Adopt-an-Angel Proposal

Increasing Volunteer Support and Efficiency

11/22/2013
Taber Lewis Ryan Sandy Samantha Santana Aki Suzuki tsl7716 ras6147 svs4961 ass4502

Table of Contents Executive Summary.pg. 4 Introductionpg. 5 SWOT analysis.pg. 6 Objectives..pg. 7 Methods..pg. 7-8 Results.....pg. 8-13 Analysis..pg. 13-14 Budget .pg. 15 Benefits..pg. 15-16 Qualifications.pg. 16-17 Recommendation..pg.17-18 Project Timeline..pg. 18 Conclusion.pg. 18-19 Works Cited.pg. 20 Appendix Apg. 21-23 Appendix Bpg. 24-26 Appendix Cpg. 27-28 Appendix Dpg. 29-44

Executive Summary Purpose The purpose of our proposal is to increase both volunteer support and efficiency for the nonprofit organization, Adopt-an-Angel, through the creation of a volunteer handbook.

Background Adopt-an-Angel is a non-profit organization founded in January of 2004, by volunteers that wanted to increase the adoption rates for animals about to be euthanized by Animal Control Centers located in New Hanover, Brunswick and Pender County. The animals are taken from these shelters and placed with private citizen foster homes and boarding facilities until they are put up for adoption. The adoptions are held at Petco located at S. College Rd. Wilmington, NC, every Saturday and Sunday. The organizations efforts have saved the lives of over 5,000 cats and dogs by finding caring homes. Adopt-an-Angel gathers funds through donations, adoption fees, and the sponsorships of animals, which in turn is used to care for the animals by paying for food and medical care. (http://www.adoptanangel.net)

Recommendations We recommend that Adopt-an-Angel utilize our volunteer handbook. The handbooks main goal is to increase volunteer support and the overall efficiency of the organization. The information will be presented in a pamphlet-type style. The handbooks objectives are as followed. To increase the number of committed volunteers To provide effective ways to ensure the organizations efficiency To educate the volunteers about their roles at Adopt-an-Angel To facilitate the division of jobs among volunteers

Benefits A volunteer handbook would recruit and retain committed, efficient, and long-term volunteers through the provision of ample preliminary information and procedural/protocol education that is not currently implemented by Adopt-an-Angel.

Introduction Per these reports, public pounds in NC took in 348,089 dogs and cats in 2011. Of these, 226,199 or 64.98 percent were killed. Dogs generally fared much better than cats in the states pounds. Of the 181,907 who entered pounds, 93,880, or 51.61 percent were killed. Of 166,182 cats, 130,639 were killed, for a rate of 78.61 percent. As noted above, the absence of statistics from several potentially high kill pounds means the actual number of animals killed in NC is likely a bit higher than this. This post was published in MAY 2012 and the numbers referenced here are the 2011 NC statistics. (http://fixnc.wordpress.com) Adopt-an-Angel is a non-profit organization that depends on the dedicated work of volunteers to help save cats and dogs from being euthanized. This is accomplished by the organization adopting the animals about to be put to death and placing them in foster homes or animal lodgings until the animals can be placed in adoption drives. The organization is dependent on volunteers to run the organization, provide foster homes for animals, and needs volunteers to assist every weekend at the adoption drive held at Petco. A problem presented is the transient nature of the individuals that volunteer for work. The majority of the volunteers are students that either need community service hours, information for school projects, or do not have the time to dedicate toward learning all the intricate workings of the organization. Time is also limited for upper management to train new volunteers since they have full time jobs, and the time left for the non-profit organization is limited; this leaves little time for management to complete the work associated with Adopt-an-Angel, and much less time to train people. The frequent turnover rate of volunteers means that many people need to be educated quickly and constantly on their jobs for the organization to run smoothly. Our proposal is to gather information from management and develop a volunteer handbook that explains what new volunteers are responsible for and what their jobs entail. Another benefit of the handbook is that it could be used as a quick reference guide to questions that volunteers may have pertaining to their jobs; this limits the need for volunteers to seek advice from upper management who are usually not present due to handling other issues pertaining to fundraisers and locating foster homes for the animals. The cost of producing the volunteer handbooks would be cheap and could be produced in large quantities and the benefits would lead an efficient solution to the constant training of new volunteers.

SWOT Analysis

Strengths Adopt-an-Angel has a pre-existing relationship with Petco on S. College Rd. in Wilmington, NC. As a result, they are able to hold weekly weekend adoption fairs at the same time and same place. Adopt-an-Angel has been active since 2004 with many of the founding members still involved. These members know what strategies work for the organization and what do not. They also have formed strong relationships with the Wilmington community. Adopt-an-Angel is aligned with the Pender County Humane Society. This relationship facilities additional funding for the organization.

Weaknesses Many people in the Wilmington community have not heard of Adopt-an-Angel. There is not a strong marketing strategy and there is not a lot traffic on the Facebook page or website. There is a lack of volunteers. Adopt-anAngel is not able to find homes for as many animals as it could because there is a lack of volunteers to work at pet adoptions or to foster animals until they are adopted. There is not an organized handbook for volunteers. When volunteers show up for assignments, the expectations are not clear and they are often unsure of their roles.

Opportunities UNCW is a potentially great source of volunteers. Many college students are looking for community service opportunities and many would be interested in working with animals. With the holidays coming up, people have more free time and more time and desire to volunteer and give back to the community. If Adoptan-Angel can successfully market the organization to these people, they can increase their volunteer numbers and database.

Threats If volunteers sign up to help but do not show up to their assignments, the organization suffers and adoption fairs cannot be held successfully. There are a large number pet adoption organizations in Wilmington, NC. As a result, Adopt-an-Angel often has to compete for volunteers.

Objectives Since its founding in 2004, Adopt-an-Angels (AAA) mission has been to save animals that will be euthanized, not to take animals surrendered directly from the public. AAA does not have a shelter for these animals; thus, it relies on private citizens, vet offices, boarding facilities, and pet stores to act as a temporary foster home until a permanent home can be found. Therefore, AAA is about building bridges and relationships to create a more humane community in order to save more lives. It is imperative that we maintain a positive, open, friendly relationship with all our partners. It is imperative that AAA develops and fosters relationships with not only the community but within its own organization. The Volunteer Handbook will help facilitate communication between AAA volunteers. By doing so, it will increase animal adoptions since volunteers are communicating with one another about tasks that need to be performed. The Volunteer Handbook objectives are as follows: To simplify individual tasks To answer frequently asked questions pertaining to the job To facilitate communication between volunteers To provide basic understanding of the procedures of AAA

Methods To become informed about Adopt-an-Angel and thereby conclude a necessary and sufficient solution to a predominant issue in the organization, we made use of implementing interviews and surveys into our research. In addition to the primary sources, we also made use of the various websites connected to Adopt-an-Angel, outside resources relevant to our chosen organization and documents provided by Adopt-an-Angel to further our expertise. For our primary research we began by designing our surveys demographic to be geared towards both Adopt-an-Angel volunteers as well as non-volunteers (adoptees and customers at Petco). We did not limit our audience to one group for specific reasons. The volunteers we chose because they would be able to provide concrete answers to some of the questions that required volunteer experience with Adopt-an-Angel. We then also needed an outsiders perspective (the non-volunteers) to provide input on what our product should consist of to satisfy the needs of potentially interested future volunteers. The survey was non-random and purposeful because our subjects all shared an interest in animal care and were selected based on this affiliation. The survey falls into the category of being structured and close ended in format, consisting of 10 questions administered directly in person at the adoption fair location. We were able to survey 36 subjects total, with 32 being volunteers and 4 being non-volunteers. We conducted two separate face-to-face interviews with different volunteer members of Adoptan-Angel. The first interview was conducted at Port City Java on Racine Drive with the one year

volunteer, Mr. Arthur Smith. This subject was purposeful and non-random because Mr. Smith Adopt-an-Angels Volunteer Coordinator. In the interview with Mr. Smith, we formatted 16 openended questions consistently aimed towards gaining primary background insight on the Adoptan-Angel Organization. The second interview was once again purposeful and non-random, targeted for a subject who had been with Adopt-an-Angel for a more extended period of time than Mr. Smith. For this subject we selected Mrs. Amy Maultsby. Mrs. Maultsby is the mother of Adopt-an-Angels founder Chelsea Maultsby and has also volunteered with the organization for the past eight years. Mrs. Maultsbys interview was conducted at Petco during an adoption fair, and consisted of 13 open ended questions centered upon attaining information specifically relating to the volunteer weakness in the organization. Results Through the primary interview conducted with Mr. Arthur Smith, we used the results of his responses to hone in on what Adopt-an-Angels area of need was. We concluded our findings after asking Mr. Smith basic questions about the organizations functions and purpose, then finally by addressing what currently limits the organization and can be isolated as its weakness. The identified weakness was lack of volunteer quality and quantity. After using this first interview to select the problem at hand, our second interview with Mrs. Maultsby identified the underlying reasons behind the lack of volunteers in numbers, as well as the low efficiency of the quality of the volunteers in Adopt-an-Angel. Maultsby revealed that the organization struggles to retain its volunteers for several reasons: volunteers are only temporary due to need for community service hours, volunteers move, and volunteers quit when they are overwhelmed with the work load. Maultsby attributed the lack of efficiency within the organizations current volunteers to be caused by insufficient volunteer education. Without being well informed of duties and responsibilities, the volunteers quit because they are unprepared from the start for how large of a commitment they are making. In addition the volunteers who do not receive sufficient training and basic knowledge on protocol cannot work towards full potential to be useful during their hours. Uneducated volunteers end up putting the full load upon the lead volunteers and causing disorganization and miscommunication because they are unclear upon what their role is. In this interview, Amy did not only provide the problem at hand, but also suggested a feasible solution: a volunteer handbook. Once we had concluded our interview with Mrs. Maultsby, we were able to use the information to form a survey aimed to discover the call for a volunteer handbook, and in what format, with what contents, it should be presented.

Fig 1. Current Volunteers This was a filter question to filter out participants who were or werent, volunteers with Adopt-anAngel. As our proposal called for a volunteer handbook to increase the communication between volunteers of AAA, we filtered out participants who were not a part of the organization. According to the graph, only about 80% were current volunteers with Adopt-an-Angel.

Fig 2. Frequency of Volunteering According to the graph, about 60% of volunteers have volunteered with AAA 10 or more times, in a course of 3 months. This question gives us an idea that most of the volunteers do volunteer their time quite often.

7-9 months 10 months +

Fig 3. Continuing of Commitment According to the survey results, 80% of volunteers plan to continue volunteering with Adopt-anAngel. This piece of information was important so that we can go ahead with plans to create a volunteer handbook. If most of the volunteers answered that they plan to volunteer for less than a month, then our volunteer handbook would not be as effective since they plan on leaving.

Fig 4. Reason for Volunteering We wanted to get an idea of the audience so this question was to gage how many of the participants were doing this out of personal interest. 100% of the volunteers surveyed were volunteering with AAA out of personal interest.

Fig 5. Prior Volunteer Education According to the survey results, 80% of volunteers said that AAA did not supply them with an informative document on volunteer education.

Fig 6. Roles of volunteers The survey results have answers ranging from strongly agree, to agree, not sure, disagree, and strongly disagree. According to the results, 25% of people strongly agreed that AAA has sufficiently informed them on their different roles as a volunteer. 20% agreed, 25% said not sure, 20% said disagree, and 10% answered strongly disagree.
Using any number from 1 to 4, where 1 is least important and 4 is most important, what is the most important knowledge for an Adopt-an-Angel voluntee to possess?
Recruitment of other Volunteers Protocol for communication between volunteers and Handling of Animals Interaction with Adoptees

Most Important Important Indifferent Least important

0%

20%

40%

60%

Fig 7. Most important knowledge According to the results, handling of animals and recruitment of other volunteers were the two most important pieces of knowledge for an AAA volunteer to possess, with 35% saying handling of animals as most important and 40% saying recruitment of other volunteers.

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Fig 8. Medium of Volunteer Education According to the results, 58% of volunteers said that the most effective format to receive volunteer instructional education is a soft copy document accessed online.

Fig 9. Being informed and continuation of volunteering According to the results, 41% of volunteers said that being more informed on volunteer responsibilities would HIGHLY impact their decision to continue volunteering with an organization. Whereas, 29% said it would be of a LOW impact on their decision.

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Fig 10. Prior knowledge of volunteer responsibilities According to the results of the survey, 45.8% said that it was very important to know the volunteer responsibilities prior to making a commitment, a deciding factor in their getting involved with the organization. Whereas, 8% said it was not important. 25% said it was somewhat important. Analysis The results of our survey conclude that Adopt-an-Angel will greatly benefit if we were to create a Volunteer Handbook. In Fig. 2, the graph Frequency of Volunteering shows that more than half, 60% of volunteers, are members who have participated with AAA 10 times or more in a course of 3 months. These results allowed us to confirm that with most volunteers having spent a decent amount of time with the organization, the weakness in volunteer quality is not only attributable to volunteers being new. Members of Adopt-an-Angel who have volunteered more than 10 times in a relatively short time period, should be well informed on a certain level. However, according to the feedback from Mrs. Maultsby and Mr. Smith this is not the case. The findings in Fig. 2 reiterate the need for volunteer education to prevent these volunteers who are consistently devoting their time from continuing to show up and not be given the tools to grow from the experience. According to Fig. 3, 80% of volunteers do, in fact, plan to continue their commitment to Adoptan-Angel for 2 or more years. This information tells us that the volunteers already participating in Adopt-an-Angel will play major roles. To make use of this large amount of volunteers who plan to remain with the organization, Adopt-an-Angel should ensure that these volunteers are not simply showing up and learning nothing through their hours of dedication. This is a waste of time for both the volunteers themselves, and the organization as a whole. If volunteers are willing to make a long term commitment like these results suggest, then they need to be trained for taking on more responsibility to benefit the animals, the lead volunteers and the service that the adoptees receive. These results prove that Adopt-an-Angel needs to make an investment into instructing uneducated volunteers so they can transition to become leaders themselves.

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According to Fig. 5, 80% of volunteers answered no that Adopt-an-Angel did not supply them with an informative document on volunteer education. This greatly influences volunteers commitment as seen in Fig. 9, where over 40% of volunteers said that being more informed on volunteer responsibilities HIGHLY impacts their decision to continue volunteering with an organization. This proves our original hypothesis that with access to more educational resources, the volunteers would have a higher retention rate. This is because when volunteers join the organization, it is overwhelming for them to not be provided with clear instruction on what their role is. In this state of confusion, they are aware that they are not contributing in substantial ways to the organization and this lack of feeling significant results in them discontinuing their volunteer experience with Adopt-an-Angel. The retention rate would improve with a handbook informing them of specific responsibilities such as protocol for handling a dog who has peed at a fair. The handbook would spark motivation for participation through them feeling empowered by their own ability of having the knowledge to be important in the functioning of Adopt-an-Angel. The results in Fig. 6 Roles of Volunteers are slightly in favor of Adopt-an-Angels current education of volunteers being sufficient, with 25% strongly agreeing with the statement and 20% agreeing. However the remaining 45% are either unsure (25%), disagree (20%) or strongly disagree (10%). These numbers representing the members who do not feel sufficiently educated are concerning considering the amount of time most volunteers have spent with the organization as shown in Fig. 2. In addition they are unfortunate because according to Fig. 4 100% of volunteers are volunteering for reasons of personal interest. These volunteers have intrinsic motivation to volunteer and therefore learn. They are genuinely interested in understanding the organization but are not paid enough attention to receive the information they deserve. The graph in Fig. 7 showed handling of animals and recruitment of other volunteers to be the top priorities in a volunteer education. The data specifically reported 35% saying handling of animals as most important and 40% saying recruitment of other volunteers was of most importance. Analyzing this data, we can conclude that these two areas are most concerning to current volunteers who do not feel they have adequate skills to handle animals and therefore worry that the organization needs more volunteers to make up for what they cannot offer because of inefficiency. The results also identified which areas the handbook should show extensive instruction on. Similar to the results of Fig. 9 which reported the importance of volunteers being informed as a deciding factor in remaining with Adopt-an-Angel, the results in Fig. 10 also conclude that knowing volunteer responsibilities prior to making a commitment is very important to 45.8% of people and somewhat important to 25% of people. These results aided us to confirm our hypothesis that the volunteer handbook would not only educate existing volunteers but also attract outsiders through providing substantial information on what the membership entails.

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Budget ITEM Volunteer Handbook TOTAL $540 HOW WILL IT BE USED? Volunteer handbooks will be distributed to new volunteers every month

12 pages X .50$ = $6.00 1 handbook

$6.00 X 5 handbooks in a month= $30 for 5 handbooks, every month

$30 X 18= $540 a year

Flyers

$25.00

Flyers will be distributed to pet stores

50 flyers X .50$= $25.00

Benefits Increase in Numbers and Retention: The implementation of a handbook to allow volunteers to feel more self-assured and informed, would empower them to want to participate in larger ways and attract potential volunteers who are shown the handbook to be more likely to get involved and stay involved. Improved Organization and Efficiency: Volunteers that are committed to work with Adopt-anAngel over an extensive period of time will be more knowledgeable about the protocol for adoption and caring for animals, resulting in a higher level of functioning for the organization as a whole. More accountability: The volunteer handbook will inform from the start what is expected weekly of the volunteers. Therefore the volunteers will be more accountable and no longer require a select few in charge to constantly remind them of their duties and events they should already be self-aware. Reaching Full Potential: Volunteers are often not given the attention and one-on-one training to maximize their usefulness for the organization. Through the volunteer handbook, they will be informed on a comprehensive overview of every element that goes into the workings of the

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organization. This will directly cause smoother transactions such as a quicker set up process at adoption fairs. Maximizing Resources: The handbook will address volunteers contributing their own specialty for the good of the organization. This will maximize resources by allowing Adopt-an-Angel to make use of various skill sets such as computer skills or artistic abilities. Create More Foster Homes: The larger the volunteer network in Adopt-an-Angel, the more foster homes available for the animals. More foster homes means the expansion of the amount of animals Adopt-an-Angel can rescue and be responsible for at one time. Increase in Networking Abilities: The more information available about Adopt-an-Angel in general, the more likely the organization is to get attention in the area. The volunteer handbooks attraction of more volunteers would result in more people being informed of the organizations existence. The higher the involvement rate, the more likely potential donors and adoptees will hear of it as well.

Qualifications Aki: As a Communication Studies major at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, I am well versed in the concept of public relations that is a large part of the volunteer recruitment issue for Adopt-an-Angel. The implementation of a volunteer handbook also requires attention to interpersonal communication and core skills such as application, praxis and analysis, in order to make sure the handbook is relatable and relevant to its audience. In addition to my education at UNCW, I am also qualified for this proposal because of my prior experience with volunteer activities. I have previously volunteered for other animal shelters similar to Adopt-an-Angel, which gives me empathy for the amount of work that goes into caring for the animals. My volunteer work in philanthropies unrelated to animal care is significant as well because it has instilled in me a sense of the importance to be dedicated and accountable even though volunteering is not a paid position. Lastly, I am qualified for a proposal with Adopt-an-Angel from my own personal experience with a dog adopted from an animal rescue. My dog unfortunately was riddled with health issues and needed special care. This more than anything makes me both thankful and understanding of the hard work and effort that goes into running a non-profit for animals. Samantha: As a long-term volunteer with Adopt-An-Angel, I know the lack of communication between volunteers and AAA coordinators. My time spent volunteering allowed me to gain an understanding and first-hand insight of how poorly tasks are specified within the organization. Similarly, my background in journalism has allowed me to research and conduct interviews to acquire information about AAA and its volunteers. It has allowed me to take an objective stance and focus on what it is important and necessary for the organization, rather than my personal opinions.

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I have also conducted service projects in which I was in charge of leading a group of 30 students to volunteer with AAA. I know how difficult it can be to communicate the different tasks to different members of the community. With my leadership experience with AAA, I knew exactly what needed changing. Ryan: Having adopted animals in the past and working with agencies similar to Adopt-an-Angel, has given me insight on the difficulties that these organizations face. With this knowledge, I am able to give suggestions that can be solutions to some of the hurdles that are associated with non-profit organizations like Adopt-an-Angel. I have also volunteered in the past and know the commitment that is required in volunteering long term. Being a Corpsman in the United States Navy has given me a strong background in medical practices and in medications, which can also be applied to animals to some extent, enabling me to help with the care of animals. Owning a cat and dog has also given me the wisdom to inform new pet owners of the responsibilities that are associated with owning an animal which is beneficial in the adoption process. Taber: I have been involved in numerous volunteer experiences ranging from animal adoptions to food drives. Having been a volunteer for numerous organizations, I know what procedures and practices work at certain organizations and what do not. I have experience working with a foundation that has an organized volunteer handbook, and with this organization the experience went much more smoothly as compared to those that were unorganized and lacked some kind of handbook. I was also on the board of National Honors Society at my high school. I was responsible for seeking out and organizing volunteer activities. I have worked directly with representatives of organizations and have been able to successfully communicate with them. Lastly, my family adopted two kittens from an animal shelter, so I have experience with the procedural operations behind pet adoption.

Recommendation Our recommendation is that Adopt-an-Angel create a well-organized, easy to use volunteer handbook. The handbook that we have created/organized can be viewed in Appendix D. The greatest strength is a Table of Contents which allows easy navigation of the handbook. In addition, optionally, we suggest that Adopt-an-Angel keep track of volunteer statistics to see if the volunteer handbook and other practices are successful. Statistics are very important for managing a volunteer program. Statistics justify to supporters and to board of directors why the volunteer program is so significant. They are also used as a measure of whether organization goals are achieved and give future direction to the work volunteers are doing. Finally, volunteer program statistics provide a better understanding to the services and care being provided to the animals in the organization. Based on information gathered from current Adopt-an-Angel volunteers and from Mr. Arthur Smith, we propose that the following statistics be kept for the reasons highlighted above. - Total active volunteers per month: Determine a contribution of a certain amount of hours of per month in order to be an active volunteer (i.e. 3 hours a month). This statistic

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indicates how many volunteers on the volunteer roster are active per month and contributing to Adopt-an-Angel. - Program specific volunteer participation rates: This statistic uses the same principle as total active volunteers per month. This breaks down volunteer participation by particular area. How many volunteers are at Petco for adoptions. How many volunteers are providing direct care for the animals. How many volunteers are working at Adopt-anAngel fundraising events. -Total hours: This statistic keeps track of how many total hours volunteers donate to the organization. This will help measure the consistency, growth, and seasonal need of Adopt-an-Angel. -Volunteer retention/attrition rate: This statistic informs the organization how long they can expect to keep a volunteer. On a monthly basis count the number of active volunteers and keep track of the monthly fluxion. At the end of the year determine how many volunteers remain active and how many were lost. By keeping track of the volunteer retention/attrition rate, you will be able to determine recruitment efforts. -Volunteer to animal ratio: This statistic will provide shelter supporters information on how many volunteers are taking care of the animals. You will be able to determine whether you have enough volunteers at Adopt-an-Angel at any one time to handle the animals. Project Timeline November 2013 - Provide Volunteer Handbooks to Arthur Smith to pass out to Adopt-an-Angel volunteers - Provide Adopt-an-Angel volunteer opportunities flyers to the UNCW Office of Student Leadership and Engagement December 2013 - Attend adoption weekends on 12/8 and 12/15 at Petco - Resurvey volunteers about whether they find the handbook helpful and whether they feel that their role is more well-defined. January 2014 - Make any adjustments to the handbook. - Continue to monitor volunteer growth and retention within the organization.

Conclusion After conducting two purposeful non-random interviews as well as a purposeful non-random survey, we were able to identify the problem at hand for the Adopt-an-Angel organization: a weak volunteer base. The purpose of the research methods used and the product of our proposal, was to find a solution to the issue and using information related to and provided by our target demographic, create a product with which to solve Adopt-an-Angels volunteer weakness. The culmination of our purpose was the formation of a volunteer handbook. The benefits of implementing the handbook into the organization are numerous and will positively affect Adopt-

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an-Angels organization and communication. It will do this through educating volunteers to make longer commitments to be efficient members, as well as being beneficial through providing ample information to attract additional potential volunteers.

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Works Cited Adopt-an-Angel. Adopt-an-Angel. 2010. Web. 20 Nov. 2013. <http://www.adoptanangel.net> All About Animal Shelters. Pets 101. Animal Planet. 2011. Web. 20 Nov. 2013. <http://animal.discovery.com/pets/animal-shelters.htm> Cheung, Ariel. The Bigger Picture: Funding Key to Animal Shelters. PostCrescent. Gannett Company. 2012. Web. 18 Nov. 2013 Maultsby, Amy. Personal interview. 10 Nov. 2013. NC Animal Shelter Statistics. FixNC. 2011. Web. 14 Nov. 2013. <http://fixnc.wordpress.com> Smith, Arthur. Personal interview. 10 Nov. 2013.

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Appendices
Appendix A- Survey Questions Appendix B- Interview with Amy Maultsby Appendix C- Interview with Arthur Smith Appendix D- Volunteer Handbook

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Appendix A The surveys purpose was to give data that could be interpreted to form conclusions on what the majority of the volunteers intentions are with the organization as well as feedback on the call for our product and in what form it would be preferred. The survey was non-random and purposeful because our subjects all shared an interest in animal care and were selected based on this affiliation. In addition, the survey falls into the category of being structured and close ended in format. The survey consisted of 10 questions and was administered in person. Survey Questions for Volunteers, potential adoptees, and students 1. Are you a current volunteer with Adopt-an-Angel? a. Yes (go to question 2) b. No (go to question 8) 2. On average, how often do you volunteer with Adopt-an-Angel in a course of 3 months? a. 1-3 times b. 4-6 times c. 7-9 times d. 10+ 3. What is the time span of how long you plan to continue your commitment to Adopt-an-Angel? a. Less than a month b. 1-3 months c. 4-6 months d. 7-9 months e. 10 months + 4. What is your primary reason for volunteering with Adopt-an-Angel? a. Required community service hours b. Resume building c. Personal interest in the cause 5. At the start of your service, did Adopt-an-Angel supply you with an informative document on volunteer education? a. Yes b. No c. I dont remember

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6. Do you feel that Adopt-an-Angel has sufficiently informed you on your different roles as a volunteer? a. Strongly agree b. Agree c. Not sure d. Disagree e. Strongly Disagree

7. Using any number from 1 to 4, where 1 is least important and 4 is most important, what is the most important knowledge for an Adopt-an-Angel volunteer to possess? a. Recruitment of other volunteers b. Protocol for communication between volunteers and management c. Handling of animals d. Interaction with adoptees 8. Hypothetically as a perspective volunteer, what would be the most effective format in which to receive volunteer instructional education? a. A hard copy paper document b. A soft copy document accessed online 9. To what degree would being more informed on volunteer responsibilities impact your decision to continue volunteering with an organization? a. High b. Moderate c. Low d. Not sure 10. To what degree is knowing the volunteer responsibilities prior to making a commitment a deciding factor in your getting involved in Adopt-an-Angel? a. Not important at all b. Somewhat Important c. Important d. Very Important e. Not sure

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Appendix B Mrs. Amy Maultsby has been with the organization for a period of eight years and is the mother of one of the founding members Chelsea Maultsby. Amys interview consisted of 13 open ended questions. The questions we created for Amy were designed to inform us on how relevant of an issue the problem we had selected for our proposal was. In addition, it was intended to help us better understand what the cause of the need is and how it should be met. Interview with Amy Maultsby, mother of founding member Chelsea Maultsby Chelsea got her started 8 years ago. Chelsea started organization with other founding members Jill, Sherry and Jeanie when she was 14.

As a key participant of this organization, what do you feel is the most basic and foundational goal of what Adopt-an-Angel hopes to accomplish in its community? - Putting the right animal with the right person and family. Who are the key participants in working towards this mission? - The volunteers. We have to set up and we do not have buildings. So we rely on the kindness of peoples homes and we have two shelters that are boarding facilities to house our animals. - If its not for the volunteers we couldnt run this program, its all non-profit and were doing for the love of the animals. What demographic do your volunteers typically fall under? Is there any specific majority that make up the volunteers age wise etc.? - Were very eclectic, we have teenagers. We have found that sometimes were just too busy so we do need you to be at least 17-18 years old because we cant babysit. - We have a lot of older woman, college age kids and some seniors. And we have boys and men for the heavy lifting. Its very wide spread. - We have to set up take it down and re-set it up every day. How long of a process is that? - Today it was great because we have lots of volunteers but usually it takes a little longer. Like an hour and sometimes we only have two volunteers. What are the key responsibilities of the volunteers? What is expected of them to sustain the organization? - We have to go in there and clean the cats and the litter and the food and the water. We have to have somebody do the cages, put the cages up, put the water in. We have

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to have somebody that goes to get the animals from the facilities and the ones coming in from foster. - Be very friendly with the animals. They need to be walked. If they poop or pee in their cage we have to have them immediately cleaned up, make sure they are well taken care of and try to understand the animal. - They are responsible for showing up, if you say youre going to come please come. Its a commitment. One time there was supposed to be five people and only three showed up, so people really need to be accountable. Volunteers are also foster parents for animals and organize events like the fur ball. So we do take another night out of our scheduled time to work at the fur ball to get the donations. And there are some other events too like the Cats Paw. How large is the volunteer network? - It comes and goes because people come and they like it and then they get bored with it or its too much work. We have some that are still here like Sherrys still here, Jills still here, Im still here, Susans still here. We have probably 10 maybe 15 that have stuck around. Do you feel that the volunteer network is sufficient to support Adopt-an-Angel? Could it use expansion? - It could use expansion because things come up. Exams come up and then people move. Its almost like we get a good group and then they disappear and I know like Ive been doing it so long and I know what to do so I forget that others dont so we do need more communication within the volunteers. We all need to take a step back and take the time to explain to the volunteer so youre not sitting around and twiddling your tongues. Weve done it for so long were like a machine and when the new members come in its hard to remember they dont know what theyre supposed to be doing. How steady is the stream of volunteers? Are they a pretty transient crowd or are most of them committed for the long term? - Some are some are not. A lot of college students transfer because of education and we understand, but sometimes volunteers do just get overwhelmed, we have some that are very strong in certain areas so we want to try and put them with their strengths like if they are better with cats than dogs. What problems arise from their transience? - Lack of communication and organization. People dont realize its not easy, its hard work, sometimes youre out in the elements and its hot as blue blazes, sometimes

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youre cold as cold can be. You have people yelling at you, you have to answer questions, some people arent versed in handling customers just inexperience in general. In what ways is a larger and more reliable network of volunteers necessary to meet the needs of Adopt-an-Angel? - Could improve on emergency foster care for short term, dont have enough set up right now-network. - Foster care is important because of limited space at facilities. - We can do more. We need more foster homes, we can be more productive with more permanent experienced volunteers. - I would love to get training meetings started, like a one on one where volunteers can ask questions. Half the time its just so much going on because I know what Im doing. Like right now Im filling out an application and a dog just peed, it feels easier for me to do it all because I have done it all but I need to delegate. What are some ways in which Adopt-an-Angel puts its name out into the community to attract more volunteers and adoptees? Do you think there could be room for improvement? - Yes, we would love to be able to get our word out a little bit better. Having more volunteers would definitely put our name out there further. That way if we can train and do a little better and also we can get our word out more and save more. All of us have a full time job or are a full time student, so were doing a lot. If people could be matched with their strong suits, like Im not good with computers but we could really use a computer geek or an artist like this poster right here, we could really improve. We should ask what kind of skills volunteers have to help us out. Have efforts to implement new changes not been made due to monetary issues or for other reasons? - Yes word of mouth is great but we do have limited funds as far as implementing new advertisement. - I hate to say but we all get stagnant because there just is no time to do new things, when were trying to just keep up with what we have How do you suggest these struggles could be addressed through directly? - We need a comprehensive book on what volunteers do, what the adoption protocol is, what is expected of them. - The thing of it is time, you know everything is time, thats what we need extra people for.

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Appendix C Mr. Arthur Smith has been with Adopt-an-Angel for one year. Mr. Smith is a main contact for Adopt-an-Angel and has been the Volunteer Coordinator for the past year. In the interview with Mr. Smith, we formatted 16 open-ended questions to gain primary background insight on the organization as a whole and how it successfully functions. Interview with Arthur Smith: Newly appointed head of Volunteer Coordinating. When was the organization started? - January 2004-founders all involved with other organizations and decided that not enough was being done so they started Adopt-an-Angel. What are some of the ways you reach out to the audiences? - Reach out to audiences through their Facebook page. - Volunteers maintain Facebook page by putting up info about dogs at adoption events. - Their website is another resource for distributing information to the public. - Outside of the Facebook page and website there isnt a huge outreach. What are the costs for that? Are cost issues the reason for lack of information for audience? - Money is a big concern, limited resources from adoptions and donations. Who are the key participants of the program? - Have larger donors and weekly adoption fairs with donation jars. - Would welcome more sponsors readily. - Event called Fur Ball December 7th, is a black tie event with a silent auction beneficiaries are Adopt-an-Angel and Pender county humane societies. What are all the different positions held by volunteers/ specific jobs that the Adopt-an-Angel members hold? - Adopt-an-Angel has approximately 50 volunteers. - Some of the volunteers have been with Adopt-an-Angel since its founding while others come in for three weekends for community service hours. - They hope to build a connection with those volunteering for community service so they keep coming back but there is a high turnover rate. - High turnover is unfortunate because volunteers need to be experienced. - They train volunteers to the point of being able to give them more responsibility and then they stop coming- need a volunteer handbook. What areas could the Adopt-an-Angel improve in? What are they missing? - Organization is a major challenge just as it is in any non-profit or rescue.

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- Challenges with volunteers because of the time and resources people can commit. - Need a comprehensive book on what volunteers do: what the adoption protocol is and what is expected of them. - Foster agreements needed as well.

Appendix D Volunteer Handbook

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Adopt-an-Angel Volunteer Handbook

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Table of Contents About Adopt-an-Angel3 Rules of the Organization..4 Foster Home Agreement5 Weekend Adoption Fairs...6- 7 Cleaning Petco Cages8 Cats and Kittens Guidelines9-10 Dogs and Puppies Guidelines.11 Adoption Guidelines12-13 Adoption Paperwork.14 Weekend Dog Runner..15 Bite Policy..16 Return Policy.17 Important Numbers...18

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About Adopt-an-ANGEL Adopt an Animal........the Needed Gift to Enlighten Life Thank you for your interest in Adopt-An-ANGEL (AAA). We are an all-volunteer 501 c (3) charitable organization that relies on people who love animals and want to make a difference, people like you. We are an adoption outreach program for New Hanover and Brunswick County Animal Controls. We seek to increase their adoptions by bringing animals off site directly to potential adopters. We concentrate on the animals that have run out of time or have special needs. We move them to a safe haven with private citizens, strive to provide them with every veterinary or behavioral need and then we find them a forever home. We also try to educate about the plight of homeless animals in our community and about the necessity for spaying and neutering. AAA is modeled after the San Francisco SPCAs Adoption Pact. In the 1990s Richard Avanzino, who now heads up Maddies Fund, pledged to save every adoptable animal at the nearby animal control. While we are not in a position to make that same pledge today, we are trying to create programs that will work toward the day when every adoptable animal at OUR animal control finds a home. Its a commendable goal to strive for. Therefore, our mission is to take the animals out of animal control, not to take animals surrendered directly from the public. We are always full and there is always more at the shelter waiting for our help. We also feel that there is a paid, competent staff at animal control waiting to take in animals. We would rather use our volunteer labor to assist the shelter in finding animals homes. Our program is designed to complement or to add to an existing program in order to save more lives. AAA does not have a permanent facility or shelter. It relies on private citizens, vet offices, boarding facilities, and pet stores to act as a temporary foster home until a permanent home can be found. Therefore, AAA is about building bridges and relationships to create a more humane community in order to save more lives. It is imperative that we maintain a positive, open, friendly relationship with all our partners. We rely on their generosity and good will, as well as yours, to be able to do what we do. Always keep that in mind as you deal with the various personalities you may come across both within the organization and when dealing with our partners. We all bring different strengths to the organization, but no one is perfect either. Remember to take the good with the bad and that we are all in it together as we try to put the needs of the homeless animal first. Remember that you too are a bridge between a shelter animal and a home. Some animals will find a home tomorrow because you made it possible todayjust in time. Without the time, talents, expertise and hearts of our volunteers Adopt-An-ANGEL would not exist. Through our collective effort we will save over 800 animals each year. AAA was created in January of 2004 and since that time more than 8,000 animals have found their forever homes through our unique program. We want to welcome and thank you for donating your time and talents.

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Important Rules of the Organization General Volunteering: - Do not disparage other shelters, animal controls, or volunteers especially in public. - The taxes each year MUST be filed by May 15 each year or we will be fined $2000. - We have a sign out book for keys, cages, crates, carriers, animals and raffle tickets. - Anything you sign out must be returned when you leave the organization. - Volunteers are expected to show up for their agreed upon shifts and do their assigned duties. Remember that another volunteer is counting on you. They may not be able to leave if you dont show up. Being shorthanded puts more pressure on the volunteers, remember the animals and other volunteers are counting on us. Fostering: - If you take an animal into your home on the sidewalk or anywhere, you become its foster home until another placement can be found. Do not assume there is space. There usually isnt. - If you decide to foster, you are responsible for your own returns if other foster homes and the boarding facility is full. We try to keep one spot open for returns, you should too. The more animals we put out the more likely we are to have a return. If we have a 10% return rate we can expect 80 returns a year. Be prepared. - You must not foster more than 9 animals in your foster home. - Foster homes will self regulate and quarantine them if they have a sickness to prevent spreading it to other foster homes. Animals: - No animal can be adopted out without being fixed PRIOR to the adoption even as young as 8 weeks of age. This is a New Hanover County Ordinance and we can be fined $500 if we do it. - Dogs get adopted on a leash and are not to be adopted into the backs of pickup trucks. - Dogs should ideally have their rabies tags attached to collars before leaving sidewalk. - Cats should go home in carriers. Either they bring one, buy one, get a cardboard one for a $5 donation or borrow one of ours. - Be cautious when letting animals out of cages on the sidewalk so we do not lose them and to prevent animal bites. This is a safety concern and liability issue. - All animals should have medical forms attached to their cages, especially if they spend the night or stay in the cages inside of pet stores. This is a rule of the Dept of Agriculture. - Kittens must be 6 months of age or older to be indoor/outdoor and must live in a safe neighborhood. - All puppies/kittens must be quarantined for 10 days beyond their 1st shots. We want to put out healthy animals and our reputation is at stake. - We do not adopt out strictly outdoor animals. We do not adopt out dogs to live in pens or be tied out. It is against the law to tie or chain a dog out in New Hanover County. If they want an outdoor cat, get their number, we can find them a feral cat that needs to be relocated. - We do not adopt out adult cats to be declawed. Get their number we can find them a declawed cat.

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Foster Home Agreement All animals taken in to foster care must be approved by a board member. I understand that any animal that I take in to foster care without approval from a board member is my sole responsibility. I will be responsible for all costs associated with the animal. I agree not have more than 9 AAA animals in my foster home at any one time per the Dept. of Agriculture Regulations I understand that AAA is not responsible for damages or injuries to my home or any persons who come in contact with the animal. I am fostering at my own risk. I will not give the animal away for FREE. I agree to obtain its adoption fee. I understand that AAA cannot afford to provide vet care and not obtain its adoption fee. I agree that UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES CAN FOSTER HOMES ADOPT OUT ANIMALS THAT ARE NOT SPAYED/NEUTERED PRIOR TO ADOPTION. AAA does not provide food or litter. Foster homes provide their own food and litter and this is a check and balance on foster homes. Fostering can be expensive and this prevents people from taking on too many animals at once. AAA supplies medical care at pre-approved vets and medical treatments must be authorized in advance by a board member. I understand that AAA will make decisions about veterinary care to be provided to the animal based on the prognosis. I will be responsible for the cost of any unauthorized veterinary care. AAA discourages visits to the dog park. I understand that any injury to my foster dog or another dog, or person as a result of a dog park visit is my financial responsibility. I agree to keep the animal(s) indoors. Dogs must be on a leash at all times when out of the house (unless in a fenced in yard). Cats must be transported in a secure carrier.

Prior to adoption/foster all AAA animals are: - spayed/neutered - heartworm checked and treated if necessary (dogs only) - have age appropriate shots (parvo, bordatella-dogs/distemper-cats) including rabies - deworming and treatment for fleas if necessary - provided with antibiotics if needed Expectation of the Foster Home: - provide food, water and socialization - make vet appts and transport the animal to and from appts - provide medication if necessary - work on behavioral issues such as jumping, pulling on leash, chewing, and barking - provide as much info to other volunteers and to potential adopters as possible - stay and work at adoption fairs whenever possible - may handle own adoption outside of adoption fairs if comfortable with the process ***************************************************************************** Foster Homes are the heart and lifeline of AAA, but fostering is unpredictable, risky, and highly emotional. We take it seriously and so should you. There is no shelter to return the animal to WE ARE THE SHELTER! A FOSTER HOME HAS TO BE MORE PATIENT, MORE EDUCATED, MORE COMMITTED THAN THE PEOPLE WE ADOPT TO. ****************************************************************************

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Weekend Adoption Fairs

EVEN if NO adoption occurs on the sidewalk, the animals have all gotten out for the day. They have had an opportunity to get more socialization, and the community has had an opportunity to become more educated. Remember your time has not been wasted. The second part of our mission is to educate about the plight of homeless animals in our community. Of course, getting homes for animals is the frosting on the cake! Its what really motivates usso lets show you how to do it! Set up (10-11 am) 1. Pull up storage van to the sidewalk in front of Petco 2. Unload cages, tables, and supplies 3. Set up adoption table and cat/dog cages Cat Cages 1. Line bottom with towels or blankets 2. Provide litter box 3. Provide food dish and food 4. Attach water bowls and fill water 5. Litter box should be diagonally across from food and water so they dont kick litter in bowl. 5. Insert cats 6. Attach medical records to cages (not in front of shelf so you cant see the cat)

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Dog Cages 1. Set up dog crates 2. Insert bowls in crates 3. Fill water bowls with water. 4. Dogs are picked up from the boarding facility in the white transport van. THEY MUST be picked up no later than 11 am so plan accordingly. 5. Once dogs are picked up, walk them if necessary and insert them in the crates. 6. Attach medical records/bios. 7. LOOK TO SEE WHO IS HEARTWORM POSITIVE. If any are, attach the heartworm sign (Please donate $1.00 to help me pay for my heartworms) from inside the adoption box and add a donation jar. This brings in some funds to help pay for the treatment. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT. 8. Place donation jars on the dog crates (they tend to bring in more money). ALL DAY LONG from 11-4: (not necessarily in any order) - Talk to potential adopters trying to match animal to the right home - Screen applicants - Answer questions from the sidewalk. Low cost spay/neuter? Fix a Friend 910-253-8161 - Problem solve and brainstorm to work through peoples problems - Keep water bowls full - Take opportunity to read descriptions on the animals to familiarize yourself with them. - Walk dogs. Use this opportunity to work on leash training, jumping and sitting. If the - Do not let dogs bark out of control. - Do not allow people to help themselves to animals - Scoop litter pans as needed throughout the day. - Check vaccine records on the animals to insure no one is due for another one. - Fold brochures if any need folded. Breakdown (4-6 pm) - DOGS MUST be returned by 5 pm so plan accordingly. - Clean dog cages and breakdown - Clean cat cagesscoop litter pans and make sure they have food and water. -Insert dog cages, table, chairs, coolers, adoption box, and signs into storage van.

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Weekend Cleaning of Petco Cat Cages After the cats have been moved into the adoption cages, we MUST clean the Petco cages. This is a time when we can do a really thorough cleaning. 1) Sweep and bleach out cages 2) Dump and bleach litter pans 3) Take all laundry out to go home to be washed 4) Dump food and water bowls, clean 5) Windex the windows 6) Put clean laundry in and clean litter in pans 7) Put clean bowls in 8) Sweep floor 9) Stock the cart for next week with paper towels, garbage bags, bleach, Windex, clean laundry, food and litter Petco supplies free food and litter while the cats live there. Take a bag of Purina Cat Chow and a bag of 40-50 pound non scoopable litter off the shelf. Tear off the UPC symbols and write AAA on the back and give to Petco staff and fill the bins.

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CATS/KITTENS
Cat Adoption Donation $45 Includes: spay/neuter, rabies shot, distemper and deworm. Treatment for ear mites and fleas if necessary. Kitten Adoption Donation $55 Includes: spay/neuter, deworm, distemper shots. Treatment for fleas and ear mites if necessary. It is cheaper to get an adult over a kitten so that people will consider adult cats. Most people want the kittens so we give a discount to those who consider adults. Remember adults wont tear up the house or run up and down the curtains. They also have all their veterinary needs covered for the year so they are cheaper. For people with small children we recommend kittens 4 mos of age or older so the child will not inadvertently hurt them. Situations that may arise For shy kittens and cats or kittens with tipped ears: THEY MUST START them off in a small room such as a bathroom with its own litter box, food and water. They should only let them out when they feel comfortable. They cannot be overwhelmed with too much space or they will hide. They should not allow them to hide and they should handle them as much as possible. Canned food works wonders to help socialize them since they realize the giant walking into the bathroom has the food rather than dry food left down all the time and the giant is just a major inconvenience coming in and out of the room. In other words they associate the owner with food. Do not adopt to homes with small children or rambunctious dogs, or the cat will come back. It will be too terrified. Patient, quiet homes work best. To introduce a cat to another cat: Opposites attract and complement one another. If the other cat is shy, an outgoing cat would work... If the other cat is outgoing, dominant or bossy, a shy introverted cat would work best or a kitten. It does not necessarily mean a male should go with a female or vice versa since both cats are fixed and hormones have become irrelevant. Start off the newcomer in a small room with its own food, water and litter box. Allow the two to get to know one another through the crack at the bottom of the door. Take towels, rub them and switch them so they get to know each others scent. Put the newcomer in a carrier and allow the first one to walk around it, smell it, etc. The process should go on over the course of 2 -3 weeks. If they put them together and their cat hisses, spits, growls or freaks out they should separate them and continue the above mentioned steps. It is COMPLETELY NORMAL for their cat to react this way since cats are territorial animals and they will try to defend their territory at first. The process could take a few days to a few weeks and they MUST be patient. Returning the cat the next day is not acceptable. We will take it back but they did not give it a chance. To prevent inappropriate scratching: Tell them to get a scratching post and put some cat nip on it. Attach the cat to it and move its front paws on it. Teach them how to trim their nails with nail clippers. Just take the tips off not the pink part. Explain the declaw surgery and how it is an amputation of the last digit. Explain long-term consequences such as arthritis as they age and get larger and urinary tract infections as they associate the litter box with pain and begin to soil outside of the box. Declawing is a last resort and should not be done on adult cats. Common illnesses: Upper respiratory infection- discharge from eyes and nose, sneezing, fever, dehydration Coccidia- diaherria associated with a bacterial infection Tapeworms- looks like white rice in stool Hookworms/roundwormsdiaherria Fleas Ringworm- patches of missing fur and flaky skin

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Dogs/Puppies Puppy Adoption Donation: $135(large breed) $150 (small breed) - This donation covers spay/neuter, 1st parvo/distemper, bordatella shots, deworm and treatment for fleas if necessary and 2 heartworm pills (they may outgrow the pills otherwise) If we have the puppies longer than 3 weeks shots will need to be reboostered. (Shots are boostered for puppies and kittens every 3 weeks until the third one has been provided). We do age appropriate shots. All puppies will have been quarantined for at least 10 days after receiving their first shots to make sure they are not suffering from a fatal contagious disease such as parvo. They then are ready for surgery and adoption. Adult dog Adoption Donation: $110 (large breed) $150 (small Breed) This donation covers spay/neuter, parvo/distemper shots, bordatella shots, rabies shots (on anything older than 4 months), deworm, treatment for fleas if necessary. All dogs have been tested for heartworms. If they are positive we treat them at our expense and attempt to raise the money through donations. There is no additional expense to the adopter unless they choose to donate toward the cause. Some have before. All adult dogs also get a 6 month supply of heartworm prevention. Once the dog is finished with the 6 month supply they will need to test the dog at a vet in order to obtain more heartworm pills. It is prescription only. Generally it runs around $10-15 a month. Separation Anxiety This can be fairly common in shelter dogs. Their family abandoned them at a shelter and they are heartbroken. They get adopted and the family leaves the home to go to work. The dog chews and tears up the house because he is in a state of panic. They have an INTENSE fear of abandonment. We see this lot in hounds and emotional dogs. They must be crated when left alone and ideally left only for short periods of time. They are best suited in a home where people are patient and home a lot. We recommend all dogs be crated when initially adopted because we are sometimes unsure as to who will develop this behavior after adoption. Helpful Advice: We recommend crating dogs when initially adopted due to possible separation anxiety. We also recommend crates for crate training to help housebreak a puppy. The crate is a training TOOL that the puppy/dog will not need forever. However, some dogs will keep their crate and go in and out of it to sleep and the door does not ever need to be shut on them. They may choose to have the crate as their den. Get to know characteristics of certain breeds and it will be helpful to learn about dogs. However remember that all dogs are individuals and they are not always characteristic of their breeds. WE RECOMMEND ALL DOGS SHOULD GO THROUGH SOME KIND OF BASIC TRAINING AFTER THEY ARE ADOPTED.

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ADOPTION GUIDELINES Judgment is necessary No Dogs in pens No strictly outside animals- if they want an outside cat get their number and we can find a feral cat that needs to be relocated. Declaw? Adult cats- no, kittens under 6 mos of age educate them on how to prevent inappropriate scratching. Inform them of vinyl caps that can be purchased to put on cats claws (such as Soft Paws). Tell them to get a scratching post and put some cat nip on it. Attach the cat to it and move its front paws on it. Teach them how to trim their nails with nail clippers. Just take the tips off not the pink part. Explain the surgery and how it is an amputation of the last digit. Explain long-term consequences such as arthritis as they age and get larger and urinary tract infections as they associate the litter box with pain and begin to soil outside of the box. Declawing is a last resort. But we let them use their judgment after we explain, we do not automatically disqualify them and we would still let them go. If they answer in and out, ask how long will it be outside? Is there shelter out there? If they dont have a fence and they answer in and out on a dog, ask how will they let it out (running looseno! Tied outno! Remember it is illegal in NHC to tie or chain out dogs) The ideal answer would be out only on a leash and when I am out. We do not require a fenced yard. However, it is necessary to know our dogs. We do require that dogs that are highly energetic have a fenced in yard. Some dogs need fences and some dont. If they dont have a fence, try to point them toward a dog that is low key and laid back. Remember that we are trying to match the right animal with the right home for it to be successful. Ask about any prior pets. What happened to them? If they had a cat hit by a car, we shouldnt let them take a cat and make it in/out. We do not reject them if they admit their mistake and have learned from it and they say they will keep this one indoors. Do they provide heartworm prevention? Can they tell you the name? If they are a 1st time dog owner, do not disqualify them if they do not know about heartworm prevention. Educate them about it. Explain how it is transmitted through mosquitoes and that we are in a HIGH risk area. Tell them how 3/4 dogs we pull from the shelter have heartworms and that they can die from it if it is untreated. Explain that the treatment is between $500-1000 depending on the weight, but that prevention is around $10 a month. If they have a dog at home we recommend they go home and get it and allow us to help them introduce them. If they do take it home make sure you tell them TO DO IT ON A WALK IN NEUTRAL TERRITORY. Ask them how they treat their dog. Do they pamper it? If so, be careful. You need to explain that the new dog should be on equal footing with the previous one and that they are in charge not their dog. So, they do not come running back if their dog

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doesnt like the new one. They need to be in charge and that any misbehavior out of either dog is completely unacceptable and inappropriate. Adopters must be at least 18 years of age. If they have roommates ask if everyone is ok that they bring home a pet. We prefer that all roommates meet the dog and give consent prior to finalizing the adoption. In roommate situations there must be a primary owner who will be responsible for the animal and will take complete ownership if the boarding situation changes. The application is meant to be your guidelines through which you start a conversation with them and you orally interview them. Use your application to guide you to ask other questions. Sometimes things dont look right on the application, but when you speak to them they can clarify what they meant. A lot of people do not know what declawing isThey answer yes thinking they will trim the nails or because they think thats what the right answer is. A lot of people answer it will live in a pen meaning it will be crated during the day. Some people have difficulty reading and their writing is almost illegible. That doesnt mean they cant give an animal a good home. IF THEY LIVE IN NHC THEY MUST PAY A $10 LICENSING FEE PAYABLE TO NHCAC. This would be the case if they adopted the animal anywhere. They should take the rabies shot and physically go to NHCAC at 180 Division Dr or mail a copy with a $10 check. If they fail to do this they could be fined $200. Make sure you make them aware.

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How to do an Adoption once approved (paperwork part) There are 3 forms usually on a clipboard (if not see applications, contracts and Petco forms in the adoption box). Have the person fill out all 3 parts. Once approved by senior volunteer: 1. The adopter gets: the yellow copy of the application, the white copy of the contract and a copy of all veterinary records (the white copies). They get a cat (red) folder or a dog (blue) folder. They also get heartworm prevention (6 mos for adults2 mos for puppies) if they get a dog. Insert it all in the folder. Go over whats in the foldersfor cats (how to introduce a cat to a dog, to a cat and to a kid, how to prevent scratching, etc) for dogs(behavior stuff) GO OVER ALL VET SHOTS with them and tell them to check spay/neuter incision if it is a recent surgery. They should look for signs of redness and/or oozing puss and apply antibiotic ointment if necessary and prevent licking. If they got a dog going through heartworm treatment go over the heartworm treatment protocol and possible side effects, when its scheduled, etc. Remember to remind them of necessary upcoming booster shots (even if foster home forgot to write out the reminders, write it in yourself3 shots 3 weeks apart and that rabies is due at 4 mos.) Tell them our return policythat we will take it back if it doesnt work out, but to call ahead to reserve space. THEY CANNOT TAKE THE ANIMAL TO ANOTHER SHELTER and remind them we are all volunteers and they need to give us time to be able to call them back since many of us are working day jobs. Remind them it is a donation and they will not get their money back. 2. We get: the white application (so we know where the animal went if they didnt press hard enough on the 2 ply sheet), the yellow contract and the yellow copy of the medical records. Staple all together and place in the completed application file in the box. If we need to follow up with something such as mailing a rabies shot write that at the top. 3. Take the payment such as cash or a check made payable to AAA. Give all payments to a senior volunteer 4. Take the Petco form inside and have it go through the register. (Fill out bottom portion AAA and name of animal and circle cat or dog.) The cashier will give you a book of coupons to give to the adopter. KISS THE ANIMAL GOODBYE, WISH IT LUCK and hope for the best! With any luck, you have just found a homeless animal a home. We do see some get returned and it can be heartbreaking.

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Weekend Dog Runner To and From Petco and MeadowSweet Kennels Sat am from 10-11 am MUST BE PICKED UP AT BOARDING FACILITY BY 11 am. Sat pm from 4-5 pm MUST BE RETURNED TO BOARDING FACILITY BY 5 pm Sun am 10-11 am MUST BE PICKED UP BY 11 am. Sun pm 4-5 MUST BE RETURNED BY 5 pm. The boarding facility we use is MeadowSweet Kennels. They graciously donate 5 dog runs to us every week. They provide all food and socialization while they are there. Every dog gets out twice a day for exercise and often gets extra TLC if they have time. This amounts to over $50,000 in free boarding so we MUST be on our best behavior when we are there. Do not take any of their time with idle chit chat. Wait and allow other paying customers to go first. Please do not disclose the name of our boarding facility. Just say a boarding facility. They prefer to remain anonymous so people will not dump animals there if they find out they have a connection to an animal shelter. We are not allowed to bring potential adopters on the premises for the same reasons. We must take the dog offsite and do adoptions elsewhere. They do not have time or space for us to interfere in their daily business. MeadowSweet is located at 5521 Greenville Loop Road. It is behind a cement wall on your left coming from Pine Grove. Sometimes you are entering MeadowSweet Kennels when it is closed. You must open and close the gate immediately behind you. You should go inside and ask them if they want you to get your own dogs or if they prefer to get them for you. Sometimes the dogs are inside. Other times they are outside in our runs. You must be able to work with their staff in a professional manner and remember you represent AAA when you are there. You may use the white van for transport. Sometimes the cages may be in use on the sidewalk and may need to be inserted into the van. You and others may need to insert them. Be flexible and allow for this time so you are not late dropping them off. FILL GAS AS NEEDED. DO NOT LEAVE VAN EMPTY.

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Bite Policy (per NHC ordinance) All animal bites breaking the skin MUST be reported by any NHC doctor to NHCAC All animal bites breaking the skin MUST be reported to the President for appropriate steps to be taken which includes getting name and contact info of victim (apply first aidperoxide, antibiotic ointment, bandages if person is willing or send to doctor) Once animal control is called: - If the animal has a rabies shot it may be confined to a foster home for 10 days for a rabies quarantine. Animal control will come by and check periodically on animal. - If animal does not have a rabies shot animal will be quarantined at NHCAC for 10 days at $15.00 a day boarding. Animal can then be retrieved once quarantine is over. - Decision will be made by board members and foster home about the adoptability of such animal taking into consideration special circumstances that may have surrounded the bite incident.

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Return Policy People returning animals do NOT get their money back. It is a donation and it goes to help the homeless animal they returned especially since they are not able to provide it with a home. They signed a contract when they adopted it that stated they would not get their money back. They did NOT purchase the animal. We do this to discourage impulse adopters. If they are adopting on impulse and change their mind, that is not our fault. We may do a trial run on a dog, but we prefer trial runs to be done only on our harder to place dogs and must be with the approval of the foster home or a board member. We like to do them through the week only rather than on a weekend where the animal loses an opportunity for a home if these people do not come through. Usually most returns are funneled through the hotline manager who will try to find space within AAA for the animal. The hotline manager will listen to the callers concerns and give alternatives to them to prevent the return if possible and if the caller can be open-minded. The hotline manager attempts to have the caller wait until the weekend adoption fair and gives them 1st priority over the next open spot within AAA. An attempt will be made to have the caller self -foster. If the person will not wait at all then someone from AAA will need to take the animal in and SCRAMBLE to find it a place with someone in AAA ASAP. THIS IS VERY HARD SOMETIMES. We do try to keep one spot open for emergency returns, but sometimes several come in at once. Sometimes people return AAA animals they have had at least 1-2 years. Sometimes adopters will walk up on the sidewalk with the animal with no prior notice. Take the animal in, attempt to get all medical paperwork back and listen patiently to what went wrong. THIS IS VERY HARD FOR US TO KEEP OUR COOL SOMETIMES! We must do all we can, to remain objective and not get emotional. Good Luck and pray theres a spot somewhere! Sometimes our animals end up back at animal control with no prior notice or call from the adopter alerting us that they took them there. We have a good enough relationship with all the animal controls that they will immediately call us (if they realize its ours) and give us an opportunity to come and get it ASAP. That is why it is VERY important to keep a good relationship with them.

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Important Numbers Sherry Gloer: President and Co-founder Jill Jones: Treasurer and Co-founder Fix a Friend Spay and Neuter Clinic Friends of Felines Humane Society NHCAC Shelter BCAS Shelter 910-523-1254 910-620-3783 910-253-8161 910-452-6721 910-763-6692 910-798-7500 910-754-8204

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