers of unowned animals, possibly unsocialized. Starvation, neglect Overt acts of cruelty toward the animals Packs of roaming or feral dogs and cats Bites

Partners May Be… : 

Partners May Be… Health administration or law enforcement agency Chamber of Commerce Social service agencies Community activism organizations Humane shelters in other areas willing to accept relinquished animals

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Communication about change and goals evolves into assessment, planning, logistics and ultimately service delivery.

Your Goal is Changing Animal Care Habits, Not Just Having a Single Event! : 

Your Goal is Changing Animal Care Habits, Not Just Having a Single Event!

Families Bring Pets to RST Clinics : 

Families Bring Pets to RST Clinics

Defining the Problems Closely… : 

Defining the Problems Closely… Are the animals in housing areas? Are these owned or, ‘community animals?’ Who/ what authority will cooperate in this effort?

Starting Your Assessment: How Many Animals Are There? : 

Starting Your Assessment: How Many Animals Are There? Cats? Dogs?

Where Are They? : 

Where Are They? Are they in central areas? Who will bring them to a clinic or transport vehicle?

Designing the Program : 

Designing the Program “Something,” is NOT better than nothing. A well planned program is necessary for people to be able to consider spay/ neuter and pet care to be part of their lifestyle. If people are turned away because of limited space, if the program is otherwise not designed to be effective, there will be little chance that you’ll make a convert to spay/ neuter!

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Base your program on an estimate of the numbers of animals to be served. An undersized program will have a diminished effect. An over-estimate wastes money, but is better than being under prepared. Do the best you can, but understand it is just an estimate. Consider the weather, roads, distance for service providers to travel, etc., when designing the program.

Target Your Timing- Prevention is the Key! : 

Target Your Timing- Prevention is the Key! Three clinics per year enables you to start before female dogs go into estrus for the first time of the year, and to terminate pregnancies thereafter. If you will visit the location only once, go in the spring if possible and plan a large outreach and volume. A spay in May is far more effective than spaying the same animal AFTER she has had a litter in July.

Types of Services : 

Types of Services M*A*S*H style services Clinic equipment is brought to the site and is set up in a large building with suitable temperature controls and running water, etc. Frequency of visits, and the volume of surgeries per clinic, are based on the level of services needed overall and the logistics of getting people on site.

Blitz : 

Blitz A blitz is a M*A*S*H service involving multiple vets and planned as a start up service in remote locations. Basically this is a M*A*S*H service on a very large scale.

Mobile Spay/ Neuter Services : 

Mobile Spay/ Neuter Services “On-board recovery,” unit means that the animals remain on the unit from intake through recovery. The unit contains the surgery room, prep area and cages and generally relies on staff from the program. The number of animals served is generally limited by the available cage space on the unit.

Off-board Recovery Mobile Unit : 

Off-board Recovery Mobile Unit “Off-board recovery,” means that the mobile unit contains the surgery area only. The animals remain in cages in a different building until they enter the unit for surgery and are then returned to cages once they are sternal. This requires a temperature controlled building with running water, such as a garage, armory, etc. It also requires additional staffing to monitor the building, usually volunteers. An off-board mobile unit is much less money to purchase.

Off-board recovery unit : 

Off-board recovery unit

Pros and Cons : 

Pros and Cons M*A*S*H programs are not limited as to the number of veterinarians or surgery tables that may be used at one time. These are best for high volume start up. M*A*S*H services require a suitable space for recovery.

Mobile Units : 

Mobile Units Have temperature controlled space, running water, etc., already in place. Are limited to a specific number of veterinarians, usually one. May also be limited in the number of surgeries due to space constraints. If outside building is used for recovery, additional volunteers may be needed.

For more information on rural program start-up contact: : 

For more information on rural program start-up contact: ruths@animalallianceok.org or ruthsteinberger@yahoo.com