After going through interview data, we created people profiles that analyzed each individuals values and needs. We also created frameworks that related individual needs to a bigger picture. Our key takeaways were:

• Values: Human connections, animal connections, engaging the community, caring, bringing happiness, making an impact, being good at their jobs

• Frustrations: Overcrowding, irresponsible owners, internal staffing concern

• Needs: More resources for facilities, responsible pet owners, improve staffing systems, overcoming burnout and compassion fatigue

We formed design goals taking into account personal stories, values, needs, and frustrations. There are many things animal shelters workers have agency over like controlling stray population, active spay/neuter programs, transferring animals to different facilities, or finding alternative funding avenues; however, one thing they can not control is other people or owners. We targeted surrenders and irresponsible owners for our design goal because the biggest frustrations stemmed from things completely out of animal shelter workers control.

Design goal: How might we reduce surrenders?

which would...

• Reduce over crowding

• Reduce animal stress

• Reduce burn out

• Reduce irresponsible ownership

Key evidence:

• 25% of dogs entered shelters due to relinquishment by owner this year

• 7% increase in population across all shelters this year

• Pet surrenders stress the system into overcrowding and other related issues

• Pet surrenders are related to the socio-economic health of the community

After studying main frustrations, systems, and key evidence, we refined our design goal.

Refined design goal: How might we make pet ownership more accessible or support struggling owners with pet care?

which would...

• Reduce over crowding

• Reduce animal stress

• Reduce burn out

• Reduce irresponsible ownership

• Reduce surrenders

Alexandra

• Food banks at pet markets or grocery store or more common places, donations can be given by customers, food close to expiration, parterships with larger companies for overstocked materials, provide special memberships to use food banks at low prices

• sponsoring pet owners, GoFundMe, matches donors to pets who need medical care

• give dog back after needed medical care at shelter instead of putting up for adoption

• lower cost vet care, more regulation on pricing and meds

• tax free pet items

• app for resources, community help, lost and found, holistic animal adoption lists

• best practice guideline for surrender counseling

• low income sponsorships, like WIC or food stamps (if adopting from local shelter and low income)

• allow fosters for temporary housing instead of having to surrender completely

• emergency hotline for support, walk through what to do in situations

• collab between pet food companies and volunteering or sponsoring low income families with pets

• seal team six, comes into home with less than conditions and make it better, ie: building fences for tied down dogs outside

• counseling from animal control

• county sponsored ubers for low income, facilties run shuttle systems like adult daycare

• public outreach and education about pet county regulations, community events w/ adoptions

• shelter can provide food and medical care but prohibit surrender unless very sick, no home, or severe abuse

• policy with mandatory spay/neuter by 2 years old unless special circumstance like show dog or mandatory genetic testing

• policy mandatory breeder must accept responsibility for dog if owner surrenders

• stricter breeding laws and licensing

Beatriz

• Higher pay for shelter workers

• Amazing facility (happy people, happy dogs)

• Subsidized food, care, vet and training

• Make everyone instantly responsible and compassionate

• Programs to optimize shelter resources (physical and personal)

• Automated dog care

• Laws to punish animal abandonment

• Scan test before adopting

• Educational app with instant support

• Instant behavioral correction (microchip, electrotherapy)

• Harsher penalty for animal cruelty

• Events for fundraising and awareness

• Food pantries ex. Students can donate pet supplies along w/ food pet owner and funding benefit

• Some passive revenue for shelters – increase pay for worker reduce need for volunteer

• Easier access to information: Give owners more power and reduce stress in the system

• Educating citizens on how they can help (instead of volunteering)

• Campaign for professionals to volunteer (Ind. engineers, strategists, social media managers, PR agencies, etc

• Counseling programs, stress relief tools, spaces and activities to control compassion fatigue between workers

Gabriella

Round 1 - Current Ideas

• Pet food bank

• Government support for people

• Do not take surrenders / make it impossible to get rid of animals

• Animal counseling for surrender

• Stricter screening for adoptions

• Animal support program for moving or sickness

• Vet care financial support

Round 2 - Pairs of Stakeholders

• Workers + owners ~ drop surrender rates education packet

• Gov + worker ~ drop in need higher termination

• Volunteer + worker ~ animals more social for adoption volunteers do more play

• Workers + owners ~ reward system for holding on to animal for longer

• Adoption pipeline to working dog workers + animals

Round 3 - Levers of Change

• Rules of the system give workers power to correct structure issues

• Negative feedback loop better structure / utilization of volunteers to reduce burden on workers

• Information flow better animal awareness

• Reward points for volunteers more time they do the more play they get gain positive feedback loop

Round 4 - Wild Ideas

• Robots to take care of feeding / cleaning

• Expands shelter

• Hire more people

• Bring army of volunteers

• Gps tag dogs so that can find dogs abandoned

• Add microchip so that lost dogs don’t go back into system

• Give dogs silly hats

• 3 months of training before adoption

• Hire social media full time

Round 5 - Different Modalities

• Doggy dates family takes home for the day

• Dog café socialization for animals and income

• Competitions for events – training and can showcase dogs

• Scavenger hunts and Sunday activities

• Dog outfits

• The barchler internet celebrity plays game

Lorena

• Crowdfunding with non-major donors (Donorbox)

• Advertise to maximize, engaging in creative and physical advertisement

• Professional pet photoshoots fundraiser

• Build strategic partnerships with local businesses or influencer advertisement

• Dog washing in exchange for donation

• Seek and maintain major donors

• Engage with nearby shelter workers and volunteers for support

• Have a pet daycare in animal shelters free of cost

• Shelters provide pet owners with food if needed

• Enforce pet owners to a training class before adopting a pet to be educated, regardless in they already own a pet

• Form a group or organization to help pet owners provide for their pets

• Provide pet owners with a base microchips when adopting

• Allow volunteers or animal shelter workers to take their pet to work

• Waive pet adoption fees during the holidays

• Reward pets when they get groomed with a bowtie, bow, or a treat

• Provide free vet care at animal shelters

• Educate interested pet adoptees prior to adopting about the cost associated with owning a pet

Individually, we reviewed our ideas from the first brainstorm, and wrote down 5 of our favorite on sticky notes. Since there are 4 team members, a total of 20 ideas were presented at our "gallery walk." As a team, we reviewed each sticky note idea. We noticed some ideas were similar so we combined them. Then we voted on our favorite 5 (pictured below).

A person will hear of this resource through outreach or word of mouth. They will download the app and sign up. Then, they will be able to enter and take what they need when they need it. If not available, locations may offer to sell products for discount. People may also engage the app or resource for educational content or volunteer run email hotline/zoom meetings.

Pet-source will be open source and volunteer run - similarly to academic organizations/clubs with elected board members and subcommittees. The intention for this solution is mainly to foster a community so the pressure of success or generating profits/productivity is mitigated. It can generate income for operation through content creation, ads, or donations. It can also generate interest in adoptions. People are allowed to join and contribute what they can to coding, drafting educational playlists, outreach events, answering questions, etc. Usually ideas like this sound really good in case studies or at the beginning stages, but end up being very hard to implement or sustain over time. Many breakdowns can already be seen like not having enough stock, people not following the honor system, barriers to entry, and other logistical issues at every step of the way. There is a lot of work and not enough reward for stakeholders. It would be interesting to see how it would all come together in reality.

The best solution to solve nuanced, social topics is extensive research to truly understand what is happening before making judgements. There is not enough interest or money in researching animal shelter worker or related topics while one semester is not enough time for our team to make any progress with the gap. We proposed a dedicated research effort. This may require extensive funding at first, but may also decrease funding needed for daily operation over time. There may also be breakdowns when trying to implement these guidelines or bad atitudes around the changes from both owners and employees.

Alexandra

• The most prevalent solution to most social issues is to foster community, mutual understanding, doing the right thing, and education. However, most of us would prefer to lay in bed and stay in our own lanes - leaving the social work to the social workers. Although the truth is: dismantling and repairing systems IS in our lanes. We, as humans, are a part of these systems. We all interact with systems and each other. It is our duty to overcome the selfish desire to rest, leisure, and only contribute to capitalism for our own survival - especially us (engineers) who indirectly develop and manufacture core systems in society.

• I was confused about the abstract concept of systems, but this class made is clearer for me.

• I also got a chance to connect with investigate a people group I did not think much about before.

Beatriz

• The most important lesson I’ve learned in this class is to be able to see specific situations and organizations as systems and to identify the stakeholders that are involved on it. Having a holistic approach instead of a step-by-step one is crucial when there’s people involved, and we must understand people’s needs and values in order to truly understand the problem we’re trying to solve.

• On the third part of this project, I understood what are leverage points and that we must always identify what they are in our systems to tackle problems efficiently. I learned how small changes at any point of a system could cause considerable changes whereas big changes might not have the most efficient impact, which is why we must take into consideration the effort vs. effect of any action we take.

Gabriella

• When thinking of solutions to complex system problems, its important to respect all discipline knowledge not just engineering as a possible solution. Initially, I thought we would come to the conclusion that an engineered solution like a new device to serve the animals their food.. However, after understanding our stakeholders and the systems they work with, it became apparent that the solution would be much more complex and not even traditionally engineer based, but it served our clients needs the best. This class made me look at stakeholders holistically and value them as such.

Lorena

• Being able to see how all the projects come together and how they relate to each other at the end is my favorite lesson leaned. Getting to know the system of pet adoption opens your mind and gives you perspective as to all the hard work that goes into successfully adopting a pet and all the situations animal shelters experience, which then makes you think not only as engineers, but as humans of all the help we can offer to animal shelters and other organizations that play a significant role in our society, but we might not think of everyday. Being able to get familiarized with the systems we were introduced to was one my goals and therefore another lesson learned as prior to this course and starting our projects that was not the case.

Team

We all feel like we’ve learned a lot in this class, and we can carry the information learned for the rest of our lives, as all the lessons can be applied to any discipline or career path we choose. Some of the biggest takeaways of this class, and project number three are:

• The importance of project management. Having a plan and being organized is crucial for successful project. Certain components of it are an art instead of a science and we must adapt as we go to maintain productivity.

• To have a holistic approach towards problem-solving, especially when there are people involved. Sometimes the most effective engineering doesn’t feel like engineering at all.

• When analyzing systems and its stakeholders, we should always get different points of views, as well as use different tools like diagrams and matrices to do so. This will give us an insight on different perspectives which will ultimately make us better understand the system overall.

• Systems can be extremely complex and difficult to solve. Having a strategy and focus on more specific events helped us overcome this.

• Understanding and emphasizing your leveraging points will point you to the right direction of the most effective solution of the problem you’re trying to solve, but it can be more complex than giving you an unique and straightforward solution.