In the stressful environment of an animal shelter, it can be hard to prioritize what really matters: animal behavior, staff welfare, and positive outcomes. Dwindling budgets, overwhelming need, and difficult behaviors can make it hard for shelter managers and staff to keep their heads above water–much less go above and beyond.
If your shelter is struggling just to meet the bare minimum, know that you’re in good company. A shelter behavior consultant’s job is to help good people who can’t see the forest through the trees in the chaos of shelter life. Let’s talk about the support you can expect if you choose to work with a shelter behavior consultant.
Hands-On Support
Have you ever wanted somebody to come in, take a hard look at your life, and curate a tailored program to get everything on track? That’s what a behavior consultant can do in your shelter. A shelter expert will come to your shelter and create tailored solutions to your biggest problems, whether that’s staff training and retention, pathway planning, or animal handling and enrichment.
Here are a few of the hands-on services that Laurie Lawless, founder of Shelter Behavior Integrations, offers to her clients:
Program audits: Laurie will take stock of your shelter’s behavior programs and pathway planning to assess their effectiveness, using a combination of first-hand observation, data analysis, and staff interviews. Then, she’ll offer tailored solutions fit to your shelter.
Team training: Your shelter team will receive custom training fit to your shelter environment, covering topics from animal handling and enrichment to dog fight interventions and bite assessments.
Playgroup support: Whether you have an existing playgroup program or are looking to develop one at your shelter, Laurie will create tailored solutions fit to your resources and animal population.
Custom projects: For shelters with unique needs, Laurie will collaborate to create a custom project, solving problems like leadership struggles, cruelty case support, and multi-state consulting.
Laurie Lawless offers a number of online services to provide flexibility for any shelter’s needs.
Remote Support
In addition to on-site support, behavior consultants frequently offer remote options for shelters who need budgetary or scheduling flexibility. This could look like a one-time strategy call to resolve a specific issue in your shelter, custom remote training, and/or mentorship programs. Often, shelter behavior consultants like Laurie Lawless will even blend hands-on intervention with ongoing remote support.
Comprehensive Education
Finally, shelter behavior consultants can connect you and your team to reputable educational resources to aid in staff and volunteer training, program implementation, and continuing education.
Shelter Behavior Integrations hosts a comprehensive online hub of educational resources, including both free and paid remote education options to help shelter professionals better meet the needs of animals in care. From pre-recorded webinars to low-cost live sessions and on-demand courses, Laurie works with a number of shelter professionals to offer valuable expert insights. Here’s a list of some of our other favorite online shelter experts:
Trish McMillan: Trish started the Shelter Behavior Hub to provide easy-to-access educational resources for shelters looking to prioritize behavioral health. She offers a variety of courses and webinars in both dog and cat behavior.
Fear Free Shelters: Fear Free Shelters offers both online and in-person training and education for animal welfare professionals. Shelter employees and volunteers get access to their Fear Free Shelter Program for free, making this an invaluable resource to have on hand at your shelter.
Victoria Stilwell: The Victoria Stilwell Academy offers a number of free and advanced courses, mostly focusing on dog training. This is a great option for shelters interested in training volunteers to take on behavior-focused responsibilities, like playgroups and positive reinforcement training.
What Support Does Your Shelter Need?
If your shelter’s in need of an overhaul, it might be worth it to call in the big guns. An up-front investment in hands-on support will often pay off in the long run. Laurie Lawless started Shelter Behavior Integrations (SBI) to give shelters the tools to start centering behavior in their everyday practices. Check out the SBI website to check out Laurie’s hands-on consultation services, access SBI Online educational content, and book a strategy call today.
