Today I received the seventh response to my questionnaire. Please see below:
Q1: What is your occupation?
animal shelter worker/aco/army engineer
Q2: How do you believe current dog shelter designs affect dog behaviour - Positively / Negatively / No affect?Please state your reason for your choice.
lots of designs are too sterile. They allow too much stress from barking and are not set up to create personal homey environments for stressed animals.
Q3: Do you believe that if given the right environment to rehabilitate, more dogs would be less 'aggressive' in shelters, and have the chance of becoming more adoptable?
Absolutely, when animals are fostered they show improvement in the first 24 hours of being in a home as apposed to a kennel.
Q4: How would you describe an 'ideal' environment for dog rehabilitation? What key elements would it have?
Home type environment. Good sound proofing, plenty of space for play and socializing with other dogs. Enrichment toys, agility sets, staff willing to put in time to excercise and socialize each dog every day. Calming music, relaxing smells, personal space not facing other dogs to lower aggression and protective behaviors.
Q5: What do you believe are the best methods for dog rehabilitation?
Lots of excercise, mind engaging activities, good thorough evaluations so each dog can have its own specific rehab plan that is easy for staff to follow.
Q6: Alongside rehabilitation methods, to what extent do you believe architecture has a role in rehabilitation?
Quite Important
Q7: There are numerous examples of calming architecture, designed to calm people dealing with emotional trauma. Elements of this include panoramic views with lots of natural light, sound absorption and the integration of nature / outdoors.Based on your experiences, could this concept of calming architecture have a similar outcome for troubled dogs?
Absolutely, excessive barking only sends a wave of stress through the kennels and is mirrored off all the animals and staff making for a miserable enironment. my shelter needs to be updated. Its good but not good enough compared with the newer shelters ive seen.
Q8: Are you aware of any Rehabilitation Centres that allow traumatised shelter dogs to recover?
No
Q9: If selected 'Yes' on previous question, please state the name of the Rehabilitation Centre and any additional information regarding their methods. Otherwise, please state 'N/A'.
Respondent skipped this question
Q10: Do you believe there needs to be more Rehabilitation Centres of this nature?
Yes! Id love to be a part of one!
(SurveyMonkey, 1999-2014. SurveyMonkey [online]. Available at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/ [Accessed on 9th November 2014]. Published questionnaire available at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/7PYBVBF [Created on 9th November 2014].)