Four Rights Webinar Series Wraps with One Big Question

#ThankstoMaddie and the Maddie’s Million Pet Challenge team, we’ve spent this spring alongside all of you exploring what it would take to create a world in which every single shelter is able to provide every animal at risk with the Four Rights: the Right Care in the Right Place, at the Right Time, to the Right Outcome. Inspired by the Five Key Initiatives of the Million Cat Challenge that empowered shelters to save over 3.5 million cats, the Four Rights include all species at risk in shelters, with community safety net services, humane care within the shelter, and appropriate outcomes for the animals that do come in all working in concert to support one another.

If you missed any of our five-part webinar series, The Future Is Four, you can watch—and share—all the recordings at Maddie’s University!

The Future is Four – Dr. Kate Hurley, the co-founder of the Million Cat Challenge and one of the inspirations behind the Maddie’s Million Pet Challenge, invites us to reflect on how far our field has come, and she explains how the Four Rights can help us meet current challenges and shape a hopeful future for animal sheltering. Watch the recording here.

The Right Place – Drs. Cynthia Karsten and Chumkee Aziz guide you through the framework that allows you to remove decision fatigue and get animals where they need to be—or help them right where they are. Watch the recording here.

The Right Time – Drs. Cindi Delany and Kate Hurley outline strategies for streamlining tasks, reducing length of stay, capturing lost resources, and making the most of the resources you have. Watch the recording here.

The Right Care – Offering the Right Care means animals are not left in dangerous circumstances to cause harm, suffer, or die because the shelter can’t admit them; nor are they are admitted to a crowded shelter when there are better options within the community. Drs. Chumkee Aziz and Denae Wagner and Cat Adoption Team (CAT) Executive Director Karen Green discuss how to provide humane housing and match community need to community capacity and shelter services to ensure all animals receive the care that is right for them. Watch the recording here.

The Right Outcome – Drs. Cynthia Karsten and Kate Hurley discuss how we can ensure the right outcome for pets and people facing challenges big and small. Watch the recording here.

What’s next? Join us in Barrier Busting June!

In last week’s Right Outcome webinar, Drs. Kate Hurley and Cindy Karsten closed out the series by sharing recommendations for removing barriers to the Right Outcome and encouraging us to look for opportunities to turn good outcomes into better and best outcomes. We were so inspired by your barrier-busting ideas during the webinar, we’re making the entire month of June all about removing barriers and clearing the way for more animals to reach the Right Outcome. All you need to do to join us (and put your name in the hat for a prize from our Basket of Joy!) is answer this question:

What is ONE barrier to the Right Outcome for animals in your shelter that you could remove in June?

Share your answer by replying to this thread on Maddie’s Pet Forum, and you’ll be entered to win one of these prizes:

• A Yeti: begone, thirst barriers! Whether you need a tumbler for your smoothie or a supersized bottle for your iced coffee, you’ll be covered.
• The Best Practice Playbook for Animal Shelters: your guide to breaking down barriers to best practices, Dr. Sara Pizano’s playbook will help your shelter implement proven national standards with a special emphasis on the efficient use of all resources that will eliminate waste and save lives.
• Your own personalized jingle: the quickest barrier-to-joy buster is a custom jingle composed by Koret Shelter Medicine Program songsmith extraordinaire Andy Cowitt. We’re already imagining a shelter staff singalong…

So what barrier could you banish this month? We can’t wait to find out! We’ll announce the winners in early July.