INTERVIEW: Dr. Robert McCarthy - Research Poster Scholarship Recipient

Dr. Robert McCarthy is a veterinary surgeon that specializes in orthopedic and soft tissue surgery. Dr. McCarthy received admission to veterinary and medical school but decided to pursue veterinary medicine. Currently, Dr. McCarthy works at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. McCarthy has a keen interest in feral cat population management and has performed research on the topic; specifically the effects of trap-vasectomy-hysterectomy-release. Releasing sterile felines that retain their sex hormones and associated characteristics may be more effective than trap-neuter-release programs. Dr. McCarthy will be presenting his work at the 2015 Summit for Urban Animal Strategies.

InfoStream (IS): What do you feel are the key issues with feral cat overpopulation?

Dr. Robert McCarthy (RM): Everyone agrees that there are way too many feral cats. There are two divergent camps on how to deal with this problem. Essentially, trap-neuter-release advocates and those that recommend some sort of lethal control method. The problem is that both of these groups believe their respective method would work, if just used enough. Unfortunately, the reproductive potential of cats is incredible, and there is absolutely no evidence that except in very exceptional circumstances either method will succeed. Massive amounts of financial resources have been expended employing these methods with almost no success.  

It is time to think outside the box. How much money and manpower needs to be spent before we come to the obvious conclusion that what we are doing simply does not work?

IS: How did this research develop; what interested you about sterilization techniques for feral cats?

RM: I am an avid SCUBA diver and spend as much time as possible diving around tropical islands. On many of these trips, when learning that I was a veterinarian, local residents would complain that feral cats are destroying the indigenous flora and fauna. They would indicate that for many years groups of veterinarians from the US and Canada have come and performed TNR, but there were just as many cats as ever. Essentially, in their minds, there was no question that TNR simply did not work.

I have an interest in wildlife and wildlife management, and it is well accepted that successful reproductive control in the wildlife environment requires maintaining normal reproductive behaviors. Feral cats are essentially wildlife, and it made sense to me that their control should be treated in the same manner.

IS: How was your research performed?

RM: When I returned from a dive trip several years ago I contacted a biologist (J Michael Reed) and a computer engineer (Steve Levine) at Tufts about trying to construct a computer model on the predicted effect of maintaining hormones in a feral cat control program. Essentially we looked at feral cat control by trap-vasectomy-hysterectomy-release. Over several years we hashed out the model, and published the results in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association. The results suggested that feral cat population control is likely to be much more effective if reproductive hormones remain intact.

IS: Why are vasectomies and hysterectomies more effective at reducing the feral cat population?

RM: Trap-Vasectomy-Hysterectomy-Release (TVHR) creates a large group of sterile male and female cats that cannot be differentiated from fertile cats in the population that were unable to be trapped. Dominant males that have been sterilized by vasectomy will still compete for females, use up the female’s receptive time, and fight off fertile males that are attempting to copulate. Females that have been sterilized by hysterectomy will continue to attract males and compete with fertile females for male courting and breeding time. Since neither sex can tell who is fertile and who is not, both sexes spend a large amount of wasted time and energy copulating but not producing offspring.

Female cats are in heat (and therefore sexually receptive) essentially every other week during the entire breeding season. In a typical 8-month breeding season, females will therefore have 16 periods of sexual receptivity, and 16 possible chances to become pregnant. Provided there is an intact male in the population, pregnancy is essentially inevitable. An unusual characteristic of the cat reproductive cycle, however, is that if a female has a sterile copulation (such as with a male that has had a vasectomy) she will not come back into heat for another 8 weeks. Only 4 periods of sexual receptivity (and therefore 4 chances of becoming pregnant) will then be possible during the entire breeding season.

Male cats sterilized by vasectomy may prevent immigration of new intact male cats into the area better than castrated cats.

Adult feral cats sterilized by traditional methods in a TNR program have been shown to live longer, thereby counteracting attempts at population control. In addition, kittens living in a feral cat population have been shown to live longer when the adults are sterilized by traditional methods even if they themselves are not sterilized. Because hormones remain intact, sterilization by vasectomy and hysterectomy will not have the undesired effect of increasing the lifespan of either adults or kittens in the population.

IS: What are the main barriers to implementing these different surgical techniques for feral cats?

RM: Thinking outside the box. The great majority of funding for feral cat control projects comes from individuals, governments, and institutions with preconceived notions of what will work, and vested interest in what they will support. There is extensive and conclusive data that shows none of the methods currently employed is likely to work. The vasectomy/hysterectomy method has to be at least as effective as current methods.  Our computer model suggests that it may be much more effective.  

IS: Are vasectomies and hysterectomies easier or more difficult for a vet to perform? They are becoming more popular for dogs however many vets will not perform these procedures.

RM: A hysterectomy is about the same difficulty as an ovariohysterectomy for a vet to perform. The main difference is with the castration vs. vasectomy. Vasectomy requires a very small abdominal incision whereas castration does not. This is certainly a bit more difficult, but is still a very easy surgical procedure that can be done with minimal training by any general veterinary practitioner. The question of vasectomy in dogs is really good. There is increasing evidence that sterilization with preservation of hormones may also be very important in pet animals. Veterinarians, like everyone else are trained in a certain way and are slow to change.  

IS: Is there anything else you would like us to know?

RM: I think the only thing I would like to stress is that I got into this issue as an unbiased outsider. I am a diver, and simply was told repeatedly by local residents that TNR wasn't working. I researched the issue, found that lethal control is also not effective and came up with an alternative plan. I really didn't have any preconceived notions or goals. I don't have any financial incentive or bias. I simply researched the issue and these were the results. Sterilization with preservation of hormones is likely to be much more effective at reproductive control.

INTERVIEW: Jennie Danyliw - Innovation Showcase Scholarship Applicant

Jennie Danyliw is the Regional Operations Director for Associate Veterinary Clinics (AVC) in Ontario. Her primary role is coaching in development of veterinary practices. Today Jennie will talk about AVC’s Paw It Forward program. 

InfoStream (IS): Why and when was Paw It Forward created?

Jennie Danyliw (JD): Paw It Forward was started about 2 years ago and it was created as all great ideas are, around a dinner table with different voices contributing to how we can give back to the community at a greater level. First born was Pet Pantry and then came the bigger umbrella of Paw It Forward. So basically, how can we take every action that we do and start to “Paw It Forward” and give back within the communities?

IS: What is your role in Paw It Forward?

JD: My role is sort of an off-shoot actually, and it’s better if I speak of it in regards to the clinics more. My role is to support and keep the momentum going but it’s really our veterinary hospitals that keep Paw It Forward alive. Our clinic team members fundraise for Paw It Forward so it is a self-funding program that we are able to run and it is a program that is run right across Canada. Our clinic team members link Paw It Forward with our Pet Pantry events where we are working alongside food banks in providing nutrition and very basic services such as nail trims to those in need within our community. For every bag of veterinary diet that we sell through our hospitals we donate $5 to Pet Pantry and it helps our team members feel really good about what they’re doing.

IS: What are the goals of Paw It Forward?

JD: Our original goal was to identify what the need was within the community for those that have fallen on hard times and are using local food banks and community services. So, our goal was to provide food, or fill tummies, of those that are in a less fortunate position.

IS: What issues or concerns has Paw It Forward been able to support? You mentioned Pet Pantry, has there been anything else included in Paw It Forward so far?

JD: Any of our fund raising events have the overall umbrella of Paw It Forward. There are a number of charities that are clinics work with all based in different areas of Ontario and right across the country. So, really, our initial issue was how can “we” break down some of the stigma around those who are in a less fortunate position and provide proper food to their pets.

IS: Can you tell us about a special experience that you’ve had through your work with Paw It Forward?

JD: Yeah, wow, there are so many that I could pick from and really it’s quite a shared experience across our entire group. I would have to say that when we run a Pet Pantry Paw It Forward event it’s one of the most humbling days that I’ve ever worked. My background is only veterinary medicine for the last 25 years that the ability to be able to give back, meet an abundance of new people that have fantastic stories to share and one thing that we’ve really learned is that pet means so much to that person who has fallen on hard times. That pet is their only connection left and we’re able to help and support that and listen to the stories. For me personally, I find it amazing that no matter where we go home at night or where we come from, you put a pet in front of us or a pet topic and we become exactly the same person. So we break down all of those barriers and there is not any judgment.

IS: Paw It Forward is funded through fundraising events held at the individual clinics and those funds come from food sales, nail trims, and other activities along those lines, is that correct?

JD: Yes, nail trims and other donations based events that we do. We have clinic staff going to Pawpolooza this weekend and they will be collecting donations for Paw It Forward. Our goal was really to set this up so that it was self-funding through our clinics. There are also our veterinary partners and those are companies that partner with us as well as a few pharmaceutical as well whereas they offer support as well and are with us at the food banks.

IS: Does Paw It Forward support all of the areas around AVC clinics?

JD: Correct, we run Paw It Forward right across Canada and we actually just finished another event in British Columbia last weekend. We have a goal to provide 250,000 meals by the end of this year and as of right now we’re half way to our goal.

IS: Is there anything else that you would like us to know?

JD: Maybe one last thing, is what I talked about at the Urban Animal presentation is that to challenge everybody that we can make a difference for those that have fallen on hard times.

INTERVIEW: Tasha Welch - Research Poster Scholarship Recipient

Tasha Welch grew up around animals and hasn’t met an animal she doesn’t like. She grew up with a Labrador named Jasper and fell in love with her first rabbit at 15 years old. Currently Tasha has two rescued rabbits; Alice and Gilbert. Tasha’s experience with having companion rabbits and volunteering with a rabbit rescue created a passion for promoting responsible rabbit ownership and she has been able to pursue this at the University of Guelph with Dr. Jason Coe. Tasha has a Bachelor’s degree in Animal Biology and her Master’s degree explored companion-rabbit ownership and knowledge of rabbit owners. Now she is working on getting her research published in the hope that her discoveries will raise awareness to this understudied topic. Rabbits are gaining popularity as companion animals however they are also increasingly being found in shelters.

InfoStream (IS): Why do you believe that rabbits as companion animals has received so little attention?

Tasha Welch (TW): I think one of the main reasons companion rabbits have been so understudied is that the vast numbers of cats and dogs in households and shelters are perhaps overshadowing the popularity of companion rabbits. Over the years we have seen companion cat and dog research receive more and more attention, which is fantastic, however, as potentially the third most popular companion animal and third most relinquished companion animal rabbits should be included in the discussion. That brings me to my second reason, which is, we don’t really have any estimates of how many companion rabbits there are in homes and in shelters or rescues. If we could gather some numbers to provide evidence for their popularity and sadly the numbers of rabbits that shelters and rescues are overwhelmed with I think that others would see the need for attention in this topic. For me, it was my passion for companion rabbits and conversations I have had with organizations and shelter/rescue groups that drove me to pursue this research, so now I think I have a role to play in getting the topic of companion rabbits going. Lastly, I think that rabbits are a bit of an underrated pet. Through the conversations I have had with people, many are surprised I have rabbits as a pet and even more are surprised when they meet my rabbits how similar they are to cats and dogs in terms of having a personality and their affection. So a quote Dr. Coe uses that I think fits here is that ‘people don’t know what they don’t know’.

IS: What is your experience with rabbits as companion animals?

TW: Over the last ten years I have had four rabbits, three of which were rescues. My first rabbit, Thumper, I got when I was 15. She was a bit of an impulse purchase and I had no clue how to care for a rabbit. Luckily my parents supported me and helped me research about rabbits so I learned a lot about rabbits with Thumper. We found out all these things like they can be litter trained, they have personalities, they need access to unlimited hay and they need to be taken to regular vet check ups. I also learned how social rabbits are and after spending hours petting and sitting with Thumper every day she developed this goofy, affectionate and independent personality. After Thumper passed away, I started looking into rescues because of the research I had done and I noticed how there were so many rabbits without homes. So I ended up adopting my second rabbit, Henry, who bonded very closely with me; he would follow me around, sit at my feet when I was doing homework and beg for snacks in the kitchen. After Henry passed I knew I would continue to rescue bunnies since so many needed homes and developing a bond with a rabbit that has gone through whatever horrors in it’s life is a truly rewarding experience. The two rabbits I have now are Alice and Gilbert. Alice was actually a stray bunny we (I volunteer for Rabbit Rescue Inc.) caught when a friend of mine had seen a domestic rabbit roaming her neighborhood. Alice was a particularly rewarding rescue because when I first got her she bit and scratched and was very aggressive but with time she has become an absolute cuddle bug. Gilbert I acquired most recently and he was actually short listed for euthanasia because of an injury and his red eye, which is considered undesirable by people so he would be less likely to be adopted. So Gilly is my little angel bunny and luckily he bonded well with Alice so they both have their happily ever after.

IS: What prompted you study companion-rabbit owners’ knowledge?

TW: I think it really started from when I got involved with a rabbit rescue and noticed how many rabbits were coming in and how many rabbits other rescues and shelters had. Like cats and dogs, there seemed to be something happening to the bond between owners and their rabbit where that bond may either fail to develop or break down and the rabbits end up abandoned. From searching the literature, and going back to my own experience of getting my first rabbit with no knowledge of rabbit ownership, knowledge of caring for a pet is important in the development of the human-animal bond. I was lucky enough to have become educated on rabbit ownership, which I think supported the bond I developed with my first rabbit and I think that bond allowed me to work through challenges of pet ownership like going off to university, moving and changes with work and schedules. Without knowledge of ownership and the human-animal bond there is a risk to the rabbits becoming dispensable and disposable. So I think from my own experiences and passion for companion rabbits this gap in the realm of companion-animal research really stuck out to me as an area that needed to be studied in order to promote rabbit welfare and relationship between people and their rabbits.

IS: From what I understand your survey participants were rabbit owners. Did you survey acquisition sources and veterinarians? If so, how did their knowledge compare with rabbit owners?

TW: We did not survey acquisition sources or veterinarians, however, a study that is being prepared for publication in Massachusetts explored acquisition source staff knowledge of rabbit husbandry. The study found that rescue and shelter staff had the highest knowledge of rabbit husbandry compared to pet store staff. In my study participants who got their rabbit from a rescue or shelter on average had the highest overall knowledge scores compared participants who got their rabbit from other sources. These are two different studies in different populations, so I can’t compare the two, but the findings do support each other and suggest an area for further research.

IS: Can you summarize the results of your research with us? What are the most significant pieces of information that you discovered?

TW: The two consistent factors that we found to influence both owner knowledge and whether participants’ rabbit was spayed or neutered was where participants got their rabbit from and whether they took their rabbit for regular veterinary check-ups. So participants who got their rabbit from a rescue or shelter on average had the highest knowledge scores and were more likely to have a spayed or neutered rabbit compared to participants who got their rabbit from other sources. Participants who took their rabbit for regular veterinary check-ups on average had the highest knowledge scores and were more likely to have a spayed or neutered rabbit. So these findings suggest that acquisition sources and veterinarians can play a role in education prospective or current rabbit owners on rabbit husbandry and care and provide information on spaying or neutering of companion rabbits.

IS: How will you share the results of your research and provide acquisition sources and veterinarians with the most up-to-date rabbit care information?

TW: I think the best way to share the results of my research is through conversation. Over the years I have had the opportunity to attend and present at local, national and international conferences and this has been an excellent way to share my research with vast audiences including individuals from various animal-related organizations, companies, groups and stakeholders. These events have been excellent opportunities to start conversations about companion-rabbit ownership and the research I have done and to make connections with people across the companion animal field. Another way to share this research will be to publish the findings, which we are in the process of doing right now. To date I have not developed an education intervention, such as a booklet or website, for acquisition sources and veterinarians to share with current or prospective rabbit owners, however, this is definitely a goal for the future.

IS: How do you feel your research will promote rabbit welfare and have a positive impact on the human-animal bond?

TW: Research on companion cats and dogs has articulated the importance of owner knowledge to play a role in the relationship between people and their pets. Poor knowledge of pet ownership has been linked to increased risks of relinquishment. These findings for cats and dogs support the importance of owner education and I think this needs to be said for companion rabbit ownership as well. The research I have done is really a starting point for companion-rabbit research to promote education prior to getting a rabbit and throughout rabbit ownership. The study I did suggests two important avenues for educating prospective rabbit owners as well as enhancing or correcting the knowledge of existing owners. Acquisition sources can prepare prospective owners by informing them on the basics of care prior to individuals bringing home a new rabbit, and as animal-health experts, veterinarians can support this information and provide additional details on health and welfare if owners are encouraged to take their rabbit for regular veterinary check-ups. Based on research that has been done on cats and dogs, I think education can go a long way to ensure people are caring for their rabbit correctly, not only for the welfare of the rabbit, but for promoting the development of a positive and long-lasting relationship between the owner and rabbit and ultimately reduce the risk of relinquishment of companion rabbits.

INTERVIEW: Kathleen Burns, Research Poster Scholarship Applicant

Kathleen Burns (Katie) is a Masters of Science student in the Department of Family Relations and Applied Nutrition at the University of Guelph. She completed her undergraduate degree in Applied Human Nutrition. Katie loves animals, especially Tucker, the dog that she walks. Katie is performing research on veterinarians’ perceptions and their counseling approaches regarding dog walking.

InfoStream (IS): What prompted you to research the beliefs that veterinarians have regarding dog walking and how they discuss it with clients?

Katie Burns (KB): My advisory committee members and I have an interest in getting humans and animals active together. Dog walking is a great way to get dogs and their owners active! One way to promote dog walking is by discussions during veterinary appointments. Veterinarians can positively influence the physical activity levels of dogs and their owners through counseling and discussions on dog walking. There is a gap in the literature regarding veterinarians’ practices regarding dog-walking counseling and their perceptions of dog walking. With veterinarians’ ability to influence dog walking we were interested in understanding their current practices regarding dog-walking counseling and to understand their perceptions on dog walking. How veterinarians view dog walking influences whether or not they discuss and promote in appointments. If we can gather information about this then we could better involve them in dog-walking promotion!

IS: What are the goals of your research?

KB: The goals of our research are to understand current veterinarians’ practices of dog-walking counseling. This would help others in the future to better involve veterinarians in dog-walking interventions. Ultimately, we want to highlight the benefits of dog walking and recognize and reduce the barriers that veterinarians face when discussing dog walking with owners. This would help to improve and increase the discussions of exercise and dog walking in veterinary appointments with owners and may help to get dogs and their owners more active!

IS: Based on your data collection so far, what are the main barriers that are preventing people from walking their dogs?

KB: As perceived by veterinarians, a main barrier to dog walking is the owner’s busy schedule. Some participants described that owners are quite busy and it can be difficult to fit dog walking into their schedule. A dog’s behavioural issues, for example leash reactivity or aggression toward other dogs, were identified as barriers to dog walking as well. A dog’s behavioural issues can be difficult to address and can make owners nervous or hesitant to walk their dog. Interestingly, dog walking can help reduce problem behaviours in dogs, including aggression, so it is important that this barrier is addressed!

IS: How do you think these barriers would be best addressed/overcome?

KB: To address an owner’s busy schedule I think that veterinarians could provide dog owners with tips or handouts on how to fit dog walking into their schedule. For example, some tips could include incorporating multiple short walks into the owner’s schedule or making daily dog walking a family activity. Behavioural issues can be difficult to manage as there are many types of aggression and reasons as to why a dog may be aggressive. To address these behavioural issues, it is important that dog owners discuss their dog’s aggression issue with their veterinarian, as they can assist owners in the management of behavioural issues. By consulting with a veterinarian owners can begin to manage and reduce behavioural issues which may ease anxieties when it comes to dog walking.

IS: What do you see as the main benefits to taking your dog for a walk?

KB: There are so many benefits of dog walking for both the dog and owner! There are physical benefits as well as social and mental benefits of dog walking. First of all dog walking has many physical benefits for the dog including maintained agility, physical stimulation, improved physical activity level, weight loss and weight maintenance. It also has social and mental benefits for your dog which include socialization, enjoyment, discovering new smells and sights. Dog walking can also help reduce and prevent boredom, destructive and aggressive behaviour. There are also several benefits for the owner, which include increased levels of physical activity and a higher likelihood of meeting the daily physical activity recommendations. Dog walking also encourages dog owners to interact and develop relationships with other dogs and other people and presents an opportunity for the dog and owner to bond with one another!

IS: Once your research is complete, how do you think your discoveries will help veterinarians, dog owners, and their dogs?

KB: Our research can help to increase awareness of the benefits of dog walking and can highlight some of the barriers that veterinarians may face when talking to owners about dog walking. Veterinarians may use this information to recognize and overcome some of the barriers to discussing dog walking with owners. By recognizing and possibly overcoming some of these barriers related to dog-walking counseling, veterinarians may be able to better promote dog walking among owners in veterinary appointments. Our research also highlights the many benefits of dog walking which can be used to increase awareness of the benefits of dog walking among veterinarians. If veterinarians are aware of the benefits of dog walking they may be more likely to have these discussions with dog owners.  

Dog owners can use this information to understand that their veterinarian can provide them with information about dog walking and can help them to overcome some of the barriers to dog walking that they may face. They can also use this information to recognize the many benefits that dog walking has for themselves and their dog, including physical, mental and social benefits.  By recognizing these benefits owners may be more inclined to take their dog for a walk!

IS: Do you have plans to share your findings with veterinarians? If so, how will you accomplish this and what information would you share?

KB: Yes, I hope to publish my findings in a veterinary journal to disseminate them to veterinarians. I have also already shared my main findings with the participants in my study and I hope that they will share this with others in the veterinary profession. I want to share information about all of the benefits of dog walking as well as the role that veterinarians can play in positively influencing dog walking among owners and their dogs.

IS: Is there anything else you would like us to know?

KB: No, but thank you for the opportunity to share more of my research with you!

Urban Animal Scholarship Finalist Studies Urban Feline Populations

Dr. Flockhart removes a tracking collar. Photo credit: Eric Foss/CBC

Accurate data do not exist regarding the feral cat population in Ontario. Dr. Tyler Flockhart is a post-doctoral fellow that is studying feline overpopulation and its management. In 2012, the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies estimated that approximately 600,000 cats in Canadian shelters did not find homes. According to Toronto Animal Services, in 2014 the feral cat population in Toronto was approximately 100,000.

One issue is that no one knows how many feral cats reside in Canada. Not only do feral cats disturb gardens and yowl at night, it is also believed that in Canada they kill hundreds of millions of songbirds each year. Cats can also carry toxoplasmosis; a parasitic disease that can infect humans.

The Chair of Guelph Humane Society, Dr. Shane Bateman said, "A good scientific look at history would tell us that the current model [euthanizing stray cats that do not find homes] just simply doesn't work. There are probably more cats today than there have ever been, and so euthanizing and trying to get ahead of the population explosion that way just simply isn't a good option, and it's a very, very unpalatable option for communities who are more and more concerned about animal welfare. Everybody has an opinion and sometimes those opinions can be very passionate and that only adds to the challenge around this work." 

Flockhart said, "People are looking for solutions and quite often those solutions need to deviate from what's been done over the past 30, 50, 60 years."

In 2014, Toronto started a trap, neuter, return program. Bateman said, "Until we have more scientific information about the utility and importance of tools like trap-neuter-return or accessible or low-cost spay-neuter, it's difficult to know because these are huge resource-intensive programs and projects." 

"We have pretty good information on the number of cats that come in and go out of animal shelters, but we don't know the number of cats on the street for sure, and we don't even really know the proportion of cats that have indoor-outdoor access. These are really basic questions that require numbers so that we can address the magnitude of the risk and how we might address it", said Flockhart. 

Flockhart is performing research to answer several critical questions. He is developing a population model for cats and is tracking feral cats in Toronto and Guelph to examine their movements. Flockhart’s research should provide crucial information on feral cat populations and successful management of Canada’s feral felines. Flockhart will be presenting this research at the Summit for Urban Animal Strategies in Lake Louise this October.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE

View Flockart on Canada AM - July 27, 2015

Interview with Sarah Hylton-Foster, Digital Journalist Scholarship Nominee

Sarah Hylton-Foster has always had a love for and a special connection with animals. Thankfully, she was able to turn that passion into a rewarding career. Sarah was raised with cats, and hoped every year that Santa would bring her a puppy, which sadly never happened. She began working at the Coquitlam Animal Shelter in 2003 after a year of volunteering. Sarah currently shares her life with two cats, Reese and Winston, and her foster cat of three years, Miso. Foster success? Sarah started a website, Wrong Side of the Rainbow, that focuses on compassion fatigue experienced by animal care personnel. Not only does her website educate about compassion fatigue, there are many resources provided for self care.

InfoStream (IS): What is your current occupation and what attracted you to it?

Sarah Hylton-Foster (SHF): I am an Animal Care Attendant with the City of Coquitlam Animal Shelter. I was a volunteer when the shelter first opened and was lucky enough to become a regular employee about a year later and haven’t looked back! I have had many foster cats and a few dogs over the years and can’t imagine not sharing my life with some sort of critter!

IS: Please tell us about your website, Wrong Side of the Rainbow. What made you realize the necessity and importance of such a resource? What is the history behind it?

SHF: The true inspiration came from my beloved cat Quinn who had passed nearly a year before. She was my heart and soul and I lost her suddenly from a blood clot, at the age of five. I was destroyed and spent many months going through the motions of living.  Society doesn’t accept that we can grieve in the same way we do a family member. But in some cases, the loss of a pet is more painful, yet harder to explain. Having the support of a community of like minded people has helped other people through their own grieving process. They are more than “just” animals and we have every right to grieve for them as deeply as we would a human family member or friend. After being involved in a discussion around Compassion Fatigue I saw that there wasn’t a lot of resources out there for people who work in the animal care industry. It was a topic that was just starting to gain momentum in our industry and I wanted to ensure the conversation continued.

I was lucky enough to reconnect with an old therapist, Laurel Horn, who specializes in Compassion Fatigue and Pet Loss and has hosted seminars in shelters and vet clinics. After many hours spent online I managed to collect enough to start a website. Because social media is the best way to connect with people on a large scale, I then created a Facebook page which is now at just over 800 Likes and has connect with people all over North America and even farther!

IS: What do you hope to accomplish with Wrong Side of the Rainbow; what is/are your long-term goal(s) for it?

SHF: The biggest struggle we face is being heard. The stigma around mental health keeps so many silent as they suffer. Compassion Fatigue is still a relatively new concept in the animal care industry, even though it has been widely accepting in other care giving roles. Sadly only with the passing of well known members of the community, like Dr Sophia Yin, is the conversation really starting.

Wrong Side of the Rainbow has a simple goal. Education, support and bringing our community together. Together we can help and heal, not only the animals we care for but ourselves as well.

IS: What do you see as the greatest risk for those affected by compassion fatigue and/or pet loss?

SHF: I think the greatest risk is that so many people involved in animal care work burnout. So many people suffer from depression, develop destructive habits, and sadly when it gets to be too much, take their own lives. It’s very  hard to explain to people outside of our industry what we deal with on a daily basis, and we often keep things inside. People assume because we work with animals our days are filled with kittens and puppies and don’t recognize the horrors and sadness of our jobs. Like any mental illness conversation, stigma keeps many from reaching out for help.

IS: How do you think we can best support those affected by compassion fatigue?

SHF: Offering safe spaces either online or with therapy (group or one on one) for people in our industry to connect with people who can truly understand their struggles is key. It can be extremely frustrating to try and explain your feelings to people outside of the industry who see animals as “just pets”, especially after the loss of a loved companion. Connecting with like minded people in the same field as you will validate feelings and make you realize you aren’t alone.

IS: How are you using media to share important information?

SHF: Facebook is probably the easiest and most successful way to share information.  One post can reach hundreds of people in a matter of hours, I recently had one post shared over 1000 times! I was so excited to see an article that was specific to compassion fatigue in animal care workers was so well received and that the message is actually getting out there to people who may not have heard of it before. I hope that more articles are written because people are obviously interested and want to share with their friends, families and coworkers.