THECONNECTION NovemberApril 3, 20201, 2019 - Issue- Issue 40 30

CORONAVIRUS, CHAOS AND FIELD SERVICES By Vice President of Field Services, Andy Seltz

We are all aware that the coronavirus has taken the world by storm. The invisible enemy has changed our daily lives for the foreseeable future, and we have all been making extraordinary sacrifices and changes in our lives to carry on and maintain whatever level of “normal” we can.

As COVID-19 has changed the landscape for everyone in this great organization, Field Services is no exception and has risen to face this new challenge. Having a solid background in disaster response, the Statewide Response and CID/Rescue teams began to assess our continuity of operations plan weeks ahead of the official arrival of COVID-19. The team identified that this may be a long-term event with the possibility of staff quarantine requirements and therefore created a schedule that combined the Statewide and CID/Rescue teams. This schedule would provide for sustained operations for the duration of this event. Teams of three would be assigned to three, weeklong, rotations consisting of six, six-and- a-half-hour workdays, Monday through Saturday. Each team would consist of three staff members filling the roles of coordinator, field agent and investigator. Each team would work one week on while having the following two weeks off. This would provide for continuity in our service coverage should any of the team require time to stay home for quarantine or other family obligations. The team felt strongly that should any team member be stricken with the virus, another team member would be able to step in to ensure that we still continue to serve our community.

This first week has seen a dramatic decrease in requests for our standard services of rescue and cruelty investigations. With the public predisposed to the news and staying in touch with family and friends, calls trickled in all week. The team did see an increase though in requests for food and other services where neighbors and friends usually filled a void. With social distancing in full effect, people are not willing to sacrifice their own personal health and the health of their families to help out as they normally would. Special considerations have also arisen in regards to how we operate in the field. No longer are pens shared with the public, and the six-foot social distancing requirement has to be frequently reiterated. Hugs that were usually provided by a grateful public are no more.

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AN ORGANIZATION WILLING TO HELP By Field Agent, Tiffany Blaine

These times are strange for all of us. Being in Field Services, we’re used to many calls every day and being constantly busy assisting the city in which we work. As of late, while these calls may have reduced in volume due to fewer eyes on the streets for us, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t people in need. During my week of rotation so far, I haven’t had many calls where the end result is a “happy” outcome. Unfortunately, in this time of such uncertainty, citizens still need assistance with their own , now more than ever it seems, whether that be assistance with food for their pets because they are self- isolating, lack of access to purchase food where they normally would or needing assistance for end-of- life care for their beloved pets. The latter, for me, has consumed about half of my calls this week thus far. It poses a weird dynamic, because while these families are grieving the loss of their family (in these specific cases, the family pets have been part of the lives of the families for 12-16 years), they are also relieved that they still have an organization in the community willing and able to help. While these aren’t happy times or happy situations, everybody I have interacted with has been grateful for our organization and the assistance we have been able to provide during such a difficult time. In fact, most families have thanked MHS for our assistance and have ended our interactions with telling us to be safe. There’s a little good in everything, and despite the current situation happening in the world, our organization has still been able to provide the necessary assistance to the community that we serve.

A THANK YOU TO THE TEAM By Vice President of Strategic Relationships, Deb Scola

I just want to thank you all personally and on behalf of Doug Zawierucha for your hard work and compassion taking care of P-Funk last week. Doug is a military veteran with no living family, but he has a small and dedicated circle of friends, of which he counts MHS a huge part. He’s incredibly grateful to you for saving his best friend, his constant companion and his purpose. You made all the difference in the world to this family. Thank you so much!

ATTENTION FOSTERS Thank you to everyone who opened their homes and hearts to our animals. It’s a difficult time, but when we see you share photos and videos of your fosters, it helps brighten everyone’s day. We thought it would be fun to see who can capture their fosters’ best moments while in your home. To enter this competition, email your high-resolution photos and videos to [email protected]. The marketing team will vote on their favorite photo and video, and the winners will receive a prize. We look forward to seeing what moments you capture.

2 SUPPORTING ANIMALS DURING COVID-19 By Director of Behavior Modification, Katelin Thomas

With the arrival of COVID-19, many of us have had to make some major changes to our schedules and daily lives. Whether you’re continuing to work in the shelter, are working from home or are taking some additional PTO, all of our animals have likely been affected by these changes. Maybe they’re spending additional time with children that would typically be in school, maybe your drive is a little bit longer than usual or maybe there has been a decrease in opportunities to socialize with the outside world. Regardless of what those changes are, our animals can always benefit from some additional support to help ease them through the transition.

Providing adequate mental and physical stimulation is a great way to decrease stress and keep our pets happy and healthy. It also helps to prevent common behavior problems such as barking, whining, chewing, digging, counter surfing and mild separation anxiety, which we are more likely to see during any kind of change.

So, how do we do this while keeping a good amount of social distance? Here are some great options:

• Feed all meals out of puzzle toys. This helps to work their brains and keep them mentally and physically active. Some great options are the Kong Wobbler for and the Doc & Phoebe’s Co. Indoor Cat Feeder for . • Provide one daily enrichment item. A common one we use in shelter is a toilet paper roll (hello toilet paper hoarders) that is filled with treats and closed on both ends. For cats, poke a few holes so the treats can fall out the side as they roll it around. • Feed out of a frozen Kong. This can keep dogs busy for up to an hour. Simply stuff with something your loves (peanut butter, canned , spray cheese, etc.) and freeze. Once frozen, this can be used when you’re trying to get work done or when you want to relax once you get home. • Spend 10 intentional minutes with each animal, each day. For cats, this might mean a short session with a wand toy or a quick petting session. For dogs, try a short walk to get some fresh air and to give you both a little physical activity. Remember to keep a good distance from others.

No matter what you decide to do, have fun with it!By Feel Director free toof Forensics,tailor to the Dr. Shireneneeds andCece interests of your dog or cat. If you think of a creative idea or find something your pet loves, consider sharing it on social media or among friends to inspire others to have fun with their pets at home. Have a great week, everyone.

Q. What is the name of the famous St. Bernard who sneaks into the Newton’s home and becomes the family pet? TRIVIA Send your answers to [email protected], and the first person to answer correctly will receive a prize! Congrats to Mark Ramos on winning the last trivia question. The answer to that trivia question was Dino.

3 MICHIGAN HUMANE IN THE NEWS Click here to see how the Michigan Humane Society was in the news this week. *Please note this link is not viewable on a mobile device.

A MESSAGE FROM HR Blue Care Network (HMO) and Blue Cross Blue Shield (PPO) are waiving the cost (copays and deductibles) for telemedicine medical visits through at least April 30. Click here for more information.

ANNUAL 2020 EVENT DATES

Mutt March Fur Ball The Purrfect Bow Wow Brunch • When: Sunday, July 26 • When: Saturday, September 12 • When: Sunday, November 15 • Where: Edsel & Eleanor Ford House - Grosse Pointe Shores, MI • Where: 59 West - Highland, MI • Where: TCF Center - Detroit, MI Please note: At the moment, we are planning to have these events as scheduled. However, we will continue to monitor the current coronavirus situation and make changes if the situation warrants.

Know someone who would be a great fit for the Michigan Humane team? Check JOB BOARD out our job openings at michiganhumane.org/careers

Accounting Associate Clinic Veterinarian Shelter Medicine Veterinarian Animal Care and Enrichment Tech Clinic Veterinary Tech Shelter Licensed Veterinary Tech Animal Transport Coordinator Customer Service Representative Shelter Veterinary Tech Call Center Representative Licensed Veterinary Tech

INTERESTED IN SUBMITTING CONTENT FOR THE NEXT ISSUE OF THE CONNECTION? SEND YOUR SUGGESTIONS TO [email protected]

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