The Association of Shelter Veterinarians (ASV) has published the second edition of the 2022 Guidelines for Standards of Care in Animal Shelters.
Home (sheltervet.org) download here or at sources below.
ASPCA Pro describes this tool helping those working in or with shelters to meet the housing, husbandry, medical, and behavioral needs of animals in their care.
The ASV has also created a supplementary checklist tool to help shelters measure themselves against items recommended (or not recommended) in the 2022 edition of the guidelines. This checklist will help shelters to prioritize and advocate for needed changes, when identified.
Best Friends states…… The new publication is substantial – it runs 84 pages and touches on 13 arenas in animal sheltering practices – but for any shelter or rescue organization wanting to upgrade their practices, it’s required reading.
The history of the program from the shelter vet. website explains….The Guidelines for Standards of Care in Animal Shelters were originally released in 2010 to provide a trustworthy resource for the housing, husbandry, medical, and behavioral care of animals living in animal shelters. Rather than being prescriptive or operational, the recommendations focused on meeting the animals’ needs while recognizing that there were many ways in which to do this. The Guidelines offered evidence-based support to those caring for animals in shelters, rescues, fosters, sanctuaries, and other population settings.
The Guidelines are intended to provide:
- a set of common standards for the care and welfare of companion animals in shelters based on scientific evidence and expert consensus
- guidance that helps animal welfare organizations reduce overcrowding, stress, disease, and improve safety
- a tool for animal welfare organizations and communities to assess and improve their shelters
- references for creating regulations and statutes around sheltering, and benchmarks for organizational change
- guidance for animal housing in existing facilities and priorities for the design of new construction
- a living document that responds to developments in shelter medicine and animal care research and practice
If you are writing a grant use cite this source as a guideline…i.e. Improvements for Dog or Cat Health Based on ASV Guideline Recommendations and then list all the improvements to the dog or cat’s health which apply.
Sources consulted and for downloading
ASV Guidelines & Shelter Checklists | ASPCApro
ASV releases updated Guidelines for Standards of Care in Animal Shelters | Network Partners (bestfriends.org)