Animal Shelter Safety

Animal shelters expose visitors, workers and animals to a number of risks, including disease transmission and bites. Following some basic safety guidelines can minimize many of these risks and increase animal shelter safety and efficiency.

  1. Visitors

    • A reception area, separate from the main animal housing area, should be available for shelter visitors. The area should be well-stocked with informational brochures, posters about safely approaching a strange animal, and hand sanitizers and clean-up items for pet accidents.

    Personnel

    • Workers and volunteers should receive training on safe animal handling and disease prevention before interacting with animals. Some shelters may require workers to have pre-exposure rabies vaccinations. Federal worker safety guidelines should also be followed.

    Animals

    • All animals should be housed in a crate or run that prevents escape and allows easy cleaning. Identification cards should be prominent on the front of each crate or run. Multiple animals should not be kept together until a behavioral assessment has been completed for each.

    Disease Prevention

    • Incoming animals with unknown vaccination status should be kept separate from the other animals until a veterinarian examines them. Daily waste removal and sanitation protocols should be followed to prevent the spread of disease throughout the shelter.

    Disaster Preparedness

    • Every shelter should have a contingency plan in case of an emergency or natural disaster. This plan should include additional housing for temporarily displaced animals in the community.