Marin Humane Strategic Plan

2019-2024
Table of Contents
1. CEO Letter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
2. A History of Marin Humane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
3. Backstory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
4. Mission/Vision/Values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
5. Core Strategic Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
6. Supporting Documents
A. Defining Success . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
B. Animal Sheltering Best Practices and Tools . . . . . .19
Dear Friends,
After almost two years of researching trends in the field of animal welfare,
reviewing statistics and best practices, and exploring possible paths to take,
Marin Humane is excited to share our Strategic Plan for 2019-2024.
Our strategic planning committee (consisting of both staff and board members)
invested significant thought and time in this process because we know the
importance of having a robust plan: it sets our priorities, plots our roadmap, and
targets our programs to create a humane world for every animal.
Compared to our previous strategic plan, our five-year goals are more streamlined
and focused. We’ve also added a “big audacious goal,” one that takes our work well
beyond the next decade: Ending pet homelessness in the San Francisco
Bay Area by 2030!
This plan continues Marin Humane’s mission of being an advocate for all animals and demonstrates our flexibility in
shaping our services to the changing needs of shelter animals and our community. Our work will always be rooted in
promoting the human-animal bond, well beyond the borders of our campus.
This document shares the background on our goals and how they were established. We welcome your comments,
questions, and ideas. Going forward, our board of directors will continue to monitor progress on the strategic plan,
and we’ll share our successes with the community along the way.
I’m proud of our planning team, the board of directors, and our community for giving Marin Humane the support to
set this bold vision for the future. And in order to achieve our ambitious, lifesaving, and transformative goals, we
need the continued support and engagement of our staff, volunteers, and community. Please reach out if you’d like
to become involved in helping us reach our big, audacious goal on behalf of animals and people.
The Marin Humane’s Strategic Plan is now in your hands, literally and figuratively!
For the animals,
Nancy B. McKenney, MNPL, CAWA
CEO/President

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A History of Marin Humane
It was more than 110 years ago when local resident, Ethel Tompkins, led the
charge to ensure the horses used to carry lumber through Marin were given
food, water, and rest. This seemingly simple act in 1907 laid the groundwork
for what has become one of the most progressive and influential humane
societies in the United States.
Marin Humane has long been on the cutting edge of change. In 1913, it
offered the first high school education program on animal welfare. In 1964,
Marin stepped out ahead of every community in California to ban experimenta-
tion on shelter animals—a practice already prohibited at Marin Humane. In 1983,
Marin Humane was a pioneer in passing a local ordinance to protect animals from
being left in hot cars and riding unrestrained in the back of open vehicles. The
organizationcampaigned for leash laws in the 1950s and mandated the sterilization of all adoption animals in the
1970s – one of the biggest steps towards reducing pet overpopulation.
Marin Humane has supported and fought for ground-breaking legislation such as the Humane Methods of Slaugh-
ter Act of 1958 and Farm Animal Welfare Acts—Prop 2 in 2008 and Prop 12 in 2018. It has championed ongoing
campaigns against factory farming, greyhound racing, leg-hold traps, circuses, and rodeos. And Marin Humane
promotes co-existence with wildlife such as coyotes and deer, always keeping education at the forefront of creating
positive change.
In the 1970s, Marin, like many counties across the country, experienced severe pet over-population problems. At the
height of this epidemic, Marin Humane cared for over 20,000 animals a year. The organization broke ground with
a spay-neuter clinic in 1973 and mandated sterilization of shelter animals. By 1985, the shelter’s intake had
decreased to less than 8,000 animals per year. Over the years, Marin Humane’s progressive sheltering techniques,
education programs, community outreach, and legislative efforts have significantly decreased animal suffering,
dramatically reduced the number of stray animals within the county, and resulted in a high percentage of positive
outcomes for animals.
As we face a new era in sheltering, we recognize the importance of looking outward, collaborating with other
animal welfare groups, and embracing new and innovative approaches to sheltering. We want to end pet homeless-
ness, not just in Marin, but across the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond.
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Progress at Marin Humane
Our steady gains in positive outcomes for animals have been possible through passion, vision, education, innovative
programming, strong leadership, legislation, and a supportive county and community.
Our goal is to always achieve at least a 90% live release rate.

Positive Animal Outcomes

1979 1985 1995 2017
(Live Release Rate)
Dogs 75% 73% 89% 90%

Cats 45% 50% 69% 94%

Other* UNK 42% 42% 88%

Total 63% 60% 67% 92%

Our declining intake numbers reflect the success of spay/neuter initiatives and our surrender mitigation programs
such as Pet Safety Net and Pet Care Assistance programs, Career Cats, private rehoming, foster to adopt, and
education programs.

Intake Numbers 1979 1985 1995 2017

Dogs 6,121 3,515 2,206 1,312

Cats 4,128 3,153 2,431 1,422

Other* UNK 675 651 697

Total 10,249 7,343 5,288 3,431

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We strive to place as many animals as possible into loving homes and have improved our placement success
through marketing, successful adoption experiences, and finding new audiences for pet adoptions. All shelters are
benefiting from a positive societal change in how animals are viewed as part of the family.

Adoptions 1979 1985 1995 2017

Dogs 1,011 490 597 582

Cats 1,158 847 1,032 1,320

Other* UNK 223 365 426

Total 2,169 1,560 1,994 2,328

While significantly better than the national average, our redemption rates have plenty of room for
improvement. We’ll be addressing this through vigorous marketing, microchipping, and licensing programs.

Strays returned to guardians

1979 1985 1995 2017
(redemption rates)
Dogs 62% 87% 76% 74%

Cats 6% 8% 15% 19%

* “Other” includes small companion animals, horses, livestock, domestic reptiles, amphibians, fish and birds.
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Marin Humane Strategic Plan
The Backstory
During the last decade, the world of animal sheltering has undergone major transformations. Marin Humane has
been at the forefront of many of these changes and in 2018, we overhauled our strategic plan to reflect this and
chart a course for the future.

1. National Trends/Statistics
Since 1970, the euthanasia rate of dogs and cats has significantly decreased across the United States thanks to:
• Highly effective spay/neuter programs
• An increase in the number of animals being adopted
• An increase in the number of stray animals successfully returned to their guardians
• An increase in stray redemptions due to microchipping
• Societal changes in how people view animals

Despite this remarkable reduction, 23% of animals entering shelters are still euthanized and of those, 80% are
healthy and adoptable. In the same time period, Marin Humane has been able to decrease its euthanasia rate to
8%—far better than the national average, but we believe we can do even better.

National Dog and Cat Euthanasia Rates (estimated)

25
Estimated Numbers in Millions

20

15

10

0 973 982 992 00 09 012 017

197 1 1 1 20 20 2 2
Sources: ASPCA, American Humane Association, The Humane Society of the United States
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2. Current Challenges in Sheltering—Despite the dramatic decrease in euthanasia and improved societal views
towards animals, sheltering challenges still exist.
More challenging animals in shelters
Shelter populations tend to consist of more challenging animals who are harder to place. In the past, animals deemed
too old, too sick or too behaviorally challenged, were often euthanized. These animals are now being rehabilitated and
placed in homes, but require more resources and time. The makeup of dogs in shelters has also changed. Many are filled
with a just a few breeds or mixes of those breeds. This lack of selection can drive potential adopters to look elsewhere.

Shelter Intake and Adoptions by Breed

Adoption Intake
60000
50000
Number of Animals

40000
30000
20000
10000
0
Pitbull Chihuahua Labrador German Terrier
Shepherd
Based on data collected by the ASPCA from 68 shelters across the United
States, five breeds accounted for over 54% of total shelter intake, 53% of
adoptions and 67% of euthanasias. Source: ASPCApro, May 2017

Fewer animals in many shelters

Spay/neuter programs and adoption efforts have had such a positive impact on communities that some shelters
are relatively empty. The state of Colorado has so few in-state shelter animals that over half who are adopted out
are actually transferred in from shelters in other states. The lack of animals and the more challenging animal popu-
lation contribute to people looking elsewhere for a pet. These alternative sources, such as internet sales and puppy-
mills, lead to animal suffering, unhealthy pets, and euthanasia for the shelter animals whom they displace.
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Disparity among shelters
While many shelters have state-of-the-art facilities, exceptional staffing, and
prodigious resources, many others are struggling with poor community sup-
port, a lack of needed finances, and inadequate staffing. Some shelters are
half empty, others are so crowded they have to euthanize hundreds of ani-
mals each year. Animal shelters, whether private or municipal, are all inde-
pendent. There is no umbrella organization connecting animal shelters
which could spread resources more evenly or standardize the care.

Animal welfare deserts

Pet guardianship goes beyond geographic, racial and socio-economic
boundaries, but access to pet resources does not. Numerous low income
communities exist where veterinary care and shelter services are not available
or are difficult to access. The Humane Society of the United States’ (HSUS’s) Pets
for Life program found that in these communities, an average of 88% of pets are
unaltered and 69% have never seen a veterinarian; but when financial and geographic
barriers are removed, a conversion rate of almost 90% can be achieved.

Cost of sheltering is skyrocketing

As society’s expectations for animal care grow and more challenging animals fill shelters, the costs of sheltering
also increase. A 2015 PetSmart Charities study of 200 shelters found that the average cost per animal had
increased by almost 145% (adjusted for inflation) since 2000. Increases like this are not sustainable for many
shelters to absorb and have resulted in alternative sheltering strategies.

The gains of cats are still far behind dogs

According to HSUS, the percentage of dogs euthanized in shelters is approximately 44% and the percentage of
cats euthanized is 70%. Cats typically make up 50% to 75% of shelter populations and can be harder to place.
Some private shelters are no longer accepting cats, which puts an increased burden on municipal and open door
shelters that do not turn animals away.

While the redemption rate for stray dogs has improved over the years due to microchipping, licensing, and more effec-
tive return-to-guardian programs, the redemption rate for cats is still very low. Of all the animals who enter shelters as
strays, 15-20% of dogs are reunited with their guardians, but less than 2% of cats are ever successfully reunited.
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3. New and Innovative Programs to Address the Challenges: Leaders in animal
welfare and sheltering recognize the significant gains made over the past few
decades, but acknowledge there are critical challenges ahead. Organiza-
tions such as Marin Humane are looking outward for solutions, studying
trends in the industry, learning from other professions, and harnessing the
power of partnering with other shelters towards solutions.

Shelters working collaboratively

Until recently, animal shelters acted like islands, serving their community, but
not looking very far beyond county lines. During the last decade, shelter leaders
have expanded their horizons by recognizing the power of collaboration. Shelters
are working together on animal transfer programs, staff communication forums,
and sharing resources, best practices, effective programs, and training.

Behavior rehabilitation
In the past, shelter dogs or cats who were aggressive, fearful, shy, or anxious were often euthanized. Shelters now
recognize that with time, training and socialization, the vast majority of these animals can be rehabilitated and
successfully placed in homes. Many shelters, such as Marin Humane, have behavior and training departments that
focus specifically on turning these animals around, behavior assessments, and working with pet guardians on
behavior issues. In 2013, the ASPCA developed Canine Behavioral Rehabilitation Centers in New Jersey and North
Carolina that work with “unadoptable” dogs who are the victims of prior abuse or hoarding cases. This program is
expanding to other sites and shelters around the country.

Surrender mitigation programs

There are many reasons to keep animals out of shelters. Animal shelters are stressful, they
may expose animals to illness, and the cost is increasingly significant. Shelters should be a place of last resort. To
keep animals out of shelters, many successful surrender mitigation programs have been created. These include
private rehoming, foster to adopt, Community Cats, Career Cats, and safety net funds to help with pet deposits,
behavior modification, and veterinary expenses. Some shelters provide emergency boarding for the pets of people
who have lost their homes or have a medical emergency. Others offer support to seniors and the chronically ill so
they can keep their pets. Many communities have created low-cost or low-income veterinary hospitals to eliminate
pet surrenders due to veterinary costs.
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Resources for the underserved
Spay/neuter programs are the most effective approach to pet overpopulation, but many communities lack access
to these services. Nationally, veterinary care expense is a leading reason for pet relinquishment. By addressing
these needs, we can significantly impact pet overpopulation and decrease pet surrenders.

The HSUS Pets for Life program provides access to veterinary care and shelter services to low income communities. Pets
for Life is designed to keep pets in the homes they already have, improve their quality of life and deepen the human-an-
imal bond. Marin Humane’s Pet Safety Net provides veterinary care, food, and other services to pets of low-income
residents by creating a lifeline that connects animals in need with local veterinarians and other vital services.

Sources
“ASPCA Releases New Data Showing Remarkable Progress for Homeless Dogs and Cats.” ASPCA, 10 March 2017, www.asp-
ca.org/about-us/press-releases/aspca-releases-new-data-showing-remarkable-progress-homeless-dogs-cats.

“Community Support: The Future of Companion Animal Welfare, Pets for Life Data Report.”
HSUS, 2017, www.animalsheltering.org/sites/default/files/content/2017%20Data%20Report_0.pdf.

Haston, Roger. “The Future of Animal Welfare: A Look Back, around and Forward.” Pet Smart Charities. The Association of Animal
Welfare Advancement Annual Conference, Nov. 2017.

“Pets by the Numbers.” Animal Sheltering Online by The Humane Society of the United States, HSUS, 18 July 2018, www.animalshelter-
ing.org/page/pets-by-the-numbers.

Rowan, Andrew, and Tamara Kartal. “Dog Population & Dog Sheltering Trends in the United States of America.” Animals, vol. 8, no. 5,
2018, p. 68., doi:10.3390/ani8050068.

“Shelter Intake and Surrender: Pet Statistics.” ASPCA, https://www.aspca.org/animal-homelessness/shelter-in-

take-and-surrender/pet-statistics.

“The National Council on Pet Population Study & Policy.” The Association of Animal Welfare Advancement, https://theaa-
wa.org/page/nationalcouncil.

Weiss, Emily. “Rising From the Pit.” ASPCApro, 19 May 2017, www.aspcapro.org/blog/2017/05/19/rising-pit.

9
Our Vision:
A humane world for every animal.

Our Mission:
We transform lives through exceptional animal care, humane
education, and advocacy. Every day, we inspire compassion and
positive relationships between people and animals.

Our Core Values:

Dedication to Animals
Collaborative Spirit
Courage with Compassion
Pursuit of Learning
Celebrating Differences

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 Strategic Plan 2019-2024

Ending Pet Homelessness

in the San Francisco
Bay Area by 2030

Partner with Drive

Impact in the Organizational
Community Exemplify Growth
Sheltering
Best Practices

Rooted in our Mission, Vision, and Values 11

Initiative 1
Exemplify sheltering best practices
Goal 1: Implement sheltering best practices at Marin Humane
Strategies:
A.Create a discipline of data collection and analysis as paramount to decision making and
program evaluation.
B. Reduce the average amount of time that an animal spends in the shelter (length of stay) by
expanding veterinary services and restructuring the behavioral assessment and modification
program, thereby accelerating transition to the adoption floor.
C. Reduce surrender intake through surrender mitigation programs, community outreach, and
marketing campaigns.
D. Ensure that 90% or more of the animals entering Marin Humane leave through adoption, return
to guardian, or transfer to another organization for adoption (Live Release Rate > 90%).

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Initiative 1 (continued)
Exemplify sheltering best practices
Goal 2: Promote sheltering best practices across the SF Bay Area
Strategies:
A. Collect data and assess the status of pet homelessness and shelter needs in the Bay Area.
B. Form or join coalitions of Bay Area shelters and rescues.
C. Organize and streamline animal transfer programs across all shelters.
D. Share programs and resources among Bay Area shelters and rescues.

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Initiative 2
Drive organizational growth
Goal 1: Secure funding to drive organizational growth
Strategies:
A. Expand our major donor base.
B. Identify and establish relationships with foundations and corporate funders.
C. Develop and implement financial strategies to modernize our facilities.

Goal 2: Create our campus of the future

Strategies:
A. Align our Master Plan so Marin Humane serves as an animal resource center to address the
changing needs of our shelter population and community.
B. Leverage technology to improve workplace effectiveness.

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Initiative 3
Partner with impact in the community
Goal 1: Invest resources in community programs
Strategies:
A. Expand the Pet Care Assistance program to include all community members in need.
B. Identify and address the needs of underserved communities.
C. Expand humane education for children, to inform and inspire the next generation of animal advocates.
D. Regularly assess community needs and stakeholder priorities.

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Initiative 3 (continued)
Partner with impact in the community
Goal 2: Be a major player in disaster relief where needed
Strategies:
A. Promote disaster preparedness at all levels (individual, organizational, community).
B. Provide a robust animal disaster response.
Goal 3: Engage in advocacy focused on pet homelessness through legislation, marketing, and education
Strategies:
A. Engage with local policy makers, housing agencies, and landlords to develop solutions for the hous-
ing challenges that separate pets from their families.
B. Conduct a public campaign promoting shelter and rescue adoptions and educating
prospective guardians on how to identify disreputable pet sources.

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Ending Pet Homelessness in the SF Bay Area by 2030
Defining Success
Metrics of success:
• Through the development of regional partnerships and systemic
solutions, ensure that Bay Area shelters and rescues each achieve a live
release rate >90%.
• All pets in the Bay Area enjoy the Five Freedoms whether they are in a
home, shelter, rescue, or sanctuary.
• For animals coming into shelters, 90% or more are transfers in and less
than 10% are unredeemed strays and relinquished pets.
• Shelter animals without health or behavior issues (fast track) find homes
within 10 days.
• Shelter animals with health or behavior issues (slow track) find homes within
10 days once they are rehabilitated (deemed adoptable).

Defining pet homelessness:

Pet homelessness is when a dog, cat, or small companion animal:
• Lacks a permanent loving guardian (separate from a shelter or rescue)
• Remains in an animal shelter/rescue group for more than 10 days despite being healthy and having no behavior issues
• Remains in an animal shelter/rescue group for more than 10 days after medical or behavioral issues have been resolved
• Lives in a home/shelter/rescue/sanctuary that does not provide the Five Freedoms
As strategies for keeping animals out of shelters improve (successful spay/neuter programs, housing support,
behavior modification programs, etc.), intake numbers from unredeemed strays and relinquished pets will decrease
dramatically. The strategies for reducing non-transfer intake include:

• Keeping pets with their guardians (provide support systems)

• Keeping pets out of the shelter when they are unable to stay with their guardian (provide rehoming tools)

We recognize that there will always be a need for animal shelters because there will always be pets that lose their
homes/guardians and require a place to stay until they find a new family. Non-transfer intake numbers will decrease
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significantly as shelters develop their role as animal resource centers.
Defining the San Francisco Bay Area:
The San Francisco Bay Area typically includes the nine counties that border the
bay. These include Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Mateo, Santa
Clara, Solano, Sonoma and San Francisco. This area is home to approximately
7.6 million people (2018).

Source: PerryPlanet at English Wikivoyagevector source: GEreikat at English Wikipediathis combination: Mliu92 - color scheme: File:Ba-
yarea map.svgvector source: File:California Bay Area county map.svgthis combination: Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wiki-
media.org/w/index.php?curid=48069190

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Ending Pet Homelessness in the SF Bay Area by 2030
Animal Sheltering Best Practices
Best practices are recommended methods or procedures that produce optimal results and conditions in an animal
shelter. Best practices include:
• Humane living conditions (the Five Freedoms)
• Strategies that result in a live release rate >90%
• Programs that reduce the number of animals that need to enter a shelter (surrender mitigation, spay/neuter,
fostering, community support, etc.)
• Programs that effectively promote adoption (e.g., adoption, transfer programs, pre/post behavior support)
• Successful management of animal welfare and public safety needs in the community
• Programs that effectively reunite lost animals with their families
Best Practice Guidelines and Tools
Five Freedoms:
1. Freedom from hunger or thirst by ready access to fresh water and a diet to maintain full health and vigor
2. Freedom from discomfort by providing an appropriate environment including shelter and a comfortable resting area
3. Freedom from pain, injury or disease by prevention or rapid diagnosis and treatment
4. Freedom to express (most) normal behavior by providing sufficient space, proper facilities and company of the
animal's own kind
5. Freedom from fear and distress by ensuring conditions and treatment which avoid mental suffering

A. Shelter Facilities and Operations:

Guidelines for Standards of Care in Animal Shelters 2010
https://www.sheltervet.org/assets/docs/shelter-standards-oct2011-wforward.pdf

Provision of Veterinary Care in a Shelter Setting Best Practices—The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement
https://cdn.ymaws.com/theaawa.org/resource/resmgr/files/2018_files/TA_Provision_Veterinary_Care.pdf

Animal Welfare Act and Regulations

https://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_welfare/downloads/AC_BlueBook_AWA_FINAL_2017_508comp.pdf

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B. Programs:
Transport:
National Federation of Humane Societies, Companion Animal Transport
Programs—Best Practices https://www.animalsheltering.org/sites/default/-
files/con-
tent/NFHS-companion-animal-transport-programs-best-practices.pdf

Open Adoptions:
Adopters Welcome program: https://www.animalsheltering.org/sites/de-
fault/files/content/adopters-welcome-guide-update%2003-02-17.pdf

Feline Adoption Programs:

Million Cat Challenge-Five Initiatives: https://www.millioncatchallenge.org
Managing Community Cats: https://www.animalsheltering.org/sites/default/-
files/con
tent/ca_community_cat_guide_updates_6_15_lowres_final.pdf

Spay/Neuter services (easily accessible, affordable and well marketed):

The Association of Shelter Veterinarians’ 2016 Veterinary Medical Care Guidelines for Spay-Neuter Programs:
https://avmajournals.avma.org/doi/pdf/10.2460/javma.249.2.165

ASPCApro webinar—Shelter Guidelines: Spay/Neuter: https://www.aspcapro.org/webinar/20121117/shelter-guide-

lines-spayneuter

Behavior and Training:

Animal Behavior for Shelter Veterinarians and Staff by Emily Weiss, Heather Mohna-Gibbons & Stephen Zaw-
istowski. Published by Wiley-Blackwell 2015. https://www.wiley.com/en-us/Animal+Behavior+for+Shelter+Veter-
inarians+and+Staff-p-9781118711118.

Customer Service:
Animal Friendly-Customer Smart
http://shelterskills.com
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C. Data Collection and Analysis:
Shelter data should be collected on a regular schedule (monthly/quarterly/annually—depending on the metric).
Data must be clean (accurate) and should be analyzed regularly to be effective.

Best practice data points should include:

• live release rate
• intake
• adjusted intake
• outcomes
• euthanasia
• length of stay
Most shelters also track:
• reasons for surrender, numbers of surrenders
• reasons for euthanasia
• # Strays
• # Transfers
• # Redemptions
• length of time until redeemed
Shelters should participate in a nationwide platform for shelter data collection such as Shelter Animals Count.
Shelter Animals Count is a new, collaborative initiative formed by a diverse group of stakeholders to create and
share a national database of sheltered animal statistics, providing facts, and enabling insights that will save
lives. https://www.shelteranimalscount.org

Every Nose Counts: Using Metrics in Animal Shelters by J.M. Scarlett, DVNM, MPH, PhD; M. Greenberg, DVM and T.
Hoshizaki, BVSc

Getting to Zero: A Roadmap to Ending Animal Shelter Overpopulation in the United States by Peter Marsh:
http://www.shelteroverpopulation.org/Books/Getting_to_Zero.pdf

Replacing Myth with Math: Using Evidence-Based Programs to Eradicate Shelter Overpopulation by Peter Marsh:
http://www.shelteroverpopulation.org/Books/Replacing_Myth_with_Math.pdf
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