The Association Blog

It’s Monday—time again to share a tool, time-saver, or just-plain-genius idea that your colleagues and members of The Association have suggested and tested. Mondays are also special for the undersocialized dogs at Charleston Animal Society. Read on to find out why.

On Mondays, several members of Charleston Animal Society’s philanthropy and communications team leave their personal dogs at home so that they can host a shelter dog for the full day in their offices.

“The goal of the Office Dog Program is to provide a little extra attention for shelter dogs who might not be doing so well in the kennels,” says CAS’ Chief Advancement Officer, Sean Hawkins, CAWA, CFRE. “We can provide TLC and structure, and we can reward pro-social behaviors that will help these guys get adopted into new families.” Staffers who play host also make sure to share details of the day with the behavior department; this way, the more-up-to-date profiles can give potential adopters a better idea of what the dog will be like—which can help expedite their placement.

If you’re interested in trying something like this at your organization, Hawkins offers a helpful tip. “Make sure everyone in the shelter knows you have started the program and why. Seeing ‘strange’ dogs in ‘new’ places means everyone has to be dog-smart and aware of safety concerns.”

More Tips

Tip of the Week: They Got A Lot Growin’ On
Tip of the Week: Nailing the Interview
Tip of the Week: This One’s For the Books

Photo: Alan HL/flickr