About this episode

This episode discusses the multidimensional concept of quality of life in animal shelters, focusing on dogs, staff, and adopters.

This episode explores the multidimensional concept of quality of life (QoL) within animal shelters, emphasising its impact not only on dogs, but also on staff and adopters. Framed through a behavioural welfare lens, the discussion highlights the interdependence between canine wellbeing, human experience, and organisational outcomes. For dogs, QoL is positioned as more than the absence of distress, encompassing the presence of agency, predictability, social choice, and opportunities to engage in species-typical behaviours. The episode also addresses staff wellbeing as a critical, often overlooked component of shelter QoL. High workloads, emotional labour, and ethical stressors, particularly around euthanasia and capacity pressures, are identified as key contributors to burnout and empathic strain. The importance of psychologically informed workplace practices is emphasised, including training in behaviour, clear decision-making frameworks, and fostering a culture of support, autonomy, and reflective practice. Adopters are considered the third pillar of QoL, with a focus on setting realistic expectations and supporting successful human–dog relationships post-adoption. The…

People in this episode

Guest: Kelly Bollen

Topics covered

• quality of life
• animal shelters
• canine wellbeing
• staff wellbeing
• adoption support
• behavioural welfare

Keywords

• quality of life
• animal shelters
• canine wellbeing
• staff wellbeing
• adoption
• behavioural welfare
• emotional labour
• support
• ethical stressors

More episodes of Simplifying Shelter Behaviour

• Ep. 60 Considering a Good Death: A Hospice Approach for Animals," with Helen St. Pierre · April 22, 2026 · 54 min
• Ep. 59 Reactivity Training in the Shelter: What We've Learnt with Jess wheatcraft · April 10, 2026 · 50 min
• Ep. 57. Intergrating behaviour into shelter operations with Dr. Meghan Herron · March 12, 2026 · 1h 2m
• Ep. 56 Muzzle and Misunderstood- Improving the Perception of Muzzle Dogs in Shelter and Rescue. · February 24, 2026 · 17 min
• Ep. 55 Medical and behaviour, can we separate them? With Dr. Èlise Christensen · February 11, 2026 · 50 min
• Ep. 54 want more time, money and resources. Here where to start Behaviour edition with Leeron Liftik · January 14, 2026 · 50 min

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