Reducing Stress for Long‑Stay Shelter Animals Starts with the People
From the Desk of Janet Showley, Development & Outreach Manager
Animals who stay in shelters for extended periods don’t just wait — they learn. Every interaction, every movement through the kennel or cattery, every hand that reaches in influences how they feel and behave. Fortunately, two evolving approaches give us concrete ways to reduce stress and boost well‑being.
The Fear Free Shelters model reminds us that entering a shelter triggers fear, anxiety and stress: unfamiliar smells, sights, people and routines all matter. Over time, without intervention, animals can suffer from chronic anxiety, social isolation and diminished health. We must shift not just what we provide but how—our mindset, our handling, our design.
Another effective model—“Train the people, save the pets”—focuses on staff and volunteer behavior. When handlers are trained in consistent, calm, low‑stress techniques and operate with the same mindset, animals begin to expect a safe environment rather than stay on alert. One shelter team reported fewer barks, calmer approaches at kennel gates, and dogs walking loosely on leashes after a few days of staff adapting to low‑stress handling routines.
Here’s how your shelter or rescue can put this into action:
- Train your team in low‑stress handling: moving animals calmly, offering choices, avoiding surprise or forced interaction.
- Standardize predictable interactions: same handlers, same cues, consistent routines so animals learn “this is safe.”
- Design every human‑animal interaction as enrichment: even cleaning the enclosure or walking through the kennel can become a positive experience if done with awareness of the animal’s perspective.
- Reduce sensory overload: identify loud or chaotic areas, give long‑stay animals quiet spaces, allow retreats, offer consistent signals and cues.
At Pet Friendly Services of Indiana, we understand the challenges shelters face every day, especially when caring for long-stay animals. By introducing low-stress handling, consistent routines, and enrichment activities, you can create small moments of comfort and confidence that make a meaningful difference while animals wait for their forever homes.
Continued reading and courses:
Save the Date!
Mark your calendars! The 2026 Indiana Animal Welfare Conference will take place on Saturday, April 18 at the Primo Banquet & Conference Center (2615 National Ave, Indianapolis). You don’t want to miss the ONLY animal welfare conference in the state!
New in 2026: We are in the beginning stages of planning a reception on Friday night before the conference for attendees, vendors, speakers and exhibitors. More details to come!
Help Us Create a Low-Cost Rabies Vaccine Clinic Directory
Pet Friendly Services is compiling a list of low-cost rabies vaccine clinics in Indiana and across our borders. As a key member of the animal welfare community, we would appreciate your assistance in building this list!
Reminder for Pet Friendly Plate Grant & Community Cat Grant Recipients
If your group receives a Community Cat Grant or a Pet Friendly Plate Grant, please remember to ONLY request your certificates/coupons as you need them.
Certificates expire four months after issue, which makes it extremely important that you only request what you can use in a four-month period at any time. The four month period does not start until the certificates have been requested from our website.
Why this is important:
- Prevents certificates from expiring
- When a certificate is issued we must hold funds in reserve to cover the expense of the surgery. Unused certificates create a hold on our funds, and can potentially delay us issuing further certificates and SNAP vouchers.
Reminder: Certificates are non-transferable
Upcoming Education Opportunities with Community Cats Podcast
Colony Caretaking Tips and Tricks Certification Workshop (Advanced TNR Training)
DATE: NOVEMBER 15, 2025
TIME: 2:00-4:00PM EDT.
Ants getting into the cats’ bowls or slugs making mealtime a slimy mess? Raccoons invading your colony? Got fleas? How do you keep the water from freezing in the middle of winter? Or calm the irate neighbor whose flower bed has been turned into a litter box?
Find out how to deal with these and many more colony caretaking challenges from Neighborhood Cats with their 20 years of experience dealing with all things community cats. Come and share your battle-worn secrets too!
This course/webinar/series/conference has been approved for Continuing Educational Units by the National Animal Care & Control Association (NACA
TNR Certification Workshop Presented by Neighborhood Cats
DATE: DECEMBER 6, 2025
TIME: 2:00-4:30PM ET.
Ready to make a difference for feral and stray cats in your community? Join our expert instructors to learn the best practices for Trap-Neuter-Vaccinate-Return (TNVR) and effective colony management. You’ll learn what TNR is, why it works, and how to address common challenges such as communicating with neighbors, preparing for trapping, conducting large-scale trapping operations, feeding, and providing winter shelter.
If you’re new to TNVR, you’ll gain the essential skills needed to kickstart your TNVR journey, while experienced trappers can refresh and sharpen their techniques.
This course/webinar/series/conference has been approved for Continuing Educational Units by the National Animal Care & Control Association (NACA)
Looking for Grant Opportunities?
Pet Friendly Services maintains a list of grant opportunities for animal welfare organizations.
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!
Online Auction - Coming up Soon!
This is your chance to bid on fantastic items and experiences — while keeping the giving spirit alive! 100% of the auction proceeds go directly to our programs that serve Indiana’s pets and the people who love them!
Why join in?
- Give a meaningful gift to yourself or someone else — there’s something for everyone.
- Support Indiana animals in need — you’re helping them get spayed, neutered, rescued, re-homed, and more.
- It’s fun & easy — online bidding means you can participate from home, on your phone, anywhere.
Mark your calendars for December 2 – 7! You can view the items and set up your account now. More items coming soon!
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
