Spring is the perfect time to think about pathway planning and set your team up for success before the busy summer season hits. Two key strategies—population management and pathway planning—can help you reduce length of stay, prevent overcrowding, and improve outcomes for animals in your care. Here’s a refresher on these essential practices and resources to get you started.
What Is Population Management?
Population management means monitoring and controlling the number of animals in your care to ensure that it never exceeds your shelter’s Capacity for Care (C4C)—the number of animals your team can humanely house and support. It’s the foundation of a healthy, low-stress environment for both animals and staff.
Key elements include:
- Understanding your true capacity for care
- Tracking intake and outcome data closely
- Making fast, thoughtful decisions about each animal’s next step
What Is Pathway Planning?
Pathway planning complements population management by creating a clear, intentional journey for every animal from intake to positive outcome. Instead of animals lingering without direction, pathway planning helps them move efficiently toward adoption, foster care, return to owner, or transfer.
It includes:
- Immediate evaluation at intake (health, behavior, needs)
- Assigning a specific “path” based on their situation
- Setting goals and timelines to ensure progress
Together, these strategies help your team prevent overcrowding, reduce length of stay, and improve both animal and staff well-being—especially critical during the high-volume summer months.
Your Spring Action Plan
Take these steps now to ensure your team is equipped and ready:
- Understand Your Capacity for Care (C4C)
Have your team review the Capacity Score Chart to better assess how many animals you can reasonably support - Train on Population Rounds
Watch the Best Friends Network webinar, Counting All Paws: Mastering Daily Population Rounds by Dr. Erin Katribe. Learn how daily rounds can help you track progress and adjust plans in real time. - Explore Additional Resources
Maddie’s Fund offers a deep dive into these concepts. Visit:
Capacity for Care & Population Management (Maddie’s University)
Important Reminders about Pet Friendly Plate Grant Coupons and Community Cat Grant Certificates
Pet Friendly Plate Grant Coupons and Community Cat Certificates are for partner groups only and must be used solely for animals in your care prior to adoption or for TNR cats. They may not be distributed to individuals. Anyone needing help should apply through our SNAP program.
Request only what you can use within four months. All coupons/certificates expire after four months, so it’s important not to over-request.
These grants hold monetary value. Unused certificates tie up funds and limit our ability to help other groups. Repeated unused requests may impact your eligibility for future grants.
Avian Flu Updates
Avian influenza primarily affects poultry and wild birds, but has also spread to dairy cows. The virus can have deadly consequences to cats, and dog owners should also take precautions.
Food Safety: Avian influenza does not present a food safety risk; cooked poultry, beef, eggs and pasteurized dairy products are safe to eat. However, cats are particularly susceptible to the H5N1 virus. Cat owners should take extra precautions (ensure all food is thoroughly cooked and avoid “raw” diets or raw milk). Learn more, here.
Resources & Events
New Grant Resource: Who Will Let The Dogs Out
Looking for grant opportunities to support your rescue or shelter? Who Will Let the Dogs Out offers a regularly updated list of grant resources specifically for animal welfare organizations. It’s a great place to find funding for spay/neuter, medical care, enrichment, and more. Click here to Learn More.
Upcoming Conferences
Illinois Animal Welfare Federation/Prairie States Conference June 1-3 in Bloomington IL
The Prairie States Animal Welfare Conference is a premier educational event for shelter and rescue professionals, hosted by the Illinois Animal Welfare Federation. This annual conference offers workshops, networking, and resources to help improve animal outcomes and strengthen your organization’s impact. Learn more here.
ASPCA Cornell Maddie's Shelter Medicine Conference July 11-13th in Ithaca NY
The ASPCA Cornell Maddie’s® Shelter Medicine Conference brings together experts in shelter medicine for a weekend of cutting-edge education and collaboration. Ideal for veterinarians, shelter staff, and animal welfare professionals, this conference covers the latest in medical care, operations, and community engagement. Learn more here.
Pet Friendly Partner Perks
Grant List for Indiana Shelters and Rescues
Pet Friendly Services maintains a list of grant opportunities for animal welfare organizations. Here are a few highlights of grant opportunities new to the list or closing soon:
- Hugs & Kisses Animal Fund – For all-volunteer groups. https://hugsandkissesanimalfund.org/grant-application/
- AKC Breed Rescue Grant – for breed-specific rescues https://akchumanefund.org/Forms
Each grant has different requirements, deadlines, and application processes, so please review the linked websites to determine which opportunities best fit your organization’s needs.
We know times are challenging, and requests for spay/neuter assistance are higher than ever. We hope this guide helps connect you with more funding opportunities to continue your lifesaving work.
Thank you for all that you do!
Reminder: Be Social With Us! Join our Partner Facebook Group
Join us! We’ve created a Facebook Group to help connect employees or key representatives of animal shelters, rescues, TNR Groups, veterinary professionals, and other members of the animal welfare community that are current partners with Pet Friendly Services of Indiana. Individual profiles and profiles of organizations are welcomed as members to the group and can contribute to meaningful conversations and receive important updates about animal welfare.
FREE Advertising: Showcase Your Adoption Events!
Shelters and rescues can now reach more adopters with our public adoption event calendar—a central hub for showcasing upcoming adoption events and specials across Indiana.
Whether you’re hosting a fee-reduced event, a breed-specific adoption day, or a senior pet showcase, this calendar makes it easier for pet lovers to find and attend your events. It’s completely free, so don’t miss this opportunity to boost visibility and help more pets find loving homes. Add your events today!
Help Spread the Word!
You can help by spreading the word about driving with the Pet Friendly Plate!
Without this lifesaving plate, our support of your programs wouldn’t be possible. The Pet Friendly Plate is a game changer for Indiana! It’s a shared resource for all of our shelters and rescues. The more plates we sell, the more lives we save!
Share this graphic! Right click and select “Save Image As” on your desktop, or tap the image and select “Save to Photos” on your phone – and then share it on social media to help more people learn about the Pet Friendly Plate!
Here’s a suggested caption:
“Save lives while you drive! Every Pet Friendly Plate helps fund spay/neuter programs that save lives across Indiana. Our organization receives support from Pet Friendly Services and this specialty plate. You’re TRULY making a difference when you drive with the Pet Friendly Plate! Learn about how to get yours at www.PetFriendlyPlate.org”
Our Contact Information
Pet Friendly Services of Indiana
1100 W 42nd Street, Suite 205
Indianapolis, IN 46208
317-767-7771
http://PetFriendlyServices.org
