Acoalition of Florida animal welfare advocateshas developed a new training initiative for animal shelter staffers to learn the best practices in their field.
Lifesaving University will be based at the Jacksonville Humane Society, which Friday unveiled a placefor shelter staffers from across the Southeast to stay for free when they are in town for training.
Thetraining and mentorship program was developed by Florida Leaders in Lifesaving, a coalition of nonprofit and government-run shelters and animal clinics. Society CEO Denise Deisler and Scott Trebatoski, a former Jacksonville city shelter directorand current director of the Hillsborough County Pet Resource Center, are among the steering committee members.
"The goal," Deisler said, "is to increase lifesaving in the state of Florida —the fourth-worst state in the nation for shelter death."
About 24,289 dogs and cats died in Floridashelters in 2020, according to Best Friends Animal Society, a nationalanimal welfare organization.Texas had the highest numberof shelter deaths,52,106, followed by Californiawith 30,111 and North Carolina with 27,031, according to Best Friends' website.
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Florida's 2020 death rate was about 47percent lower than the year before. Nationwidethe number of shelter dogs and cats killed was down to about 347,000 in 2020, comparedto 625,000 in 2019, according to Best Friends.
The Utah-based nonprofit has a nationwide goal of shelters being no-kill by 2025. No-kill statusmeans at least 90 percent of dogs and cats leave shelters alive;the only animals put down are those with irreversible illnesses or behavioral problems.
"This was a monumental year for cats and dogs in America’s shelters," Julie Castle, CEO of Best Friends Animal Society, said inJune. "Now we are closer than ever before to achieving our goal of no-kill by 2025. … This is incredible progress, but we must never lose sight that there are still over 950 cats and dogs killed every day just because they do not have a safe place to call home."
University offers innovative approach
The Lifesaving University program "provides individualized training and mentoring opportunities for shelters and clinics… based on their greatest lifesaving needs," according to the university website. "Each student experiences model practices through a mix of classroom and hands-on learning. Upon completion, students are equipped to implement these lifesaving strategies in their own shelters with continued support as needed."
PetCo Love, formerly the Petco Foundation, funded the university program that is free for coalition members.
Makena Yarbrough, senior director of regional programs atBest Friends, said Deisler and her staff are creating an environment to save animal livesin all the communities they touch.
"Jacksonville Humane Society has always been a leader and innovative voice in the animal welfare arena,not just in the state of Florida but around the country," she said. "This new university program, with the addition of a dormitory, really puts them on another level. It is so inspiring to see a private organization not just helping the animals in their own city, but also implementing programs to improve the status of animals in all areas of the nation."
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Most of the training will be in Jacksonville, whichopened a $15 million new facility in 2017, but there will be a few events elsewhere. One of them is a "summit" planned for September in St. Petersburg. Deisler said.
"It is a gathering of leaders from across the state —aim is to share and gather information to inform our 2022 lifesaving plans," she said.
LifesavingU Lodge provides temporary home to staffers
The LifesavingU Lodge, a renovated building adjacent to the society's Beach Boulevard campus, will be the temporary home for staffers attending the university.
"One of the barriers to accessing training for shelter professionals is financial," Deislersaid."By removing lodging costs we open the door wider for those who most need training. Through grant money,we are able to remove other costs as well by providing stipends to cover travel costs."
The program is open to shelter staff across the Southeast, but only those who work in Florida will receive stipends, she said.
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Also, the nonprofitshelter's interns and externs will stay there, as well as "skeleton" crews needed on-site duringemergencies such as hurricanes. she said.
Petco Lovefunded the"dormitory" renovation, which was designed and completed incollaborationwith Lowe's, IKEA, Auld & White Constructorsand the society. The building was formerly a kitten nursery and earlier a spay-neuter clinic. The total renovation cost is expected to be about $300,000.
Most of the training will be in the main society facility. But Deisler isseeking a "large-screen, smart TV" and laptop computer to use the dorm as backup training and"for those students who wish to continue in their off-hours while in the dorm,"shesaid.
Jacksonville has been a leader in the no-kill effort for years.
The city first achieved no-kill status in 2014 andreclaimed it in 2019 following a 2018drop. As of January 2021, the society had a 96 percent save rate,the city-run Animal Care and ProtectiveServices was 93 percent.
bcravey@jacksonville.com, (904) 359-4109
