Humane Movement Think Tank - Massachusetts Animal Coalition

What’s in a Name?
The language of animal sheltering and saving more lives
What’s in a Name?
This presentation will cover:
How our communication can
help us save more lives
• Background
• Elements of effective
communication
• Word and terminology
choices and their effects
• Concepts for successful
communication
• Questions
Introduction
• Neponset Valley
Humane Society
• Best Friends Animal
Society
• Alley Cat Allies
Introduction
2007 Launched effort to achieve
countywide live release rate
higher than 90% in Washoe
County.
Introduction
2007 Shelter Admissions
Washoe County: 39 dogs
& cats per 1,000 people
National average: 14 dogs
& cats per 1,000 people
(Source: Animal People Newspaper)
16,000 animals entering
sheltering system
annually
Economically
challenged community
Washoe County, Nevada Statistics
Felines 2006 - 2014
9000
8000
7000
6000
5000
TOTAL CATS INCOMING
TOTAL CATS ADOPTED
4000
TOTAL CATS KILLED
3000
2000
1000
0
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
Washoe County, Nevada Statistics
Felines 2006 - 2014
60%
50%
40%
30%
% CATS KILLED
20%
10%
0%
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
Introduction
Effective Communication
Effective Communication
Effective Communication
“To effectively communicate, we
must realize that we are all
different in the way we perceive
the world and use this
understanding as a guide to our
communication.”
‒ Tony Robbins
Care and Enrichment in the Shelter: Enrichment
“The single biggest problem in communication is the
illusion that it has taken place.”
‒ George Bernard Shaw
Effective Communication
“Whatever words we utter
should be chosen with
care for people will hear
them and be influenced by
them for good or ill.”
‒ Buddha
Effective Communication
Effective Communication
Caretaker or Caregiver?
Effective Communication
Kennel Staff or Animal Caregiver?
Effective Communication
Intake or Admissions?
Effective Communication
Owner or Guardian or Person?
Effective Communication
Responsibility or Rewards?
Effective Communication
Companion Animal or Pet?
“One can communicate only in the
recipients’ language or in their
terms.”
– Peter Drucker
Effective Communication
He/She or It?
Effective Communication
Adoptable?
Unadoptable?
Effective Communication
Feral Cats? Community Cats?
Effective Communication
FIV or AIDS?
Effective Communication
DSH, DLH
or
cute cat?
Effective Communication
Free or Valued?
“Results showed no
statistical difference in
the two groups’
attachment to the
adopted cats.”
Effective Communication
Open Admission Shelter vs. No-Kill Shelter
Shelter? Community?
Effective Communication
No Kill vs. Kill
Effective Communication
Euthanasia or Killing?
Effective Communication
Concepts that Create Success
Effective Communication
Concepts that Create Success
Effective Communication
Concepts that Create Success
“Fun” “Love” “Rewarding”
“Educate” “Be Responsible”
Effective Communication
Concepts that Create Success
Effective Communication
Concepts that Create Success
Effective Communication
Concepts that Create Success
Effective Communication
Concepts that Create Success
“Fun” “Love” “Rewarding”
Celebrate!
Effective Communication
Concepts that Create Success
Information and Support
Judgment
Effective Communication
Concepts that Create Success
Ask people to help
Effective Communication
Concepts that Create Success
Tell a Story
A Picture is Worth. . .
Effective Communication
Concepts that Create Success
The Power of Thank You
Effective Communication
Concepts that Create Success
Transparency with Statistics
Why?
• Builds trust between organizations
• Demonstrates effectiveness
• Beacon of encouragement to others
• Recognition of success
Look at and share
• Your organization’s statistics
• The community’s statistics (all organizations)
• Community statistics in relation to human population
“Noses in, noses out”
Animal Services
– Brenda Barnette, General Manager, Los Angeles
Effective Communication
1. Create fun. Talk about
love & fulfillment.
2. Offer helpful
information & support.
3. Ask people to help.
4. Tell a story.
5. Thank everyone.
6. Publish your statistics.
Effective Communication
“In the beginner’s mind there are many
possibilities, but in the expert’s there are few”
― Shunryu Suzuki
Effective Communication
“Dedication involves making the
space to let young ideas take
hold; every tree was once a
seed. . .”
—Zephyr Bloch-Jorgensen
Bonney Brown
bbrown@humanenetwork.org
Expanding the lifesaving community for animals