What is Community-Centered Animal Services?

Animal Services is involved in the global movement to transform the industry to community-centered human and animal wellbeing services with the goal of reducing unnecessary institutionalization of animals by refocusing efforts, resources, and support through community-based solution. We understand why there is confusion about this change. For decades, we have told people to bring unwanted and found pets to shelters so we could take care of them. Now we are saying that there might be better options. We have known that shelters are scary and stressful places where animals are more susceptible to illness and behavioral deterioration. However, we did not know we could count on our community members as partners in the work until we asked. 

At the onset of the global health crisis, Rochester Animal Services, like many other shelters, had our pleas for help answered by animal lovers who fostered pets, adopted, and helped lost animals get back to their homes. This support gave animal care organizations the opportunity to collaborate with our communities in new ways and has allowed us to create a better model of animal services, with four core program elements as the pillars to support people and pets staying together and out of the shelter (see the table below for more in-depth description):

• Lost Pet Reunification (getting lost pets back home)
• Supported Self-Rehoming (direct placement from one home to another)
• Foster-Centric Housing & Intake to Placement (foster homes are the preferred living environment for most of the animals in our care; ensuring the best outcome with the shortest stay possible at the shelter)
• Pet Support Services & Keeping Families Together (providing access to pet supplies and resources to support people and pets staying together; supporting the pet and family through crisis) 

Our Commitment to the Community

Pets for Life