Читать книгу Animal Behavior for Shelter Veterinarians and Staff - Группа авторов - Страница 192

A more resource‐intensive means of providing individualized behavior support is through behavior consultation services. These services are provided by a qualified behavior professional and may occur at the organization, in the client’s home, or virtually. If the organization does not have qualified behavior personnel available for these services, partnerships can be developed with local trainers or training companies. While these services are most commonly provided to adopters to facilitate retention of the adopted pet in the home, their use can be extended to potential surrenderers or the general public based on capacity and scope.

Data to evaluate the efficacy of individualized behavior consultations are lacking, but the potential benefit to the client and pet is presumably significant. Individualized and practical advice from a trained professional not only provides a treatment plan for the behavior problem(s), but it can also validate the client’s concerns and help the client avoid feelings of isolation and permanence in dealing with the issue(s). The organization can experience the impact of avoiding relinquishment and the indirect benefit of positive word‐of‐mouth testimony of the client within their social network. In addition, if these services are provided through collaboration with professional trainers, clients may have the option, when accessible, of continuing long‐term consultative services with the trainer. Finally, behavior consultation services can positively impact the entire community by reducing relinquishment and preventing companion animal public safety risks and nuisance behaviors.

To maximize these impacts and benefits, the behavior consultation program must be well implemented and accessible to those clients and pets in need of support. Pet owners have been found to be generally willing to pay for individualized counseling with an animal behaviorist, though, unsurprisingly, they are significantly more interested when behavior support services are offered for free (Shore et al. 2008). As with accessible veterinary care, any fee may be an insurmountable barrier to many clients. Similarly, the ability to travel to the animal welfare organization may be a significant barrier to receiving behavioral care. Providing services at a given location rather than in the home also limits the generalizability of these services to felines or other species. Virtual consultation improves accessibility but eliminates the ability to gain information through the consultant’s interaction with the animal. Thus, while the benefits of behavior consultation services can be significant, careful planning and consideration should factor into the scope and structure of these programs for the organization.