Reimagine Sheltering
Human Animal Support Services (HASS) is a new national coalition of shelters. They are reimagining sheltering by promoting community involvement and helping people and pets stay together. Our ultimate goal is to reduce the number of animals who unnecessarily enter the shelter by refocusing efforts, resources and support to offer community-based solutions.
As the COVID-19 pandemic progressed, LifeLine Animal Project, like many other shelters, was supported by animal lovers who fostered pets, adopted, helped lost or found animals get back to their homes. This support gave animal welfare organizations the opportunity to collaborate with our communities in new ways and has allowed us to create a better model of animal services.
OUR COMMITMENT TO THE COMMUNITY
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 Atlanta Pets for Life program focus area, 38% of people live below the poverty line with little or no access to pet care services.
LifeLine’s Community Animal Center houses a full-service, affordable veterinary clinic open to the public. The clinic offers a wide range of pet services, from pet wellness appointments to lab services, digital x-rays, and surgery for owned pets. The LifeLine Spay & Neuter Clinics offer low-cost spay/neuter surgeries to help owned pets and community cats live happy and healthy lives.
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 reimagined 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.
Lost Pet Reunification
We have tools for our community to help reunite lost pets with their families, including working with families to waive reclaim fees. Our goal is to get most roaming pets home without them having to enter the shelter system.
Intake-to-Placement
We identify pathways home for each pet before or as they arrive at the shelter. Our goal is to reduce the time spent in shelters.
Pet Support Services
Pet owners can access pet support services, including housing, medical and behavioral support. We also offer food and supplies to help keep the human-animal family together.
Supported Self-Rehoming
Pet owners who can no longer keep their pets are given the tools to safely and quickly rehome their own pets with ongoing support from shelter staff or volunteers.
Field Services & Public Safety
Animal control and field services protect public health and safety and enforce animal cruelty laws. We address the causes of animal problems by providing support, education and resources to the community.
Role of the Shelter
The core functions of the physical shelter are to provide emergency medical care and short-term housing for pets with urgent needs. We also ensure public safety and public health priorities are met.
Case Management
Trained support managers help people keep their pets. They offer resources to assist owners in rehoming their pets and help people reunite with their lost pets.
The Foster-Centric Model
The majority of pets who enter the shelter system are placed in foster homes within hours or days of arrival. Foster pets are then adopted directly from their foster homes.
Volunteer Integration
Volunteers are engaged in every area of operations and play a key role in the success of these community-based programs.