Animal shelters and rescues often struggle with resources. The ability to adapt to change is just as important as community and staff support. In April of 2007, the Jacksonville Humane Society suffered a great loss after a massive fire, which you can learn more about here.
Construction is about to start—the old, fire-damaged kennel building is in the background
The shelter operated out of temporary modular buildings for many years. These modular units made for less-than-ideal conditions. In May 2016, construction began on a much-needed new facility. The new building features climate-controlled indoor kennels for the dogs, an area for training classes and other programs, real-life rooms for animals that do not thrive in traditional cages, group housing for felines, and a community resource center to help pet owners in need. During construction, the shelter remained open and operated on the same property. Two kennel buildings that could house 100 dogs were demolished during the initial construction, reducing the number of dogs that could enter the shelter. As construction continued, additional buildings would come down, including those that medical staff and behavior staff worked out of and buildings that housed supplies.
It was critical to the shelter’s leadership that we keep careful track of adoption rates and other key metrics, even during this transitional period. Clean data was crucial to predict and set realistic goals. These goals included maintaining a short length of stay, decreasing stress due to the construction, and maintaining the same adoption numbers that existed prior to construction. Pulling already tracked intake numbers, adoption numbers, and calculated length of stay allowed for a clear understanding of what was needed to continue helping the same number of people and animals as we did before construction began.
Construction in progress
There is little dispute that even a modern, progressive animal shelter is not as ideal as a home. Concerns regarding housing cats and dogs in a shelter during major construction were addressed before and during this project. If not addressed, the increased noise and dirt, and change of schedules could be stressful to the animals. Potential adopters could also be deterred because of these factors.
By continuing and strengthening existing adoption, training, and behavior programs, and updating them as needed, the animal shelter was able to provide structure and reduce additional stressors. This was achieved by:
- Encouraging staff and volunteers to spend time with animals both in and out of the cages. Offsite activities provided a break and helped to promote the dogs away from their cages. A list of dog-friendly locations, as well as vests with the words “Adopt me” were provided for outings. Office space was also utilized for time away from the kennels.
- Continuing with the existing after-school reading to animals program. This program allowed children to visit cats and dogs, reading to them in front of their cage. This soothed the cats and dogs while building confidence in the children, who may not be comfortable reading in front of their peers.
- Feeding meals from buckets hanging on dog kennel dogs. A stainless steel bucket with portioned daily meal was placed on the door of each cage . The public was invited to drop food in the kennel as they passed by. This encouraged animals to come to the front of the kennel, pairing the association of good things with strangers of all types passing through. Dogs with behavior challenges had soft treats mixed in with kibble. Some cats even had portioned treat or toy buckets.
- Providing long-lasting enrichment items such as food puzzles, Kongs, ice treats, and busy boxes for both cats and dogs. Staff and volunteers also would walk by each cage and distribute high value treats and fun toys daily. Play yards were used for play group, as well as fun activities such as scent games (hiding treats in a plastic swimming pool—see this article on nosework in shelters for more about this), teaching cues such as “sit,” “down,” and “wave,” and using a flirt pole.
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Working with dogs around the construction site
Providing a safe place for animals to retreat as needed. Cats had hiding boxes and bags. Dogs had kennel space away from the public.
- Increasing offsite adoption events and adoption specials to account for the lack of additional cage space. The shelter partnered with local stores and participated in promotion events sponsored by companies such as Petco and PetSmart.
- Engaging the community and offering solutions to prevent animals from entering the shelter. The Jacksonville Humane Society not only offers a community pet page to list cats and dogs in need of a home, they also offer safety net programs. Part of our safety net program includes free pet training and a management helpline, medical assistance, and a food bank program.
- Promoting sleepovers. Sleepovers not only open up space to accommodate additional animals, the animals more often than not are adopted by their sleepover family. At the very least, they return the animal with information to help find the right fit for the pet and adopter.
Goodbye to the temporary buildings
In September of 2017 the move was made into the new facility. Volunteers and staff walked the dogs from the old kennels into the new, climate-controlled kennels. The cats were transported by the construction crew, who built a special cart to move entire cage banks at once, preventing the cats from being moved from cage to carrier to cage. While the grand opening of the shelter will be in November 2017, the animals are already enjoying their new accommodation. Dogs are less reactive, as there are fewer kennels in each run and they do not face one another. Cats are able to spend time in a quieter area. Even though the building is not yet complete, visitors enjoy the welcoming feeling that the new building brings. Working in less-than-ideal circumstances allowed us to pull resources together and provide the compassion and care for the cats and dogs in Jacksonville. If at all possible, it created an even stronger camaraderie between all of the people that make the Jacksonville Humane Society a success.
Amy Schindler, CPDT-KA, is the Operations manager at The Jacksonville Humane Society in Jacksonville, Florida and an Affiliate member of the Shelter Division of IAABC.
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Mike is an emerging animal behaviorist sitting in Minnesota in the US. He carries an MSc in social science research methods (U. of Kentucky) and brings a passion for understanding how the methods we favor shape the knowledge we privilege. Coming from careers in teaching and non-profit program evaluation, he found companion animal behavior by accident helping anxious feline friends in a unique shelter in Ohio. It is a privilege and a joy to combine these and advance the journal in this exciting time of growth.
Alexandra is a certified dog behavior consultant and holds a PhD in neuroscience. She has spent over a decade in academic research and is author of numerous scientific articles on different aspects of brain development, including olfaction, neurogenesis, and memory formation. Her work as a behavior consultant focuses on creating trusting relationships between humans and their dogs through communication, respect, and science-based knowledge. Alexandra is very dedicated to promoting more science within the dog training world. She supports dog guardians and professionals to build a solid understanding of scientific principles and provides guidance on how to apply these to life with dogs. She runs Canine Mindscape in Alicante, Spain.
I’m an Argentinean-Italian dog trainer and CSAT who spent eight amazing years in Brazil learning and working with dogs. Now based in Europe, I volunteer with the IAABC as a translator and, in my free time, help rehomed dogs settle into their new families. I love bridging languages—and hearts—between people and their dogs.
I’m a translator, editor and journalist, as well as canine educator for children and families, specialized in canine body language. I am part of the IAABC Family since 2019, as Language Director at the IAABC and Translators Team Lead at the IAABC Foundation, at the moment. I volunteer at local shelters and promote bite prevention and animal welfare at schools and events all over my country, Uruguay.
I’m a Chilean veterinarian and certified dog trainer, based in Madrid and working at a veterinary clinic. I’ve been volunteering with the IAABC and the IAABC Foundation for over seven years. In my free time, I help dogs and their guardians strengthen their bond, and I love spending quality time with my own dogs.
Master’s Degree in Natural Sciences, with a strong interest in environmental sustainability and the protection of natural ecosystems. Passionate about writing and science communication, she collaborates with multidisciplinary teams on research projects, such as Equine International, and with non-profit initiatives in the environmental and cultural fields. She is writing for different magazines, including IAABC Foundation. Her major goal is to improve horse’s welfare through behaviour research and empirical practice.
Adrienne Hovey is the copy editor for the IAABC Foundation journal and the owner of 
I believe that knowledge from a wide range of disciplines fosters a more empathetic, curious, and engaging world. I am passionate about social, environmental, and minority rights issues (both human and non-human), and this has invariably led me down the road of multi-species anthropology. Perpetually curious about the world we live in, I hope to contribute towards making the world a kinder place for all of us earthlings to live on!
Beckie Wheldon is based in England, UK, and has been supporting the IAABC Foundation Journal team as a volunteer journal content editor since early 2025. She has a BSc (Hons) Animal Behaviour and Welfare, and has recently completed a MSc Clinical Animal Behaviour. With a passion for both practical and theory, Beckie is proud to be a part of the journal submission journey and support the process of applied animal behaviour information and research getting from our writers to the readers. As her full-time career, Beckie is currently part of the UK veterinary charity, PDSA, as a Learning and Development Business Partner for Veterinary, where she supports the professional development of people in their Veterinary Hospitals. Her last position was with the rescue charity, Dogs Trust, as a Canine Behavioural Welfare Manager, where she worked on embedding evidence-based behavioural welfare best practices throughout policy and practices, with both internal and external professional stakeholders, such as the police and military. With a varied background in kennels, caregiver education, and charity dog training classes, Beckie is also an accredited Animal Training Instructor (APDT UK) and an Associate Clinical Animal Behaviourist (APBC).
Erin Jones, PhD, IAABC-ADT, CDBC, CPDT-KA, CANZ-ATI, CANZ-ABC, is the Journal Director of the IAABC Foundation Journal. She holds a PhD in Human–Animal Studies, an MSc in Anthrozoology, a PG Dip in Animal Welfare, and a BSc (Hons) in Anthropology and Psychology. An international presenter, editor, writer and mentor, Erin’s writing bridges research and practice with a focus on the intersection of philosophy, ethics and dog-centered behaviour practice. She is the author of Constructing Canine Consent and co-editor of Topics in Non/Human Coexistence and numerous academic and trade journal publications.