the start of twenty twenty one was a new beginning for two local agencies that came together in the service of animal welfare in northeast Indiana.

The merging of the Allen County SPCA and Hope for Animals has created Humane Fort Wayne Humane Fort Wayne .

We love pets.

That's why for 70 years first as Allen County SPCA and Hope for animals and now united as humane for wait we've worked to promote the happiness and well-being of pets and the people who love them from adoption and pet retention to our low cost clinic to outreach and education.

Everything we do we do for pets.

We are humane.

Fort Wayne .

>> We're four people.

We're four pets.

We're for love unleased and we'll talk about our four legged friends with our two legged guests on this edition of Prime Time.

I've waited all week to say that.

>> Good evening.

I'm Bruce Haines with us from Humane Fort Wayne .

Our executive director Jessica Henry and clinic operations manager Tanya Gallow.

And we invite you to join their conversation if you have some questions or comments, just use the number that you see on the screen as we widen out and welcome everyone in.

>> There's Jessica and there's time you thank you for being here.

Thanks for having us back.

Really appreciate it.

Welcome.

>> Thank you so much.

So I'm really curious how are the animals as we said going into summer?

>> Well, how many cats and kittens do you want?

Oh oh they're great.

They're great then that's the lovely thing about animals is that they're always great right ?

They bring us such great comfort .

They're such incredible important parts of our lives.

So when you get the opportunity to work on animals every day the answer's always going to be they're great.

>> I'm assuming you're very happy place to come to work and a lot of happy noises going around.

>> Oh yes.

A lot of meowing, a lot of barking on the clinic side though they're often under anesthesia so maybe not quite as loud is that the shelter side?

>> Yeah.

And yet I'm wondering what has been the difference in your work now versus say over the last fifteen months of the pandemic?

I'm imagining four animals by themselves or that that important linkage between humans and animals on the clinical side.

>> What's it been like for you?

You definitely see that bond the importance like during a pandemic it was it was very hard for a lot of people and to see that bond and how people through that very hard times still wanted to make sure their pet was taking care of like what can I do to get in and with the restrictions that we had to play a part of , you know, social distancing, limiting appointment, the need was still there.

So to see how much owners love their pets and how they're willing to do whatever they need to do for them, you wait outside and curbside, you wait for an appointment.

>> They it was great to see that these are the lengths we go to.

What was it like for you?

>> Well, on the shelter side you mean because I get to be both at the shelter and at the clinic I get to go back and rooted in both camps here and that's the beauty of the merger is that we really are working together for the good of animals in our community.

>> But I will say on the shelter side it was also a huge challenge.

>> You saw all of those stories about people wanting to adopt pets during the pandemic and then you saw the flip side of that where people might be returning those animals because they had to go back to work.

>> So we saw all kinds of things.

But what we saw the most of was people really as Tony was saying, struggling to care for their animals, needing our pet retention services more than ever.

Our pet food bank, for example .

We used to only offer that on Saturdays.

We offered it every day during the pandemic because we knew that our fellow owners in our community really needed our help.

>> Yeah.

Did you find that you were following the nation with this surge of folks needing what seemed to be a therapy animal of any kind?

>> We did see a lot of interest in animals.

What we didn't see was an increase in our adoptions because we were limiting the number of people who who could come into the shelter.

>> So we saw our other shelters in our community.

We sort of split the number of animals being adopted because we were trying to control the influx of people.

We really practiced social distancing.

We were very serious about our own health and the health of our staff and our neighbors during the pandemics we controlled the amount of animals leaving the shelter because we control the number of people coming in well and that seems in contrast to what you would hear of shelters that would switch from in person to online dating.

>> Yes, we do some of that we did we did a lot of video.

>> We did a lot of Zoome we did a lot of Facebook live.

We were all over the Internet and hard to get the dog to use the mouse well trained and humane for I suppose that's but we did you're right we did do a lot of of Internet presentations for the shelter animals and that's also how we stayed connected to our volunteers and our supporters knowing that fewer people would come into our our buildings.

We wanted to spend a lot of time staying connected because our supporters we missed them and they missed us and we knew they miss the animals.

>> Now I want to be sure I cut myself down so we can get to the other side.

>> You mentioned it too.

What about now?

Are you seeing folks a year later returning the puppy that is now a dog?

>> We have had historically low rates of return but I would be dishonest if I said that we didn't see some uptick in that right now and we just want to remind people, you know, pet adoption we hope is for life.

We understand that that's not always the case.

>> But the beauty of our organization is that we try to help as we assist people with those issues as they crop up if there are behavioral issues in the home now, if it's somebody who just wants to go back to work and doesn't want to invest in their animal, then Humane Fort Wayne is always a safe place to return the animal and we'll find a better fit for that animal in the future.

>> Yeah.

Now let's go back to the main headline and that is the coming together of these organizations a pandemic can't slow this down.

>> How did we get to know how did we get to Humane for waiting for hope for animals and ask SPCA Yes.

>> You've always been so good at that.

>> So Tonya, I have worked together before when when I first started at the Allen County SPCA, Tonya was already there.

>> So we both have had a great tenure in animal welfare and it seemed to me at some point particularly when they're then executive director announced her resignation that this might be a good time for us to consider coming together.

We wanted to do it for the good of our supporters who are donating to each organization.

We wanted to do it for the good of the staff but most of all we wanted to do it for the benefit of animals in our community having one powerhouse organization and that served animals on the adoption side served animals on the wellness side, on the spay neuter side we knew that coming together we would be the most comprehensive animal welfare organization possibly in the state but certainly in this area.

And one way that we wanted to symbolize that we were new together was with a brand new name and we think that Humane Fort Wayne is symbolizes everything that we're about.

We really are about everything that pertains to humans and to animals and these are all complementing services adoption obviously and clinic services.

>> Let's talk a little bit about the clinic side.

What kind of specifics are offered on a daily basis?

>> So a lot a lot happens in the clinic and we offer wellness services which is comprehensive care in regards to foundational care.

So testing fully preventative heartworm preventative vaccines, getting those puppies in those kittens on a healthy journey spay and neuter side so spay neuter of cats and dogs only we do get the occasional calls if we did guinea pigs but unfortunately just kitties and dogs at the moment and of course in our community cats which is a big, big part of our program I heard an acronym so define that for TNR.

>> So to trap neuter return OK and this is to it's something about population control correct?

Correct.

So by trapping neutering we are causing a vacuum effect so we're causing whatever colony is in that certain area by spaying and neutering that colony the cats won't allow others to come into that colony so then reducing spay and neuter.

>> So yeah and this connects to something you were sharing before we went on air I think that there was a focus on the number of kittens that are with us now not because we don't care but because some things were not open to be able to write.

>> We talk about kittens season every year in animal welfare.

It's always the spring in the fall and that's when mom cats are having their litters and it's typically pretty busy time for animal shelters.

What we are seeing now is a tripling a doubling in a tripling of the number of kittens that are coming in and we believe that's directly related to the six week closure of our spay neuter side of the clinic during the pandemic.

>> And I think we talked a little bit about the if we do 50 and our surgeries a week at Humane Fort Wayne over six weeks that's three hundred cats who did not get sterilized and those three hundred cats can multiply very quickly.

You know cats can have three litters a year, Bruce and kittens can get pregnant as young as four months of age.

So it really is an exponential amount of cats that are out there having kittens.

And as adorable as these kittens are, it's a crisis when you can't find homes for all of them working in the shelter finding fosters, finding places to put all of these kittens until they can find forever homes is a stressor of unimaginable proportions.

>> I remember this was sort of considered a new program.

I think one of the last names you were on with an additional partner with Fort Wayne Animal Care and Control I think, right?

Yes.

It really taking a village if you will to to try to get your arms around the population that's going.

>> That's right.

We originally got a grant and so all it was of course three organizations at that time.

>> Right.

Hope for animals Allen County SPCA and for many animal care and control working in tandem.

All three of us to help save the lives of animals by reducing pet overpopulation.

>> Yeah, I was intrigued by something I saw on your website.

>> The staff is trained in and follows the fear free way of caring.

>> Yes, talk to me about that that that sounds like defying gravity with so many.

Yeah no we are super proud both in the shelter and the clinic side.

We offer fair free handling so basically to sum it up less as more so we really are treating our animal, giving them the space and the respect, not pushing the boundaries we want the visit to not be stressful, not cause any trauma to the Hannaman regards because it's a scary experience coming into a building that they're unsure of and it's strange.

>> So so yeah, we take a very slow approach handling them and that's the same on the shelter side.

So in shelter animals come in of course they've been surrendered by an owner or they've made a long journey here from some faraway place and so the shelter staff treats those shelter pets with that fear free model which means as Tony was saying, less is more where we give the animal the space to decompress.

We allow that animal to sort of unfurl naturally so that they don't expose even more distress in the shelter environment.

>> Yes.

Yeah, I think of other kinds of psychological advantages that that have come to light since last considering all of this.

>> You're an approved Jackson Galaxie cat positive pro shelter which is very hard to say but it seems like it's tremendously effective especially if you can have a happy cat which for some people is an oxymoron.

>> Well, again, the cats in the shelter who are the most stressed those are the ones who are hiding are the least likely to get adopted right.

>> When somebody comes to the shelter they walk in the cat colony.

They want a cat that's very social and walks among them.

>> That's less likely to happen with fearful cats the Jackson Galaxie cat positive preprogram trains these cats to respond to human interaction and we have actual trained volunteers and staff who teach these cats to jump through hoops to high five and they do all of this for rewards just like you do with dogs and suddenly those cats now when a human enters the cat colony they come out and they make themselves present and they make themselves by doing so more adaptable can can I signed mine up for summer school for you.

>> Yes.

There were you know, maybe they could do it remotely.

>> It's interesting that you say that because that's one of one of the many resources we offered him in Fort Wayne is help with that.

We do have people who call and say I want to I want to bring my cat and my cat isn't very friendly and our response to that is not sure.

Bring your cat in our responses .

>> How can we help you help your cat and those training techniques are helpful.

Well, at lest we forget you should put in a note for dogs you have a dog's playing for life also which warrants at least thirty seconds.

>> That's also a new model and again we are such a progressive shelter we are doing everything it takes to help animals be their happiest when they're with us and they're healthy and dogs playing for life allows dogs the natural environment in which to play and to choose playmates out in those play yards because dogs are pack animals and they want to have a buddy and this gives them a chance not only to have exercise but to have socialization and to help us help pair them with other adoptable animals and maybe find a home with a new buddy.

>> Got you.

Now time for the services you offer on the clinic side.

This is if my pet did not come from Humane Fort Wayne , would you still see of course my kitty.

>> My dog what are you OK?

Yes, absolutely yes.

It's a public program there anybody can bring their cat or dog for spay neuter or wellness services and you have an online pharmacy as well?

>> Yes, it's called vet source so it is on our website and any flea heartworm preventative of those sorts you can request and shelter transportation.

>> Yes.

Complete the tour.

What is that?

So we have shelter transportation so four days of the week we go to rural areas of Indiana and the surrounding borders to pick up animals from shelters and rescues who have limited resources to spay and neuter and bring those animals back to the clinic.

We spay and neuter provide the services that they need and then provide the transportation back and it's fourteen or fifteen counties.

>> We're doing that for .

So we aren't just spaying and neutering owned animals and we aren't just spaying and neutering humane Fort Wayne animals.

We're lending that same service to shelters all around the region so that they're adoptable animals can be altered prior to adoption.

>> It's a game changer.

Wow.

You know, I think about probably the hardest work that you do on the shelter side is we kidded about the dating game but how you match a family with an animal is there a step program for for that or what what what might I experience if I came to you Fort Wayne saying I think I'm in the market?

>> Well, when you come in we're going to ask you a little bit about the type of dog or cat.

But in this case we'll talk about dogs, the type of dog that you're looking for .

Tell me a little bit about what your exercise regimen are.

What are you expecting from this dog?

Do you want to couch potato?

We're probably not going to give you a young greyhound.

>> Right.

Do you want an exercise in dog?

We're not going to give you a little bulldog.

We are going to talk to you about different dogs that we have in our program and what we've seen from them through our fear free handling through dogs playing for life.

We've been able to see their personalities develop and evolve and that helps us make the match with people.

We know that this dog is very friendly with other animals or approaches the volunteers in our program in a friendly manner or we know that this dog might not be great with young children based on the way it's behaved in the shelter that's what helps us make the match and we do that through conversation.

It's not about checking off boxes.

It's not about oh you're too young to have this type of dog or whatever.

It's really about conversation and what you're expecting from the animal and what the animal can expect from you.

>> And I would think too that this is a thoughtful process.

>> Maybe I come in on day one and you say now go home and think about these things and come back on day two or three you can the car or you can adopt same day.

We know that people in many cases have been thinking about it for a long time and they're watching our website and they're waiting for a puppy or they're waiting for something and when they see that something come in they want to come in and that's why we provide all that support on the backside of the adoption because if they did take that animal home right away, they're going to need some support.

So we follow up phone calls and we lend our expertize to make sure that good match stays a great match and that support comes bilingually.

>> Yes.

Tell me about yes.

So we do offer bilingual Spanish so we are able to help a Spanish speaking fully so if you have any friend or anyone that needs assistance, please let them know that they can call us and we'll be there to assist them.

>> And again we're talking about northeast India.

Yes.

And the variety of concerns and so the services both on the clinic side but also on the shelter side are offered in Spanish and English and that's important because we want to reach as many people as we can because we know that how integral pets are in people's lives.

>> By the way, when you get an opportunity to visit Humane F.W.

Dog that's the website you may bump into a program that apparently was a Bright Ideas award winner from Michigan Humane Samms for grammes.

>> This was again with something going on with you during the pandemic but you found some a creative way of retaining a bond between an animal and its owner.

>> Yes.

So part of our retention involves visiting nursing homes and skilled facilities and we met a cat owner cat lover through that process and unfortunately she had to surrender her cat when she moved into the nursing home and it was such a painful decision for her to do that that one of our volunteers thought, you know what?

What if we invested in one mechanical cat for her just to pet to be able to simulate that bond that she had with her samey cat, hence the name Sam and so Sammy Cat was sort of I don't want to say replace because he was irreplaceable but substituted with a mechanical cat and it meant everything about Ijo who was Sammy's owner and she has that mechanical cat to this day.

>> So we grew that program especially during the pandemic when people in nursing homes couldn't residents couldn't have visitors at all.

Right.

So that created that bond with with a pet but also gave a lot of comfort during some really lonely days.

>> Yeah, we have some exciting summer days coming and I understand that when we feel the need to sit down and admire those days you have you're going to meet me with a love seat so so this is kind of a scoop you're getting the scoop here tonight because we've only sort of been hinting at the love Seats Project.

>> It is a public art campaign not unlike the Mastodon project of decades go you might remember that these love seats are individually painted by twenty five area artists.

>> They will be placed strategically around downtown Fort Wayne and you can look for them sort of on a scavenger hunt style.

You'll see one on the screen now and that was the one that was commissioned by the presenter of our Love Seats Project and that's Bob Aumann Subaru of Fort Wayne.

>> So a little Subaru emblem.

They're that was painted by Madeleine Phuong.

You see her there with her two little dogs and so Madeline and twenty four other artists have brought these love seats to life and each love seat contains a factoid or something about humaine Fort Wayne or animal welfare that people might not know so it's a teaching tool as well.

>> So we're gearing this towards families and young people and everybody who loves art.

>> So it's a big cross section and we have some time lapse video of the artist putting the final touches on if we can be sharing that because this is somebody who's either been overly caffeinated and highly inspired.

>> But nevertheless as she continues on her her efforts, the public will get to see these unveiled I believe in July.

>> That's right.

July 17th, which is the last Saturday of the Thrivers Festival.

We are going to unveil these at Fryman Square just in time for the fireworks as a part of children's festival and there's an accompanying program that will come out with this that will help young people sort of use that scavenger hunt to find interesting things about the love sites all over downtown.

>> What a great way to be outside in the summer and to appreciate art and to learn about the work of Mean Fort Wayne .

>> And as summer becomes fall, it may be a quick word with more detail online.

>> Project Runway is in its seventh year.

That's right.

And Project Runway is a creative grooming competition where groomer's from across the region compete against one another in the art of creative grooming.

So this is where you turn dogs into works of art.

And speaking of art, any of the leftover seats will be available for auction that night at Project Runway.

So it's all about art.

It's all about animals.

>> It's all about life saving that and it's all again online humaine F.W.

óg, I want to ask you this.

>> You had said that humaine Fort Wayne is the future of animal welfare.

>> Let me ask each of you what does that future look like for me the future of animal welfare is not going to be in connecting people with pets.

It's going to be in helping people keep the bond with the pets they already have through pet retention, through spaying and neutering, through wellness, through services like that.

We want to help animals stay right where they belong.

>> How about for you?

I would piggyback Jessica absolutely.

I had seen those bonds between our community and their pets.

I've seen those pets happy, healthy, providing services, you know, feeling feeling great about them, trusting us and giving us a call when they need pet food or you know, their pet needs bought.

So can I come in real quick for a vaccine and be that liaison for our community and whatever they may need?

>> And we know that there will always be a need for shelters.

There will always be homeless animals in this community and we want to provide those services as well.

>> But we also want to be that that help preserve that bond between pets right people and had promises seems to be getting kind of an umbrella wait maybe a couple of moments on the the diversity of things underneath that that banner.

>> Yes.

So Pet Promises is weekly pet food bank Pet Promises is a quarterly vaccine clinic.

>> It is in-home services visiting the elderly like I've already touched on it is compassion foster for the animals of people who are in personal crisis house fires, domestic violence victims, people who need to seek long term or longer term medical care.

We don't want those people to be separated from their animals indefinitely.

We offer compassionate foster for those animals.

We take in strays, we take in neonates.

>> There's really if it if it deals with animals humane Fort Wayne deals with it.

Yes.

And they all just the animals know well certainly animal owners should know how to contact you but if nothing else maybe you know last week tell my owner to call Tonya.

>> I have a problem.

It is a pleasure to meet you.

Thank you.

Thank you so much for taking time.

Tonya Gallo is the clinic operations manager at Jessica Henry is the executive director of All Things Humane Fort Wayne again you can find out more about the organization and here it comes humane F.W.

Orig is a great way to go and I believe we have in additional we actually do and there it is the shelter and the clinic phone numbers if you'd like to follow up on those are also available online.

Ladies, thank you so much for your time.

Continued success this summer and beyond.

>> Thanks for always loving animals and always having this on Scout's honor and thank you very much.

>> Thank you for watching as well for all of us with prime time I'm Brucey and take care and we'll see you again soon.

Goodnight