Resources

 
 

Adoptions

  • Adopting a New Dog? Here Are Tips for a Smooth Transition by Kelley Bollen (PDF)

  • Adopting a New Cat? Here Are Tips for a Smooth Transition by Mark Robison (PDF)

  • Adopting a Feral Cat? Here’s Why You Might Want To and How To Keep Them Safe by Mark Robison (PDF​)

  • Bringing Your New Cat Home by Kelley Bollen (PDF)

  • Creating Adoption Processes That Truly Support Saving Lives by Bonney Brown for ASPCAPro (webinar – external link)

  • Marketing to Dramatically Increase and Sustain Adoptions by Bonney Brown for ASPCAPro (webinar – external link)

  • Marketing Treatable Pets: Every Creature Has a Story by Bonney Brown for Maddie’s Fund (video – external link)

  • Seeking a Pet This Holiday Season? Try Adoption by Bonney Brown (PDF)

  • 10 Top Tips to Save More Lives by Increasing Pet Adoptions from Your Shelter or Rescue Group by Bonney Brown and Diane Blankenburg for Embrace Pet Health Insurance (PDF)

  • The True Cost and Value of Pet Adoptions by Bonney Brown for ASPCAPro (webinar – external link)

  • Turbocharging Pet Adoptions and Community Engagement by Bonney Brown (PDF)

  • Examples of adoption promotion videos:

    • Adopt a Black Pet for Nevada Humane Society (YouTube)

    • Adopt a Hamster by Humane Network's Ryan Petersen for Nevada SPCA (YouTube)

    • Adoption Entrance Dance for Nevada Humane Society (YouTube)

    • Bruce, a handsome cat from Nevada Humane Society who will do tricks for treats! (YouTube)

    • How to Save a Life for Nevada Humane Society (YouTube)

    • Home for the Holidays PSA: Cat for Nevada Humane Society (YouTube)

    • Home for the Holidays PSA: Dog for Nevada Humane Society (YouTube)

    • Home for the Holidays PSA: Trooper Chuck Allen for Nevada Humane Society (YouTube)   

    • June Is Adopt a Cat Month at Nevada Humane Society (YouTube)​

Animal Behavior

  • Best Ways to Ways to Enrich Lives of Animals in Shelters – Shelter Success Simplified podcast with Kelley Bollen (Listen)

  • Best Ways to Reduce Stress in Shelter Animals – Shelter Success Simplified podcast with Kelley Bollen (Listen)

  • Cat Behavior webinar by Kelley Bollen, MS, CABC for Alley Cat Allies

    • Understanding Your Feline Friend – Part 1 of 3 (webinar – external link)

    • Behavioral Enrichment for Your Cat – Part 2 of 3 (webinar – external link)

    • Common Behavior Problems in Cats – Part 3 of 3 (webinar – external link)

  • Managing Destructive Scratching Behavior in Cats by Kelley Bollen, MS, CABC for Cornell University's College of Veterinary Medicine

    • Welcome ​– Part 1 of 6 (video – external link)

    • Why Do Cats Scratch – Part 2 of 6 (video – external link)

    • Selecting a Scratching Post – Part 3 of 6 (video – external link)

    • Placing the Scratching Post – Part 4 of 6 (video – external link)

    • Positive Reinforcement and Discouragement – Part 5 of 6 (video – external link)

    • Managing Claws – Part 6 of 6 (video – external link)

  • More Than Just A Pretty Face – The Amazingness of Our Feline and Canine Friends by Kelley Bollen (video – external link)

  • How to Help People Resolve Some Common Behavior Problems and Keep Their Pets - conference presentation by Kelley Bollen (video – external link)

  • Stress Recognition and Enrichment for Shelter Cats and Dogs by Kelley Bollen (video – external link)

  • Articles to help adopters with pet behavior questions by Kelley Bollen, MS, CABC:

    • Adopting a New Dog? Here Are Tips for a Smooth Transition (PDF)

    • Can My Cat Go Outside? Yes, If Done Safely (PDF)

    • Does My Dog Know the Difference Between Right and Wrong? (PDF​)

    • How Do I Get My Dog to Stop Jumping on People? (PDF​)

    • How to Enrich the Life of a Bored Indoor Cat (PDF​)

    • How to Handle Chewing by Your New Dog (PDF​)

    • How to Make Vet Visits Less Scary for Your Dog or Cat (PDF​)

    • How to prepare pets for arrival of a new baby (PDF​)

    • How to stop your cat from scratching furniture (PDF​)

    • How to teach your dog come and stay commands (PDF​)

    • How to teach your dog to bark less (PDF​)

    • Resource Guarding Tips for Dogs Who Growl Over Toys or Food (PDF​)

    • Tips for dogs with separation anxiety (PDF​)

    • What to do when your dog pulls on the leash (PDF)

    • Why Does My Cat Keep Attacking Me – and How Do I Redirect Her? (PDF​)

    • Why Your Cat Is Hiding and How to Help Her Feel Safe (PDF)

 

Animal Services

  • What About Complaints? Managing Communications When Your Organization Adopts a TNR or SNR Policy by Bonney Brown & Diane Blankenburg for Alley Cat Allies (PDF)

  • Win-Win for Animal Services - Reducing Costs While Improving Customer Service and Public Support by Mitch Schneider presented at the Alliance for Innovation Conference and No-Kill Conference (PDF)

 

Boards of Directors

  • Humane Network’s Board Recruitment and Development Sample Documents by Bonney Brown & Diane Blankenburg

    • Nonprofit Board Meeting Minutes – What Needs to Be in Them (Word)​

    • Template: Ballot for Officers of Nonprofit Board of Directors (Word)​

    • Template: Nonprofit Board Candidate Information packet (Word)​

    • Template: Nonprofit Board Meeting Agenda (Word)​

    • Template: Nonprofit Board Member Agreement (Word)​

    • Template: Nonprofit Board of Directors Candidate Application (Word)​

    • Template: Nonprofit Board of Directors Candidate Final Interview Form (Word)​

    • Template: Questions to ask nonprofit board candidates Round 1 and 2 (Word)​

    • Template: Spreadsheet for assessing nonprofit board member applicants (Excel)​

  • Having 'The Talk' With Your Board of Directors by Bonney Brown from Animal Sheltering magazine (PDF)

  • ​Newly added: More Effective Meetings Using Martha's Rules of Order by Humane Network (PDF)

 

Community Assessment

  • Assessing Your Community to Save More Animals’ Lives by Bonney Brown – originally for Maddie’s Fund (webinar)

 

Community Cats/RTF/TNR

  • Addressing Common Concerns About Outdoor Cats - One-Page Solution (PDF)

  • Adopting a Feral Cat? Here’s Why You Might Want To and How To Keep Them Safe by Mark Robison (PDF​)

  • Cats in the Neighborhood FAQ - for sharing with concerned neighbors (PDF)

  • Conflict Resolution Tips for Community Cat Disputes (PDF)

  • Got Outdoor Cat Complaints? Try These Tips by Mark Robison (PDF​)

  • How to Support TNR in Your Community Without Doing It All by Bonney Brown & Diane Blankenburg for Alley Cat Allies (PDF)

  • Reducing Shelter Admissions and Saving Lives with a Cat Help Desk (includes a Cat Help Desk handbook) by Bonney Brown & Diane Blankenburg for Alley Cat Allies (PDF)

  • Resolving Neighbor Disputes - solutions to common concerns about outdoor cats (PDF)

  • What About Complaints? Managing Communications When Your Organization Adopts a TNR or SNR Policy by Bonney Brown & Diane Blankenburg for Alley Cat Allies (PDF)

 

Customer Service

  • Checklist for great customer service (Word doc)

  • Customer Service self-paced training module for animal welfare organizations by Diane Blankenburg (PDF)

 

Disaster Preparedness

  • Disaster Proofing a Community Cat Colony by Bonney Brown for Alley Cat Allies (PDF)

  • How to Include Pets in Your Family Disaster Preparedness Plan by Bonney Brown for Alley Cat Allies (PDF)

 

Fundraising/Development

  • Best Fundraising Strategies During COVID-19 – Shelter Success Simplified podcast with Amy Eisenstein (Listen)

  • Best Ways to Turn Small Donors Into Bigger Donors – Shelter Success Simplified podcast with Kim Klein (Listen)

  • End-of-Year Fundraising Ideas webinar 

    • PDF of PowerPoint from the webinar with Bonney Brown and Diane Blankenburg (PDF)

    • Video of the webinar and Q&A (watch - external link)

  • Fundraising for Animals in Challenging Times – Even a Pandemic by Bonney Brown and Dianne Blankenburg for Alley Cat Allies (webinar - external link)

  • How to Get Over Dislike of Asking for Donations – Shelter Success Simplified podcast Episode 17 with Michael Mountain (Listen)

  • Instructions for Donor Cultivation Thank You Calls (PDF)

  • One Good Story Can Raise Funds to Save Lives by Bonney Brown for Animal Sheltering Magazine (PDF)

  • Pawsome Strategies for Raising More Money by Bonney Brown for Alley Cat Allies (webinar - external link)

  • Sharing Stories to Raise Funds and Find Homes for Pets With Special Needs by Bonney Brown for Animal Sheltering magazine (PDF)

  • Virtual Fundraising Event Planning for Animal Welfare Organizations by Bonney Brown and Dianne Blankenburg (PDF)

 

Hiring and Recruitment

  • How to Hire for Executive-Level Positions – Shelter Success Simplified podcast with Bonney Brown (Listen)

  • Humane Network's Hiring and Recruitment sample documents for animal welfare organizations

    • ​Humane Network hiring philosophy and process (PDF)

    • ​Template: Applicant tracking form for Executive Director or CEO (Excel)

    • Template: Comparison overview for Executive Director or CEO candidates (Word)

    • ​Template: Employee improvement plan (Word)

    • Template: Employment offer letter (Word)

    • ​Template: Humane Network recruitment process and core competencies (Word)​

    • ​Template: Interview questions for an animal shelter rescue Executive Director (Word)​

    • ​Template: Job description and recruitment package Executive Director CEO animal shelter rescue (Word)

    • Template: Job interview form and guidelines for animal welfare organizations (Word)

    • ​​Template: Orientation recommendations for Executive Director or CEO new hires (Word)

    • ​Template: Phone screening questions round 1 for job candidates (Word)

    • ​Template: Staff evaluation form for Executive Director or CEO job candidates (Word)

    • ​Template: Timeline and steps for job recruitment process (Word)​

    • Tracking Document: Where to post job openings for Executive Director or CEO positions (Word)

 

History of Animal Sheltering

  • Speciesism - Alive and Well by Edward S. Duvin (PDF)

  • In the Name of Mercy by Edward S. Duvin (PDF)

  • The Killing Cure by Craig Brestrup, PhD (PDF)

  • Unintended Consequences by Craig Brestrup, PhD (PDF)

  • Prodigal Pets: A History of Animal Sheltering in America and the Origin of the No Kill Movement by Susan K. Houser (PDF ebook)

Keeping Pets in Homes/Pet Retention

  • Nurturing the Bond: A sympathetic ear can go a long way to keeping pets in homes by Bonney Brown for Animal Sheltering magazine (PDF)

  • Reducing Shelter Admissions and Saving Lives with a Cat Help Desk (includes a Cat Help Desk handbook) by Bonney Brown & Diane Blankenburg for Alley Cat Allies (PDF)

  • Reducing Shelter Admissions With an Animal Help Desk by Bonney Brown for Maddie's Fund (PDF)

 
 

Leadership

  • Bingo card sample for helping staff adopt new policies and procedures (PDF)

  • Co-Leadership example — possible way to divide responsibilities (PDF)

  • Compassion fatigue resources (PDF)

  • Employee recognition

    • Template: Employee recognition program (Word)

    • Template: Nomination form for employee recognition (Word)

  • How to Change a Judgmental Shelter Culture – Shelter Success Simplified podcast with Gina Knepp (Listen)

  • How to Get Your Staff to Function as a Team – Shelter Success Simplified podcast with Diane Blankenburg (Listen)

  • How We Did It - The Story of Nevada Humane Society's Successes by Bonney Brown and Diane Blankenburg 

  • Mission statements - explanation and samples by Humane Network (PDF)

  • Organization self-assessment by Humane Network (PDF)

  • Sailing Through the Changes: Lessons learned at Nevada Humane Society by Bonney Brown for Animal Sheltering Magazine (PDF)

  • Unleashing the Leader in You - keynote presentation by Bonney Brown at Maddie's Saving Nevada's Pets Conference

    • Video (coming soon)

    • PowerPoint presentation (coming soon)

    • Handout: Organizational self-assessment (PDF)

    • Handout: Self-analysis chart and big things (PDF)

  • Which Animal Are You?

    • Which Animal Are You - overview and handout (PDF)

    • Which Animal Are You - instructions and animal style information (PDF)

    • Which Animal Are You - inventory questionnaire (PDF)

    • Which Animal Are You - inventory scoring (PDF)

 

Marketing & Communications

  • Are Pets OK as Gifts? Sure, With Common Sense by Mark Robison (PDF​)

  • The Art of Communication - Knowing What to Say to Boost Your Organizations Effectiveness by Bonney Brown for Animal Sheltering Magazine (PDF)

  • How to Get Media Attention for Your Animal Organization – Shelter Success Simplified podcast with Mark Robison (Listen)

  • How to Handle Haters on Social Media – Shelter Success Simplified podcast with Gina Knepp (Listen)

  • Lasting Impressions How to Get the Word Out About Your Organization by Bonney Brown for Animal Sheltering Magazine (PDF)

  • One Good Story Can Raise Funds to Save Lives by Bonney Brown for Animal Sheltering Magazine (PDF)

  • Sharing Stories, Saving Lives - Raising funds and finding homes for special needs pets by Bonney Brown for Animal Sheltering Magazine (PDF)

  • Tips for Taking Photos at Animal Shelters by Kimberly Wade, Mark Robison, and Bonney Brown (PDF)

  • Why Free Pet Adoptions Are a Good Thing by Mark Robison (PDF​)

Operations and Programs

  • Facial Recognition Technology Could Save Your Lost Pet by Mark Robison (PDF)

  • How to Lower a Shelter's Animal Population and Keep It Down – Shelter Success Simplified podcast with Denise Stevens (Listen)

  • The Power of Taking a Walk by Bonney Brown for Animal Sheltering Magazine (PDF)

  • Newly added: Steps for planning an animal shelter (PDF)

    • ​Newly added: Creating a Plan for New Facility or Expansion of Services (PDF)

  • Newly added: Volunteer ideas they can do at home during the pandemic (Word doc)

  • Checklists:

    • Shelter Walk-Through  (PDF)

    • Make Your Shelter a Welcoming Place (PDF)

  • Template: Budget for an animal shelter or rescue group by Bonney Brown (Excel)

  • Toolkit: Saving Cats and Kittens With a Foster Care Program by Diane Blankenburg and Bonney Brown for Alley Cat Allies (PDF)

 
 

Columns for General Public by Humane Network

  • By Mark Robison, originally published in the Reno Gazette-Journal

    • Is CBD Safe for Your Dog? Here’s What the Science Says (PDF)

    • Adopting a New Cat? Here Are Tips for a Smooth Transition (PDF)

    • Adopting a Feral Cat? Here’s Why You Might Want To and How To Keep Them Safe (PDF)

    • Why Free Pet Adoptions Are a Good Thing (PDF)

    • Should You Bathe Your Cat? Generally, No – Let Them Lick! (PDF)

    • Pet Benefits: Dog Ownership Linked to 65% Drop in Death Risk After Heart Attack (PDF)

    • Got Outdoor Cat Complaints? Try These Tips (PDF)

    • Facial Recognition Technology Could Save Your Lost Pet (PDF)

    • 6 pawsome gift ideas for the dog lover in your life (PDF)

    • Are Pets OK as Gifts? Sure, With Common Sense (PDF)

    • Winter Pet Dangers: Some Ice Melts and Warm Engine Compartments (PDF)

    • Simple Ideas to Improve Your Cat or Dogs Quality of Life (PDF)

    • How to Help Pets With Your Personal Facebook Page (PDF)

    • Pet Cremation: Here’s What to Expect (PDF)

    • Want Your Dog to Live Longer? Studies Give Hints (PDF)

    • Many Human Health Benefits Linked to Having a Pet (PDF)

    • Want to help animals? Here’s what shelters want in a volunteer (PDF)

    • Study: Cats bond with humans as much or more than dogs (PDF)

    • Nevada shines in survey on cats and dogs (PDF)

    • Spay neuter of 142 pets Wadsworth shows need in rural areas (PDF)

  • By Bonney Brown, originally published in the Reno Gazette-Journal

    • How to Include Pets in Your Family’s Wildfire Evacuation Plan (PDF)

    • How to Make Your Garden Safe for Your Pets (PDF)

    • How to Cope With a Pets Death (PDF)

    • Tips From a Pet Detective on How Best to Find Your Lost Cat or Dog (PDF)

    • What to do if you find a baby rabbit or bird (PDF)

      • I Found a Baby Bird - Now What? by Shannon K. Jacobs (PDF)

      • I Found a Baby Mammal (rabbit, squirrel, mouse, etc.) - Now What? by Shannon K. Jacobs (PDF)

    • Cat’s Pajamas: Pets Find Their Way Into Everyday Expressions (PDF)

    • Seeking a Pet This Holiday Season? Try Adoption (PDF)

    • Can Animals Sense Impending Disaster? (PDF)

    • Why People Often Look Like Their Pets (PDF)

    • Cats’ Purring Found to Benefit Human Health (PDF)

 

Podcast Episodes - Shelter Success Simplified

  • Ep41 - Advice for new leaders on creating positive culture with Diaz Dixon of Eddy House and American Pets Alive’s Human Animal Support Services executive committee (Listen)

  • Ep40 - How to maintain good communications with your staff with Phillip Zimmerman of Front Street Animal Shelter (Listen)

  • Ep39 - How to prevent your own compassion fatigue with Anne Lindsay of the Massachusetts Animal Coalition (Listen)

  • Ep38 - How to recruit and retain happy productive staff with Dr. Steve Kochis of Oregon Humane Society (Listen)

  • Ep37 - How to propose or best support a cat declaw ban with Dr. Jennifer Conrad of The Paw Project (Listen)

  • Ep36 - Resource tricks to keep animals out of shelters with Dr. Cindi Delany of the UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program (Listen)

  • Ep35 - How to support your team's compassion fatigue with clinical psychologist Linda Harper (Listen)

  • Ep34 - Tips to help new leaders in animal welfare with Kurt Fenstermacher of the city of El Paso (Listen)

  • Ep33 - New national initiative for lost-found pets — what it is, why join with Susanne Kogut of the Petco Foundation (Listen)

  • Ep32 - How San Diego Humane Society developed successful virtual community engagement programs with Elkie Wills of San Diego Humane (Listen)

  • Ep31 - When to release healthy, friendly free-roaming cats rather than adopting them out with Kate Hurley of Million Cat Challenge (Listen)

  • Ep30 - How and why to expand access to veterinary care with Rick DuCharme, founder of First Coast No More Homeless Pets (Listen)

  • Ep29 - When and how to change your logo and branding with Steve Goebel of Toe Shark Visual Communications (Listen)

  • Ep28 - How shelter leaders can support their organizations' TNR programs with Becky Robinson of Alley Cat Allies (Listen)

  • Ep27 - Developing partnerships with government agencies and other groups with Joy Smith of FieldHaven Feline Center (Listen)

  • Ep26 - End-of-year fundraising tips and ideas with Diane Blankenburg and Bonney Brown of Humane Network (Listen)

  • Ep25 - Basics to know about animal shelter finances and HR with Chelsea Staley of Petco Foundation (Listen)

  • Ep24 - Tech solutions for animal foster care programs with Chris Roy, founder of Doobert (Listen)

  • Ep23 - Safe animal handling advice for clinic and shelter staff with Kelley Bollen, CABC, MS (Listen)

  • Ep22 - How to create a good nonprofit board of directors with Jill Vacchina-Dobbs of SPCA of Northern Nevada (Listen)

  • Ep21 - Innovative animal shelter strategies inspired by COVID with Mike Arms of Helen Woodward Animal Center (Listen)

  • Ep20 - What grant funders look for in grant applications with Chelsea Staley of Petco Foundation (Listen)

  • Ep19 - Efficiencies and new processes for foster care with Cristie Kamiya of Humane Society Silicon Valley (Listen)

  • Ep18 - How to better engage your community with storytelling about the human-animal bond with Carol Novello of Mutual Rescue (Listen)

  • Ep17 - Ideas for animal shelter and rescue leaders to do now with Francis Battista of Best Friends Animal Society (Listen)

  • Ep16 - How animal welfare organizations can improve access to veterinary care in their communities with Aimee St.Arnaud of Open Door Veterinary Care (Listen) 

  • Ep15 - Tips for shelter veterinary clinic efficiencies during COVID with Heather Sartorelli, Registered Veterinary Technician and founder of Clinic Mentorship Services (Listen)

  • Ep14 - How Jacksonville (FL) Humane stayed open during COVID with Denise Deisler of Jacksonville (FL) Humane Society (Listen)

  • Ep13 - Disaster preparation during COVID for animal shelters with Joe Elmore of Charleston (SC) Animal Society (Listen)

  • Ep12 - Technology solutions and innovations for animal welfare groups with Stacy LeBaron of Community Cats Podcast (Listen)

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See earlier podcasts on our podcast page.