Skip to main content

What is Community-Centered Animal Services?

 

Image
community sheltering

 
Reimagine Sheltering    

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  

Pets for Life addresses the critical lack of accessible and affordable animal welfare services, resources, and information for people and pets in underserved communities. In the  Rochester Pets for Life program focus area, more than 50% of people live below the poverty line with little or no access to pet care services.

Spay-neuter voucher program

For pet owners outside the Pets for Life focus area, we offer vouchers for spay and neuter surgeries redeemable at our partner clinic. This program is funded through grants and donations, so availability is contingent upon funding.

Community pet support

Rochester's Animal Services operates a pet food pantry with weekly distribution events on Fridays from 11:00 a.m. to 3 p.m. at our annex location at the R Sports Complex with access from 448 Smith Street. We also offer vaccination and pet identification clinics throughout the year.  Contact AnimalServices@cityofrochester.gov for more information about upcoming activities.

Building community support

We envision a new world of animal services, where most pets are housed in homes and communities, not in the shelter. In this re-imagined system, the role of animal services is to keep pets with their families. We want to get pets home quickly and help families who are struggling to meet their pets’ needs.