As anyone who opens their homes to a foster pet knows, community rescue and foster groups save lives. Effective shelters and pounds recognise this, developing relationships with community rescue to manage capacity and bring down kill rates. The belief that the community can be trusted with pets, and that pets are better off in homes than killed in a shelter, is at the core of these programs. Without the belief that the community are the solution, not the problem, a pound or shelter remains an island – blaming the community for its problems, its lack of capacity, its failures… and for its killing.

With the new wave of No Kill initiatives sweeping Australia, pounds and shelters who choose not to work with rescue have a problem; how can they maintain their monopoly, stifle community discussion about policies and procedures that need improvement, keep new non-profits from ‘competing’ for donation dollars (though the No Kill movement has a belief in abundance) and maintain the status quo, when the public has heard that by opening their doors to foster groups, shelters can save every healthy, treatable pet? There is this conundrum. How can they still champion killing, in the face of alternatives?

There is only one solution; paint the alternative darker.

Only by convincing the public that foster care groups are dangerous mavericks with malicious intent, can a pound or shelter continue to kill pets while simultaneously blocking access to rescue. Only by fear mongering over the risk to a pet should it be given to a member of the public, rather then kept ’safe’ in a shelter, can a pound or shelter kill that pet without the community asking, ‘why wasn’t it given a chance with community rescue?’ And this is exactly the approach being used in Victoria right now.

Over the weekend, while championing the new changes to the Code of Practice which effectively wipe out community rescue, Graeme Smith of the Lost Dogs Home, coined a disturbing new abstraction… ‘the backyard rescuer’ (mp4).

“Let me just say there still has to be regulation. You can’t let every backyard individual set up an animal shelter”

This is a deliberate misconstruction of what the community is asking for. Community foster groups are exactly that – foster groups made up of community members. We know an unclaimed pet is at a very high risk in a pound or shelter. We know a ‘death-row’ pet is at an extreme level of risk in an animal shelter. If a community foster care group is willing to take that pet, treat it at their own cost, give it a temporary home, rehabilitate and find it a new family, how can any risk possibly be seen as ‘more risk’ than the risk it faces of death while in the hands of the shelter?

What’s more, the experience nationally actually shows the risk to the pet of being in the community is a very low risk indeed. Thousands of pets are being cared for by foster families at this very moment. And these carers are not hoarders or abusers, or any of the other words shelters like to throw around to defend their position of killing pets rather than releasing them. In fact they’re normal people. They’re pet owners who love their pets. They’re compassionate people who want to help one extra. They’re people who learn and grow and become more capable, the more they work under the guidance of experienced groups. They’re people with skills, who get these pets out into the community and find them homes. Hundreds of thousands of people who would be willing to lend a hand, should the shelters allow it.

Despite what the shelters claim, giving absolute discretion to shelters as to the fate of animals, doesn’t protect pets. We know that because of the enormously high kill rates we’re seeing across Victoria as regressive shelter directors blame the community, block access to rescue groups and keep right on killing. While this new Code that is getting so much support from these very same pounds and shelters, seeks to further erode any rights the community have to save animals. We musn’t be hoodwinked into believing this is good for pets. We must demand access for and recognition of community foster care and rescue groups in Victoria.

When a horse died on the first day of the Victorian jumps season, the RSPCA pronounced loudly that these animals deserved protection from those who cause them an unnecessary death.

When the duck season started and the hunters opened fire, the RSPCA declared loudly that shooting animals was barbaric.

When cats were injured last year by callous abusers, the Cat Protection Society spoke loudly in condemnation of anyone who would take a loved family pet and kill it.

And when Buckley, a small puppy with hacked off ears was found, the Lost Dogs Home campaigned loudly about the rights for animals to be kept safe from harm and given a chance to live.

All of these animal welfare mantras were championed loudly because they are at the heart of animal welfare lobbying.

Demanding that animals don’t suffer unnecessary death.

And the right for pets to receive treatment and be given a second chance with a new family.

So in the face of the new Code of Practice for Pounds and Shelters; which protects pounds who unnecessary kill pets, protects shelters who choose shooting as their preferred method of killing, allows pounds to hold pets with no obligation to make an effort to find their families, and allows killing to be the preferred method of animal management, rather than mandating that pets be offered treatment, care and release to a loving foster home… one might have assumed that these groups would be speaking very loudly indeed.

After all these groups, the largest pounds in the state, claim to have lobbied for these rights for animals for decades.

But no. When it comes to speaking up for animals, loudly is reserved for outsiders. Loudly is neither political, nor profitable when the mandates for compassion and life saving are being turned inwards and upon the animal welfare groups themselves. The same animal rights that are campaigned for loudly and rightfully in other animal industries, are forfeited once a dog or a cat enters an animal shelter in Victoria.

Softly is the approach now. No outrage. No media campaign. No graphic photos of dead and dying animals. No community call to arms. No petitions. No Facebook announcements. No fanfare. Not so much as a position statement. Just three animal welfare groups on the board that advises on this Code, quietly negotiating the best outcomes for themselves. Three groups with the ability to, and a history of, drawing attention to unjust and cruel practices and from all three, radio silence. Not one wanting to be seen to be publicly supporting this legislation in the eyes of the community, but none willing to stand up and condemn it.

Protecting animals has a place. After protecting empires. After protecting fortunes. And after protecting pounds and shelters rights to kill without question.

Further reading: Changes to VIC code of practice for shelters (and why you should care)

A lot of shelters and rescue starting to put out web videos to promote the pets they have in care, which is of course AWESOME! And there are a few tips and tricks your group can be using to get the most out of your web videos. No one wants to make a video that no one watches and a lack of interest from supporters can lead to the web video program being cancelled before it even gets off the ground. So what makes for a successful web video how can you make yours the blockbuster of the year?

What you’ll need

- A ‘Hard Disk’ camcorder < -- a video camera
These record and write directly to a computer drive inside the camera. This allows you to transfer your video straight to your computer through a cable, without having to mess around with video tapes. You can pick a basic model up at major appliance stores for around $300 – $400.

- A computer
You’ll need a computer which is compatible with your new camera.

- Editing software
Sometimes video cameras come with software which lets you edit video. Alternatively, there are a host of online programs you can use. If you’re engaging a volunteer to help you, having them research and choose the best editing software to use can be part of their role. One of the best online programs comes built into YouTube (see below).

- A YouTube account
YouTube is the website where you will upload your videos. Not only does it have software to edit your videos, it comes with lots of clever ways to share your video built in. Visit the site and create an account and password in preparation for your videos.

Getting started

Before you even get shooting, you need to have a think about who you are making videos for, and how you’re going to go about sharing them. It’s not enough to think ‘we’ll make videos and people will watch them’; you have to have a plan on how you’re going to reach people.

Places to share your web-videos

- In your newsletter: if you have a email mailing list and a newsletter that goes out regularly, you can time your videos with the mailer. Web videos can be great for adding interest.

- On your Facebook fan page: Facebook is one of the best places to share videos as upload is immediate and videos make great content for your page. But how many followers do you have? If you’re neglecting your page and only have a few hundred followers, now is the time to get your Facebook page in tip top shape! (I’ll write more about Facebook pages in a coming blog).

- On your Twitter: some groups are using Twitter, others aren’t. It’s totally up to you and whether you have enough resources for another social media project, but like Facebook, Twitter is immediate and videos make great, shareable content for your stream.

- In your PetRescue listings: Videos can also be uploaded to your PetRescue animal listings; either as a YouTube link, or as a video upload. Pet profiles with video are much, much more popular than those without so it’s worth the time.

- On your organisation’s homepage: having adoptable animal videos on your homepage shows people that you’re committed to finding pets homes, and changing them regularly will draw visitors back to your website.

So you have your camera, you’ve created a nice big audience for your web videos and are ready to start shooting. Now what?

Keep it short

Think ‘advertisement’, not ‘documentary. Your video is going to be less than a minute long when you’re done. Did you hear that? Less than a minute. Any longer and people will be dozing off and tuning out. This means you have to be really focused on what is important.

Choose an ‘adoptable’ pet

There is often a temptation to use your web videos to profile those pets who need extra help – we’ll call them the ‘harder-to-place-pets’ – and web videos CAN be great for getting extra exposure for these guys…. STOP!

You want your web videos to truly reflect the kinds of animals you get in care. Most often – lovely pets who need a second chance. These are the guys you’ll want to start with, to send the message to your community that you’re a great source of healthy, friendly, adoptable pets.

Once your program is up and running, then use your videos to profile your harder to place pets, alternated with lots of attractive and desirable animals. Don’t worry that the pet may be adopted soon after your video is released; this is an advertisement for ALL the animals in your shelter, not just the one you’re videoing today. So choose a friendly pet who will probably find a home as the ’spokespet’ for your shelter.

Choose a spokesperson

While a video of a pet running around is cute, it is not very effective in ’selling’ that pet’s best traits. You’re going to need a spokesperson. It doesn’t always have to be the same person, but they need to be enthusiastic, clearly spoken and positive.

There are two ways to film a video; either have the person handling the pet and speaking direct to camera (easy to film, hard to execute), or film the video first and then give it a voice over (a little tricker to put together, but gives a better result). Or you can do a combination of both, which is especially good if you want to film a foster carer talking about a pet, but then add extra details later.

Remember that someone talking behind the camera is going to be much, much louder than the handler a few steps away. If you want to have a ‘discussion’ between handler and cameraman, use a tripod and stand approximately the same distance away. Much better, avoid it altogether.

Develop a script

To make your video pop, you’re going to need to develop a script. You’re wanting to tell a story about your pet as they are now, and the kind of place they need to go to next. Don’t waste vital time describing how the pet came into care, unless it can help describe their new life (eg. “Billy previously lived with a retired owner, so we’re looking for another loving person with time to spend with him.”) And always, always keep it positive.

A quick way to compile a script is to answer the following questions;

What’s the best thing about the pet? What makes this pet super awesome and unique? Does this dog know how to sit? Fetch? Chase a basketball?
“Billy is exceptionally friendly and loves to run. He is happiest jogging along beside you, or fetching his ball in the backyard.”

What’s the best thing about the pet’s new owner? Who is the perfect owner for this pet? What are their attributes?
“If you’re an active family looking for an outgoing companion, Billy is your man. He’s looking for a mature family who will include him in family life.”

How would this pet’s perfect day go? If you had to describe the perfect day for this pet, what would it be?
“Billy would love to join you on a family outing to the beach or park, then curl up beside you on the couch and watch TV.”

You’ll want to introduce the pet at the beginning, then tell people how they can adopt the pet at the end. Use pre-made visual slides (more info below) to confirm these details:

Choosing a great location

You’ll need an attractive location, which is free from distractions to shoot your videos. Indoor areas with no carpet can produce a very ‘echoy’ result which makes it hard for the speaker to be heard, so a quiet outdoor location is often best. Off-lead paddocks can be great for shooting extra video of dogs playing and interacting, while extra video of cats should be filmed in a place where they are comfortable and therefore friendly and open.

When recording your script, the pet can be held by the handler, or dogs can be asked to sit for treats. A toy can be used to attract the pet to look at the camera.

Using media

Use a mix of video and photos

Types of video you can film:

- The pet with a handler: Either speaking to camera or not.
- The pet ‘doing its thing’: Chilling, doing tricks, interacting with other pets, playing, getting a bath or food or sleeping.
- The pet interacting with the camera: (As long as it doesn’t freak the pet out), video of the pet playing to the camera is really engaging.

If you also have a great picture, use that too!

Use slides

You’ll want to create a slide to start the video and introduce the pet:

And it’s really important to have one at the end to remind people how they go about adopting;

Look at your music

Music is great for creating feeling, glossing over background noise and people speaking off camera, but track choice is important. Just because you like loud rock, doesn’t mean the person you’re trying to ’sell’ to does. Think about the audience for your video (the pet’s perfect adopter) and the kind of music they might like (or at least not find repellent).

Also, keep it light and positive. While you might like the heart-wrenching effect of a sad track with poignant lyrics; remember getting a new pet is supposed to be an exciting and fun time for adopters. No doom or gloom!

Awesome video examples

Click ‘continue reading’ to see a library of some of the best pet adoption vids on the web…

There is just 30 days to comment on changes to the Code of Practice for the Management of Dogs and Cats in Shelters and Pounds.

From the DPI e-Newsletter:

Code of Practice (Revision Number 1)

For your information – the Minister gave notice today 31 March 2011 of the proposal to make the Code of Practice for the Management of Dogs and Cats in Shelters and Pounds (Revision Number 1) and announced a call for public submissions for a period of 28 days as required by s.60 of the Domestic Animals Act 1994.

The current Code of Practice has been in place since November 1998 and has been recently reviewed by the Department with the assistance of industry stakeholders. The primary objective of this review and public consultation is to provide for agreed minimum standards for the accommodation, management and care appropriate to the needs of dogs and cats housed in shelters and pounds.

Public submissions are invited on the proposed Code of Practice for the Management of Dogs and Cats in Shelters and Pounds (Revision Number 1) and must be provided in writing.

This new Code is nearly identical to the proposal that was leaked last year to great criticism from the wider rescue industry and the public. At that time, in response to the intensely negative feedback, the Code was quickly shelved. What is interesting *this* time is that despite the promise that there would be big changes made in the re-writing of this legislation before it was resubmitted, Victoria is still at risk of having the same majorly flawed legislation passed.

Compared to the existing Code, the new Code has some significant changes which seem to be designed to cripple both independent rescue and foster groups, and restrict the life saving programs of large shelters to the point where programs become unworkable. In the ultimate effort of ‘legislating the status quo’; the DPI has further expanded pound’s capacity to kill, protection for pounds and shelters from community backlash about killing and even continued to mandate killing – further reducing protection for pets in what is already a failing pound system.

Intakes

Just as the previous COP gave free reign to pounds and shelters to deem cats ‘feral’ and immediately kill them, the new code maintains the same lack of protection;

(2.2) Admission: Every animal admitted to the establishment must be examined by a veterinary practitioner or by an experienced person, who is responsible for classifying the animals into the health status (table 1) for appropriate action:

Table 1 – Health status and appropriate action to be taken upon admission

In regional locations, this means cats can be shot with a firearm, while in city shelters it allows unchipped cats to be disposed of immediately without offering owners, the community or rescue groups an opportunity to act to save them. To be building such ‘extermination’ powers into animal management plans in 2010, is staggeringly counter intuitive to animal protection.

This is especially revolting given that of the 14 highly restricted seats on the Animal Welfare Advisory Committee (AWAC), (of which only 3 are held by ‘animal rescue’ organisations) one is held by Dr Carole Webb of the Cat Protection Society. With a 91% kill rate for the nearly 12,500 cat intakes at the organisation, protection for shelters from public criticism over killing seems to be a higher priority than lobbying to protect cats from a mandated or even violent death.

Releasing to rescue

(2.6) Euthanasia or removal of an animal from the establishment: At the conclusion of the statutory period specified in the Domestic Animals Act 1994 for seized or surrendered animals, animals must be:
- rehomed to a new owner, or
- euthanased because of disease, injury, behaviour, age, unsuitability for sale, or
- placed in appropriate foster care and returned at an appropriate date for rehoming, or
- released under a written agreement to a person or body which operates in accordance with the Act to care for and dispose of the animal, at the discretion of the operations manager or veterinary practitioner.

There are two options for ‘rescue’ to access a pet under this new directive; either the rescuer is a foster carer for the pound or shelter (more on that below), or the group is authorised under the Domestic Animals Act 1994. The Act makes no reference to private or individual rescue groups, only specifying ‘domestic animal businesses’ – which most rescue groups are not:

“domestic animal business means— (a) an animal shelter, Council pound or pet shop; or an enterprise that is run for profit which carries out all or any of the following activities— (i) the breeding of dogs or cats, (ii) the rearing, training or boarding of dogs or cats”.

As private rescue groups (foster care, individual rescues etc) don’t so much as rate a mention in the Act, rescue groups could well be refused access on the basis of them not being a ‘domestic animal businesses’. Essentially putting all relationships between pounds and local rescue and foster groups in breach of the new legislation.

This is obviously a boon for pounds and shelters who would rather have the protection of this legislation to kill pets at will, than work with local groups to save them. It is also a bonus for those pounds and shelters who often kill for ’space’ during busy times like Christmas and NYE’s celebrations; with a way to block access by community rescue groups working in a volunteer capacity (ie. not registered as a Domestic Animal Business), pounds can continue to kill due to ‘overpopulation’ without consequence.

Foster care

There is a whole new section on foster care. This applies specifically to the foster carers of ‘animal shelters and pounds‘, but with no provision for private foster organisations, that may be the only foster care left able to legally operate.

Foster care is highly restricted and not able to be used simply to ‘make space’ or save lives;

(2.8) Foster care: This section provides minimum standards for the operation of foster care conducted by establishments. The only time an animal can be placed in foster care is on the grounds of juvenile, veterinary rehabilitation or behavioural rehabilitation foster care.

Instead it must be for the purpose of ‘rehabilitation’, includes strict veterinary and reporting requirements and is generally being considered an extension of pound process, rather than an important community service that moves pets directly from home to home;

The animals placed in foster care must be permanently identified by microchip and they remain the property of the establishment. Animals in foster care must be returned to the establishment for rehoming as foster care must not be considered as the animal being ‘permanently removed’ from the establishment. An animal in foster care must not be sold or rehoused from the foster care premises – the animal must be returned to the establishment for the rehoming process.

Foster care can be used for young animal rehabilitation, but has a time limit of 3 months;

(2.8.1) Juvenile foster care: The purpose of juvenile foster care is to allow a healthy kitten or puppy to be cared for off site in preparation for sale: to ensure the kitten or puppy is the health, age and weight required for vaccination and desexing prior to being sold by the establishment.

Kittens and puppies must be returned to the establishment when it is deemed appropriate by the veterinary practitioner to desex the animal post vaccination. The time an animal is in juvenile foster care must not exceed three months.

Foster care for those diseases which can cause shelter outbreaks (ringworm, FIV) is forbidden and again the time limit for foster care is three months:

(2.8.2) Veterinary rehabilitation foster care: The purpose of veterinary rehabilitation foster care is to provide an opportunity for animals with a recoverable injury or non-infectious illness to be rehomed by the establishment. Animals that have infectious diseases must not be placed in veterinary rehabilitation foster care.
…..
Animals placed in veterinary rehabilitation foster care must be returned to establishment for the purposes of desexing and rehoming. The maximum period allowed for an animal to be in medical rehabilitation foster care is three months.

Foster care for behavioural rehabilitation is extremely restricted, given a ‘failed’ temperament test is actually grounds for refusal for the program and again the time restriction for a pet to be in care is three months;

(2.8.3) Behavioural rehabilitation foster care: The purpose of behavioural rehabilitation foster care is to provide an opportunity for animals be retrained to rectify a behavioural trait restricting the animal being rehomed by the establishment. Animals that have medical issues or infectious diseases must not be placed in behavioural rehabilitation foster care. Animals that fail temperament tests must only be placed in behavioural rehabilitation foster care under recommendation from an animal behavioural specialist.

But even these restrictions aren’t the worst of the new Code of Practice; new requirements for carers go well beyond what would be acceptable to most volunteers lending a hand to their local pound or shelter – namely, that by becoming a volunteer foster carer, you’re opening your home to ‘big brother’ as determined by the DPI.

Foster carers conducting juvenile foster care for an establishment must:
……
* permit their premises to be audited for compliance with the Act and Code by an authorised officer.

Who is an ‘authorised officer’?

Authorised officers as authorised by the Minister, including authorised officers who are not employees of the Department. Then there is authorised Council officers, which also includes persons who are not Council employees.

So become a foster carer for a pound or shelter and you have to be willing to open your home to a host of people with the authorisation to audit your home. This is over and above the normal and adequate rights for Council or animal welfare to visit the home of any animal owner if you are suspected of animal abuse; instead this allows them access to check on smaller transgressions; keeping undesexed animals in areas with mandatory desexing, extra animals in places with pet limit laws, cat confinement capacity in places with night time curfews and registration and identification.

Even dedicated animal lovers are going to baulk at giving council free reign to enter and audit their pet keeping. Remembering that these aren’t people who have been accused of abuse, convicted of any transgression or even had a noise or other neighbourhood complaint…. these are people who just want to volunteer open their homes to a homeless pet for a short time to save its life.

Instead of celebrating these people, this legislation looks to drive them away with heavy handed bureaucracy and unnecessary restriction. The Code supports the pet staying in the shelter and protects the shelter should they decide to kill it.

Euthanasia

Extra provisions for shooting pets have been built in, expanding a pound’s protection should their community look to challenge their use of firearms;

(2.6) Euthanasia or removal of an animal from the establishment: If a proprietor decides that a gunshot is the only practical method of euthanasia, shooting must only be performed by an experienced operator trained in the use of firearms and only in locations where firearm use is permitted. Staff, public and nearby animal safety must be considered. This procedure must be performed away from the public and other animals.

At the very least the other two ‘animal welfare’ representatives on the AWAC board should be outraged at this; the RSPCA and The Lost Dogs Home should both be looking to eliminate the use of guns in the process of domestic animal control, no matter how regional the location.

Ok, what can I do?

The Animal Welfare Advisory Committee & Domestic Animal Management Implementation Committee (DAMIC) are the two committees who have major influence on whether this legislation gets passed quietly, or is resoundingly rejected again. It is especially important that the companion animal welfare groups involved publicly speak out against the flaws in this Code, so contacting each of them individually for their positions becomes vital.

Their contact details (via their websites) are available at the following link; DPI Committees

Animal Welfare Advisory Committee (AWAC)
Mrs Carmel Morfuni Chairman, c/o Bureau of Animal Welfare, DPI
Carol de Fraga Animals Australia
Vacant Animals used in scientific procedures
Prof Paul Hemsworth Animal Welfare Science Centre
Dr David Rendell Australian Veterinary Association
Dr Carole Webb Cat Protection Society of Victoria
Ms Sara Reid Dogs Victoria
Vacant Department of Sustainability and Environment
Vacant Municipal Association of Victoria
Dr Hugh Wirth Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
Dr Caroline Butler The Lost Dogs’ Home
Mr Chris Wallace-Smith Victorian Farmers Federation – extensive industries
Ms Claire Penniceard Victorian Farmers Federation – intensive industries
Ms Nicola Fanning Victorian Horse Council

Domestic Animal Management Implementation Committee (DAMIC)
Ms Rosemary Barker Chairperson Department of Justice
Ms Tracy Helman Bureau of Animal Welfare Bureau of Animal Welfare
Ms Liz Alexander Department of Planning and Community Development Department of Planning and Community Development
Mr Stewart Martin Municipal Association of Victoria (Peri-urban) Municipal Association of Victoria
Ms Elke Tapley Municipal Association of Victoria (Metropolitan) Municipal Association of Victoria
Mr Graeme Murphy Municipal Association of Victoria (Rural) Municipal Association of Victoria
Mr Peter Shelton Victorian Local Governance Association (Council) Victorian Local Governance Association
Ms Gen Hindman Local Government Professionals Organisation Local Government Professionals Organisation
Mr Kevin Apostolides Animal Welfare The Lost Dogs Home
Dr Carole Webb Animal Welfare Cat Protection Society
Mr Frank Valastro Applicable Canine Organisation Dogs Victoria
Mr Mark Eade Municipal Association of Victoria (Rural) Municipal Association of Victoria
Dr Truda Straede Applicable Cat Organisation Feline Control Council Victoria Inc.
Vern Ryan Pet Industry Association Australia (PIAA) Pet Industry Association Australia
Mr Tom Maloney Victorian Local Governance Assocation (VLGA) Community Victorian Local Governance Association

If you are a community rescue group that will have to work under this new Code, I highly recommend making a formal submission from your group.

Written submissions on the proposed Code should be sent:

By post to the Code Review Project Officer, Bureau of Animal Welfare, 475 Mickleham Road, Attwood, Victoria, 3049; or

By email addressed to animal.welfare@dpi.vic.gov.au

The call for submissions has been advertised in the Government Gazette and Herald Sun and submissions will only be accepted until end of business 29 April 2011. Department employees will not accept verbal submissions from stakeholders or members of the public, response to telephone enquiries will be limited to providing information on the process for making submissions on the proposed Code.

Finally, you can also can also join the Dog Rescue Association of Victoria Inc. on Facebook to be kept up to date on developments on the Code.

I urge everyone with an interest in animal welfare, even those outside of the state of Victoria, take the time to familiaries themselves with the plight of animals in this state. Unfortunately these bad initiatives have a tendency to spread if left unchecked, and Victoria’s fight may very well become your own in the near future.