“Organization”, a (shelter/rescue]/sanctuary) agrees to participate as a volunteer in a pilot project offered by Giving Animals Voice, (“GAV”) a nonprofit incorporated in Michigan, USA
. This Letter of Agreement outlines the objectives, scope, process, and the participants’ responsibilities.
OBJECTIVES Pilot 3 seeks to collect data relating to potential benefits of providing animal communication to animals in shelters, rescues and sanctuaries and to share the aggregated data and analysis for purposes of raising awareness of animal communication and making animal communication available to other organizations.
SCOPE Pilot 3 will include a minimum of 20 dogs; approximately 10 organizations: and approximately 10 experienced animal communicators. The organizations (a mix of shelters, rescues and sanctuaries) will identify at least 1 dog to receive animal communication, specify the topics to be addressed during the communication session, and identify the enrichment goals for the dog. The volunteer communicators will remotely communicate with the dogs and verbally convey the information received to the organization’s representative. The communicators understand that each organization retains sole discretion relating to decisions and actions about care for the dogs, and they will not offer advice or make suggestions about care.
DATA The data will consist of the organization’s REQUEST for communication; the organization’s responses to 2 SURVEYS; and the audio recording of the communication session.
PROCESS Each organization’s participation consists of 3 steps.
Step 1 – REQUEST COMMUNICATION Using any mobile device or computer, the organization logs into www.givinganimalsvoice.org to access the REQUEST and to enter information that identifies the dog and the topics/issues the organization wants to focus on during the communication session. A separate REQUEST is required for each communication session. Based on this information, GAV contacts an experienced communicator and arranges for a virtual communication session at a mutually convenient time.
Step 2 – ATTEND THE ANIMAL COMMUNICATION SESSION A GAV representative hosts the communication session via a videoconferencing meeting and attends the session to provide technical support and to ensure Pilot protocol is followed. The meeting is attended by the communicator and the organization’s designated representative (staff, volunteer or foster) who has knowledge of the dog and of the topics the organization wants to address. Because the communication is remote, the dog does not need to be in the same room as the organization’s representative. The communicator’s role is to 1) introduce herself and seek to make the dog comfortable; 2) initiate communication focusing on the topics specified in the REQUEST or by the designated representative during the session; 3) invite the dog to communicate on any other topic; 4) verbally convey all information received from the dog to the designated representative. The audio recording will be uploaded to the organization.
Step 3 – COMPLETE 2 SHORT POST SESSION SURVEYS The organization logs in to access and complete the 2 SURVEYS.
GAV’s RESPONSIBILITIES GAV agrees to 1) arrange for the virtual communication session, at no cost to the organization; 2) provide a copy of the audio recording to the organization; 3) arrange for collection, aggregation and analysis of all Pilot data; 4) share the results of the analysis with the participants and others as described above.
ORGANIZATION’S RESPONSIBILITIES Organization agrees to 1) read, sign and return this Agreement and the Code of Conduct for participants; 2) fully complete and submit the REQUEST for communication; 3) designate a representative to attend the communication session, and, if desired, to take notes during the session; 4) arrange for the representative that attended the communication to promptly complete and submit responses to SURVEY 1; 5) arrange for a person with knowledge of the dog’s behavior to complete and submit SURVEY 2; and 6) to protect the integrity of the data by refraining from asking the communicator for advice during the session, and, for the duration of the Pilot, refraining from contacting the communicator outside of the recorded session.
