!

"#$%&' )*+ "%),-

Sometimes it's haiu foi me to believe that I get to iun aiounu the countiy anu teach shelteis how to let
theii uogs play! Play gioups have become an obvious way to enhance a uog's quality of life while
kenneleu. Incoipoiating uaily canine play sessions has pioven to be a "best bang foi the buck" canine
eniichment, assessment, tiaining anu auoption piomotion piogiam foi animal welfaie oiganizations
inteinationally.

I began in shelteiing as a piivate tiainei paiu by a heaitfelt citizen to woik with the uogs at the local,
municipal sheltei in Southampton, NY. I iecognizeu quickly that efficiency was ciitical if I was to use my
allocateu time to help the most uogs cope bettei anu finu a family. At that time I uiun't unueistanu how
much life-saving impact I woulu be able to achieve by simply letting uogs play, but I uiu iecognize that
getting twenty uogs out of theii kennels in an houi was bettei than foui.

I hau always been comfoitable with uogs in laige gioups since I was iaiseu on a faim anu we iescueu
many, having up to 17 at one time. It seemeu logical to me that socializing in the yaiu fiist woulu bettei
piepaie the sheltei uogs foi theii manneis anu basic tiaining lessons. They woulu be able to expenu
excess eneigy in a healthy anu inteiactive way that counteieu the common anxiety anu fiustiation
causeu by life in a noisy, uncomfoitable anu stiessful kennel. Ny task was to teach them to behave in an
appealing anu attiactive way foi volunteeis anu auopteis. Playgioups quickly became the founuation of
this woik.

To my suipiise, sheltei uogs having social access to one anothei still iaises conceins ievolving aiounu
safety, behavioial anu health iisks. As a iesult, social isolation has been the inuustiy noim foi both uogs
anu cats foi fai too long. Even moie conceining is this piactice when so many animals aie still being lost
in shelteis! The ieasons uesciibeu to me, at shelteis of vaiying capacity anu missions, aie somewhat
consistent:

"This is the way we've always uone it."
"The uogs might fight."
"We might get an outbieak of _________..."
"We neeu to keep oui volunteeis safe."
"We uon't have anyone qualifieu to let uogs play."
"We uon't have the time oi peisonnel to get the uogs out eveiy uay."

The above conceins woulu peitain to all kinus of eniichment, tiaining oi behavioi piogiams typically
implementeu. Fiom my peispective, this ieasoning is limiting anu not in the best inteiest of the animals.
No sheltei boasts enough iesouices to employ the peisonnel necessaiy to auequately caie foi the
animals. Eveiyone ielies upon volunteeis anuoi community seivice suppoit. Those who have stiong
volunteei piogiams aie typically capable of pioviuing the most, anu allowing volunteeis to hanule
shelteieu animals entails a ceitain amount of inheient iisk, no uiffeient than us buckling up anu uiiving a
cai.

The exciting iepoiteu outcome fiom shelteis implementing uaily play gioups is happily the opposite; that
the above conceins happen !"##$ Logically, happiei anu satisfieu animals aie geneially less stiesseu which
equates to less uisease anu extieme behavioi that puts people anu animals at iisk. Subsequently, sheltei
animals (anu the volunteeis eagei to attenu to them) aie safei in the piocess, so moie animals aie finuing
theii way into loving homes.

In contiast with the lattei conceins, oui piogiams stiess the consiueiation of the whole animal,
physically, emotionally anu behavioially. We tieat all animals as inuiviuuals. None of oui behavioi
piogiams uisciiminate uue to bieeu oi categoiy. Whethei it is embiacing colony housing foi cats oi play
gioups foi uogs theie is no uoubt that offeiing a moie natuial enviionment anu compiehensive appioach
helps shelteis to bettei assess behavioi, maintain healthy behavioi anu suppoit bettei auoption matches.

Fiom oui appioach anu oui success, we have piesenteu "Playing foi Life!...a tiaining & behavioi
mouification piogiam foi sheltei uogs featuiing play gioups" at animal welfaie confeiences anu to ovei
4u shelteis inteinationally. The two piimaiy open aumission shelteis that have implementeu "Playing foi
Life!" in its' entiiety now maintain a canine live ielease iate in excess of 9S%!

Consequently, by letting sheltei uogs play, we have leaineu a tiemenuous amount about canine behavioi.
Nost specifically, we have been able to uemonstiate that baiiiei behavioi anu on-leash behavioi aie not
ieliable inuicatois of a uog's ability to be social with anothei uog. Bue to oui measuieu iesults, we have
been askeu to shaie oui expeitise anu assist leaueis in the fielu such as the ASPCA anu Best Fiienus
Animal Society.

Animal welfaie as an inuustiy is constantly evolving. 0ui ciitical tasks at hanu change fiom yeai to yeai.
0iganizations, theii volunteeis anu animals aie cleaily benefiting fiom the newest tienus, as is
uemonstiateu by an oveiall ieuuction of euthanasia iates anu less uisciiminatoiy piactices. In the enu,
this is oui piimaiy iole as humane societies; to pioviue caie anu a safe haven foi all companion animals
(no mattei theii shape, size oi coloi) anu suppoit them into loving homes.

Implementing uaily play gioups has pioven to be a win-win foi people anu animals! Anu to think that
these exciting life saving outcomes ievolve aiounu something so simple anu natuial; let uogs be uogs anu
allow them to play togethei.

Aimee Saulei
Biiectoi of Tiaining & Behavioi
Southampton Animal Sheltei Founuation
Point of view Tiaining & Consulting, LLC

Photo by }osh Feeney - Play uioup at Chicago Animal Caie & Contiol