by Roxanne Hicks | Jul 28, 2026 | Adoption, Shelter Management, Shelter Reform
You did the counseling. You matched the dog. You high-fived the team when the adopter walked out the door with a leash in one hand and a folder of paperwork in the other. Then the dog disappears. Not literally, usually. But from your shelter’s perspective, that... 
by Roxanne Hicks | Jul 6, 2026 | Advocacy, Public Education, Shelter Reform
Everyone keeps sharing the good news. Save rates are up. More shelters are going no-kill. The national numbers are moving in the right direction. And if you work inside a shelter right now, you are probably reading those headlines and feeling like you are losing your... 
by Roxanne Hicks | Jun 8, 2026 | Adoption, Public Education
The first thing to understand is this: your adopted dog has no idea what is happening. They do not know if they are staying. They do not know who you are. They do not know where the food comes from, where the water is, where they are supposed to sleep, or what the... 
by Roxanne Hicks | May 25, 2026 | Adoption, Community Engagement, Public Education, Rescue Resources
8 Fixes That Actually Work A volunteer at a small dog rescue messaged me recently. She said her team is snippy, the owners are burnt out from repeating themselves, grant applications keep slipping through the cracks, and nobody can figure out why everything feels like... 
by Roxanne Hicks | May 14, 2026 | Community Engagement, Public Education, Shelter Management, Shelter Reform, Uncategorized
In animal sheltering, many phrases sound good until they hit the front counter. “Managed intake” is one of them. On paper, managed intake sounds thoughtful, humane, and organized. It suggests planning, capacity awareness, and better outcomes. And in some cases,... 
by Roxanne Hicks | Feb 19, 2026 | Advocacy, Public Education, Rescue Resources
If I had a dollar for every time someone said,“That one seems aggressive,”while pointing at a barking dog behind kennel bars… I could fund a behavior team in every municipal shelter in the country. Let’s say this clearly: Most shelter dogs are not aggressive or... 
by Roxanne Hicks | Feb 18, 2026 | Advocacy, Public Education, Shelter Reform
We need to talk about the word “damaged.” It’s used in shelter work as if it were a diagnosis. “She’s in a shelter, so something must be wrong with her.”“He’s been returned twice. Probably damaged.”“I don’t want a broken dog.” Let’s correct that narrative.... 
by Roxanne Hicks | Feb 8, 2026 | Advocacy, Public Education, Shelter Management, Shelter Reform
Transparency is one of those words that gets thrown around a lot in animal welfare. Everyone agrees it’s important. Everyone says they value it. And yet, many shelters actively avoid it. Not because they’re hiding something evil.Not because they don’t care. But... 
by Roxanne Hicks | Dec 3, 2025 | Adoption, Rescue Resources
Let’s be honest:People fail at fostering for various reasons, one of which is our failure to set expectations and onboard them effectively. We’ve all been there, grateful someone’s offering to foster, so we rush to place a dog before they change their mind. A few days... 
by Roxanne Hicks | Nov 8, 2025 | Adoption, Rescue Resources, Shelter Management
Let’s face it, adopting out animals isn’t just about finding a home. It’s about finding the right home. At our shelter, we don’t rush the process. We guide it, with intention, care, and a little matchmaking magic. Every pet that enters our building has already been...