The Future Is Four: Deep Dive Into The 4 Rights of Animal Sheltering

The foundation of the Million Cat Challenge rested on Five Key Initiatives, refined and adapted to shelters of every size and type throughout North America, which together represented a holistic approach that addressed the “before, during and after” for any cat at risk of shelter entry. These initiatives were proven by over 3.5 million more cat lives saved by over 1500 Challenger Shelters. Now, #ThanksToMaddie, we’re thinking bigger.

With the Maddie’s®️ Million Pet Challenge, the Five Key Initiatives of the Million Cat Challenge have expanded to include other species at risk in shelters and evolved into the Four Rights.

Within the Four Rights, every element works in concert to support one another: animals and people are treated as individuals, empowering shelter staff to make the best decisions for everyone; community safety net services are in place and flourishing; and humane care within the shelter is provided, with appropriate outcomes for the animals that do come in, allowing shelters to deliver the Right Care, in the Right Place, at the Right Time, and to the Right Outcome.

As part of the Maddie’s®️ Million Pet Challenge’s Learniverse program, subject matter experts from the UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program will discuss guiding principles that animal welfare professionals can use to make decisions, train their staff and engage the public.

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MMPC Spring 2023 Shelter Summit

View recorded sessions from the Spring 2023 Shelter Summit and Fast Tracks half-day online event. Learn about 5 high impact programs/practices to implement NOW at your shelter to help improve operations and outcomes. Continue with implementation by joining a Fast Track to work with the speakers/coaches featured here.

The Right Outcome on MMPC Learniverse – The 4 Rights – Part 4

The Right Outcome is the one that best supports the well-being of animals, honors the connections between humans and pets, stabilizes communities, and maintains public health and safety. When we serve animals in the right place, at the right time, and provide the right care while working within our capacity, we make it possible to achieve the right outcome.

 This course discusses Return-to-Home principles as well as barriers to adoption from animal shelters and strategies for avoiding decision fatigue while making decisions with compassion, empathy, and clarity.

The Right Time on MMPC Learniverse – The 4 Rights – Part 2

The “Right Time” is the time that best allows services to be provided in alignment with animal and human need and shelter capacity. Within the shelter, it includes setting open hours and offering services by appointment, as well as managing animals in care through pathway planning, hold periods, and daily welfare rounds, components critical to moving animals as quickly as possible to positive outcomes. Whether we’re talking about the hours our shelter is open or the demands on our staff time, the system we build directly impacts the time an animal spends in our shelter.