Animal Welfare, It Is About The People

** Originally posted - 24 Oct 2010 on catalyticrescue.blogspot(deleted)

Funny how when I accidentally started down the animal welfare path, I thought it was just about the animals.  It is however very much about the people too.  The people that create the laws, the people that enforce those laws, the people that you work with, the people that you trust to care for the animals, the people that adopt the animals, the people that are responsible pet owners, the people that may need some guidance regarding responsible pet ownership, the people that don't like small animals ("rodents"), the people that have difficulty co-existing with wildlife, and the list goes continues to grow.


Each year that goes by I find myself being more involved with people than directly with the animals and that is okay.  If I fail in my customer service or my ability to illustrate the subtleties of a given conflict, I lose the connection to the people that I rely on to take these animals into their home.  If I cannot interpret the the frustration a person is having with a pet behavior I will not be able to effectively help them solve the issue, possibly resulting in yet another animal being taken to a shelter or simply tossed outside to care for itself.  I may be a superior ferret behaviorist, but if I cannot manage the volunteers within my organization the collective goals will not be reached.  The animal experts in the field most be able to clearly articulate the benefits and possible ramifications or a proposed law, or an existing law, to prevent and/or correct the establishment of less than well formed regulation


What resources do other animal welfare practitioners use to improve their people skills?


Does your animal welfare organization provide effective training?

Are you a volunteer with a day job?  Does your employer offer HR training?  A lot of these classes may benefit not only your employer but your engagement with other people.

Do any organizations offer free or discounted training to the public in your area?


We don't need a psychology degree, but we do need to educate ourselves on basic to intermediate people skills.

To help the animals, do not forget to get to know the people.