New Dog Program

New Dog Program design presents a structured approach to intake, care, training, and placement for dogs in community and shelter settings to improve welfare and placement outcomes.

Program Purpose and Goals

The program’s mission is to coordinate clinical, behavioral, and community resources to increase safe placements and reduce returns.

Primary mission targets include reducing shelter admissions by 20% within 24 months to free capacity for higher-risk cases ^[1].

Short-term objectives emphasize stabilizing incoming dogs and achieving an adoption or foster placement rate of 65% within 90 days for program-enrolled animals ^[1]. Success criteria include maintaining a return-to-shelter rate below 15% at 180 days and tracking average length of stay as a key performance indicator ^[1]. The program aligns its goals with local animal welfare priorities and measurable community benefit metrics ^[1].

Target Population and Eligibility

Define clear eligibility to ensure appropriate use of resources and effective referrals.

Dog selection criteria will focus on animals medically stable and behaviorally assessable, typically those aged about 8 weeks to 8 years to prioritize socialization and training windows ^[2]. Priority groups for owner/guardian eligibility include households referred by partner agencies, recent adopters needing transitional support, and guardians who commit to program follow-up.

Exclusion criteria will include acute medical conditions requiring hospital-level care and severe, unmitigable aggression that presents an immediate safety risk; accommodations such as foster-based quarantine or targeted medical referral pathways are established where feasible ^[2].

Intake, Screening, and Assessment

Standardized intake ensures consistent triage and development of individualized care plans.

Initial intake includes a quick health screen and triage within 24 hours of arrival, with a comprehensive veterinary and behavioral assessment completed within 7 days of intake ^[2]. Health screening captures temperature, body condition, hydration status, and visible wounds; behavioral screening uses short leash and socialization checks with handlers.

Temperament testing follows validated, brief protocols such as a controlled 10-minute leash and handling observation to identify fear, food-guarding, or interdog tolerance concerns ^[2]. Documentation standards include a signed consent for care and a prioritized intake timeline that documents findings and next-step recommendations.

Program Structure and Curriculum

Modular training and care modules provide measurable progression and clear graduation criteria.

Core modules with typical duration, session length, and milestone for progression.

Module	Typical duration	Session length	Milestone
Basic obedience	4–6 weeks	30–45 minutes	Reliable sit/recall in controlled area
Socialization	3–5 weeks	15–30 minutes	Comfortable with supervised peer interaction
Enrichment & problem behaviors	4–8 weeks	20–40 minutes	Reduction in targeted undesirable responses
Transition & adoption prep	2–4 weeks	variable	Stable home-visit or foster-readiness assessment

Each core module is typically delivered over 4 to 6 weeks with multiple weekly touchpoints and individualized adjustments based on initial assessments ^[1]. Session formats combine one-on-one coaching, small-group sessions, and home-simulation exposures; graduation criteria require meeting objective milestones across behavior and basic care tasks.

Health Care and Medical Protocols

Medical standards protect animal and public health and guide routine and emergency care decisions.

Vaccination policies follow international core vaccine timing with initial core vaccinations beginning at about 6–8 weeks of age and repeating every 3–4 weeks until the final puppy series at approximately 16 weeks, per international vaccination guidelines ^[3]. Parasite control plans include monthly heartworm prevention and routine intestinal parasite screening on intake and as clinically indicated ^[3].

Maintenance fluid needs for dehydrated or perioperative dogs are estimated at roughly 40–60 mL/kg/day (mL per kilogram per day) and should be tailored by a veterinarian based on ongoing assessment and hydration checks ^[4]. Spay/neuter policies recommend scheduling elective sterilization before 6 months of age when clinically appropriate to support population-level goals and reduce unwanted litters ^[4].

Emergency care pathways include an established on-call arrangement with a veterinary clinic for triage and transfer; medication management requires documented orders, locked storage, and intake-to-disposition medication records to maintain continuity of care ^[3].

Housing, Facilities, and Enrichment

Facility standards and enrichment reduce stress and support behavioral goals for program dogs.

Housing design follows shelter facility guidance with kennel minimums often set at about 3 ft by 3 ft (0.9 m by 0.9 m) for small animals and scaled upward for medium and large breeds to allow comfortable postural changes and rest ^[5]. Capacity planning maintains sight-line and sanitation workflows to reduce stress and disease transmission.

Daily care routines include twice-daily cleaning cycles, temperature control to maintain comfort, and enrichment rotations that involve puzzle feeders, supervised play, and scent enrichment; quarantine procedures for new intakes use a 10–14 day isolation window for observation where indicated ^[5]. Biosecurity measures specify staff flow, PPE for sick animal handling, and disinfection protocols aligned with veterinary guidance.

Staffing, Volunteer Roles, and Training

Clear roles and training requirements ensure competent, consistent program delivery.

• Required staff positions: program director, lead veterinary technician, behavior specialist, intake coordinator, and caregiver roles with volunteer support ^[1].
• Volunteer roles include supervised dog walkers, enrichment volunteers, and foster mentors, with a target daytime staff-to-dog ratio of approximately 1:8 for routine care and lower ratios for medical or behavioral cases ^[1].
• Onboarding curriculum covers animal handling safety, basic first aid, documentation standards, and escalation procedures; competency standards are assessed during a structured probation period.

Ongoing supervision uses regular performance reviews, skills checklists, and retention strategies such as continuing education and recognition programs.

Monitoring, Evaluation, and Continuous Improvement

Measurement systems track outcomes to inform program decisions and iterative improvements.

Primary outcome metrics include behavioral improvement scales, adoption rate, length of stay, and return-to-shelter percentage; data are collected at intake and at 30-day intervals for enrolled dogs ^[1]. Reporting cadence is monthly for operations and quarterly for stakeholder dashboards to track trends and KPIs over time ^[1].

Behavioral progress is captured using standardized tools with formal reassessments every 30 days to quantify improvement and adapt plans ^[2]. Feedback loops include adopter surveys, post-placement rechecks, and periodic audits to drive continuous program updates and evidence-based refinements.

Community Engagement, Adoption, and Post-Program Support

Partnerships and follow-up services maximize placements and long-term success for dogs and guardians.

Adoption pathways include in-shelter adoption, foster-to-adopt, and targeted community placement events with structured matching based on behavior and household profiles; matching processes use standardized checklists to reduce quick returns ^[5]. Foster models prioritize medically or behaviorally needy dogs for temporary placement with trained caregivers.

Community partnerships with local trainers, rescue groups, and public health agencies support outreach and referral networks; post-adoption support provides a 30-day check-in and optional 6-month recheck appointments to address emerging concerns and reduce relinquishment risk ^[5]. The program coordinates zoonotic-disease guidance and human health considerations with public health partners when relevant ^[6].

Program Purpose and Goals (continued)

To operationalize the mission, set an initial budget target representing staffing and medical overhead equal to approximately 15% of shelter operating costs for the pilot year to ensure adequate resourcing for program-specific activities ^[1].

Targeted performance reporting will report at least 5 key indicators monthly, including intake-to-placement time, medical cost per dog, behavioral improvement score, adoption rate, and return rate to allow timely corrective action ^[1].

Target Population and Eligibility (continued)

For program caseload planning, model an average active cohort of 60 dogs with staggered entry to support predictable staffing and kennel utilization ^[2].

Prioritization tiers allocate roughly 40% of capacity to medically complex but stable cases, 40% to behaviorally trainable dogs, and 20% to short-term transitional support for adopters or guardians at risk of relinquishment ^[2].

Intake, Screening, and Assessment (continued)

Complete a baseline medical assessment within 24 hours and a full veterinary exam within 72 hours for higher-risk intakes to reduce undetected morbidity ^[3].

Use a standardized behavior scoring template with numeric fields so that changes can be quantified; perform reassessments every 14 to 30 days depending on case risk category ^[2].

Program Structure and Curriculum (continued)

Curriculum pacing is guided by objective measures; dogs that meet milestone criteria on three consecutive sessions advance phases, while those that do not receive intensified, individualized plans for up to an additional 8 weeks ^[1].

Recordkeeping uses a single electronic record per dog with time-stamped entries to support continuity; aim for 100% documentation compliance on core events (intake exam, vaccination, major behavioral interventions) ^[3].

Health Care and Medical Protocols (continued)

Preoperative fasting recommendations follow current veterinary guidance, typically withholding food for 8 to 12 hours for adult dogs prior to general anesthesia unless specific clinical factors indicate otherwise ^[3].

Perioperative antibiotic use is reserved for procedures with clear indications; routine elective sterilizations do not require prophylactic antibiotics in low-risk patients based on current best practice recommendations ^[3].

For fluid therapy, use the clinical maintenance range of 40–60 mL/kg/day as a starting point and adjust by 10–20% increments for ongoing losses or overhydration risk, documenting adjustments and response ^[4].

Housing, Facilities, and Enrichment (continued)

Environmental enrichment scheduling should provide at least 2 supervised out-of-kennel sessions per day, each lasting 15–30 minutes, plus continuous access to manipulable enrichment items to reduce stress-related behaviors ^[5].

Quarantine for incoming animals follows a minimum 10-day observation period for clinical signs, with diagnostic testing guided by prevalence and clinical concern rather than blanket panels for every intake ^[5].

Staffing, Volunteer Roles, and Training (continued)

Implement a minimum staffing model that includes at least one behavior specialist per 30 active program dogs and at least one lead veterinary technician per 40 active dogs to ensure clinical and behavioral needs are met ^[1].

Volunteer vetting aims to certify at least 75% of active volunteers in basic animal handling and PPE use within their first month to reduce incidents and improve care consistency ^[1].

Monitoring, Evaluation, and Continuous Improvement (continued)

Use a dashboard that updates key indicators daily and provides automated alerts when metrics cross pre-set thresholds, such as an increase in return-to-shelter rate above 15% or a rise in average medical cost per dog exceeding budget by 10% ^[1].

Schedule formal program audits biannually and use sampled case reviews of at least 10% of closed cases to validate documentation and outcome attribution ^[2].

Community Engagement, Adoption, and Post-Program Support (continued)

Adoption counseling includes a minimum 30-minute structured interview and home-readiness checklist; provide a 30-day post-adoption support call and optional 90-day check to reduce early returns ^[5].

For foster-to-adopt pathways, set a transition period of 14 to 30 days to allow both dog and household to adjust before finalizing the adoption, with check-ins at day 7 and at program end ^[5].

Establish