Paw's Place Animal Shelter Procedures

PAW'S PLACE

SHELTER PROCEDURES

The following notes were designed to provide you with an overall picture of what needs to be done daily, weekly and monthly for the dogs in our care. It will also provide you with new tasks that you weren't aware of, or details on the tasks that you already participate in. If you are cleaning, and would like to rotate to a different area, day or task, please let me know.

To volunteer, children 13 years old and under must be accompanied by a parent or older sibling.

Volunteers are the heart of our organization, and are appreciated for their strengths. Even though you are not paid, what you do is valuable and necessary for the organization. We want volunteers that have the needs of the animals as their central focus. Age is not a problem, as there are many roles to be filled in animal sheltering/rescue, and only a few of them directly involve animal contact. Roles such as volunteer coordinators, marketing, or adoption opportunities, grant writing, and other fund-raising activities. If you wish to participate, please read the section pertaining to the rules regarding that function (i.e., cleaning or walking dogs).

Stress in animal sheltering and animal rescue is almost central to the problem. The whole reason for these types of organizations to exist, is that animals can be placed in harm's way by natural events, unintentional human events, or as in most cases (at Paws Place) intentional human events... In all of these cases, there is distress present. Humans are fairly empathetic creatures, so we will frequently feel the pain and distress that the animals we encounter are experiencing. This is especially true for dogs and cats as humans tend to give "human" feelings and emotions to. We do not normally have the training in stress management, so our jobs may sometimes have emotional and psychological consequences.

Tragic circumstances affect us all

A memorial garden was established to recognize the finality of some tragic events, and in hopes that this place of peace will help volunteers work with associated grief issues

Not all animals in all situations are going to be rescued in time, or at all

We are in the rescue/sheltering business for the long-term. We need to think of the goals we have, and all the good we have done to date

Our mission is LIFE, and we pursue it three ways:

we save pets - the abandoned, the abused and the neglected,

we nurse them back to health,

most important of all, we find them loving homes - no matter how long it takes, one LIFE at a time!

The recent symposium that I went to at NC State Veterinary College was very informative. It made me realize that volunteers have "burn-out" just like I do! Changing roles was recommended. Anyone wishing to change what they normally now do, or add a different function, please let me know. I have gone on to describe the daily care "ritual" for the dogs, and have listed some of the different aspects that you may be interested in.

Some current areas of work:

1. Care of garage/feral cats in the mornings

2. Care of ducks & plants in our memorial garden

3. Feeding of dogs

4. Cleaning of dogs

5. Cleaning around kennels raking, use of lime etc

6. Exercise of dogs free run time

7. Walking, grooming, bathing and general petting of dogs

8. Lawn maintenance

9. Dog house maintenance

10. WalMart food-runs (Wilmington & Southport)

11. Monthly adoption days

12. Fund Raisers, grants and other projects

Attachments Volunteer Agreement and Student Volunteer Agreement

There is a lot to maintaining Paw's Place. We have gotten where we are today, because of our volunteers, and we will go on for years to come, because of volunteers. You are each individual, and you have established your presence in the lives of these little creatures.

Thank you all, for giving them a part of you each time that you come and visit.

Nancy Janovetz

President

Care for front garage & feral cats

Feral Cats

on the workbench to the right of the door is our cat supply table the first person in usually feeds the feral cats.

open 2 (2 in summer and 4-5 in winter) miscellaneous cans of cat food put on foam plates and place outside of garage for our outside feral cats please throw away cans in the garbage can in the garage by the door on Friday mornings put the large garbage bag in the big dumpster put in new black bag

check the cats' dry food feeder inside by bench if not full add dry cat food to it

there is dry cat food in a white garbage pail marked as such

there are additional bags of dry food on shelves in the right rear corner

make sure all water container get cleaned daily and re-filled

scoop the 1 little box in the front garage

check the outside dry feeder and waterer

pull dry food into the little trays, then fill the upper bowls with new food put tops back on!

the ducks eat the cat food and drink the water if the water looks dirty, drag the whole container to the edge, hold tank on, and dump the nasty water out of the bowl. New water will slowly flow into the bowl area. If it's near empty, go to the bathroom sink, clean out the bowl area, fill the tank and reposition. Then you have to sweep the dry food every day from the outside feeder area this is the ONLY thing that keeps the ants away. There is a small broom to the left of the outside waterer leaning against the metal storage container.

fill the cracked corn food dish about every few days the ducks eat it, the peacock eats it, and the rooster eats it

Care of Ducks & Plants in memorial garden

Ducks

Duck food I sprinkle dry cat food and cracked corn (bag in front garage by door) for them on the ground near the water. There is also a bowl in their duck house with cracked corn.

If you have a "green thumb" I don't! Anyone wishing to jump in and prune bushes or plant flowers, please feel free. The memorial garden has ashes of several dogs, cats and ducks that didn't make it. They are however, home

Feeding of the dogs

You are now ready for the dogs at around 7:45-8:00 a.m. .

Everyone is up and excited to see you! We have several dogs that will not do anything in their pens, so before you feed, let each pen out: pick up poop, empty pools (in summer) and get them back in pen. When that section has been out, then get your food bucket and you are ready to feed.

Start feeding:

note some of the dogs eat in the gravel area, while their pen door is closed and their buddy eats inside. You will need to read each card on each door to determine how to feed.

each pen has the names of the dogs listed. Next to their names is the notation of L, R, or H. This means that they get a level scoop (L), a rounded scoop (R), or a heaping scoop (H). The scoops are in the food buckets. A level scoop is 3 measuring cups of food. If there is food in their bowls throw any leftover food away, and put in the required fresh amount. If a bowl is wet and the dog is a grazer, then dry out their bowl with a towel and put in fresh food.

pick up gravel areas when done feeding

also remember to pick up gravel area after cleaning a pen, and before you let out another pen some have a nasty habit we won't discuss

DO NOT put any food from bowls back in to the food buckets!

Return buckets to garage DO NOT put any food in the buckets back into the plastic food bin!! Cover with a towel and it will be taken care of by the Kennel Manager on duty.

Cleaning of dog kennels

It is important to wear rubber gloves while cleaning. Not only to protect you from chemicals, but from germs that are in feces and urine. Many people wear sandals in summer. We recommend wearing rubber boots and rubber gloves. All of our dogs are vaccinated and have been wormed. However, they still may pick up diseases that can be transmitted to humans from standing water, feces and urine. See me for copies of information on Leptospirosis etc.

Volunteers need to avoid dogs that are truly quarantined. New puppies are cute, but they bring coccidia, scabies and parvo. Unless we know where the pups came from, all puppies need to be quarantined for 10 days before handling by volunteers.

Only one pen at a time in a gravel area can be cleaned. Do not open other kennels while dogs are in the center for cleaning. Accidents easily happen. If someone must go into another kennel, please put up the dogs that are in the gravel first. We have had terrible dog fights before, and had dogs injured. This is a precaution for their safety and for yours, from our knowledge of past experiences.

Ok, now the fun begins! There are several different methods of scooping poop use whatever you are happy with. If you use a bag to pick it up and put into another bag make sure you use a clean bag for pick up in each pen, or you contaminate the next pen. If you use the pooper-scooper, again hose it off/dip it bleach solution before you use it in another pen. Dip it in your bleach solution at the end of the day to clean for next day.

We have to think about the quantities of our solution and remember safety in the process. Each area has buckets for cleaning, bleach, Spick & Span (or Mr. Clean), hand brushes, deck type brushwa, and a squeegie. Cleaning solution:

5 gallon bucket use 2 gallons of water (less than half)

½ cup (or 4 oz.) of bleach per gallon of water therefore one cup bleach/2 gallons water

(we do not use the Ultra type bleach it has lye in it and is harmful to pets)

2-3 capfuls of Spic and Span it leaves a fresh scent, is good at grease/dirt

(do not use pine scented cleaners (Pine Sol) it is harmful to pets)

Remember, that more bleach isn't better. It can injure their nasal passages, and in the case of puppies, can cause severe inflammation leading to a pneumonia type illness. Keep rinsing until you don't see any soap bubbles! If drinking buckets aren't thoroughly rinsed when you've had soap in them, the dogs can get dysentery.

Please! Pick up any broken bones. They get very sharp when dropped off of houses Pick up any toy pieces, eaten collars (look for rabies tags) etc. These guys eat anything! Please pick up any food out of their bowls do not hose it out throw it away. Food hosed out only causes mice and flies - they bring diseases to humans and dogs. Also, mice then bring snakes. We battle them all, so please help us and pick up spilled food and throw it away.

Hoses these hoses are commercial grade. Please take care when using the hoses. It's best to stretch it out before you start. Don't let kinks stay in the hose it will permanently damage them. At the end of the day, please rewind the hose (with no kinks) loosely on the green plastic holder in front of the plastic water pipe. Please take care not to pull the hose sharply at any time. The plastic pipes are very fragile (more so in winter). If one breaks, all the water for the shelter has to be shut off until the pipe is repaired by a plumber. The entire shelter water shut-off valve is in the garage on the left by the red water tank. It's a red handle next to the small water tank shut-off is to the right as tight as you can turn it.

Hoses - In summer: shut water off, wind the hoses up, leave the nozzles on, but leave the nozzle valves open to let hot air/water expand, or the hoses will burst. Once coiled, please hose off the hose! This cleans off "stuff" that the hose may have been dragged through which in summer will draw files. In winter, we remove the nozzles, stretch out the hoses, and let them trickle over night.

Ok, on to the cleaning! Take any bowls with food and put in the center gravel area on top of the house there (remember to put back down when done). Hose down the pen and wet all the poop & pee spots. Dump water buckets. Wipe out the green algea from the water buckets, rinse out. Also rinse the sides and bottoms, as some of the dogs pee on or in their buckets Sorry Clean empty dog bowls - make sure all spit, slime, food etc is gone. If their food bowls are full and "nasty" looking. You can bag the food, clean the bowl and dry it off with one of the towels hanging in the pens then return the food. Clean all toys, and put in the back of the pen not used for their "toilet". If we leave the bowls empty, they will dry for the next day. Toys left in bowls tend to leave water/soap in the food bowls. The sun is great for cleaning too, all toys and bowls can be sun dried to help in killing any germs.

Scrub any nasty spots it isn't usually necessary to do the whole pen, unless it's someone like Olivia! For those that do stomp in their poopie and fingerpaint (please check the chainlink doors and walls around the doors) a more thorough cleaning is needed daily! Oftentimes, the door needs to be hosed down too. In summer flies are drawn to any small amounts of poop and food. The flies will bite the dog's ears. We keep picking up poop in the kennels until we lock the door in the afternoons.

Check houses for pee inside (Happy, Red, & Larry) rinse out. Rinse off tops of houses where they jump in poop then stand on their house (Daisy, Faith)

Teams working together have it easier. When houses are not too big, I tip them over and rinse the hair, pee etc from the bottom. It also keeps the spiders down (we euthanize spiders very quickly ).

Rinse along the bottoms of the fence hair gets caught in it and will keep the urine smell. Grab hold of the chainlink above the area you want to hose and pull up hosing then becomes much easier. Also check for hair around the 4x4 posts. It all has to be cleaned well in summer.

Now you've cleaned out the water bucket, hosed off the house, the toys and food bowls. Make sure you hose all the soapy solution out of the pen. When you don't see any more suds, fill the water buckets to the top every day. In summer we try and keep the buckets in the shade, in winter we keep them in the sun to prevent freezing. Make sure that those that don't have pools, have water in their buckets VERY IMPORTANT!!

If you put the pools and water buckets back to back in each pen, I've found that it gives the male dogs a free post to pee on, and prevents them from using their water bowl or pool as an object to pee on. In addition, if you place the water bucket with the handle to the back, against the fence, then the dog will be less likely to get a tag caught in the handle and either choke, or knock it over. There are several pens where the water buckets are clipped. If you unclip them to clean them, please remember to replace the clip. It's there because the dog knocks over the bucket.

In winter we squeegie all pens so the water doesn't freeze and become dangerous to walk on. In summer, there are select pens to squeegie because of the concrete cracks and dips.

We use the terms "kennel up" with their name. That way all volunteers should be able to get the dogs to respond. Giving a "cookie" as a reward is good, once they are in their pens. Cleaning is hard work, and not for everyone. I find winter cleaning harder in the cold weather, some find the heat worse.

We provide drinks and snacks in the back garage, and there is a bathroom in the front garage. What you have provided, is a piece of yourself to these homeless creatures that search for love and attention. Petting them, giving them special hugs and kisses when cleaning means the world to them. We thank you for taking your time to spend with these little animals.

Once you have finished a section. Please go back and check each pen water in that pen? Clip or chain on gate? It protects these guys from accidents! Don't forget the center pools, outside food bowls, and water buckets. They need to be scrubbed daily too.

Puppy cleaning

Hang out any blankets if they're wet squeegee their floor, towel dry put a dry towel in house for the little ones until their blanket is dry if it's cold out.

SUMMER CLEANING

Pools

Now that warmer weather is here, we have the swimming pools out. The warm weather, combined with the dogs peeing in their pools and water buckets will cause a green algea (in addition to germs). Pools will need to be scrubbed with the floor scrubber every day. Pools will also get a slimy algea on their bottoms (from pee getting underneath) so check for that.

Dog houses

In winter we use hay or cedar. In spring, we remove everything. If you have the energy - each time you clean, pick one dog house to remove all the cedar from it. That means bagging the cedar, hosing out the house and possibly scrubbing the house inside and out. Use a dry towel for the inside. In summer, spiders are all over those houses. We have professionals spray the grounds several times a year, but dog hair that has accumulated in addition to pieces of hay or cedar are great places for spiders to hide. As we have changed to all plastic dog houses, it is now easy to scrub and clean each day.

Cleaning of grounds

Not many folks help with the grounds. There are several things we need to do on a weekly basis. Outside the pens all the "stuff" that has been hosed out, now has to be picked up if it doesn't disintegrate. That means raking all the straw, poop, food, pool pieces and toy pieces etc from around the outside of the pens. Then we do the same thing on the front of the pens.

There is a bucket of garden lime in the garage that we use to sprinkle around the pens once they are raked clean. We also provide masks, and gloves. Sprinkle down wind! Lime is an organic material that helps with the urine smell, helps with the disintegration of the hair and any other small matter.

If you can see it, we need to pick it up.

As the dogs run daily, we do a poopie-patrol continually of the main grounds. On weekends this needs to occur very often as we get more visitors.

Exercise of dogs free run

During cleaning, one kennel area is out running free while their kennel is being cleaned. When that area is done, another starts to "run". Do not let them take toys/rawhides out, or bring back in stuffed toys

It is important that whomever is letting the dogs run, watch the front gate closely. If someone drives up, I want all the dogs out running called back to the gravel area. Dogs that bite someone, get written up. A complaint is made with the county against the dog. If that dog does it again, they will be put to sleep I have no say in the matter. In addition, it puts the shelter at risk for law suits. It doesn't matter how the incident happened, we have to prevent it from ever happening to start with.

Some of the dogs like Hannah, Azalea and Big Red, are fear biters. We can't take a chance. On Saturdays and Sundays since the traffic is increased, it might be a good idea to lock the front gate and get the dogs up before you open the gate for the person(s). If a community service person comes to work and I'm not there, just have them stay out front and do yard work.

Some kennels can run together. There will be special instructions on each door card for running and feeding procedures.

Walking, bathing, grooming, petting dogs

Many folks come to walk the dogs. No dog is to go off the premises without a choker collar and leash on. The cleaner that is letting her/his dogs run, needs to watch the folks coming in and out the front door to make sure that there aren't any dogs loose at the time. The folks coming in with dogs need to call and ask if it's "ok" to come in.

These guys need brushing badly come Spring. As the weather gets warmer, they will need baths. Folks working in pairs might also brush a couple of the longer-haired dogs during the cleaning.

Hugs and kisses are needed. If you don't go home with paw prints, dog slobber and other "stuff" on you, then you didn't put in a good day's work

During summer, Nancy H has been taking some of the dogs "swimming" in the local lake once a week. It would be nice to get a helper and take kennel mates etc. in her van.

Nancy H has also built an agility course for the dogs in the cooler weather. These guys really enjoy something different, and some show quite a jumping ability.

Anything different that you can think of to help them break the daily boredom, is welcomed. Any agility objects or toys that you can get a hold of would be appreciated. These guys are surprising us as to how smart they really are!

Lawn maintenance

We do occasionally get community service folks to do some of the yard work. The grass needs to be mowed in the kennel area, the parking area, in the cat yard, and all around the front and back of the mobile home. Weed eating is also needed.

When we don't have the men to do that, I do it. It has to be done. So, if any man would like to jump in and help, please let me know!

We have the riding mower, the push mower and the weed eater we just need bodies.

Dog house maintenance

Being state licensed, we are now required to replace all the wooden houses with plastic igloo-type houses. Therefore we don't need to paint them anymore. However, they do need to be scrubbed inside and out every week.

The plastic houses need to be hosed out in summer months every day, and lifted to hose underneath. In winter there will be cedar in all houses.

#10

WalMart Runs

Walmart donates broken bags to us once a week. Market Street Walmart in Wilmington, and Southport Walmart. If you would like to get involved picking up the food and bringing it to the shelter, please leave your name and number on the shelter phone and Nancy H will get back with you. This food needs to be picked up weekly, or we lose the donation. You will have to load the food yourself at Walmart (dog/cat food, bird seed, cat litter). All food is unloaded up at the front garage and sorted.

#11

Adoption Days

Petsmart days are for the cat folks and dogs folks. Dog adoptions are done the 2nd and 4th Saturdays of each month unless otherwise posted. In between, we go to other locations for events. Call the shelter for details on any other site you'd be interested in helping at.

Work at adoptions: help to unload the dogs, waiting there with your dog(s) for 3-4 hours, and then loading them up and coming back to Paws Place.

We give out lots of pre-adoption applications during our stay. Most people don't read them, they just start filling them out. You need to point out that we have strict adoption requirements noted on the application and to please read the application before they fill it out.

It's hard work and stressful. If you would like to take one dog in your vehicle and try an adoption day, or just meet us there and help let us know

#12

Fundraisers, Grants and Other Projects

There are always "projects" that are going on that we need help with.

There are many different grants available to animal organizations. We need someone to help write, and apply for grants.

Nancy H works on dog pictures, bios for our website www.pawsplace.org. All of our dogs and cats are listed through the Petfinder link on our website.

Volunteers are needed for dog transportation to different states or locations Flip went to the Bronx and Benji went to New Jersey! This was done by folks that volunteered to drive a few hours one way, and meet another volunteer to pick up the dog. If you wold be interested in doing this, let us know.

It's the end of day you've made it!!!

give and 2nd pills out

fill food bin 50% Purina Dog Chow 50% other donated stuff

get food buckets/bags ready for next day

make sure all plastic food bins are closed tight we don't want flies or mice in them

throw garbage away there are Hefty bags on left counter

CLIP OPEN DOORS:

We clip open certain doors so dogs have access to the gravel area check the list

Lock play area with padlock

Set security alarm

lock kennel gate padlock note, everyone is now laying down resting very comfortably

put rope back across by ducks

lock front garage door twist button on handle to lock make sure new security tape is in

lock red cow gate don't forget put padlock through the chain, not the clip

You did a good job!

Now, I get to go home and do the paperwork

Every volunteer needs to fill out the attached form in case of an emergency. These forms will be kept in the filing cabinet in the back garage.

VOLUNTEER AGREEMENT

PLEASE PRINT:

Name:

_____________________________________________

Address:

_____________________________________________

City/State/Zip:

_____________________________________________

Home phone:

_____________________________________________

cell phone:

_____________________________________________

email:

_____________________________________________

I fully understand and agree to assume all risks involved in any and all duties that I choose to perform at Paw's Place in my volunteer capacity, and agree to hold Paw's Place harmless for any injury(s) which I might sustain during the course of my volunteer duties.

_________________________________________

Signature (if volunteer is a minor must be signed by a parent)

___________________

Date

EMERGENCY CONTACT

In case of an emergency, the following person is to be contacted immediately:

Full Name:

_______________________________________________

Relationship to volunteer:

_______________________________________________

Phone # home

___________________________

Phone # work

___________________________

cell phone #

___________________________

In case an ambulance needs to be called:

my health insurance card can be found ________________________________________

a medical alert card can be found ____________________________________________

Questions: Send us an email at: Contact Us or call the shelter at 910-845-PAWS