Attachment B
STRATEGIC PLAN / 202 1 -2024
VISION
A responsible, compassionate, and informed community working together for the health and welfare of its animals.
MISSION
We ensure “Compassion Saves” by supporting the people and animals of our community through outreach, education, guidance, and support services. We protect shelter animals by creating an environment of care through enrichment and innovative programs.
PRINCIPLES THAT GUIDE OUR ACTIONS
Animal Well-Being: We consider animal health and well-being as the foundational of all we do.
Data Based Decision Making: We collect and analyze data to assess program effectiveness, adjusting and communicating actions as needed to meet intended goals.
Partnership: We consider community members, organizations, and agencies as primary partners in shaping LBACS’ future direction and expanding its range of services.
CORE VALUES
Compassionate: We are empathetic and demonstrate our concern for others (animals, one another, stakeholders).
Passionate: We strongly believe our mission will help us achieve our vision, which we believe would create the ideal environment for our community and its animals.
Dedicated: We are committed to realizing our vision of a community that works together for the health and welfare of its animals through meeting the goals of our mission.
Ethical: We strive to always be guided by the highest standards of social justice and equality .
STRATEGIC PLAN / 202 1 -2024
DAY-TO-DAY WORK CHARACTERISTICS:
Teamwork: Efficient and effective combined action of LBACS and stakeholders.
Communication: Free flow of information across work units and with stakeholders.
Accountability: We hold the expectation that we are answerable to one another and stakeholders.
Supportive: We provide encouragement and emotional help to one another and stakeholders.
Consistency: The quality of our work remains high and does not greatly vary over time.
Respect: We hold that the needs of others (stakeholders, animals, coworkers) are equal to our own.
Dependability: We can be trusted and relied upon to carry out our mission to achieve our vision.
Integrity: We are honest and transparent in all we do.
Perseverance: We are persistent in carrying out our mission, despite obstacles or delays.
Resilience: We meet challenges effectively and nimbly. We embrace challenges as opportunities for professional and agency growth.
Celebration: We recognize and are grateful for the individual contributions of staff, volunteers, and stakeholders to the success of our mission and the realization of our vision.
Strategic Priority 1: Animal Welfare
1. Provide every animal daily care and
enrichment according to their
particular needs, based on best
practices or national guidelines
to keep animals healthy (UCDavis, NACA,
ASV guidelines).
Success Measures
3 15 min of care is the minimum time given
to each animal for basic feeding and
cleaning.
3 Animals in need of urgent care are seen
within the hour by medical team; not
urgent needs are identified within one day
of admission.
3 Volunteers communicate animal needs as
staff would.
3 Red slip system is replaced by illness/
injury reporting system in Chameleon to
improve efficiency and documentation.
3 SAD decreases year over year
3 Animals remain healthy in care longer
3 Shelter operates within its capacity for
care at least 330 of 365 days per year
(90% of the time).
3 Provide annual review of operation
analytics starting .
3 All programs have a data collection and
review component.
3 Programs are continuously reevaluated
based established metrics.
STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES ACTION STEPS RESOURCES
RESOURCES: UCDavis, NACA,
CalAnimals, ASPCA, ASV, Other
shelters with established programs,
Rescue groups
STAFF: Volunteer Coordinator, Animal
Care Supervisor, Shelter Manager,
Field Manager, Veterinarian
COST: $168,000 for cat housing
(possible Measure A funds)
Ensure that all programs and operations
have data analytics that measure
success and program effectiveness
• Track time spent for admission, daily
cleaning feeding, physical exam, treatments,
licensing, behavior evaluation, call service,
etc. per staff per day per animal to measuring
program efficiency and identify deficienciescompared to national standards (UC Davis, ASV Guidelines, NACA standards).
• Collect statistics on behavior conditions,
shelter-acquired diseases or “SAD” (URI,
CIRCD, etc.) and other medical conditions
addressed at the shelter to determine current
number of animals per year that already have
conditions and those that develop them to
provide baseline information and identify
trends.
> Run current reports and analyze data to
determine whether needed information is
available;
> Share results with various teams and
identify which data sets need tracking,
where data is tracked in systems, and any
changes needed to validations
to better track and measure program
efficacy.
• Using current staffing model, identify capacity for care for animals based on their special needs, including length of stay needed for
challenging cases v. which animals can be
considered fast-track. This can be determined by analyzing length of stay for animals based on outcomes.
• Identify needed pathways for animals and
develop care plans that would enable healthy
and treatable animals to have a
live outcome when care plans for specified
pathways are followed.
Strategic Priority 1: Animal Welfare
STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES ACTION STEPS RESOURCES
• Create a consistent and streamlined daily
rounds procedure for each division (medical,
rehoming, animal care, field) that ensures
actionable information is gathered and
shared between divisions, including behavior
and medical assessment results, which
informs the development and implementation
of care plans for each animal (behavior,
medical, enrichment, etc.) within 72 hours of
admission to the shelter.
• Establish an efficient system for volunteers
to make observations about animals and
immediately report medical and behavior
concerns to staff. Notes of volunteers would
be considered as indelible as staff notes,
context not to altered outside of grammar,
spelling, and punctuation.
• Create advocacy program for animals in
shelter more than 30 days and animals at
high-risk for deterioration which ensures
volunteers have the opportunity to work with
animals to meet their increased needs due to
long-term confinement.
• Create specific housing plan for medical and
behavior needs. Identify new available
spaces that can be utilized by LBACS for
housing/separating different shelter
populations on-site (medical cases, behavior
cases, exotics) by establish-ing facility usage
with SPCALA. For example, relocate exotic
animals so they are in public view to reduce
LOS and increase adoption rates.
• Consult/contract/hire a trainer knowledgeable in the ethology, psychology, and emotional lives of dogs and cats to evaluate
challenging cases as well as provide training
and support to staff and volunteers (See
Fiscal Stewardship and Responsibility).
• Develop universal, specific and defined
LBACS behavior language stakeholders that
includes definitions of words commonly used
around assessments and outcomes (adoptable, dangerous, safe, treatable, unhealthy, etc.) Ensure language is shared and utilized
with all internal and external stakeholders to
communicate about animals in the shelter.
Strategic Priority 1: Animal Welfare
• Decrease average length of stay to 3
days for RTF cats, and 10 days for the
general population of animals.
Success Measures
3 Rescue and transfer partner participation
numbers increase.
3 Monthly transports are conducted for at
least 10-40 dogs & cats.
3 We see measurable improvement in
adoption, rescue, euthanasia, and SNR
numbers year over year.
3 Each animal successfully experiences the
appropriate care plan, with implementation of its plan occurring within 72 hours of admission.
3 Rescue and transfer partners report that
they can easily locate information about
how LBACS defines and assesses
behavior, and that they can readily
access needed information for animals
they may be evaluating for their programs
via email and on the web.
STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES ACTION STEPS RESOURCES
RESOURCES: ASPCA, NACA, CalAnimals,
UCDavis, ASV, Rescue groups,
Finance Dept.
STAFF: Animal Care Lead, Rehoming
Coordinator, Animal Care Supervisor,
Senior Field ACO, RVT
COST: average $1,000 per case (500 cases
per year) $500,000 if treating outside of
shelter
• Develop and implement admission protocol
to ensure animals are evaluated for certain
conditions on intake so that any identified
conditions are communicated to the correct
department at the time of intake (medical,
behavior, field), and animals are housed according to their specific behavioral or medical needs.
• Ensure life-saving transports are increased
to include 10% of available population per
month
• Continue forming relationships with new
rescue groups and improving communications with existing rescue groups to facilitate faster departure of animals from the shelter
• Create foster program (see Life-saving
Programs)
• Pursue diagnostics and treatment of more
challenging/chronic medical cases as donated funds allow via vouchers, once pets have left the shelter, rather than keeping animal at
shelter until workup and treatment have
been completed.
• Develop with stakeholders clearly written
program guidelines and protocols to assess
animals, including how and which statuses
are assigned to animals. Define statuses to
ensure all staff, volunteers, and stakeholders
have a clear understanding of the process of
evaluation and statuses assigned so that all
may work collaboratively to ensure the
timeliest outcome for the animal. Provide this
information in a public platform to rescue
partners via email for specific information
about animals, and on the web for general
program guidelines.
• Inform rescue groups the same day of an
animal’s status change that requires intervention for a live outcome. • Provide rescues with clarity surrounding the
process of how animals are placed on “at
risk” or “in need of rescue” lists, as well as
which animals can and cannot be safety or
humanely placed, and when the list is sent to
the rescues.
• Maintain detailed notes in Chameleon about
animal how, when, why an animal’s transfer
is needed, and the discussions and decisions
made to document the animal’s history prior
to surrender to the shelter or po-tential return
to the shelter in case additional or alternative
placement is needed in the future.
Strategic Priority 2: Community Engagement
• Provide support (adoption counseling,
behavior and training resources, pet
surrender intervention, pet-friendly
housing resources, veterinary care,
other resources)
to the community to increase pet
reunion/retention and decrease owner
surrendered/return of animals.
Success Measures
3 Pet redemption increases to 75% over
5 years
3 Decrease owner surrendered animals
by 2% per year (currently 10%) to reach
OS Rate of 1%
3 Increase in license sales by 50% over
5 years
3 Shift in calls for service so that over half
of all calls for service are for welfare
services (asking for TNR, resources for
spay/neuter, health care, supplies,
training, etc.) and cruelty/neglect calls
account for less than half of all calls for
service.
3 Increase public awareness, visibility and
accessibility to LBACS and its
services .
STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES ACTION STEPS RESOURCES
RESOURCES: CalAnimals, Best Friends,
ASPCA, PIMA, Blockheads about Town,
Downtown Dogs, Pets for Life, Dogbert,
Waggy Tails, Pilots and Paws,
Lead Volunteers
STAFF:Field Manager, Senior Field ACO,
SIU ACOs, Canvassers, Clerks
COST: $0 beyond labor
• Develop volunteer/partner-driven intervention program based on replicatable models to connect owners in need with the
resources they lack. Research programs that
currently exist to help pet owners in need
keep their pets, including CalAnimals, Best
Friends, ASPCA, PIMA, Blockheads about
Town, Downtown Dogs, Pets for Life, etc.
• Establish clearing house of information and
resources to address pet surrender rea-sons
that is made available to the public via the
web and upon request (in person, over the
phone – hot line, and by mail).
• Hold an information session in one district
per week up to 4 times per year for each
district, where residents are provided with
information and resources (vouchers,
donated items, dates for s/n/v events) on
responsible pet care, code compliance, and
general information. Record them and make
them available for viewing on website.
Strategic Priority 2: Community Engagement
Success Measures
3 Shelter access is increased (increased
visits to website), and adoptions increase
to 1,500.
3 Public impressions according to survey
results are that the shelter and services
are accessible, staff are friendly, the
facility is neat, clean, and welcoming,
the community has increased confidence
in ACS’s ability to consistently help in
difficult situations in a timely fashion.
3 Community surveys demonstrate a
consistent increase in public awareness
about LBACS programs over the course
of 5 years
3 Signage and shelter contact and service
information is located in all community
centers, parks, libraries, Council District
offices, dog parks, and contracted
agencies that provide direct service to
the community (city contracts, veterinary
locations, pet stores, etc.).
STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES ACTION STEPS RESOURCES
RESOURCES: IT, PRM Community Relations, Adoptimize, City Manager’s Office, Rescue and Transfer Partners, CalAnimals, UCDavis, ASPCA, NACA, spcaLA, Volunteers
STAFF: Community Information Specialist,
ACS Bureau Manager, Shelter Manager,
Field Manager, Rehoming Coordinator,
Volunteer Coordinator, one Animal Care
Staff, one Clerk, one Medical Staff
Cost: $12,000 for internal and campus
signage, other costs are labor of current
staff
• Create online surveys to gauge public
impressions of the facility, services, and
customer satisfaction, as well as knowledge
and understanding of services provided. In
addition, ask community to provide feedback
about their confidence in ACS ability to
consistently assist them in difficult situations
in a timely fashion. Review annually.
• Shift opening hours to give more access to
the shelter in the evening.
• Improve advertising for cats and offer more
cat-specific programs to encourage adoption.
• Create a communications/PR plan that
includes print and social media. Plan must
include specific goals and objectives, as well
as metrics to measure effectiveness. Plan
should centralize around increasing awareness throughout the city of shelter animals in need (especially cat and kittens), opportunities for the community to help, services provided, and shelter success stories. Plan
should also include regular update of the
shelter’s website.
• Create a communications volunteer team to
supplement staff. Recruit a team of skilled
photographers, editors, writers, designers for
this team.
• Use technology that helps shelters take better, more eye-catching photos of animals for adoption to publicize them. Review programs
such as Adoptimize and Shelter Me to
determine benefits that may be gained by
added technology that improves photo
presentation of animals.
• Redesign website to increase online
presence and promote shelter visitation,
providing information and education through
website (admission/pet surrender – including
resources for intervention, adoption listings,
FAQs, Hot lines, humane education, other
resources, etc.).
Strategic Priority 2: Community Engagement
STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES ACTION STEPS RESOURCES
• Start an internal Facebook group for
volunteers, fosters, and staff to share photos
and ideas. Train a volunteer/staff member to
monitor the content of the Facebook group.
Determine if City policy allows, and if so, then
establish guidelines with lead volunteers.
• Partner with LBACS registered rescues and
transfer partners, as well as contract-ed
agencies and create an In-service day
monthly through open houses to educate
about services and educational topics such
as reuniting pets in the field, how to advise
citizens about TNR, compassion fatigue, and
other topic pertinent to those in animal
welfare etc.
• Develop signage plan and provide positive
messages in multiple languages in public
spaces in the shelter about foster, adoption,
volunteering, and donating in at least 5 high
traffic areas. Include maps, also in multiple
languages, that identify buildings, rooms and
where visitors should proceed for adoptions,
redemptions, and other services.
• Develop quarterly facility beautification and
maintenance plan, including improvements to
make the shelter more inviting for visitors
(painting, reducing clutter in cottages by
increasing storage options, public restroom
improvements, etc.).
Strategic Priority 2: Community Engagement
• Increase compliance with animal
laws and regulations
Success Measures
3 Decrease number of animals, especially
unaltered animals, entering LBACS year
over year.
3 Number of vouchers redeemed
increases to 75% within the first year,
with a total redemption rate of 90% over
5 years.
3 Information sessions are attended by at
least 20 new attendees with no fewer
than 10 people per session making the
ROI worth the investment.
3 Fee structures have been adjusted with
more clients paying for redemption fees
and less promissory notes are issued.
3 Increase of RTO outcomes
3 All Free ride homes result in either a
license sale or citation for licensing (if
applicable).
3 In-service days should lead to increased
LBACS traffic which should increase
positive outcomes.
STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES ACTION STEPS RESOURCES
RESOURCES: IT, PRM Community
Relations, Council Offices, Rescue and
Transfer Partners, CalAnimals, NACA
STAFF: Customer Service Rep, Analyst,
Field Manager, SIU ACO
COST: $11,000 in supply costs to hold microchip/vaccine clinic in each district 1x/ year, other costs are labor of current staff
• Enforce S/N, licensing/vaccination, breeding, and off leash ordinances on each call by first providing fix-it tickets and resources such
as donated supplies, vouchers, dates and
locations of low-cost spay neuter and/or
vaccine clinics, then issuing citations, for noncompliance. • Develop and implement protocol on followup for issued vouchers with reminders, and citations if necessary.
• Arrange to have microchipping/vaccine clinic in each district each year; could be paired with information sessions so that the
importance of microchipping is discussed
leading up to clinics that are held.
• Reevaluate and revise fee structures so that
redemption is not prohibitive to reclaim.
• Establish work fare opportunities to qualifying owners (background check, contract/ agreement, etc.), In lieu of payment.
• Develop incentive campaign for redemption
and licensing by enlisting support from local/
national animal related vendors such as pet
supply, vet, groom, training to give discounts
to owners of currently licensed pets. Establish program guidelines and invite all pet-related vendors in Long Beach to participate.
Their participation would be listed on LBACS
website.
• Free Ride program to include any animal at
large with ID that can connect the animal to
an owner at the time of taking into custody.
The officer sells a license to the owner if they
do not have a license or cites them if they do
not wish to purchase a license.
Strategic Priority 2: Community Engagement
• Develop a staff/volunteer run humane
education and outreach program for
schools and public platforms
Success Measures
3 Humane Education program reaches 80%
of LBC students every other year (40%
per year: K – 6th; then 7th – 12th).
3 Traffic on Humane Ed site shows
increased trend in hits year over year.
3 Evaluation results demonstrate a
self-reported increase in humane ideals
among students.
STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES ACTION STEPS RESOURCES
RESOURCES: LBUSD, American Humane,
HSUS, ASPCA, TeachHeart, Red Rover,
spcaLA
STAFF: Community Information Specialist, Clerk, NEW part time Public Health Associate position currently not created,
not budgeted
Cost: Reprographics approximately
$2,000, additional staff time $25,000
(part time PHA - NEW)
• Research programs provided by American
Humane, Humane Society of the United
States, APSCA, TeachHeart, Red Rover and
more to determine a humane education plan
for Long Beach.
• Develop humane education resources on
line that includes activities for all school age
children and adolescents.
• Present materials virtually, or in person via
presentations and/or handouts to reach 40%
of LBUSD students each year.
• Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of
the program. Guidelines for M&E are available through HSUS.
Strategic Priority 3: Financial Sustainability
• Develop a budget that accurately
represents the compassion saves
model, including funding for foster
programming, and behavior/
enrichment programming, surgical
team, hiring a development manager,
increasing shelter revenue through
increased fundraising
(donations, grants, marketing the
existing trust funds), enforcing
ordinances so that revenue is diverted
to LBACS Trust Accounts for Medical/
Spay/Neuter aspects of Compassion
Saves.
Success Measures (Items 1 and 2)
3 LBACS has the resources necessary to
execute 80% of strategic plan and run
an independent, healthy welfare-centric
operation.
3 Available funds increase within first year;
measurable growth experienced year
over year.
3 At least one grant secured in 2020
STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES ACTION STEPS RESOURCES
RESOURCES: Partners of Parks, FOLBA,
Parks Planning and Partnerships, Maddie’s Fund, Found Animals Foundation, PetSmart Charities, PetCo Foundation,
Chameleon Beach, Pet licensing software
co (i.e.: PetData), Donor software (i.e.:
Donor Perfect, Raiser’s Edge, Abila, etc.)
STAFF: Bureau Manager, Analyst
COST: Donor software can start at $1,000
per year
NEW Public Health Associate (Part Time)
$25,000
NEW Development Manager (similar to
Vet) $127,000; TP&B $185,000
NEW Behavior Manager (Full Time)
$68,092; TP&B $91,20
NEW Foster Care Coordinator (Full Time)
$46,435; TP&B $63,560
NEW Veterinarian (Full Time)
$127,000; TP&B $185,000
NEW RVT x 2 (Full Time)
$55,724; TP&B 91,746 or $183,000
NEW Animal Health Tech x 2 (Full Time)
$47,838; TP&B $82,549 or $167,000
• Identify personnel costs of programs for
Foster Care Coordinator, Behavior and
Training Manager, Surgical veterinary team
(1 full time veterinarian, 2 full time RVTs, 2
full time Animal Health Technicians), PHA,
and Development Manager.
• Identify other costs of programs.
• Identify funding shortfalls.
• Identify actual and potential funding sources
for shortfalls.
• Revise formula for calculating contract
values to include proportionate share of field,
shelter, veterinary, and administrative costs
to accurately reflect the cost to care for and
provide life-saving treatments for animals.
Maintain documents in a manner that supports accurate contract values. • Use Chameleon to monitor and track the
payment of administrative citations.
• Develop a process for collection of outstanding citations utilizing Code Enforcement model of property tax lien and or utilizing
Dept. of Financial Management or external
collection agency to for collection process for
non-residents. There was approximately $1M
in uncollected fines from 2009 to 2017.
• After implementing further collection efforts,
determine if the additional revenue received
offsets the cost.
• Enter license and vaccine data within 48hrs,
and deposit payments in adherence to AR
21.1. • Research the option to outsource pet licensing using PetData or some other agency or organization specializing in pet license
processing.
Strategic Priority 3: Financial Sustainability
STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES ACTION STEPS RESOURCES
• Use existing staff in PRM or City to seek
and draft at least two grants for LBACS
annually
• In lieu of hiring a Development Manager,
establish a foundation, such as a “Friends of”
group to fundraise for LBACS increasing
donation revenue by $1M within three years.
• Create a formal fundraising development
plan that includes a multi-pronged approach
to diversifying revenue. The plan will evaluate and decide upon its focus (e.g., direct mail, focused email campaigns, end of year
campaigns, planning giving, major gifts, and
the like.)
• Develop a donor database with an integrated email system. Either use a specific donation software system or determine how
Chameleon can meet this need.
• Direct the public to www.longbeach.gov/acs
to donate for specific funds, including sharing
information on the site about how past donations have been used. • Create a gift acceptance policy
• Continue to maintain a relationship with
Maddie’s Fund for future funding and develop
relationships with other agencies who offer
grants including PetSmart Charities, PetCo by
consistently applying for at least one grant
offered by each organization, each year. Also
share with these organizations the success of
programs they may not have funded to
establish that LBACS is committed to their
Vision and Mission.
• Determine the most effective course of
action for increasing fundraising efforts by
reviewing how donations come into the organization (via website, direct mail, etc.); examine how the donations are being allocated, tracked, acknowledged, and deposited; and
review how funds are being utilized.
Strategic Priority 3: Financial Sustainability
• Establish means to effectively review
and enforce official agreements with
spcaLA
Success Measures
3 Both spcaLA and LBACS have clarity of
operational obligations and conflict will be
kept to a minimum.
3 Increased adoptions of LBACS animals
from LBACS.
3 LBACS duty of transparency will extend
to animals transferred to spcaLA.
STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES ACTION STEPS RESOURCES
RESOURCES: City Attorney’s office, spcaLA, City Manager’s office STAFF: Bureau Manager, Dept. Director,
Deputy City Attorney
Cost: $0 beyond labor
• Identify and remedy lease and lease-back
compliance including signage, keys, and
direction of one agency staff over another.
• Once lease/lease back compliance issues
are effectively identified and remedied,
determine if an operation agreement or
operational terms as recommended by the
City Attorney’s office to address issues not
covered by the existing lease and lease-back
including hours of operation, rules and
regulations for the division/assignment of
common areas that ensure 50% use by
LBACS; require-ments for transfer of animals
from LBACS and reporting requirements of
transferred animals, ensuring that members
of the public have the first opportunity to
adopt animals from LBACS and all LBACS
transfers are guaranteed a live outcome, is/
are needed.
Strategic Priority 4: Lifesaving Programs
• Create a sustainable Foster Program
to divert 80% of eligible medical and
behavior animals to an appropriate
outcome
Success Measures
3 Animals requiring medical or behavioral
rehabilitation, including neonates, whose
care will require more than 15 minutes
of care each day for longer than 10 days
are placed into foster care at the
expiration of due out, or sooner as
needed.
3 Foster care will reduce length of stay to
average of 10 days and reduce
euthanasia of treatable animals,
3 Animals will fare better in foster care than
in the shelter.
STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES ACTION STEPS RESOURCES
RESOURCES: Little Lion Foundation
(nursery), Rescue and transfer partners,
see item 1 in Fiscal Stewardship and
Responsibility
STAFF: Rehoming Coordinator, Volunteer
Coordinator, NEW full time Foster Care
Coordinator position currently not
created, not budgeted
Cost: $50,000 (nursery – in current
agreement. Donated funds are used for
this program)
• Hire a foster care coordinator with excellent
supervisory and organizational skills who can
create a knowledgeable volunteer base of
caretakers
• Create a process for LBACS staff to determine animals in care that would succeed best in a foster home (medical, behavior,
etc.)
• Create a neonate program that supports
life-saving during kitten season
• Develop and engage the volunteer
team
Success Measures
3 Recruitment and training sessions are
attended by 20 participants or more and
no less than 10.
3 All lifesaving programs have a primary
volunteer component
(adoption, behavior/training, advocacy,
humane education, transport, community
outreach, special events, foster care, etc.).
3 70% of volunteers volunteer at least 2
hours per week for at least 1 year.
3 75% of adoptions are volunteer-facilitated.
3 100% of adopters receive adoption
counseling prior to finalizing their
adoption. Counseling includes review of
the animal’s medical record, disclosure of
all information provided by owners and
care takers, and resources about how to
address any behavior or medical issues
identified during the animal’s stay.
• Conduct two volunteer recruitments each
month to increase program participation by
50%
• Define selection criteria and policies for the
volunteer program, including reasons an
existing volunteer may be removed from the
program. Be clear that not all applicants who
go through the training processes will be
accepted in to the program.
• Ensure every volunteer has a written
position description outlining qualifications,
training requirements, and duties.
• Developing a training platform with various
levels that volunteers can progress through.
Training should focus on the absolute essentials, such as doing laundry and how to report veterinary issues, quarantines, how to report
an injury while volunteering, and how to work
with the public.”
RESOURCES: CalAnimals, ASPCA, HSUS,
Front Street Shelter, Rescue and Transfer
partners
STAFF: Volunteer Coordinator, Animal
Care Supervisor, one Animal Care Staff,
Community Information Specialist,
Rehoming Coordinator
Cost: $0 beyond labor
Strategic Priority 4: Lifesaving Programs
• Establish with rescue and transfer
partners an agreement that defines the
criteria for group registration,
protocols for groups and the shelter to
follow to ensure groups and shelter
communicate effectively to transfer
shelter animals, and a code of ethics
to establish professional expectations
for each entity.
Success Measures
3 Rescue groups are supportive of
agreements and 95% of current and
active groups sign agreement.
3 Roundtables occur monthly or quarterly.
Conversations are focused on problem
solving and actional feedback to improve
processes.
STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES ACTION STEPS RESOURCES
RESOURCES: ASPCA, NACA, CalAnimals,
Other shelters with established programs,
Rescue and Transfer partners
STAFF: Shelter Manager, one Medical
Staff, Animal Care Supervisor,
one Field Staff
COST: $0 beyond labor
• Hold bimonthly volunteer training ses-sions
on more advanced trainings such as animal
handling, behavior/training, cleaning
procedures, enrichment, medical.
• Have a way to identify volunteers in training
and official volunteers, mentors, etc. utilizing
aprons or t-shirt/name badges.
• Developing a schedule to track the training
of each applicant and when they have met
the requirements.
• Create a system for how to determine when
a volunteer should become “official.” At that
point, the volunteer should sign forms,
including volunteer agreements and a liability
release form that stays on file and entered
into a volunteer database.
• Work with volunteers to develop sign up for
a regular, weekly schedule. A regular
schedule also helps identify holes in the
program and identify recruitment needs for
those specific time slots.
• Create a protocol for volunteers and staff to
identify stressors for animals, and instructions on how to reduce stressors, as well as have safe interactions with animals who are
being negatively impacted by unavoidable
stressors.
• Model the Increase of Volunteer Hours (ie:
Sacramento is 97,147 which equates to 46.7
Full Time Employees; LB Is 16 times less
6,094 which equates 2.9).
• Define the process for notifying the rescue groups of animals needing to be placed and define the roles of ACS and groups in
this process.
• Establish clear chain of communication
for rescues and keep it consistent.
• Work collaboratively to set expectations
for the relationship between ACS and rescues
• Hold roundtable meetings with registered
groups in order to keep communication open
and improve the transfer process for groups
and the shelter.
Strategic Priority 5: Staff Development
• Clarify and ensure that all personnel
(staff & volunteers) understand their
duties and responsibilities within the
organization to reflect our Compassion
Saves model
STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES ACTION STEPS RESOURCES
RESOURCES: EAP, ERC, CalAnimals,
NACA, UCDavis, HR, Civil Service Commission, ASPCA, Maddie’s STAFF: Leadership team and one
non-supervisory staff person from
each unit
COST: $500 per staff per year (seminar/
registration fees)/$25,000 annually
• Establish baseline job satisfaction through
survey.
• Update and create where necessary all
bureau job descriptions ensuring that 100%of
JD’s accurately reflect roles and responsibilities, including fully develop organizational chart and personal conduct policy for all staff
and volunteers.
• Create, refine and communicate new/existing SOP’s and P&P’s. • Develop and implement training plan for
staff, Rehoming Team, field services, clerical
staff, medical team, leadership/management,
and volunteers.
• Establish training protocols, including training manuals and handbook, for all staff in all areas of operations and provide training to
ensure that staff can effectively accomplish
their work.
• Provide ongoing professional
development for staff based on their
skills.
• Develop strategy for staff development that
includes onboarding, training, skills assessment, advanced skill development and promotional career opportunities and continuing education, based on information gathered
during one on ones, and annual performance
evaluations.
• Supervisors conduct quarterly one-on-one
with their direct reports and identify career
goals/aspirations, performance improvement
needs, and current areas of excellence/expertise.
• Create peer to peer training with staff who
show high performance in certain areas with
staff who need improvement in such areas.
Begin with 4 sessions per year.
• Supervisor conduct annual performance
evaluation with focus on goal setting to
develop professional skills (all past due performance evaluations are due Jan 2021).
Strategic Priority 5: Staff Development
• Establish programs that promote
wellness and selfcare
• Success Measures (Items 1, 2 and 3)
3 100% of JD’s accurately reflect roles
3 All processes have written protocols and
training modules.
3 All Personnel understands their duties
and responsibilities within the
organization according to feedback from
one on ones and skills assessments.
3 Increased staff and volunteer job
satisfaction compared to baseline
3 Staff meet regularly (quarterly all staff,
at least monthly for units) and incorporate
gratitude and support in their language
with and about co-workers, community,
partners, as evidenced by meeting
minutes.
3 100% of SOP’s and processes have
written protocols and training modules
3 Staff go directly to their immediate
supervisor for support. Supervisors direct
staff to speak to their direct supervisor
and follow up with email to staff member
and their supervisor.
3 80% of staff engage in training
opportunities, wellness and selfcare
programs, and other resources provided
for wellness and professional
development.
STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES ACTION STEPS RESOURCES
• Identify and implement compassion
fatigue awareness and prevention, resiliency
training, physical and mental wellness programs, and other support services for staff & volunteers annually.
• Institute peer and leadership recognition
programs.
• Identify advanced training opportunities
to assist staff successfully advance in their
animal welfare career.