Tag! You’re Home! Reunification of Pet Cats with Their Owners Using A Community Engagement Approach: A Community Case Report

This session describes an innovative approach to improving Return to Owner (RTO) rates for stray cats, the "Tag! You’re Home!" (TYH) program developed by Loudoun County Animal Services. Participants will learn how the TYHP reduced shelter intake and maintained comparable RTO rates for adult cats by empowering finders to return un-microchipped, healthy cats to their neighborhoods. Attendees will gain insights into the program's structure, key outcomes, and actionable strategies to implement similar programs in their own shelters.

By the end of this session, participants will:

• Understand the current challenges in RTO rates for stray cats and how neighborhood recovery plays a key role.
• Learn the operational components of the TYHP and how it helped reduce shelter admissions while supporting successful returns.
• Be equipped with practical tools and guidelines to apply or adapt similar strategies in their own shelters to improve RTO rates.
• Consider new approaches to managing stray cats, which may involve more community engagement and less reliance on shelter intake.
• Attendees will leave the session with a deeper understanding of how programs like TYHP can benefit both shelter operations and animal welfare outcomes, potentially leading to more efficient shelter practices and higher RTO rates.

Registrants have access to the published research article about the TYH program.

This session was originally presented at The ASPCA-AAWA Research Forum 2024.

This webinar recording is part of the Innovation Bank. The Innovation Bank is a collection of bright ideas, innovative programs, and research that your organization can use for inspiration.