Welcome! I’m glad you’re here. If you’re exploring animal shelter consultation services, you’re in the right place.
Animal sheltering is complex. When intake pressure, staffing limitations, facility constraints, and animal health risks overlap, it can be difficult to know where to focus or which changes will have the greatest impact.
In this post, I’ll explain what an animal shelter consultant does, who benefits most from shelter consultation, and how my background shapes the support provided through Paws to Elevate.
Who needs an animal shelter consultant?
Working with a shelter medicine or operations consultant can help teams move from perpetually “putting out fires” to proactive, efficient, and sustainable shelter systems.
You may benefit from engaging a consultant if you want to:
· Improve daily workflows and staff efficiency
· Manage disease spread or respond to an outbreak
· Address a persistent or complex problem your team feels stuck on
· Invest in a renovation or new building that supports efficient operations and high-quality animal care long term
· Create or strengthen medical or behavioral care programs
· Have regular access to a shelter medicine expert for guidance and decision support
· Use your data to better understand and communicate your agency’s impact
What makes Paws to Elevate’s shelter consultation approach different?
Not all animal shelter consultants are veterinarians or board-certified, and they don’t need to be. Many bring deep operational or leadership experience in animal welfare, which is incredibly valuable.
At Paws to Elevate, our consultation services are grounded in a combination of:
· Hands-on consultative and clinical experience
· Advanced training in veterinary and shelter medicine
· Operational systems and population management expertise
· Animal shelter facility design and workflow planning knowledge
At the time of writing, Paws to Elevate is a solo practice led by Becky Stuntebeck, DVM, DABVP (Shelter Medicine)with collaboration from other professionals as needed to support specific projects.
What do “DVM” and “DABVP (Shelter Medicine)” mean?
I don’t always list my credentials, but I am proud of what they represent.
DVM Doctor of Veterinary Medicine
I completed veterinary training at the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Veterinary Medicine, which included classroom instruction, clinical rotations, and licensure exams. I became a licensed veterinarian in 2013 and maintain licensure through continuing education.
DABVP (Shelter Medicine) Board-Certified Shelter Medicine Specialist
In 2018, I completed a three-year residency and board certification process through the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners (ABVP) in Shelter Medicine.
Shelter medicine is a relatively new veterinary specialty, established in 2015, with a small but growing number of board-certified specialists worldwide.
How shelter medicine expertise strengthens animal shelter consulting
Let’s use the example of parvovirus management in shelters. Different types of expertise address different aspects of the same problem:
· Veterinary medicine: Treating the individual sick dog
· Shelter medicine: Preventing or disrupting spread through the dog population
· Shelter operations: Designing workflows and protocols that prevent parvo transmission
· Facility design: Housing, drainage, airflow, and clean-to-dirty movement
When these areas align, shelters can manage individual cases and prevent disease more effectively.
What an animal shelter consultant is not
An animal shelter consultant does not provide individual veterinary care or replace your veterinarian or leadership team.
Instead, shelter consulting focuses on systems:
· operations and workflow
· facility use and design
· disease prevention strategies
· housing and capacity planning
· program development
This systems-based approach supports animal welfare, staff wellbeing, and long-term sustainability.
Common misconceptions about animal shelter consultants
“We’re too small to need a consultant.”
Smaller shelters often benefit the most. Even small efficiency improvements can have a large impact.
“Consultants only help with new buildings.”
Many improvements come from shelter operations consultation, including workflow review, housing use, and program design not construction.
“We just need more money.”
Strong systems often help agencies stretch limited resources further and avoid costly inefficiencies.
FAQ: Animal shelter consultation
What problems can an animal shelter consultant help with?
Facility planning, workflow bottlenecks, disease prevention, cleaning protocols, housing investments, program development, staff training, and population management.
Are your services only for agencies with physical facilities?
No. Support is also available for foster-based rescues, veterinary clinics, and professionals such as architects working on animal shelter projects.
Can consulting help without renovation?
Yes. Many shelters improve outcomes through low-cost operational changes rather than construction.
Animal shelter consultation with Paws to Elevate
If your team is facing persistent challenges, planning a facility investment, or looking to improve efficiency and animal care outcomes, Paws to Elevate provides animal shelter consultation services focused on:
· Animal shelter facility design and renovation planning
· Shelter operations and workflow improvement
· Infectious disease management and prevention
Whether you’ve got a big question or just want to say hi, we’d love to hear from you.
AI Use Disclaimer
This blog post was created with the assistance of AI tools, including ChatGPT, and reviewed and edited by Becky Stuntebeck. It is provided for general informational purposes.
