Dataism is deemed as the modern-day ideology. Everything must be backed up by some sort of data to be considered compelling. Some industries however weren’t founded to be data-focused and are just more recently seeing the benefits of data in decision-making – animal welfare is one of them.

Dr. John Fisher is back on the Justice Clearinghouse to talk about data-driven decision-making in the animal welfare profession. Dr. Fisher has been working in the veterinary medical/animal welfare field for over 15 years holding management roles. He is currently the Animal Services Director for the City of Charlotte/Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department and the president of the National Animal Care and Control Association. He advocates the professionalization of the animal welfare industry.

Specifics discussed in this session are:

• Misconceptions about animal welfare and the multi-faceted reality of its role in the community.
• The need for the animal welfare agencies to utilize data to articulate and support its various needs, facilitate decision-making, and professionalize the industry.
• A rundown of the different types of data to track and the importance of capturing these.
• The value in ensuring that the data captured is usable by training the team in consistent, correct, and accurate data input and collection.
• How to secure buy-in from the team by involving them in the development of the data management system or software and how this subsequently results in better and more accurate data collection.
• The different data management options available in the form of commercial off-the-shelf animal welfare software, generic project management systems, or the MS Office suite.
• A glimpse into Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department Animal Services’ Chameleon software and the types of insights that can be deduced from its data, functions, and reports.
• The different ways that data captured from animal welfare operations may be utilized for…
  • Forecasting of inventory, demand, supply, and workload.
  • Marketing campaign planning and measuring the success rate of various initiatives.
  • Agency budget allocation that captures on a granular level the various elements to include and consider.
  • Justification of policies to implement and request for additional personnel.
  • Identification of at-risk animals that are likely to require more resources for the agency.
  • Identifying areas where efficiencies can be put into place to enhance the organization’s bottom-line.

Points raised during the Q&A are about:

• The difference in justifying budget for a standalone shelter and one that is under a police department.
• The processes included during intake and its cost-effectiveness.
• Benefits of information sharing and coordination between different animal-related service organizations.
• Capabilities of the Chameleon software used in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department’s Animal Services.
• Factors to consider when migrating from one data management system to another.
• Why bully breeds are considered at-risk and the impact of intake diversion of bully breeds.
• Shelter software that captures costs per animal and inventory.

Other Webinars in this Series

• Part 1 -Data-Driven Decision Making for Animal Welfare Organizations (this webinar)
• Sept 21: Part 2 -Data-Driven Decision Making for Animal Welfare Organizations

Audience Comments

• “I thought all the information on tracking different data and usage of software was helpful….” — Amanda
• “It was an excellent overview.” — Gail
• “The best thing was when they talked about tracking and being detailed about each animal.” — John
• “Just how important data is and the methods for which it is utilized.” — Chris

View our Animal Welfare Webinar  Schedule and Recordings

This webinar has been certified by the National Animal Care & Control Association and is approved for 1 Continuing Education Unit. Please refer to your NACA membership portal for current CEU submission process. Current NACA Members who attend the live presentation or watch the recording will be able to download a jointly issued attendance certificate that includes the National Animal Care & Control Association logo. Visit the NACA training page for a complete list of future trainings.