Dr. Sara Pizano, DVM, Team Shelter USA

Stacy sits down with Dr. Sara Pizano (a previous CCP guest on Episode 56, Episode 171, and Episodes 246and 247) to discuss Dr. Pizano's new book, The Best Practice Playbook for Animal Shelters. The book is a result of the more than 100 assessments Dr. Pizano has done at shelters around the country as a Team Shelter USA consultant. She realized that the shelters she was working with were all struggling with the same issues. More importantly, she realized that the solutions needed to decrease euthanasia rates were always the same—so she decided to write this playbook so that those solutions can be used by anyone, anywhere. Dr. Pizano's number one tip, which she shares in this interview with Stacy, is that your shelter space should be used only for animals with no other options. Dr. Pizano discusses with Stacy her belief that there should be no stray hold periods for cats, and her strong belief in Return-to-Field. She & Stacy go on to discuss the best ways to talk to your elected officials, and what kind of data to focus on. "Get the information," Dr. Pizano says, "present the facts in a very professional way—not emotional—and just educate your elected officials." Finally, Dr. Pizano talks more about her new book. It is for everyone, no matter what role you play in animal welfare, and it includes lots of success stories. The idea, Dr. Pizano tells Stacy, is to change your perspective and inspire you. "This is about the answers that every single sheltering community has at their fingertips," she says. The Best Practice Playbook for Animal Shelters is available now through Amazon. To learn more about having an assessment done at your shelter, visit the Team Shelter USA website.