Volunteer-run enrichment program helps shelter animals

The transition to kennels for many dogs is not easy.

When staff at Loudoun County, Va. Animal Services saw shelter dogs experiencing behavioral and health challenges, they knew they needed to intervene to reduce the rates of contagious disease, stress and euthanasia.

Loudoun County Animal Services (LCAS) launched Busy Buddies, an enrichment program that is volunteer-operated and aims to reduce kennel stress, poor coping behaviors and disease risks.

Loudoun County Animal Services Director Nina Stively said for years, LCAS has been providing informal enrichment to animals, but never through a structured program.

“We knew that with limited staff, we only had so many hours in the day, so we tried to figure out a way to engage our volunteers and keep them,” she said.

Dogs experiencing frustration from being confined to kennels often face behavioral deterioration that is displayed as barking, jumping up or grabbing people’s clothes, all of which make it harder for dogs to find homes, she said.

These animals often face medical challenges such as kennel cough, suppressed immune systems and GI problems.

“No matter how hard we try, an animal shelter is an inherently stressful place,” Stively said. “Trying to figure out ways that we can address those issues with the least amount of stressful intervention possible was our goal.”

The county is required to take in stray, unwanted, lost, homeless, seized or abandoned dogs belonging to any Loudoun County resident.

LCAS receives over 2,400 animals per year with 60 percent of the homeless pets needing medical or behavioral intervention.

Through the Busy Buddies program, LCAS recruited volunteers by highlighting that not all volunteers have to physically interact with animals at the shelter, Stively explained.

“We have a fair number of high schoolers or people looking for some sort of community service type opportunity that they can do at home on their own schedule,” she said.

Volunteers may help create “Busy Boxes” by donating empty cereal boxes and newspaper and stuffing the boxes with the crumpled paper and treats to provide dogs with a safe shredding activity that can be done in their kennels.

At the shelter, volunteers often smear peanut butter on the walls to distract dogs when it’s time to clean their kennels. 

“The volunteers really focused on this program to help soothe the animals and help them destress while they were here,” she said.

Other volunteers participate in K9 Storytimes, field trips, doggy DIY time and olfactory and auditory stimulation which involves introducing essential oils and food spices to a dog’s kennel. This helps calm down dogs experiencing high levels of stress.

Volunteers also help stuff KONGs, which are rubber dog toys, with canned dog food to provide a fun activity for each dog. The toys are provided to dogs as part of the enrichment building program.

“The volunteers have really done an amazing job making sure that this program is something that works for any animal in the shelter but can also be customized for those who have more specific needs,” Stively said.

The program has seen positive results with the euthanasia rate dropping 21 percent in the last four years, disease outbreaks dropping 60 percent and the length of stay at the shelter dropping by nine days.

“People cannot help you if they don’t know where you need the help,” Stively said. “The shelter is just a stopping point; the community is really where the solution has to happen.”

Busy Buddies has operated at almost no expense to the county.

LCAS, which already had a volunteer coordinator, launched the program and created an Amazon wish list that frequently receives donations

“Once you get the word out there, it is a very easy program to sustain and the rewards are just endless,” Stively said.

She added the importance of LCAS being transparent with the community and explained how staff often post pictures on social media and use it as a tool for recruitment opportunities.

The Busy Buddies program has been expanded to all species and now includes guinea pigs, rabbits, cats and pigs.

“We are very committed to making sure that people understand that an animal shelter is a place for second chances,” Stively said.

“We want to make sure that the community understands that we are here as a resource. We are here as a support agency to humans and their pets.”

For more information about the Busy Buddies Program, contact Loudoun County Animal Services Director Nina Stively at Nina.Stively@loudoun.gov.

Loudoun County’s Busy Buddies Program is the recipient of a best in category 2020 NACo Achievement Award in the Volunteers category.