CAT ADOPTIONS 2.0CAT ADOPTIONS 2.0HIGH VOLUME CAT ADOPTIONSHIGH VOLUME CAT ADOPTIONS

Monica Frenden - Austin Pets Monica Frenden - Austin Pets Alive! Alive!

monica.frenden@austinpetsalive.org

APA! IN 2013APA! IN 2013

• 2,539 cats adopted2,539 cats adopted• 6% return rate6% return rate• 1 main shelter facility housing up to 70 cats1 main shelter facility housing up to 70 cats• 1 FeLV Sanctuary housing up to 10 cats1 FeLV Sanctuary housing up to 10 cats• 8 offsite adoption centers housing up to 84 cats8 offsite adoption centers housing up to 84 cats• 2 feral cat enclosures housing up to 10 cats2 feral cat enclosures housing up to 10 cats• Nursery ward for neonatal kittens and nursing queensNursery ward for neonatal kittens and nursing queens• Ringworm Ward housing up to 40 catsRingworm Ward housing up to 40 cats• Hundreds of cats in fosterHundreds of cats in foster

POPULATION MANAGEMENTPOPULATION MANAGEMENT

PASPASSS

FOSTEFOSTERR RESCUERESCUE

TEAMTEAM

CAT ADOPTION MANAGERCAT ADOPTION MANAGER

ON SITEON SITECATTERCATTERYY

OFFSITEOFFSITECATTERIECATTERIESS

NURSERNURSERYY RINGWORMRINGWORM

NIGHTLY EOD EMAILS (END OF DAY)NIGHTLY EOD EMAILS (END OF DAY)EACH SITE SENDS AN EMAIL EACH NIGHT WITH A CENSUS UPDATE, LISTS EACH SITE SENDS AN EMAIL EACH NIGHT WITH A CENSUS UPDATE, LISTS ADOPTIONS THAT HAPPENED, AND SPACE AVAILABLEADOPTIONS THAT HAPPENED, AND SPACE AVAILABLE

OFFSITE POPULATION FORMOFFSITE POPULATION FORMSPACE TO LIST HOW MANY CATS/KITTENS EACH SITE HAS ROOM SPACE TO LIST HOW MANY CATS/KITTENS EACH SITE HAS ROOM FOR, AND SPACE TO ASSIGN CATS TO LOCATIONSFOR, AND SPACE TO ASSIGN CATS TO LOCATIONS

ADOPTION CENTER REQUEST FORMADOPTION CENTER REQUEST FORMFOSTERS USE A GOOGLE FORM TO REQUEST FOSTERS USE A GOOGLE FORM TO REQUEST INTAKE OF THEIR ADOPTABLE FOSTER CATSINTAKE OF THEIR ADOPTABLE FOSTER CATS

POPULATION MANAGEMENTPOPULATION MANAGEMENT

YESYES NONO

SITE MANAGEMENTSITE MANAGEMENT

• 2 full time staff 2 full time staff members, 2 part-time members, 2 part-time staff members, totaling staff members, totaling 105 hours per week, 105 hours per week, plus full-time Cat plus full-time Cat Adoption Manager Adoption Manager (me!)(me!)

• Average 60 hours per Average 60 hours per week of volunteer timeweek of volunteer time

TLAC houses up to 100 cats on campus TLAC houses up to 100 cats on campus (not including Ringworm Ward or Nursery) with:(not including Ringworm Ward or Nursery) with:

THE IMPORTANCE OF OFFSITE THE IMPORTANCE OF OFFSITE ADOPTION LOCATIONSADOPTION LOCATIONS

• Offsites generate 36% Offsites generate 36% of our adoptionsof our adoptions

• Audience who might Audience who might not normally come to a not normally come to a sheltershelter

• Additional housing Additional housing spacespace

• Additional quarantine Additional quarantine spacespace

ON SITE ADOPTIONS - 1,625ON SITE ADOPTIONS - 1,625OFF SITE ADOPTIONS - 914OFF SITE ADOPTIONS - 914

INCREASING ADOPTIONSINCREASING ADOPTIONS

• Smartly managed Smartly managed populationspopulations

• MarketingMarketing• EventsEvents• VisibilityVisibility• AccessibilityAccessibility• Make it easy!Make it easy!

MARKETINGMARKETING

• Promotions & themes Promotions & themes (with reduced fees)(with reduced fees)

• Great flyersGreat flyers• Social media (utilize Social media (utilize

ALL of them!)ALL of them!)• Traditional media (TV, Traditional media (TV,

radio, newspaper)radio, newspaper)

EVENTEVENTSS

• 1-4 events per month1-4 events per month• Every holiday/special Every holiday/special

occasionoccasion• Locations with lots of foot Locations with lots of foot

traffictraffic• Don’t do events that Don’t do events that

don’t yield results or don’t yield results or make sensemake sense

VISIBILITYVISIBILITY• The public needs to The public needs to

know you exist! know you exist! • Share the good work you Share the good work you

do!do!• Be a part of the Be a part of the

community.community.

ACCESSIBILITYACCESSIBILITY

• Good locations - high traffic areas, Good locations - high traffic areas, conveniently located to where people live, conveniently located to where people live, work, and playwork, and play

• Good hours - weekends and evenings Good hours - weekends and evenings mandatory. mandatory.

TLAC - 11:30am-7pm every day.TLAC - 11:30am-7pm every day.Tarrytown - 12-6pm every day.Tarrytown - 12-6pm every day.Offsite catteries - 4-8pm weekdays, 12-6pm Offsite catteries - 4-8pm weekdays, 12-6pm weekendsweekends

MAKE IT EASY TO ADOPT!MAKE IT EASY TO ADOPT!

MAKE IT EASY TO ADOPTMAKE IT EASY TO ADOPT

• Outstanding Outstanding customer servicecustomer service

• Warm, welcoming Warm, welcoming environmentenvironment

• Yes, please hold Yes, please hold and touch the cats!and touch the cats!

• A cat for everyone! A cat for everyone! You want young, You want young, senior, outdoor senior, outdoor only, lazy, or only, lazy, or playful? We have playful? We have that!that!

MAKE IT EASY TO ADOPTMAKE IT EASY TO ADOPT

• Set adopters up for success. (Show them how to Set adopters up for success. (Show them how to trim nails, medicate a cat, offer assistance from Cat trim nails, medicate a cat, offer assistance from Cat Behavior Team.)Behavior Team.)

• Match your adopter to their ideal catMatch your adopter to their ideal cat• Stop demonizing the public! Embrace progressive Stop demonizing the public! Embrace progressive

adoption guidelines! (Yes to same-day adoptions, no adoption guidelines! (Yes to same-day adoptions, no to mandatory home checks!)to mandatory home checks!)

Reasons APA! would decline an adoption: declawing, Reasons APA! would decline an adoption: declawing, history of poor care or untimely pet losses, very history of poor care or untimely pet losses, very unstable environment or unsafe living unstable environment or unsafe living arrangements.arrangements.

ADOPTING ADOPTING SPECIAL-NEEDS CATSSPECIAL-NEEDS CATS

• Special needs, Special needs, special price.special price.

• Identify your long-Identify your long-stay cats and stay cats and implement a plan for implement a plan for their adoptiontheir adoption

• Some cats will need Some cats will need to be adopted out of to be adopted out of foster homes.foster homes.

RINGWORM CATSRINGWORM CATS

• Remove stigma from Remove stigma from ringworm, explain in ringworm, explain in layman’s termslayman’s terms

• Ringworm adoption fee = Ringworm adoption fee = 50% off50% off

• Provide training on dipping & Provide training on dipping & meds. Allow adopters/fosters meds. Allow adopters/fosters to come dip at your location.to come dip at your location.

• Special events: Put the Fun in Special events: Put the Fun in Fungus, Adopt a Fun-Guy, Fungus, Adopt a Fun-Guy, RING in the New Year, Love is RING in the New Year, Love is Contagious - $15 adoptionsContagious - $15 adoptions

CATS WHO DON’T DO WELL IN SHELTERSCATS WHO DON’T DO WELL IN SHELTERSAngry declaws, very shy cats, sassy singletons, Angry declaws, very shy cats, sassy singletons,

hospice catshospice cats

• Adopt out of fosterAdopt out of foster

• Help fosters promote their cats! (Photo contests, foster Help fosters promote their cats! (Photo contests, foster of the week, fosters promote via social media, photo of the week, fosters promote via social media, photo days, etc)days, etc)

LONG STAY CATSLONG STAY CATS

• Progressive fee Progressive fee structure based on structure based on Length of Stay:Length of Stay:

• 100 days - 25% off100 days - 25% off• 200 days - 50% off200 days - 50% off• 300 days - 75% off300 days - 75% off

FeLV cats - $0, Incontinent cats - $0, Petzillas - FeLV cats - $0, Incontinent cats - $0, Petzillas - $0$0

Medical consult cats - 50% off, Ringworm - 50% Medical consult cats - 50% off, Ringworm - 50% offoff

ADOPTING FELV+ CATSADOPTING FELV+ CATS

• Market to college students, seniors, those who Market to college students, seniors, those who move often or cannot commit to 15+ years of move often or cannot commit to 15+ years of pet ownershippet ownership

• Provide medical coverage and end of life Provide medical coverage and end of life services at no costservices at no cost

• Sanctuary + foster homes. 50% of FeLV cats Sanctuary + foster homes. 50% of FeLV cats at APA! are adopted by their fosters.at APA! are adopted by their fosters.

• Waived adoption feeWaived adoption fee

Cats and kittens infected with Cats and kittens infected with FeLV are often the last tier of FeLV are often the last tier of animals to leave the shelter animals to leave the shelter

alive.alive.Dr. Ellen JeffersonDr. Ellen Jefferson

MORE THAN 50 FELV+ CATS MORE THAN 50 FELV+ CATS ADOPTEDADOPTED

The Feline Leukemia Sanctuary at Austin The Feline Leukemia Sanctuary at Austin Pets Alive!Pets Alive!

The Feline Leukemia Sanctuary at Austin The Feline Leukemia Sanctuary at Austin Pets Alive!Pets Alive!

• Dedicated spaceDedicated space• Separate from Cat Separate from Cat

Adoption CenterAdoption Center• Totally self-containedTotally self-contained• Open to public, Open to public,

potential adopterspotential adopters

The Feline Leukemia Sanctuary at Austin The Feline Leukemia Sanctuary at Austin Pets Alive!Pets Alive!

FELV+ ADOPTIONS MADE EASYFELV+ ADOPTIONS MADE EASY

• No adoption feeNo adoption fee• FeLV-related FeLV-related

treatments coveredtreatments covered• Detailed medical Detailed medical

history providedhistory provided• Counseling offeredCounseling offered

INFORMATION IS THE KEYINFORMATION IS THE KEY

• Virus weakens immune Virus weakens immune system, shortens life system, shortens life spanspan

• Contagious only Contagious only between cats (not between cats (not humans, dogs)humans, dogs)

• Health and Wellness, Health and Wellness, e.g. diet, stress, indoor-e.g. diet, stress, indoor-only, regular vet careonly, regular vet care

• PalliativePalliative treatment for treatment for quality of lifequality of life

COMMITMENT IS THE ANSWERCOMMITMENT IS THE ANSWER

• Nurturing foster homesNurturing foster homes• Shared sense of Shared sense of

compassioncompassion• Promoting Promoting

understanding and understanding and empathyempathy

• Integrity with our Integrity with our missionmission

I think how we treat our animals I think how we treat our animals reflects how we treat each other.reflects how we treat each other.

President Barack Obama President Barack Obama (2008)(2008)

Add mp4 video Add mp4 video herehere