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Open Selection simply refers to the practice of allowing potential adopters to view, interact with and select animals during their holding period. It is appropriate for any potentially adoptable animal, without valid identification or other indicators, that they are likely to be reclaimed. By allowing Open Selection, the legal hold on a stray animal can serve the double purpose of allowing animals to be considered for adoption at the same time as awaiting possible reclaim, with the benefit that the potential adopters themselves will then indicate which animals are truly “Fast Track.” By definition, any animal selected for adoption during its hold period has the potential to move quickly through the system and should be prioritized for surgery or any required procedures as soon as they can legally be performed.

Logistically speaking, depending on the housing setup, Open Selection animals can be directly housed in adoption areas with signage indicating that they are not yet available, or visitors can be allowed into stray holding areas. Either way, a simple system should be developed to document holds and determine priority, if more than one potential adopter is interested. Open Selection alone can have a surprisingly big impact on lowering the LOS and reducing population density, sometimes opening the door for more resource‐intensive interventions such as daily rounds or housing improvements. This is especially true where a long stray hold inevitably prolongs LOS or when lack of room in adoptions or lack of staff for needed procedures (such as testing or surgery) leaves animals to languish in the shelter past their date of availability.