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Home > Out of the Cage! > February 2010 > APO Strives for No-Kill Goal Through Teamwork, Partnerships, and Holistic Options APO Strives for No-Kill Goal Through Teamwork, Partnerships, and Holistic Options
by Alissa Pinck, Tavi & Friends Tavi & Friends, an Alliance Participating Organization (APO) that specializes in the care for animals with unique challenges, demonstrates the tremendous value of partnering with other organizations to save lives. Alissa Pinck, a Tavi volunteer, describes how this focused organization is sharing its strengths with fellow APOs, and improving the quality of many precious lives. As New York City's animal rescue community continues to work toward the no-kill goal, many APOs are collaborating on behalf of the city's animals, and focusing on specific options to help achieve this goal. One such organization is Tavi & Friends, a non-profit dedicated to improving the lives of special animals with unique challenges through public awareness, partnership and teamwork, TTouch therapy, training, rescue, and adoption. Tavi & Friends works closely with animal welfare groups, most notably Animal Care & Control of NYC (AC&C) and the Mayor's Alliance for NYC's Animals, to train staff and volunteers in gentle holistic methods in order to alleviate behavioral issues, assist with wellness, and give each animal the best chance for adoption. One technique they advocate is TTouch, through Tavi & Friends' TTouch-in-Rescue™ program. TTouch was founded over 30 years ago and has since proven highly effective on all animals — including humans! Using circular motions on the skin, TTouch works on physical, mental, and emotional levels, and is highly effective in reducing stress and fear levels, which are of major importance when working with abandoned, abused, and homeless animals.
Many animals first entering a shelter environment are scared and confused, leading to negatively perceived behaviors, like aggression, fear, or withdrawal. Unfortunately, these initial behaviors are oftentimes judged to be the animal's true personality and, as a result, they may be deemed hard to adopt. In fact, with the right training and tools, the majority of animals can be made comfortable in their surroundings, able to respond positively to socialization, basic training, and even behavior modification. Tavi & Friends offers one such option. The result is a happy, healthy animal with a better chance of finding a forever home. Tavi & Friends recently partnered with Ollie's Place, a cat adoption center in New York City managed by Mighty Mutts, an APO, to train its all-volunteer staff. Tavi & Friends Director and certified TTouch instructor, Mary Bruce, met with small groups of volunteers to explain Tavi & Friends' work. That work includes shelter-specific uses of TTouch for managing frightened and marginally socialized animals; preventing the deterioration of health and temperament that can occur during prolonged confinement; reducing stress and its influence on immunity, appetite, digestion, growth, and development; promoting socialization and trust in young animals; and facilitating the adoption process. Volunteers were first asked to assess and observe the cats, taking note of their posture, response, tolerance levels, movement, and actions as a way of understanding how to best interact with them. Each volunteer then learned several basics, from the length and speed of a TTouch session (short and slow) to the amount of pressure applied to the animal (light — just enough to move the skin).
After being instructed in the general principles of TTouch, volunteers were encouraged to work directly on the animals, using different techniques — from the Stroking to the Zigzag TTouch — based on the animal's personality and specific needs. Some, like Micho, could only handle a few moments of touch before becoming overly stimulated while others, like Sam, could be "experimented" on by all the volunteers without growing annoyed. The initial session ended with extremity work, as volunteers used TTouch techniques on the cats' ears and mouths, two especially important body parts that affect the animals' well-being and emotional health. Tavi & Friends' TTouch-in-Rescue™ program offers a great opportunity for shelters, rescue groups, and animal welfare organizations that want to influence the behavior and well-being of their animals, reduce stress and fears, increase their chances for adoption, and to simply help them feel as comfortable as possible in their environments. It also offers a wonderful opportunity for adopters and pet owners to learn some relatively easy techniques for working with their pets at home. Please consider this remarkable option for the animals in your care. You'll be amazed at how something that looks so simple can have such a profound effect. To learn more about Tavi & Friends' programs for shelters and rescue organizations, or to schedule your own volunteer or staff training, contact Mary Bruce at Tavi2@earthlink.net. For more information about Tavi & Friends, to view TTouch videos, or to adopt, visit: www.TAVIandFRIENDS.org.
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