About half of the animals surrendered to shelters are there because of behavioral issues. And those issues also mean it will take longer for that cat or dog to get adopted.
Shelter environments are also stressful on the animals and resources are stretched thin.
A new partnership that connects the Roanoke Valley SPCA and Virginia Tech’s School of Animal Sciences will offer new training expertise and give students more hands-on experience, according to professor Erica Feuerbacher.
"This is going to give them way more opportunities," Feuerbacher says. "And whether they go into animal welfare, animal behavior or vet school, having a lot of good experiences with how to interact with animals, how to read their body language and how best to improve their welfare is going to really set them up for success in their careers."
It's a growing area of study, Feuerbacher says, and the program is still looking for more ways to meet the demand for hands-on learning experiences.
SPCA veterinarian Jennifer McFarling says there’s a need for better understanding of animal behaviors.
"If we were able to have more folks that were comfortable with handling these concerns, which are often a communication mismatch between humans and the animals, if we could have them handled even before they came to the shelter, I think folks would realize they can work through and manage some of the things they’re seeing."
Animal behavior and welfare expert Megan Arant will split time between the shelter and Virginia Tech. Arant will work with both shelter employees and volunteers and students.
Graduate student Yasmeen Gomez is already familiar with the challenges. "Because shelter animals are in an environment that is so stressful—new smells, new dogs, new everything—just learning how they behave and why they behave can help increase their confidence," Gomez says.
Roanoke Valley SPCA CEO Denise Hayes hopes the program can give soon-to-be pet owners pre-adoption training and availability for post-adoption advice. She also notes the shelter would not be able to afford the resources on its own. "To hire the caliber of person that Megan is and the information she can bring, there’s no way we could do it without the help from Virginia Tech," Hayes says.
