Читать книгу Infectious Disease Management in Animal Shelters - Группа авторов - Страница 39

In the field of shelter medicine, the term population management is used to refer to an active daily process of planning involving ongoing evaluation and efficient response as an organization cares for multiple animals (Newbury and Hurley 2013). Providing efficient evaluation and care of animals is the key to minimizing each animal's length of stay (LOS) in the shelter, and therefore reducing their risk for the development of disease and problem behaviors. When populations are efficiently managed, wellness care is effectively delivered to support the physical and behavioral health of animals and their environment, increasing the animals' resistance to disease as well as their emotional resilience. In order to be effective, population management must take into consideration an organization's ability and resources to provide care.

The maximum daily population in an animal shelter that allows for maintenance of recommended standards of care has been defined by the Association of Shelter Veterinarians' Guidelines for Standards of Care in Animal Shelters (2010) as “capacity for care.” Many factors impact a shelter's capacity for care including the availability of housing, staffing, and all other resources necessary to provide humane care. When sheltering organizations operate without sufficient resources to provide proper animal care, animal health and welfare are compromised. Increases in the prevalence of infectious diseases are common, and likewise, increases in displays of fear, anxiety, stress and frustration‐related behaviors by resident animals can be expected. The delivery of effective population management and operating within an organization's capacity for care are both key requirements for the successful implementation of a shelter wellness program. Please see the Introduction in Chapter 1 for more information about population management.