The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement Learning Center
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The Kentucky Humane Society pioneered their free Pet Help Line in 2013, with one part-time employee. Resources and information were gathered, handouts created, calls answered and tracked, and reporting done each month. In the first year, less than 1,000 clients were assisted. Since those humble beginnings, the department has grown exponentially, and in 2018, over 14,000 clients were assisted through over-the-phone counseling or referrals, as well as financial aid to low-income families for veterinary services, behavioral resources, apartment pet deposits and more.
Pet Help Line counselors typically begin each call with “tell me a little more,” encouraging callers to open up about their unique circumstances and what frustrations or barriers they are experiencing, so that the team can best help them and their pets and reduce shelter intakes. The data collected by the Pet Help Line has demonstrated the need for and effectiveness of financial aid vouchers and has attracted grants for this priority. It also led to KHS opening a low-cost wellness clinic in 2017.
In this webinar, you will receive the information and tools you need to implement pet retention initiatives and track and report the data on your efforts. Whether you are just looking to adjust your conversation with those calling to surrender or if you are creating or improving your own help line, this session will help your organization's pet retention efforts!
Read this blog about the program: Are You Doing These 3 Things To Help Keep People & Pets Together?
This webinar recording is part of the new Innovation Bank. The Innovation Bank is a collection of bright ideas, innovative programs, and research that your organization can use for inspiration. Recorded sessions will be added to the series throughout Fall 2020.
Shelby Schulz, MPA
Community Outreach Manager, Kentucky Humane Society
Shelby came to the Kentucky Humane Society in 2014, after four years working a crisis line for a local domestic violence shelter. Having worked as a Crisis Intervention Counselor right out of college, Shelby came to the Kentucky Humane Society with experience in assisting clients in emotional and urgent situations as well as how to track and report data on the success of a program. After a year as a KHS admissions clerk, and with a new master’s degree in nonprofit management, she was promoted to Pet Help Line Coordinator. Shelby implemented data tracking, program changes and initiatives that increased the scope and achievements of the Pet Help Line. As a result of the growing program and Shelby’s ingenuities in her department, she was promoted to Pet Resource Manager. She now supervises three full time employees to handle the ever-increasing call volume and meeting various needs of their clients.
