Director's Corner

Dear Grey Muzzle Grantees,

Merriam-Webster defines collaborate as "to cooperate with an agency with which one is not immediately connected." While the pandemic has forced us apart physically, it has also connected us in unforeseen ways. My hope is that we continue to find common purpose with those to whom we are "not immediately connected" and look for opportunities to forge connections that will make the world a better place for senior dogs and those who love them. In this month’s issue of Director’s Corner, we explore how the events of 2020 have impacted the business of animal welfare, including the impact on collaboration. We hope you will share your experiences on our grantee Facebook page. Thanks for all you do to make life better for senior dogs and for sharing your successes and challenges. The more we can learn from one another, the more senior dogs we will help! Sincerely,

Lisa Lunghofer, PhD Executive Director

Revising Animal Sheltering Guidelines: What's Next?

The Association of Shelter Veterinarians (ASV) has convened a task force of 19 experts in shelter medicine to review and revise the “Guidelines for Standards of Care in Animal Shelters.” Of the changes, Dr. Jennifer Hawkins, chief veterinarian at Orange County Animal Care in California, said, “Animal shelters should be the last resort. By shifting to greater community engagement, we can create operations that allow our shelters to operate within capacity for care, rather than be completely overwhelmed and strained to deliver the care and enrichment we are driven to provide. So, this is our huge opportunity for major system change within the animal sheltering world.”  Read more in JAVMAnews here.

Human Animal Support Services: A New Model

Human Animal Support Services (HASS) is an international coalition of animal welfare leaders and organizations working to transform the role animal shelters and animal control agencies play in supporting animals and people in our communities. It includes 38 organizations that are pilot testing innovative programs and services focused on keeping animals in their homes and communities, building foster-centric animal service agencies, and empowering animal lovers to find solutions for common human-animal challenges. Pilot sites include Grey Muzzle grantees Michigan Humane and the Kaua`i Humane Society. Check out these FAQs.

Community Conversations To say there's a lot going on is surely an understatement. Originally in response to Covid-19, our friends at Maddie's Fund launched twice-weekly Zoom calls. While our struggles with Covid-19 continue, these calls have evolved into a safe space to come together and talk about difficult topics related to our shared goal of preserving the human-animal bond. Learn more here.

AAWA Conference Coming Soon! The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement Annual Conference is going virtual! The theme this year is collaboration and the content is focused on helping build the skills you will need not only to guide your teams through the pandemic, but also to adapt and thrive in our new normal. Learn more and register here.

Saving Seniors: A National Study

The Grey Muzzle Organization is pleased to share findings from the first national study focused specifically on the well-being of senior dogs. Saving Seniors: A Study of Strategies to Increase the Adoption of Senior Dogs provides an in-depth examination not only of programs to save senior dogs, but also the context in which those programs were implemented, and lessons learned. In fact, this is the first study to examine the state of efforts nationally to promote the well-being of senior dogs, beyond simply assessing live release rates. Read more here.

Invitation-Only Grant Cycle A foundation has approached us about interest in a special invitation-only grant cycle to pilot test innovative strategies to address our study findings. The idea is to award grants to three organizations that would implement programs focused on community outreach and collaboration to prevent senior dogs from being surrendered. Grantees would be part of a learning collaborative and participate in virtual meetings to share progress and challenges. If you are interested in being considered to participate, please send an email to lisa@greymuzzle.org.

Grantee Spotlight: Connecticut Humane Society

The Connecticut Humane Society (CHS) has been a Grey Muzzle grantee since 2016. They have used their grants to provide medical care to senior dogs from municipal animal control agencies statewide, helping to alleviate suffering, improve quality of life, and facilitate adoption. As the pandemic stretches local resources and budgets, CHS’s collaborative efforts are more important than ever. Kerry Garofano wrote in their June 2020 final Grey Muzzle report, “CHS has made a dedicated, strategic commitment to pets in the care of municipal animal control departments...The demand is ever-increasing, and CHS—because of its on-site veterinary team—is increasingly called upon to assist with medical cases that other organizations lack the resources to address.” Read an excerpt from their most recent Grey Muzzle grant application.

The Grey Muzzle Organization | Website

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