Three Things to Know
Triage, a system used to prioritize patient care based on urgency and resource availability, is a common practice in human medicine. While less common in animal shelters before the COVID-19 pandemic, recent years have seen a growing trend in their adoption.
Driven by the need to ensure the safety of both staff and the public during the pandemic, many shelters transitioned to appointment-based systems for animal intake. This unexpected shift revealed several operational benefits. By scheduling appointments, shelters could ensure that the appropriate staff were available to handle each case effectively.
Furthermore, keeping animals within their homes or communities whenever possible offers significant advantages. This approach increases the likelihood of lost pets being reunited with their owners or finding new homes within their familiar social circles. By reducing the number of animals housed within the shelter, it also significantly improves staff morale, creating a more positive and sustainable work environment.
For Dog Welfare Practitioners:
Managed intake or triage systems can be a contentious topic within the dog shelter community, with some members of the public expressing concerns that shelters are shifting the burden of care onto the community. However, with proper implementation and transparent communication, this does not need to be the case.
A successful triage system requires judgment, flexibility, and empathy from shelter staff. Staff must be empowered to make difficult decisions, such as determining which dogs require immediate shelter admission and which can be addressed through alternative solutions. Flexibility is crucial, as situations can change quickly. Furthermore, staff must consistently demonstrate courtesy and empathy towards both owners and members of the public, actively listening to their concerns while clearly explaining the shelter’s capacity and the rationale behind their decisions.
Implementing a successful triage system requires significant investment. Shelters must invest in comprehensive training for staff to develop the necessary skills and judgment. Furthermore, a robust support system is essential, including a strong network of foster caregivers and enhanced shelter resources such as improved veterinary care and equipment for temporary foster caregivers. These resources are crucial to provide temporary care for animals while exploring alternative solutions and bridging the gap until shelter space becomes available.
The Full Picture
Triage, a strategy widely used in human general practice medicine, prioritizes patient care based on urgency and available resources. It considers why the patient seeks help, the type of assistance needed, the urgency, and the best-suited provider. This approach ensures that critical cases receive immediate care while non-urgent cases are scheduled or managed remotely, enhancing efficiency, reducing physician workload, and improving access for patients. Though it may not always provide instant results, triage systems are essential for maintaining organized, effective, and accessible healthcare.
Triage is largely absent in North American animal shelters. As animals are often admitted unscheduled, this hinders the shelter’s ability to handle urgent cases and potentially causes unnecessary admissions. For instance, stray pets may have a better chance of reuniting with their owners if they remain in the community, especially for low-income families facing barriers to shelter access. Additionally, alternatives like helping owners keep their pets at home or finding new homes independently can be more humane and effective than immediate shelter placement for relinquishment cases.
Implementing a triage system would allow shelters to optimize resource allocation, enhance animal welfare, and better serve the community by providing more appropriate and effective solutions for animals and their owners. In this study, titled “The Evolving Role of Triage and Appointment-Based Admission to Improve Service, Care and Outcomes in Animal Shelters”, the author examines the shifting trend from ad hoc, unscheduled intake to appointment-based triage system.
Trends Toward Triage in Animal Shelters
Animal shelters are increasingly adopting triage systems, such as Community-oriented Sheltering, Managed Admissions, Coordinated Entry, or Appointment-based Services, to provide more effective care for animals and their communities. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, organizations like the Humane Society of the United States and the ASPCA integrated these concepts into national campaigns, such as the Million Cat Challenge (2014–2019), which successfully utilized Managed Admissions to save over a million cats from euthanasia. Shelters like Austin Animal Center, implementing the Capacity for Care model, have demonstrated the clear benefits of triage. Data shows a significant improvement in outcomes, including a 20% reduction in disease and a 15% decrease in euthanasia rates.
The COVID-19 pandemic significantly accelerated the adoption of triage systems. As shelters transitioned to appointment-based services for safety reasons, the limitations of the previous unmanaged intake system became more apparent. These limitations included:
- Unnecessary impoundments: Leading to separation of pets from their families.
- Reduced reunion rates: Harder for pets to go home once they are removed from the community.
- Overcrowding: Increasing stress and disease among animals.
- Increased costs: Due to the strain on resources.
These negative consequences disproportionately affect marginalized communities. Pets from these communities are admitted to shelters at higher rates, yet their chances of leaving alive are often lower compared to pets from more affluent areas. Socioeconomic factors such as poverty, housing instability, and cultural barriers contribute to these disparities.
Unmanaged intake also hinders the ability to address the root causes of shelter intake. Support services, such as short-term care for pets during crises, medical or food assistance, and spay/neuter programs, are crucial for stabilizing human-animal bonds and preventing unnecessary shelter entries. Triage systems enable shelters to prioritize these services and address the underlying issues within the community.
Evolution of the Shelter Triage Model
The introduction of the “Human Animal Support Services” (HASS) model in 2020 revolutionized shelter triage by prioritizing community-based solutions to keep pets with their families. Key strategies include:
- Field Reunions: Actively reuniting lost pets with their owners in the community.
- Expanded Foster Care: Increasing the availability of foster homes to provide temporary care.
- Removing Barriers to Pet Retention: Addressing issues like affordability, access to veterinary care, and housing restrictions.
Some shelters have rebranded as “Pet Resource Centers” to better reflect their expanded role as community hubs for animal welfare. Shelter triage now involves a comprehensive evaluation of each situation, considering:
- Owner/Finder Goals: Understanding their desired outcome for the animal.
- Animal Needs: Assessing the animal’s health and behavioral requirements.
- Urgency of the Situation: Determining if immediate action is required.
- Available Resources: Evaluating the shelter’s capacity and community support options.
This approach allows for a range of responses, from immediate intake for critical cases to non-urgent appointments or guidance on managing the situation without shelter admission. Tools like phone assessments, web forms, and flow charts streamline this process, ensuring efficient and effective triage.
The HASS model has yielded significant benefits, including reduced shelter intake, lower disease rates, and decreased euthanasia. During the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. shelter intake dropped by 22%, leading to a 49% reduction in euthanasia rates. With fewer animals in the system, shelters could focus on providing higher-quality care and improving animal welfare outcomes.
Improved staff morale is a crucial byproduct of the HASS model. Reduced stress from euthanasia and predictable workflows contribute to a healthier and more sustainable work environment. This creates a “virtuous cycle,” freeing up resources for further investment in community-based support services, ultimately reducing the overall need for shelter intake.
The success of the Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care and Control’s Managed Intake program, recognized by leading animal welfare organizations like Maddie’s Fund, demonstrates the effectiveness of this approach. Many shelters have retained these triage practices post-pandemic, recognizing their significant contributions to improved animal welfare and more efficient shelter operations.
Conclusion
Animal shelters can significantly enhance their effectiveness by transitioning from traditional, unscheduled intake systems to appointment-based models. Unscheduled intake often leads to overcrowding, inefficient resource allocation, and potentially inappropriate admissions. Appointment-based systems allow for thoughtful assessments of each situation, enabling shelters to determine the most appropriate course of action for each animal, whether it’s shelter admission, community-based support, or other interventions. By doing so, shelters can build a more sustainable, equitable, and compassionate future for animals and the communities they serve.
Miscellaneous
Data From Study:
–
Year of Publication:
2022
External Link:
Hurley KF (2022) The Evolving Role of Triage and Appointment-Based Admission to Improve Service, Care and Outcomes in Animal Shelters. Front. Vet. Sci. 9:809340. https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2022.809340