development of very young animals.
Geriatric animals require comfortable, quiet quarters with secure footing and extra careful attention to stress reduction.
Separate, quiet and low‐stress housing areas are essential for fearful and reactive cats and dogs.
A variety of separate flexible areas or wards can be used to meet the needs of those animals with special needs such as nursing mothers, neonatal orphans, animals awaiting foster care, those with non‐infectious illness, etc.
Isolation areas are used to segregate sick animals from the general population. Immediate isolation of sick animals is critical for effective disease control. Isolation should be targeted by species, age, and disease.
Quarantine areas are used to segregate animals that appear healthy for observation for signs of disease. The routine use of conventional quarantines is more detrimental than beneficial in most animal shelters, but they can be of considerable value in specific instances, for example, observing animals involved in transport programs or during disease outbreaks, A plan should be in place for establishing quarantine areas if the need arises.
Thus, a variety of holding, adoption, and isolation areas is necessary for proper segregation of the population. Please see the Introduction in Chapter 1 and Chapter 6 on Outbreak Management for more information about population management, isolation and quarantine protocols.
2.9.2.3 Sanitation (Cleaning and Disinfection)
For wellness programs to be effective, a clean and sanitary environment must be maintained. Not only does this promote animal health, but it also promotes staff pride and public support. In addition to protocols for routine sanitation procedures, protocols should be in place for periodic deep cleaning and disinfection as well as procedures to be used in the event of disease outbreaks. Care should always be taken to avoid facilitating disease transmission during the sanitation process. Chapter 8 on Sanitation and Chapter 6 on Outbreak Management provide detailed information about cleaning and sanitation practices.
2.9.2.4 Other Facility Operations
The success or failure of virtually every aspect of a wellness program depends on facility operations. The adoption of clearly defined and well‐designed management protocols, thorough training, and supervision of personnel with oversight by a knowledgeable professional are required for success. In addition to proper housing design, animal segregation, and sanitation procedures, there are several other very important aspects of facility operations to consider when designing a wellness program for the shelter environment.
Animal health can be compromised by inadequate ventilation or by ill‐considered air pressure gradients that recirculate or cause the exchange of air between rooms. Poor ventilation and high humidity contribute to disease by promoting the accumulation of infectious agents as well as dust and fumes that may be irritating to the respiratory tract. Thoughtful consideration must be given to strategies to maintain good air quality (Hurley 2005). Good practices include improving ventilation, regular maintenance of filters, routine or as‐needed vacuuming to control dust and dander, periodic deep cleaning, and the use of dust‐free litter (or simply dumping dusty litter boxes outside). The best‐case scenario, and what is typical in laboratory animal settings, is for the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system to allow for 100% fresh (e.g. nonrecycled) air in each room so that the air entering a given room is exhausted out of the building and not recirculated to another room. The standard recommendation for an animal room is 10 to 15 air changes per hour, but more or less airflow may be acceptable or necessary depending upon the species housed and the anticipated housing density (ILAR 2011). Even when ventilation systems provide 10 to 15 room air changes per hour, this may not occur at the level of the cages or other animal enclosures.
Ventilation may be improved by housing design; for example, the use of flow‐through condo‐style cages, runs (especially the indoor‐outdoor type), or room style housing may help. Cat cages that were designed with plexiglass fronts to minimize fomite disease transmission via contact with staff and adopters have been found to compromise ventilation and should probably be avoided whenever possible unless they are individually actively ventilated. Another reason to limit their use is that they also limit enrichment opportunities by restricting contact with staff, volunteers and potential adopters.
Another standard recommendation has always been to have separate ventilation systems for the various functional areas of the shelter to prevent the exchange of air among them. However, some shelter experts have called this recommendation into question because few diseases in shelters are truly transmitted via aerosolization, but instead are primarily spread via fomites. Though this recommendation seems prudent to consider whenever possible, it is very expensive to install and operate this type of ventilation system. If air quality remains good and the shelter maintains effective, comprehensive wellness protocols, this recommendation may not be necessary for maintaining animal health. More research in shelters is needed on this subject but in the meantime, the author recommends consulting with an HVAC specialist to analyze the shelter's needs and maximize the potential of the shelter's system.
Temperature and humidity should be controlled to keep animals comfortable. Drafts should be avoided. The recommended temperature range for cats and dogs is between 64 °F (17 °C) and 84 °F (28 °C) with a temperature setting in the low to mid‐70s °F (20s °C) being typical (ILAR 2011). However, the temperature setting should match the animals' needs. For instance, sick animals, puppies, kittens, and animals recovering from surgery are more susceptible to lower temperatures than healthy animals. The location of the animal should be considered since cages located closer to the floor are always a few degrees colder than the ones above the floor level. In addition, it is important to consider the shelter's situation, finances, and climate conditions. Regarding humidity, the laboratory standards for cats and dogs state 30–70% humidity is desired (ILAR 2011). Higher humidity (70%) may be advantageous in treatment areas housing animals with URI, whereas less humidity (40–50%) in other areas may help with disease control by curtailing airborne transmission. Though the range considered acceptable is large, a given room should have a fairly constant humidity and avoid large fluctuations. It is recognized that hosing or even mopping a room will cause humidity spikes, but they should be short‐lived with a well‐ventilated room.
Regular light and dark cycles are important, and staff should be trained to ensure that lights are on during the day and turned off at night so animals may sleep; timers may be used to ensure control. The light should be sufficient to facilitate observation of all animals, especially in isolation and quarantine areas where close scrutiny of animals is required. Noisy or flickering lights are annoying and should be repaired as quickly as possible. Exposure to natural sunlight offers the advantage of diminishing disease transmission.
Regular pest control, via means that are safe for use around both humans and animals, as well as all aspects of building maintenance, are also important considerations for the maintenance of a healthy environment. Developing and following written standard operating procedures and daily, weekly, monthly, and quarterly checklists will ensure that systematic schedules of maintenance are carried out.
2.9.2.5 Staff Training
Regular staff training is essential to implement effective wellness programs. Staff knowledge, attitude, and skill will largely determine the success or failure of every aspect of the shelter's wellness program. Staff must be taught how to gather the essential historical information at the time
