Animal Shelter Medicine and High-Volume Intake Safety Checklist
Animal shelters present unique challenges including infectious disease management in group housing and high-volume spay-neuter programs. This checklist ensures population health management, worker safety, and compliance with ASV shelter standards.
- Industry: Veterinary
- Frequency: Daily
- Estimated Time: 25-30 minutes
- Role: Shelter Veterinarian / Shelter Manager
- Total Items: 36
Daily Intake Assessment
Assess incoming animals for infectious disease risk.
- All intake animals examined for signs of infectious disease?
- Core vaccines administered at intake before shelter housing?
- Animals with signs of URI, vomiting, or diarrhea immediately isolated?
- New intakes not housed with existing population for 7-14 day observation period?
- Legal hold periods observed before euthanasia or adoption?
- Intake medical records created for all animals?
Population Health Monitoring
Monitor population health indicators.
- Daily disease surveillance rounds: URI, diarrhea, skin disease rates logged?
- Weekly morbidity and mortality tracked against benchmarks?
- Upper respiratory infection rate below shelter benchmark (target under 10%)?
- Ringworm detection and decontamination protocol active if present?
- Parvovirus response protocol immediately activated for any suspected case?
- Average length of stay monitored - long stays increase disease risk?
Housing Sanitation
Verify housing sanitation standards.
- All animal housing cleaned and disinfected daily?
- Parvocidal disinfectant (bleach 1:32, Trifectant, Rescue) used in cat/dog areas?
- Disinfectant contact times observed before animals returned?
- Surfaces rinsed after disinfectant to prevent chemical burns?
- Staff not moving directly between sick and healthy animal areas without PPE change?
- Bedding laundered at high temperature between animals?
Shelter Worker Safety
Verify shelter worker safety measures.
- Bite and scratch protocol posted and known to all staff?
- Gloves and sturdy footwear worn during animal handling?
- All animal-handling staff offered rabies pre-exposure prophylaxis?
- Cat bite wound care protocol: wash 15 minutes soap and water, medical evaluation?
- Safe animal handling training completed for all staff?
- Animal bite injuries recorded on OSHA 300 log?
HQHVSN Spay-Neuter Program Safety
Verify high-quality high-volume spay-neuter safety.
- Surgical volume within veterinarian safe daily capacity?
- Pre-surgical fasting verified for each patient?
- TIVA or inhalant anesthesia protocol followed per species and weight?
- Continuous monitoring during all procedures?
- Post-surgical recovery monitoring until standing and ambulatory?
- Post-operative care instructions provided to adopters?
Documentation
Maintain required shelter medicine documentation.
- Individual animal medical records for all animals in shelter?
- Population health dashboard data current?
- Bite and scratch incident reports on file?
- Annual statistics (intakes, outcomes, live release rate) tracked?
- State animal shelter license current?
- Euthanasia log current per state requirements?
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Why Use This Animal Shelter Medicine and High-Volume Intake Safety Checklist?
This animal shelter medicine and high-volume intake safety checklist helps veterinary teams maintain compliance and operational excellence. Designed for shelter veterinarian / shelter manager professionals, this checklist covers 36 critical inspection points across 6 sections. Recommended frequency: daily.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the Animal Shelter Medicine and High-Volume Intake Safety Checklist cover?
This checklist covers 36 inspection items across 6 sections: Daily Intake Assessment, Population Health Monitoring, Housing Sanitation, Shelter Worker Safety, HQHVSN Spay-Neuter Program Safety, Documentation. It is designed for veterinary operations and compliance.
How often should this checklist be completed?
This checklist should be completed daily. Each completion takes approximately 25-30 minutes.
Who should use this Animal Shelter Medicine and High-Volume Intake Safety Checklist?
This checklist is designed for Shelter Veterinarian / Shelter Manager professionals in the veterinary industry. It can be used for self-assessments, team audits, and regulatory compliance documentation.
Can I download this checklist as a PDF?
Yes, this checklist is available as a free PDF download. You can also use it digitally in the POPProbe mobile app for real-time data capture, photo documentation, and automatic reporting.