“The Evolving Role of Triage and Appointment-Based Admission to Improve Service, Care and Outcomes in Animal Shelters,” an article written by Koret Shelter Medicine Program Director Dr. Kate Hurley and published in the March 2022 edition of Frontiers in Veterinary Science, has been viewed 4,167 times as of today, putting it in the top third for popularity in Frontiers.
In the article, Dr. Hurley notes the disadvantages of the century-old practice of ad hoc animal shelter intake, and discusses how restrictions forced by the COVID pandemic buttressed existing evidence that a more thoughtful, scheduled approach to intake could benefit animals, shelters and communities.
Drawing on lessons from human health care services as well as research and recent experience, Dr. Hurley provides evidence that the implementation of triage and appointment-based services “better realizes the goals of shelters to serve the common good of animals and people in the most humane, equitable and effective possible way.”