Siskiyou Humane Society 1208 N. Mount Shasta Blvd. P.O. Box 484 Mount Shasta, California 96067

Staff in Attendance: Kim Latos, Gerrie Gaffney, Emily Gaydos, Bobbie Davies, Greg Roffeld, Paula Jones, Jordan Hayes, Krysten Cooper Board in Attendance: Joan Lynch, Kathy Feuston

1. to identify unadoptable or potential problem dogs early after their arrival at SHS
2. to begin rehabilitation quickly with dogs who can possibly be made adoptable
3. to remove from the Shelter dogs which are found to be unadoptable, untreatable and unmanageable with our current resources

Intake:

Obviously, stray dogs brought to us either by Animal Control or Good Samaritans in Mt. Shasta City cannot be screened or refused. Every effort is made to screen owner-surrendered dogs before accepting them at the Shelter. Current procedure includes:

1. Initial phone interview. Dogs who do not meet criteria are rejected and the owner counseled on other avenues to rehome the dog.
2. Intake profile. Owners complete a comprehensive Canine Intake Profile which identifies possible problem areas. If there are red flags in the Profile, the owner is called and the issues clarified. If it is found that the dog doesn’t meet criteria, the dog is refused at that time.
3. Meeting with the dog. The dog is “interviewed,” usually in the parking lot, by Shelter Staff prior to being accepted. If the dog is found to be aggressive, excessively shy, or having any condition which will likely render it unadoptable, the dog is refused at that time.
4. Puppies under 4 months are not generally subject to the same screening, because there is usually very little the owners can tell us about young puppies, and it is vital that we get them in as young as possible to begin training and socialization.

Despite precautions, it is not always possible to detect or anticipate problems which may arise after acceptance. Owners may give us misinformation, intentionally or out of ignorance about dog behavior; dogs with specific “hot buttons” may appear perfectly friendly during the parking lot interview. Dogs may also develop problems or have hidden problems surface after acceptance.

Regardless of the manner in which a dog arrives at SHS, the procedure after arrival shall be the same for all dogs.

Procedure:

I. Initial behavior evaluation using Assess-A-Pet performed 3-5 days after arrival. The dog will be rated at that time as:

MH = Medical Hold. The dog has some medical condition which needs to be addressed before the behavior evaluation can be conducted. Conditions might include illness, injury, late pregnancy, being in heat, ear infections, too young to test, etc.

Level 1, 2 or 3 = Adoptable. Adoptable dogs will be made available immediately or as soon as they are altered according to SHS Policy.

Rehab/Retest = Grey Area or Borderline. Dogs who are not rated adoptable because they test poorly (suggesting potential aggression or other issues) or because they are too frightened or shy to test successfully, but which show no overt aggression during testing or at any other time, will be placed on a Hold and rehabilitation will be attempted for two weeks.

NA = Not Adoptable due to overt aggression displayed during behavior evaluation or toward Staff in the kennels. Dogs of advanced age or suffering from untreatable, unmanageable medical conditions may also be considered unadoptable. Dogs rated NA will be referred immediately to an EVALUATION COMMITTEE consisting of Kim Latos, Shelter Manager, Bobbie Davies, Shelter Health Coordinator, and Gerrie Gaffney, Shelter Manager. The Committee will review all intake information, test results, and statements and notes from Kennel Staff regarding the dog. Absent mitigating circumstances (e.g. medical conditions, possible successful placement as a drug or bomb-sniffing dog, etc.), dogs displaying overt aggression will be considered unadoptable and either euthanized or sent to County Animal Control.

II. Retests for RE/RE dogs will be conducted two weeks after the initial test by a different tester, and results will be reviewed and compared with the first behavior evaluation. The test results will have:

1. Gotten better. If the dog shows improvement to the point where the dog can be rated Level 1, 2 or 3, the dog will be placed up for adoption. If the dog shows improvement but is still not adoptable, the rehab program will be continued for another 2 weeks.
2. Gotten worse. If the dog has gotten worse, if the dog now displays overt aggression during the retest and/or if reports from the Kennel Staff indicate that the dog is deteriorating behaviorally, the dog will be referred to the Evaluation Committee for consideration as above.
3. Stayed the same. If the dog’s results are the same, the Rehab Program will be reviewed for potential problems in design or execution, and other potential avenues of treatment will be considered. If it is determined by the Behavior Program Coordinator and Kennel Staff that our efforts are the best that can be accomplished with our resources or that the issue may be beyond our capacity to rehab, the dog will be referred to the Evaluation Committee. It is the option of the Committee to review all information and recommendations and either send the dog back for another 2 weeks of Rehab or consider the dog unadoptable and untreatable at that time.

III Third Retest - A third retest will be conducted 2 weeks later for dogs in active Rehab and/or dogs designated by the Evaluation Committee. Results of the third retest will be considered in the same fashion as the second, except:

Absent mitigating circumstances as determined by the Evaluation Committee, no dog showing no improvement during rehab shall be kept indefinitely, but shall either be considered unadoptable after the 3rd test or be given a specific, final deadline by which improvement must be demonstrated. (In general, if rehab is going to work, the results will show up quickly. If it isn’t happening after six weeks, it’s probably beyond our capabilities.)

IV. Advocacy

Any member of the Kennel Staff who believes that a dog’s evaluation doesn’t fairly represent the dog may request that the Evaluation Committee allow them to undertake or continue a rehabilitation program for a specific amount of time, provided that:

1. The dog has not displayed overt aggression
2. The Staff Person has clear, observable behavioral reasons that the dog could be adoptable (not just strong feelings for the dog) which specifically address the issue which has made the dog currently unadoptable
3. The Staff Person is willing to be responsible and accountable for undertaking the Rehab Program
4. The Staff Person can show clear behavioral results within an allotted time determined by the Committee.

V. Excusal. Any person on the Evaluation Committee who feels that they cannot be impartial and objective due to strong feelings for the dog in question, or who feels that making a decision about that dog would cause them undue emotional distress, may elect to excuse themselves from making the determination about that dog. In that case, the remaining two members may appoint a third either from Staff or request a third party from the SHS Board. Committee decisions shall be rendered by majority vote.

Criteria for Unadoptability

1. Bite history
2. Display of overt aggression toward Staff, either in Kennels or during Behavior Evaluations, including but not limited to: biting, growling, snarling, snapping, hard eye, etc.
3. Display of overt aggressive behaviors toward visitors or potential adopters, as above, with the factor of barrier frustration being explored and ruled out.
4. Display of low-sociability, high dominance or other behaviors which, in the opinion of Staff, strongly suggests the potential for biting or likelihood of biting if the dog is placed in the home of a typical, competent adult adopter.
5. Display or history of aggressive behaviors directed toward domestic pets (dogs or cats) which suggests that the dog may seriously injure or kill a domestic pet
6. Untreatable and/or unmanageable medical condition which renders the dog unadoptable
7. Medical condition which restricts the dog’s adoptability and is likely to cause a long stay at the Shelter, and which is causing the dog suffering.
8. Strong suspicion or evidence of severe Clinical Separation Anxiety.
9. Loss of quality of life due to severe kennel stress, with symptoms including but not limited to repetitive stereo-typed spinning, leaping, pacing, incessant barking, weight loss, licking, self-mutilation, depression.

As a matter of SHS Policy, no animal shall be euthanized for length of stay or space.

Miscellaneous:

Pit Bulls: Due to the threat that Breed Bans and Breed Selective Legislation represent to very good dogs of many breeds, the Staff recommends that pure-bred bully breed dogs such a Pitbulls and Rottweillers be held to the highest standards possible, so that they can be ambassadors for their breeds and the Shelter. Therefore, Staff recommends as a matter of policy that pure-breds of these breeds must rate a Level 1 be adopted, absent mitigating circumstances as determined by the Evaluation Committee. The Staff also pointed out the difficulty in applying this standard to mixed breeds and cross breeds, since it is virtually impossible to guarantee that any dog in our population does NOT have pit in him somewhere.

It was unanimously agreed that Pit bulls should be called Pitbulls, mixed breeds should be identified as pit or possibly pit mixes, and SHS shouldn’t employ silly euphemisms to conceal the breed (e.g. Am Staff mix, etc.) Rehab Capabilities: With our current resources and Staff, the Shelter CAN rehab:

• mild-to-moderately shy and under-socialized dogs
• goofy, rowdy behavior typical of untrained dogs
• body handling issues
• manners and kennel presentation
• mild dog-dog fearfulness
• known phobias (mild)
• lack of toy drive (teach them to enjoys toys)

With our current resources and Staff, the Shelter CANNOT rehab:

• Aggression
• Serious resource-guarding (e.g. food bowl aggression)
• Clinical Separation Anxiety
• Any issues or phobias which may manifest in the home, but which aren’t displayed in the Shelter

Review of Dog Aggression

Emily reviewed with the Staff the characteristics, diagnosis and prognosis of different kinds of aggression we are likely to see in the Shelter, including Fear Aggression, Dominance Aggression and Movement-Triggered Aggression.

Board Approved 9/2006 Posted 10/2006