A new approach to animal services

About 415,000 dogs and cats are killed every year in animal shelters across the U.S. because they don’t have safe places to call home. One of the contributing factors, experts have come to realize, is a knowledge gap in the field of animal services. Leading the efforts to close that gap is a national animal welfare organization widely recognized for its mission to end the killing of pets in shelters. Best Friends Animal Society—headquartered in Kanab, Utah—has partnered with Southern Utah University (SUU) to develop the nation’s first university-endorsed animal services leadership program. Together, they’ve developed a curriculum made up of almost 150 animal-services learning modules and eight courses, filling the knowledge gap by educating animal-care leaders in proven industry-lifesaving practices and data-driven decision-making.  “This program is the most cutting-edge way of relating to homeless pets,” says Best Friends CEO Julie Castle. “We’re talking about every community becoming a sanctuary for animals. Our goal is to end shelter killing in 2025.” It’s that level of commitment to professionalize animal care and save the lives of animals that has earned Best Friends a place on Fast Company’s list of the Best Workplaces for Innovators for 2024. CULTIVATING IDEAS It was a Best Friends employee who came up with the idea of an internal transformative leadership program—later collaborating with a colleague and volunteer to put together a pilot and proof-of-concept presentation. It was another staff member who suggested that this endeavor might benefit from a partnership with an institute of higher learning to add both stature and academic rigor. Individuals can complete a Contemporary Animal Services Leadership concentration within the SUU Master of Interdisciplinary Studies program—or pursue “micro-credentials” by taking short, action-oriented classes. Expanding knowledge in areas like community engagement, resource management, and lifesaving programs, the program has been extremely effective. In fact, one student, who came from a shelter with an animal save rate of about 20%, helped the shelter increase its save rate to nearly 80% after completing the courses. Castle points to the success of the program as just another example of how giving a voice to every team member can have far-reaching consequences. “If you have a great idea, we’re going to try and make it work,” she says. “When you get some smart people together, who really care about something, that’s where the magic happens.” BUILDING A BETTER FUTURE Going forward, Best Friends plans to build on its leadership initiative by establishing a center for contemporary animal services. It will serve as the focal point for coursework, research, and activities involved in creating a new academic discipline for the field of animal services. When Best Friends was founded in 1984, there was no such thing as a no-kill shelter in the U.S.—an estimated 17 million animals were killed annually. Though that number has reduced significantly, Best Friends is committed to a future when every pet is safe at home, where every city is a sanctuary for pets, and where shelters are resources for families to get help in times of need. “We’ve got a lot of work to do to get to that point,” Castle says, “but the first step is to recognize that, in too many instances, we’re still killing our best friends. Let’s stop that.”