Big Changes at the Valdez Animal Shelter

Chief Animal Control Officer Mike Clupper gives shelter dog Skipper a treat using newly implemented treat baskets. Photo by Allison Sayer

May 1, 2025

Allison Sayer – CRR Staff

The Valdez Animal Shelter made sweeping changes to its visitor, adoption, foster, intake, and outreach policies in early March. All these changes are meant to limit the time animals spend at the shelter and improve the wellbeing of the animals.

In recent years, it has only been possible to view animals after filling out a detailed application to adopt, and an appointment was required. Shelter staff have removed both barriers. Whether visitors are looking to adopt, foster, or simply have a short interaction with shelter animals, they are now welcome to come in whenever the shelter is open.

Copper Basin residents, who previously were not permitted to foster animals due to being outside of city limits, are now welcome to foster. A range of foster opportunities, from a “doggie day out” to “foster-to-adopt” are available.

The volunteer policy, which used to limit interacting with animals to adults, has been liberalized. Children as young as seven, accompanied by a guardian, can play with cats, puppies and other small animals. Fourteen- and fifteen-year-olds can have a little more independence with animals, and sixteen-year-olds can start walking dogs.

In addition to bringing more volunteers into the shelter, shelter staff are working to welcome back school groups. They are also planning more outreach activities at community events. Essentially, they are open to anything they can do to bring more people in and get more animals out.

Applications have been replaced with a simple questionnaire meant to determine basic compatibility- for example whether someone has children or other animals in the home. Chief Animal Control Officer Mike Clupper explained that it doesn’t matter how much money someone has or what kind of home they live in. If they’re prepared to love an animal, that bond will provide a better experience than any shelter can.

There have been some changes to dogs’ environments as well. Dog enclosures now have a smaller kennel within them so they can hide if they want to. Clupper explained that “gives the animal a choice” in its environment, and can help it to be more at ease. 

Dog enclosures used to have a glass fronts. This prevented animals from nipping any fingers, but also prevented them from smelling people who came in. This made them more anxious when people walked through. 

The shelter replaced the glass fronts with metal grating. Next to each door is a bucket of treats. Shelter animals quickly learn that when a person walks into their enclosure area, they will probably give them a treat. 

I tried it myself. I can remember walking through the shelter area years ago, with every dog barking like crazy. There was only one shelter dog in an enclosure this time. It waited quietly and attentively for me to reach into the little bucket and give it a cookie. 

Clupper shared the strategic treat technique has helped not only with animals who might bark when people walk in, but with extremely timid animals. This conditioning that “when people walk in, it’s a good thing” helps make the animals more adoptable. He admitted there is some risk of a dog nipping a person’s fingers. However, he said the benefits are worth the risk. 

Intake practices have changed, with an aim towards limiting how many animals are in the shelter at one time and how long each animal spends in the shelter. Clupper shared that shelter staff ask people surrendering animals to consider the shelter as a last resort. Can they find someone directly to take the animal? Can they wait a few more days before bringing it in? 

Clupper shared the average number of days an animal is at the Valdez Animal Shelter is down from 28 to 14. This could be due to policy changes. It also could be due to variation in the amount and adoptability of animals that come in, or a combination of both. 

The sweeping changes were inspired by a 3.5 day fellowship opportunity Clupper attended along with staff member Alissa Schaeffer. During this time, Clupper and Schaeffer learned from animal shelter medicine experts at the University of Wisconsin Shelter Medicine Program, visited animal shelters, and learned from staff at other animal shelters. Funding for the training and associated travel came from the ASPCA, at no cost to the City of Valdez.

Clupper said he was “challenged every day,” but “in a way that was respectful.” For all the practices ongoing at the shelter, the facilitators brought the conversation back to “Why?” Why are those practices in place, and are they best for the animals? 

Clupper acknowledged it was difficult and uncomfortable at first to have his practices questioned. Over time, he said he realized the facilitators’ goal was not “vindictive,” but purely to help the animals. 

For example, only City of Valdez residents had previously been allowed to foster animals. Clupper recalled when facilitators questioned the reason behind this, he told them, ‘What if they don’t bring the animal back?’ They pressed him on this, asking ‘What if they don’t?’ 

He realized it was probably the opposite of a problem if someone took an animal home from the shelter and never brought it back. 

Clupper explained that during covid-era lockdowns, visitation to the shelter decreased dramatically. Shelter staff noticed the animals became quieter and assumed they were “relaxed.” They kept a strict visitation policy in place after the lockdowns ended, thinking it was best for the animals. Clupper said he learned the subdued animals were not “relaxed.” “They were depressed!” As soon as he realized that, he said he wanted to make changes “immediately.”

Officer Clupper shared there is an additional problem the shelter is seeking solutions to avoid: well-intentioned tourists picking animals up on the highway in the Copper Basin and bringing them to the shelter. He explained that once an animal is brought through the shelter doors, shelter staff are required to take it. 

Only seven percent of animals brought in from the highway are claimed by their original owners. Pictures of animals brought in are posted on the Valdez Animal Shelter’s own Facebook Page, but city offices are not permitted to post on other social media accounts.

Shelter staff are working on a public awareness campaign for areas frequented by tourists. They hope to let them know they should leave pets they see on the highway alone, or seek owners within the immediate area. 

For more information, you can reach the City of Valdez Animal Shelter at 835-2286 or look for them on Facebook. 

The City of Valdez is a Copper River Record advertiser. This does not influence our coverage. The recent space given to animal shelter animals was donated by us and not paid for by the City of Valdez.