This document provides guidance for animal rescue groups on establishing an effective program to rescue dogs and cats at risk of euthanasia at local shelters. It outlines strategies for identifying which animals are truly at risk with no other options, evaluating animal temperaments and adoptability, communicating protocols with shelter staff, and tracking impact over time. Following these guidelines allowed one rescue group discussed to significantly reduce a local shelter's euthanasia rate from over 50% to 11% within a few years while continuing to expand their lifesaving efforts.

1. Rescuing Dogs & Cats at Risk of Unnecessary
Euthanasia
• Only focus on those with
no other options for a
live outcome
• We always defer
• Saved by another option
= we are able to save
someone else

2. Identifying Who is “At Risk”
 Deemed “unadoptable” by the shelter and “At
Risk” of being euthanized
 Other Rescue Groups have declined saving
 Owner reclaim options have been exhausted

3. Following these guidelines allowed us
to …
Be sure the
lives we
saved were
ones that
would have
been lost
Easy to
track our
direct
impact on
the shelter’s
euthanasia
rate
Ultimately
more lives
saved,
through no
duplication
of efforts

4. First Steps

5. Identifying your Rescue
Capabilities & Opportunities
• Rescues: Taking into your program
• Alternative Rescues: Seeking
adoption directly from the shelter

6. • Capacity
• Resources
• Adoption Capabilities
• Golden Rule: Intake numbers need to match adoption
numbers closely so you don’t get ahead of yourself. As
your adoption program grows, so will your ability to save
more animals
Taking Rescues into our Program

7. Alternative Rescues
• Shelter Reconsideration
• Owner or “Source” Reclaim
• Other Rescue Groups – Breed/activity related
• “In Shelter” Marketing – Facebook , Craigslist
• Talking to the public
• Reviewing shelter notes for interested parties
These save on average 30 animals per month

8. Working with the shelter you
will be saving lives from
Schedule a meeting to discuss
what your group will be doing
and how you can work together

9. Meeting Topics:
• How can you identify the dogs and cats "at risk" daily
• Do they have a report? What information will it
contain?
• Will they allow you access to the “at risk” animals?
• What medical work will be done?
• How do you know they will be safe from euthanasia?
• How long will you have to decide or act?
• How do you obtain copies of records for the animals
you are pulling?

10. Forming the Rescue Team(s)
Manager
Evaluators
Additional Support

11. • Oversees the program
• Decides who will enter the program
• Follows the “Golden Rule” guidelines
• Clear understanding of “Adoptability”
• Trains, creates and enforces Protocols
T
Manager
• Conscious of Team’s emotions

12. Evaluators
• Evaluates the “At Risk” animals
• Difficult Job: Stay focused on lives we can save
• Dependable and compassionate

13. Who can join? Everyone! Anyone!
Additional duties
• Photographers/Videographers
• Marketing - Posting at risk animals on social
media i.e. Craig’s List, Facebook
• Administrative - Assisting with paperwork/data
entry

14. Communication between
Rescue Team and the Shelter
• Who is authorized to “place an
animal on hold for your
group”?
• Who is authorized to “confirm”
that your group will take an
animal?
• Who is authorized to pick up an
animal for you?
• Who do they contact and how
if they have questions?

15. Key Lines of Communication
Rescue Team
Public
Your group’s
volunteers
Shelter Staff
Shelter
Volunteers

16. Obstacles we encountered in the beginning
• Obtaining the true “euthanasia list”
• Figuring out how to work with the
support available at the shelter
• Negativity
• Dealing with emotions
• Learning to cope with our limitations

17. Typical Day for Our Rescue Team
Reviewing Notes

18. Evaluating Animals
Dogs:
• Approach, how do they do being
approached in the kennel
• Can they be easily leashed and
walked to a play yard
• Did they react to other dogs while
walking to the play yard?
• Can they be easily handled, can
they be comfortably restrained?
• Do they know any commands
• Any health concerns seen or
noted by shelter or previous
owner?
• Any behavioral concerns seen or
noted by shelter or previous
owner?
Cats:
• Do they welcome petting?
• Can all four of their paws be lifted
slightly off the kennel floor?
• Any health concerns seen or
noted by shelter or previous
owner?
• Any behavioral concerns seen or
noted by shelter or previous
owner?

19. Evaluator Shares Results with
Rescue Manager

20. Manager Decisions
• Space limitations
• Capabilities
• Adoptability
• Alternative Options

21. Adoptability
• What resources do you have for medical and behavioral issues?
• Identify types you can most easily adopt out
– Puppies and young dogs
– Kittens and young cats
– Small breed dogs
– Large Breeds without major behavior concerns
– Unique breeds, colors
– Good with other animals
• Temperaments most easily adopted
– Can the average person handle them?
– Are they safe for a child to handle?
– Are they good with other dogs and cats?
– Are they doing well in the stressful shelter environment?
Who will get adopted the quickest so another life can be saved?

22. Notification
Complete “Hold Sheet”
Turn in one copy to shelter and keep a
copy for yourself
Once shelter has updated their records
ask them to print updated “at risk” list
Check updated report to make sure the
animals you are working on saving have
been removed from the euthanasia

23. Daily Summaries & Updates
Evaluator summarizes the results of evaluations
and shares with entire team as to who is being
pulled, worked on for Alternative Placement or
“Released” from your hold
Transport Team for
those leaving the
shelter the next
day
Manager Updates
Medical Team for
those who’s
medical records
need review
Foster Team for
those who will be
needing a foster

24. Lessons Learned
• Small Dog Protocol
• Recognize your Evaluators Strengths &
Weaknesses
• Things are not always what they appear
– Think it through
– Read the notes
– Pay attention
• Trainers & behaviorist often willing to help
• Independent Medical Reviews
• Engage shelter staff

25. Small Dog Protocol

26. Strengths & Weaknesses

27. Things are not always what they appear
“Happy Girl”

28. Trainers & Behaviorists

29. Independent medical reviews
“Chance”

30. Engage Shelter Staff

31. Ongoing Obstacles of the Rescue Team
• Attention to “Golden Rule”
• Growth and adapting to change
• Emotions
• Working with the shelter

32. Priorities of a Successful Rescue Team?
• Following the “Golden Rule”
• Staying positive and focused on the lives
you can save
• Dedication and creativity of the
volunteers
• Professionalism, respectful representation
of your group and No Kill
• Supporting one another

33. Sustainability
We were not going to let ourselves get ahead of
our capabilities and threaten our sustainability.

34. When we started rescuing in 2008
the euthanasia rate was over 50% at the city shelter.
• Within about 6 months we began to place all puppies under 4
months
• Over the next year, were able to do the same for adult dogs under
25 lbs, bottle baby puppies and most large adult dogs without
serious behavioral/training issues
• Less than a year after that, we have been able to save all “At Risk”
kittens , bottle baby kittens, and adult cats without serious
behavioral concerns.
• Two and a half years after we started, our shelter reached a 90%
save rate, and we were saving many of the animals “at risk” and
we are continuing to work toward saving the rest

35. Our Numbers
For a more complete explanation of our numbers please visit
our website at www.austinpetsalive.org
Period
Pets Killed
at TLAC
TLAC
Euth
Rate
Pets Pulled by
APA from
TLAC'S Euth List
% Reduction in
TLAC's Euth Rate due
to APA!
FY '08 9,946 50% n/a n/a
FY '09 6,161 31% 1,783 22%
FY '10 5,931 27% 2,974 33%
FY '11
YTD 1,898 11% 2,592 58%

36. Expansion
Since 2011, we have
been able to expand
our rescue program to
assist communities
outside of Austin when
space allows.

37. Support
Many samples of the protocols, documents, and
communications are included in the manual as
well as on the CD

38. Questions