Shelter’s Edge

Isn’t that a great line?

“Lending optimism” is one of the things Jenny Olsen and Joyce Friedman talked about in their Pets For Life New York City (PFLNYC) workshop at HSUS Expo last week. In working to provide people with options so they don’t have to surrender their pets, Jenny explains that PFLNYC counsels their hotline volunteers to listen to the concerns of pet owners and “lend them optimism,” assuring them that what they’re dealing with can be resolved. PFLNYC is essentially a social work program to keep families and pets together, and is aimed directly at families most at-risk – those about to surrender their animals to one of the five NYC Animal Care & Control shelters. In fact, PFLNYC has a “hot phone” in the lobby of two of these shelters, and anyone surrendering a pet is asked if they would like to make a call to the hotline first. In 2009, PFLNYC volunteers assisted 3,451 families with alternatives to surrender. Wow!

Since May 2007, Joyce and Jenny have gradually expanded PFLNYC resources and referral assistance carefully matched to the most common reasons that people can’t keep their animals – especially when the situations are dire but temporary. For example, a pet’s sole caretaker may have to go into the hospital, a family loses their apartment or has to leave for a period of time for lead abatement, or a primary caretaker is suddenly unemployed. PFLYNC can also intervene with information and referral on tenant/landlord issues, house training and behavior issues, allergies, new babies, and general pet care issues. And they’ve recruited an impressive network of volunteers, foster families, veterinarians, lawyers, groomers, trainers, boarding facilities and pet suppliers to help. Richmond SPCA runs a similarly impressive program – Project Safety Net – for their community.

To me, these programs are quintessential “humane community.” It’s people helping people to keep their families together. When PFLNYC trains volunteers, Joyce and Jenny are clear that the program doesn’t and can’t help everyone, but it can help the people who want to keep their animals but think they’ve run out of options.The key question to ask: “If this problem can be solved, would you keep your pet?” 3,451 times last year in New York City the answer was “Yes.”

Tags: pet social work, Pets For Life New York City, surrender prevention

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