Usually, when we talk about mental health, we center the conversations around people – which makes sense as 1 in 5 people live with a mental illness and more than 54% of adults go through their daily lives without treatment (National Alliance on Mental Illness). Within the animal welfare industry, mental health is a primary concern among human resources professionals who are tasked with supporting employees who encounter extreme emotional scenarios daily. But what about the animals we care for?

Even under the best possible conditions, shelters are stressful by their very nature. Incoming animals are confined and exposed to varying intensities of new and novel stimuli. Stressors may include:

• Transport and handling and/or restraint
• confinement in a new environment
• social isolation and illness
• changes in temperature, light pattern, and/or ventilation
• strange smells and loud noises
• proximity to other animals
• diet changes or unpredictable events
• the absence of familiar human contact or the presence of unfamiliar human contact

When animals are housed in shelters, stress frequently arises from the lack of opportunities to engage in activities that would help them feel better or cope. This can present like pacing, barking, drooling, loss of appetite, shedding, gastrointestinal distress, yawing, trembling, etc. At the ARL, we engage in a variety of tactics to reduce overall stress in shelter pets using volunteers, specialized staff, and tools. Here are a few of the ways that we work to reduce stress in our shelter population and ways that you can help us make animal’s time with us the best it can be:

• Prioritizing foster homes for the most at-risk animals. We know kittens, seniors, ill/injured, or scared/overwhelmed animals thrive best in a home environment, and fostering is the best way to simulate that while pets are with us. You can help one of these animals by signing up to be a foster today.
• Limiting access to our animal holding areas. You may have noticed that we do not allow “window shopping” at the ARL. Constant stimuli (also known as stressors) by new faces and new sounds contribute to the stress that our animals feel throughout their day. By limiting people walking through holding areas “just to look,” animals have a chance to rest, sleep, and get adjusted without the constant interruption that foot traffic often brings.
• Prioritizing exercise in dogs. Studies show that there is no greater stress reducer for shelter dogs than running around and playing! Dog walkers are critical to the mental health of our dogs as walks and play yard time give them opportunities to stretch their legs, burn off energy, and spend time in the outdoors. The ARL is constantly seeking dog walkers who can make time to take dogs out of their kennel and get a break from the shelter environment. Sign up to be a dog walker today.
• Providing daily enrichment. Our animals can’t be physically moving all day, which is why mental stimulation is a critical piece of keeping pets healthy. We have a rotating schedule of daily enrichment (mental stimuli) meant to challenge our pet’s minds to combat stress, boredom, and destructive behavior. Example of this include stuffed kongs, new scents, different toys, cat nip bubbles, and so much more. Click here for a link of our enrichment wishlist on Amazon.
• Medication. Sometimes, a pet’s anxiety or fear is so intense that they need a little help, especially in the beginning, to feel safe or be calm enough to handle extra stressful experiences like intake exams or changing rooms. In some circumstances, we are able to help pets with temporary medication to aid in their adjustment period – giving every pet the time they need. We take our commitment to being a Fear Free shelter seriously.
• Socialization and love. Every staff at the ARL finds time in their day to spend a few minutes to a few hours (depending on their role) interacting with pets to show love, build their confidence, and get them used to new people. The shelter is a stressful place for many pets, but every human in the shelter prioritizes patience and understanding as we teach these animals that they are going to be okay and we are here to help.

Whether you are already a volunteer, want to be, or have the ability to assist with providing enrichment items for our staff to us – making sure that our shelter pet’s mental health is taken care of is something everyone can help with.