Guides for shelter teams
Short, practical guides grounded in shelter research and open data.
How to reduce length of stay in an animal shelter
Practical, evidence-based ways to shorten shelter length of stay: pathway planning, population rounds, removing waits, targeting long-stay animals early, and measuring results.
Foster program impact on shelter length of stay and capacity
What research says about foster programs, short-term fostering and day outings for shelter dogs and cats, and how to estimate the capacity a foster program adds.
Intake surge planning for animal shelters
How to plan for seasonal intake surges like kitten season and summer dog intake: what open data shows about seasonal peaks, and practical steps to stay within capacity for care.
Capacity for care, explained
How admissions and length of stay set your daily population.
Glossary
Plain-language definitions of shelter data terms.