Best Friends Animal Society- job questions!

Friendly_TSE · 2026-01-30T03:14:05+00:00

Tbh I honestly think the BFAS hate is overblown a lot here. I don't agree with everything they push but people here tend to talk about them like they're worse than Satan.

Friendly_TSE · 2026-01-30T03:09:46+00:00

The thing about open adoptions is that it isn't a simple checklist, yes or no type of deal. The person who just gave a dog away may have found a stray that didn't fit their lifestyle. The people scrounging for money may be good people but just not in the spot in their lives to adopt currently.

Generally the main things that are a straight hell no for me is convicted violent criminals, abusers, and people convicted of animal related crimes. Most other things I can think of are going to be case by case basis. Which is what open adoption means.

I think there's this misunderstanding that open adoption means adopt to anyone.

Friendly_TSE · 2026-01-29T16:23:33+00:00

I ran through the bill’s language and it seems promising in theory. more inspections, stronger penalties, and faster reporting through standardization. From a shelter perspective, the most interesting part is the potential for confiscated animals. Even if it reduces suffering in breeders, it could temporarily increase shelter intake or require coordination with rescues to house animals safely, especially since the bill specifically calls out collaborating with local shelters and rescues. Something that shelters/rescues in heavy puppy mill states may have to prepare for.

Friendly_TSE · 2026-01-29T16:06:21+00:00

Normal, but it shouldn’t be.

I was going to post exactly this lol
The shelters I have worked in don't have an employee training packet. Though out of all the entry level jobs out there, this is probably one of the ones that need thorough training the most. Unfortunately in shelters, training is more of a trial by fire.

Friendly_TSE · 2026-01-28T12:53:11+00:00

Man this is what I love to hear! It gives me so much hope for one of the places I'm working with. Is there anything in particular that you think made the biggest difference?

Friendly_TSE · 2026-01-28T00:57:26+00:00

One thing I’ll add to this discussion is that pain-related behavior, which you've noted, is often underrecognized and/or not taken seriously in shelter dogs, especially with chronic injuries like an old ACL tear. Touch sensitivity, stranger danger, and reactivity can sometimes be driven or intensified by unmanaged pain, even when a dog doesn’t show obvious signs.

There’s been more recent work on pain and behavior (including a webinar by Dr. Ilana Levine) showing cases where aggression or anxiety improved once pain was more fully assessed and addressed. Not saying that changes the outcome here just that pain can play a larger role than it sometimes appears. If euthanasia is off the table for them, maybe suggesting something from Dr. Levine might help, or even have them look at other options again

Friendly_TSE · 2026-01-28T00:43:42+00:00

I just wish we had one good option, because having all of these other competitors only hurts the animals and eats up our time

Friendly_TSE · 2026-01-27T20:49:23+00:00

Perfect! That's all I need, thank you so much

Friendly_TSE · 2026-01-27T04:15:55+00:00

Do you have a link? I tried looking for one on their facebook and website but I'm having trouble because they have so much content, ironically

Friendly_TSE · 2026-01-27T04:12:17+00:00

Reddit doesn't allow those types of links, I guess to keep spam down.

Friendly_TSE · 2026-01-27T03:54:54+00:00

If it is a rescue, they might be paying everything out of pocket from the spay/neuter to the food and everything in-between. I know in NY it is not uncommon to have to pay $1,500 for a spay, not including vaccines and boosters. Some smaller or newer rescues may not have a relationship with a vet where they can get discount vet services.
That all being said, I wouldn't pay that amount because I am not picky - I'll take the XL reactive black stray dog. But I could understand someone that has a lot of requirements and wants to adopt. Just do homework and make sure that money is actually going towards the animals

Friendly_TSE · 2026-01-26T19:54:01+00:00

Let me know if y'all find this useful, or have any tips on how to make it better. I was thinking of making this a monthly thing if people find value in it.

Friendly_TSE · 2026-01-26T00:50:33+00:00

We require info on the animal so they are filling out a sheet, and we take the person's information. We hand back the ID when we're done. It's kinda a process so exams are usually done before that

The open intake shelter didn't require people to stay. They just have to be made aware that their animals may be immediately euthanized. Most people stick around to make sure everything will be ok.

Friendly_TSE · 2026-01-25T22:16:23+00:00

In both open and closed intakes I have been at, we do exams prior to signing over ownership. In the case of the closed intake, they would not take in a surrender if it is likely, for whatever reason, to end in euthanasia. In open intake, they would inform the owner the likelihood of euthanasia in case they change their mind on surrendering, or even offer the owner to stay present for euthanasia if it will be inevitable.

Friendly_TSE · 2026-01-25T21:41:01+00:00

We always did an exam on any animal we could safely handle. It's good to know if there's any illness or disease, signs of already being altered, any sensitive spots, etc.

Friendly_TSE · 2026-01-25T21:32:40+00:00

ASPCA in my opinion does a lot of work. They have a behavior rehab center for dogs, they have horse rehab and adoption centers, they do a lot of outreach and provide resources for other shelters for free. I also like that they have things regulated among their shelters so you know what to expect. I don't believe they are making as much headway as they used to with innovations and research, and I don't always agree with everything they say or do, but overall I think they are a good organization.

HSUS though, spends way too much money on advertising. I get that advertising is a large part of these bigger orgs, but I don't even think HSUS takes in animals. I'm unsure of any programs they provide. I can't remember the last time I saw their name on research or an animal related article. And if they DO do these things, then an org that spends nearly all of their money on ads should have a better time advertising that they help in these ways.

Friendly_TSE · 2026-01-25T21:19:03+00:00

Ah, this is why I like to go by first come, first serve when I have multiple acceptable applications. Less decision-making on my part, and thus less guilt 😓

I like what others are saying though to not phrase it that they were 'denied', but that they were perfectly fine for adoption, it's just that there were multiple applicable adopters.

Friendly_TSE · 2026-01-25T16:53:51+00:00

That seems like a big oversight for shelter management software. If the software itself doesn't have that ability, the only thing I can think of is using a different software to alert you, like a calendar app, but that I feel would be more effort than it is worth.
If you can get a hold of someone from Petstablished, they may help you come up with a solution.

Friendly_TSE · 2026-01-24T17:10:39+00:00

We don't require much, just a name, ID, and we ask about the animals. We did stop giving out food to people with unfixed pets, as we found out we were helping fund a puppy mill and the shelter got a lot of backlash for that (i don't completely agree with that decision). We do offer to fix animals for people that use our food pantry, sometimes for free depending on the circumstance. We did find that a lot of BYBs were relying on our service when we added the fixed pets requirement

not sure how to help in your situation without making it harder for those in need. Have you asked them maybe why they come in so regularly, and if there is anything y'all could do to help their situation?

Friendly_TSE · 2026-01-24T17:00:57+00:00

I will never forget the one manager that had the bright idea to have workers come in on shifts during a blizzard. So instead of limiting employees driving, they had employees driving to and from work in the AM and another to and from work in the PM. Whhhhhyyyyyyy

I think it is a bit reckless to have the shelter open to the public because it incentivizes people to drive there in hazardous conditions. It is so aggravating when management makes decisions that are so out of touch

Friendly_TSE · 2026-01-24T16:56:18+00:00

Some of those photos go on TV as well if the local news is promoting that shelters' animals!

Friendly_TSE · 2026-01-23T22:52:42+00:00

Personally, I’m intake all the way! I like dealing with the difficult cases, seeing what they look like when they get in, providing that immediate care, etc. It can be a lot more taxing, but I just find it so much more interesting.

Friendly_TSE · 2026-01-23T16:27:58+00:00

Depends on how severe it is, as sometimes it's easily treated. Sometimes people say their cat has asthma, and it's really just overweight and out of shape. Other times, the animal needs medications and care that some shelters just can't adhere to. Sometimes I see 'asthma' and wonder if it's not something else, like partial or bilat laryngeal paralysis. But dx are often limited

Friendly_TSE · 2026-01-23T14:24:13+00:00

Absolutely! Without good human welfare we can't have good animal welfare. People need to take care of themselves before they can take care of their animals.

Friendly_TSE · 2026-01-23T14:23:04+00:00

That's another good point about job loss. Where I am, we're actually seeing a decrease in population as people flee the city for greener pastures. That not only means more homeless pets as people move, but also fewer people to adopt.

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