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It's a little early to predict how the current tariff troubles will play out. But we know with certainty that national and global financial instability will increase costs for animal shelters and rescues. At a minimum, we can expect prices of pet food, veterinary supplies, medication, cleaning supplies, and construction costs to rise. Animal shelters will have to do more with less and will face tough decisions about services, personnel, and programs. Here are six things your shelter or rescue can do now to prepare for these and other potential impacts of a global trade war.
- Talk to your suppliers. The costs of food and supplies will likely increase quickly, so many organizations will need to identify cost-savings. By talking to your suppliers for food and commonly-used items like gloves and cleaning products, you can get valuable information and advice on what to expect and how to potentially save money. The tariffs are top-of-mind for your suppliers and they'll likely welcome a chance to share their thoughts with you and help you plan. Ask your vendors about bulk discounts or more cost-effective alternatives to the products you currently purchase. Consider stocking up on commonly-used medical and cleaning supplies before prices go up.
- Go all in on foster programs. If the past few years are any indicator, we're probably going to see intakes outpace adoptions which means more crowded shelters. Foster is the safest, cheapest, and most effective tool we have to reduce the number of animals housed in kennels and prevent euthanasia for space. Offer free foster food and supplies to further incentivize people to help. Maddie's Foster Resource web page is a great starting point for starting or expanding your foster program.
- Review your budget. In most animal shelters and rescues, only two or three people have a working knowledge of the basic operations budget. Because of this, we miss substantial opportunities to save money. Gather the supervisors, managers, and leads of each operational area and review the budget together, asking them to identify possible cost-savings. In addition to this team exercise, executive leaders should take time now to plan for rising costs and determine what services, programs, and personnel are essential and areas where less expensive alternatives may be possible. For example, a shelter with a humane education coordinator may be able to repurpose that staff member to focus on animal outcomes and engage volunteers to lead the humane education initiatives. Review this list of essential animal control and shelter services created by the National Animal Control Association during the early days of the global Covid-19 pandemic for an example of how animal shelters made these determinations under the extreme risks of person-to-person contact that existed at the time.
- Invest in outcomes. Compared to animal control, intake, animal care, and veterinary care, outcomes-focused programs often have the smallest percentage of the budgetary pie. This means more money and staff are allocated to animals coming in and receiving care than getting them back home or into new homes. This is a costly mistake because foster, rescue, adoption, reunification, and volunteer programs have a high return on investment. Every animal that leaves in a timely manner represents money saved. In tough financial times, spending more on outcomes is a smart strategy. Check out the Pedigree Foundation's new Fostering Connections Toolkit for free and easy ways to get the most out of your volunteer and foster programs.
- Hire a pathway planning coordinator. It might seem counterintuitive to add a staff position at a time when tariffs may already squeeze shelter budgets, but this position will save the organization far more than it costs. That's because dogs of all sizes are staying longer in shelters and this costs shelters and rescues money. This staff position is responsible for ensuring animals keep moving through the system. They lead shelter rounds, identify key performance indicators, coordinate staff and volunteers to expedite animal flow, and create urgent pathway plans for animals with longer lengths of stay. For this position, you'll want to seek a creative problem-solver with experience managing people and projects and achieving goals.
- Leverage your competitive advantage. Purebred animals from breeders, pet stores, and online platforms are expensive. Adopted pets cost a lot less. Let adopters know about your affordable adoption fees and tell them everything that's included in their adoption fee and how much that translates to in real dollars. Sign up to join Petszel to offer free post-adoption follow-up support as an added value for adopters. As data from the American Pet Products Association shows, people are continuing to acquire new pets and it's our job to make adoption their first choice.
If you're feeling worried or discouraged, check out the 2024 national animal shelter data analysis from Shelter Animals Count. Despite all the challenges we face, animal shelters and rescues still adopted out 4,192,000 dogs and cats last year and non-live outcomes were lower than in 2023. Whatever changes tariffs bring, with some careful planning and strategy, shelters and rescues can mitigate many of the negative possible impacts.
Kristen
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