Initial Medical Behavior Evaluation
ACC places ratings on animals according to the following standards. These are NOT to be taken as gospel! It’s more important to read the comments from the volunteers who actually spend quality time with these dogs and cats.
The following is a list of color codes and descriptions that ACC uses to classify an animal’s behavior. These were taken from the Behavior Designation PDF (July 2011 issue) found on the ACC website. The full PDF can be downloaded here.
GREEN animals were relaxed, easy to handle, and who showed no concerning behavior during the exam.
BLUE animals were tense and nervous but mostly still and relatively easy to handle during the exam.
YELLOW animals were nervous, actively resisted examination, and required the use of restraint equipment or techniques, but did not exhibit aggressive behaviors during the exam.
ORANGE animals required the use of restraint techniques and/or equipment and did exhibited aggressive behaviors during the exam.
RED animals exhibited severe aggression and required the use of significant restraint and/or sedation during the exam.
Placement Status Descriptions (SAFER ratings)
ACC uses placement status abbreviations and descriptions, which are defined below. These were taken from the Behavior Designation PDF (July 2011 issue) found on the ACC website. The full PDF can be downloaded here.
(N) NO BEHAVIOR RATING
(B) BEGINNER HOME: These are cats and dogs without significant concerns in their previous history, in-shelter observations, and SAFER assessments. The information available suggests that this animal is unlikely to need significant training or management and that the adopter is not likely to need specialized knowledge or experience to meet the individual animal’s needs.
(A) AVERAGE HOME: These are cats and dogs are those dogs without significant concerns in their previous history or in-shelter observations and, for dogs, who have only minor areas of concern based on the SAFER assessment observations.
(E) EXPERIENCED HOME WITH SPECIFIC COUNSELING: These are cats and dogs with some concerns in their previous history or in-shelter observations, and/or for dogs who exhibited some concerning behavior during their SAFER assessment.
(EA) EXPERIENCED HOME WITH SPECIFIC COUNSELING & NO CHILDREN: These are cats and dogs with behaviors that would preclude placement in a home with small children for safety or humane reasons.
(R) NEW HOPE PARTNER PLACEMENT ONLY: These are cats and dogs with concerns in their previous history or in-shelter observations (including a previous bite history) and/or for dogs who exhibited aggressive behavior during their SAFER assessment or could not be safely assessed. This category may also apply to animals that require training and/or behavior modification before they can be placed in a permanent home.
(NP) NOT AVAILABLE FOR PLACEMENT: Not available for placement designations may apply to those cats and dogs with serious concerns in their previous history or in-shelter observations, including severe and unpredictable aggression; a significant or damaging bite history; significant, dangerous aggression to other animals; and those who pose a significant threat to public safety.
You can read more about the behavior ratings on our Facebook page here:
https://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=283116538381555
DonnaZirkle says
Suggestions regarding admission photos. Many of the photos are beyond horrible. Dogs sitting on a bare floor, with a full cinderblock background, tethered on short leads, many looking confused and terrified.
Suggestions, I know that a huge shelter such as this one have limited time. But, when an assessor evaluates a dog, using the 3 second rule, too many animals are going to fail. First, they are terrified, lonely and confused.
And then you have to look at the videos taken by volunteers, it’s like the difference between day and night. Their assessments are likely more accurate. And each dog is generally more relaxed.
It is unfair to the animals and makes the shelter staff look like they are earning pay for doing vile things, with blatant disregard for the sanctity of life.
I would also suggest that the employees receive regular mental health screenings, due to the nature of the job. When someone participates in and is aware of the shortcomings of management and the end result ends with a cold dead animal on the floor, in a trashbag and tossed into a freezer and on to the a landfill. You can’t tell me that these people can do this day in and day out and come out unaffected. As a retired nurse with 30 years behind me, I can say that if the paid staff tell you it’s more humane, they are either lying or they are a danger to others. This is not an opinion, this is well documented fact.
Citizens need to come down on the necks of the shelter. This year, NYC/ACC is supposed to be a no kill facility and to also have 5 buildings in the area. Along with various grants, the shelter depends on the tax dollars of the public. Where are the other buildings. Where did all of that money go. How can a huge shelter like this function without a medical director for almost 3 years. How are they allowed to ignore a comptrollers report. Why were they allowed to keep, much less hire an administrator with less than a stellar record be allowed to run the department. Did alarm bells not go off when she arrived at a board meeting wearing a fur coat. And why were they allowed to hire a medical director whose field of interest is/was vivasection. And knowing that she worked with a vet in New Jersey who has been accused many times of animal cruelty and running a substandard facility. These are not good things to have on a resume’ when your job is supposed to be helping animals.
I am a simple woman, but I have common sense. I am not in NYC, but I am also not deaf or blind.