Agenda - 11-19-2002-9a - Laserfiche WebLink

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I~ HSUS Professional Animal Services Consultation Program Proposal page 9 THE SITE VISIT PROCESS The site visit process both begins and ends with the HSUS Animal Services Consultation (ASC) team members meeting with agency officials overseeing operations. It is important for all levels of staff to understand that'The HSUS ASC program involves looking at the present and into the future, and we do not (and will not) investigate allegations into past incidents as part of our visit. To best assist you with a comprehensive assessment, all parties must be aware that The HSUS ASC team members are consultants for, and not investigators into, animal care and control practices. When The HSUS is called in to perform an evaluation of AI'SOC, our ASC team members spend an extensive amount of time researching and studying your agency prior to the on-site visit. This allows them to then largely entrench themselves in normal daily operations during their visit, by not only meeting with current staff and administrators, but also shadowing employees, listening to and observing standard practices, studying workloads, understanding roles, evaluating community interactions, and therefore best assessing the APSOC's ability to provide needed services. In addition, our ASC team members work closely to evaluate overlaps or gaps in agency services. While our ASC team members' individual on-site areas of observation will overlap to some degree, they each will be responsible for duties that fall within their specific areas of expertise in the field of animal care and control. Therefore, to accomplish our goals, the joint development of itineraries for individual team members is necessary prior to the on-site visit. Itineraries primarily serve to give us access to the necessary resources, while providing you ample opportunity to make staff available (as needed) during specified time periods-without disrupting the important work that needs to be accomplished within the shelter and in the field. The HSUS strongly believes that the success or failure of animal care and control programs are intertwined, and each hinge closely on many, if not all, aspects of sheltering services. As an example, to responsibly evaluate current adoption procedures, one must look at many related areas including (but certainly not limited to) facility accessibility, traffic flow (both animal and human), animal care and handling, veterinary care procedures, facility structure, employee morale, and public perceptions. The HSUS ASC team therefore will conduct a comprehensive and thorough review into all areas of animal care, control, and sheltering provided. Keeping in mind community needs, perceptions, and expectations, The HSUS ASC program encompasses (but is not limited to) the following three key components of animal services delivery: • Shelter Operations/Facilities: The team will conduct a thorough, on-site review of all current facilities and daily activities within the APSOC. This will include, but not be limited to, accessibility to the public (such as facility location and hours of operation), staff training, customer service, policies and procedures involving incoming animals, animal care and