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  • New Adoption Counseling Course for Shelter Staff, Volunteers, and Fosters

    New Adoption Counseling Course for Shelter Staff, Volunteers, and Fosters

    There’s a new, free self-paced course available at Maddie’s® University, and it’s all about facilitating successful adoptions!

    This course provides guidance for navigating the entire adoption process, with an emphasis on adoption counseling. The course demonstrates the general adoption counseling process and then dives into adoption counseling for pets with behavior or medical conditions. Text content is supported by videos, infographics and exercises. All videos are shareable and all infographics are available for download so you can use them in training. 

    “This course goes deep on adoption counseling for cats and dogs and spans a number of interconnected topics,” co-author Rachel Jones shares. Topics include:

    • Customizing meet and greets for individual animals and their behaviors and medical needs.
    • Order of operations when receiving inquiries through different channels
    • Using approachable language when discussing different types of behaviors and medical needs.
    • Prioritizing counseling topics.
    • Important paperwork to consider.
    • Helping potential adopters determine whether a pet is a match themselves.
    • Setting adopters up for success in the home.
    • Fostering a welcoming environment.
    • Ways to simplify your own placement processes without sacrificing quality.
    • Minor marketing tips.
    • And more.

    The Adoption Counseling course is eligible for 2.0 hours of credit from the Association for Animal Welfare Advancement (AAWA) and the National Animal Care & Control Association (NACA).

    Enroll now for free
  • Get More Animals Home with Back Where They Belong Summit Sessions and Resources, Now On-Demand

    Get More Animals Home with Back Where They Belong Summit Sessions and Resources, Now On-Demand

    Have you heard? By getting just 20% more stray dogs back home in our communities, we have the power to end unnecessary shelter euthanasia and find homes for every dog who needs one.

    Presenters from organizations across the country—municipal, non-profit, and national—came together in a mega event to share the best resources and most successful methods they’re using to reduce shelter crowding and get more dogs and cats back home. Now every short, solution-packed presentation and recommended resource is available on-demand at Maddie’s® University for free, #ThankstoMaddie!

    Pick the 25-minute sessions that speak to you. Whether you’re a field officer, frontline staff member, manager, or dedicated volunteer navigating tough decisions, topics like these will help you make a difference today:

    • The Crucial Role of Return to Home in Reducing Shelter Crowding and Euthanasia Today (Dr. Kate Hurley, UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program)
    • Contracts, Jurisdictions, Fees and Local Ordinance Considerations to Promote Return to Home (Cole Wakefield, Good Shepherd Humane Society)
    • Empowering Dispatch With Training, Support and Resources for the Public (Michelle George, Companions and Animals for Reform and Equity—CARE)
    • Working With Finders to Help Get Animals Back Where They Belong (Mike Wheeler, Cabot Animal Support Services)
    • Getting Pets Home with Better Approaches to On-Pet IDs and ID/Microchip Tracing (Nina Stively, Loudoun County Animal Services)
    • Making It Easy for Owners to Find and Redeem Lost Pets: Tech Tips and Communication Strategies – Bobby Mann and Mia Navedo-Williams, Humane Rescue Alliance
    • Using Technology to Improve Your Lost and Found Systems (Elkie Wills, San Diego Humane Society)
    • And more!

    You’ll want to share these sessions with your team and stakeholders, including city leaders and decision-makers, to get everyone on board with programming that prioritizes getting dogs and cats back to the people and homes they know and love. Every single action we take together adds up. When it comes to making things better for shelter staff and animals, plus the people who are missing dogs and cats in the community, the impact is immeasurable.

    Get on-demand solutions now
  • Webinar – 4/2/26 – Dealing with Over-the-Top Behavior: A Practical Tool-Kit – FDSA (fee applies)

    Webinar – 4/2/26 – Dealing with Over-the-Top Behavior: A Practical Tool-Kit – FDSA (fee applies)

    Over-excited, over-the-top, out-of-control… Does this sound like a dog you know?

    If so, they probably have over-arousal issues! Over-arousal can be a factor in many different behavior issues in dogs*, from hyperactivity to aggression. Teaching animals how to handle arousal can change their lives – and ours – for the better.

    *NOTE: The concepts in this webinar apply to species other than dogs, too!

    In this webinar, we will explore a range of tools for helping the over-aroused animal in your life. Topics covered include arousal and how it affects behavior, determining which “problem” behaviors relate to over-arousal (and which probably don’t), training games you can use to help the animals in your life learn to manage their arousal levels, and more.

    Whether you want to teach your dog better manners around guests or are desperately trying to avoid a repeat of that bite to the mailman, this webinar is for you!

    Presenter: Irith Bloom

    WEBSITE LINK:  https://www.fenzidogsportsacademy.com/index.php/self-study/webinars

  • Webinar – 4/16/26 – Ask Us Anything: Real-World Answers for Everyday Animal Welfare Challenges – NACA/Justice Clearinghouse

    Webinar – 4/16/26 – Ask Us Anything: Real-World Answers for Everyday Animal Welfare Challenges – NACA/Justice Clearinghouse

    Got a question? We’re ready.

    Join us for an open Q&A session designed for animal welfare professionals at every stage of their careers. Our expert panel — representing municipal agencies, nonprofits, rural programs, and large-scale operations — will tackle your toughest questions, from staffing and funding to intake, public pressure, and field enforcement. Bring your challenges, get practical solutions.

    Panelists

    Mike Wheeler, Director of Community Services for Cabot, Arkansas
    Jerrica Owen, Executive Director, National Animal Care & Control Association
    Spencer Conover, Chief Operating Officer, National Animal Care & Control Association
    Dr. Josh Fisher, Animal Services Director, City of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County

    WEBSITE LINK: https://www.justiceclearinghouse.com/webinar/ask-us-anything-real-world-answers-for-everyday-animal-welfare-challenges/

  • Webinar – 3/31/26 – More Than a Pet: Integrating the Human-Animal Bond into Ethical Social Work Practice – Center for Pet Family Well-Being

    Webinar – 3/31/26 – More Than a Pet: Integrating the Human-Animal Bond into Ethical Social Work Practice – Center for Pet Family Well-Being

    Pets play a critical role in the lives, safety, and well-being of many social work clients. In practice settings, such as housing, child welfare, aging services, behavioral health, and interpersonal violence, client decisions and outcomes are frequently influenced by their relationships with their pets. When pets are not considered, service plans may unintentionally create barriers to care, safety, and stability.

    This Social Work Month webinar is designed to inform social workers about why pets must be recognized as part of the client system. Grounded in a One Health framework, this session will examine how the human–animal bond influences client engagement, risk, and access to services, and why pet-inclusive practice is essential for ethical, effective social work.

    WEBSITE LINK:  https://tiny.utk.edu/March2026Webinar

  • Online Course – Starts 4/7/26 – Canine Social Behavior – IAABC (fee applies)

    Online Course – Starts 4/7/26 – Canine Social Behavior – IAABC (fee applies)

    This course will teach you about canine communication, play, greetings, conflict resolution behaviors, and puppy social development. Dig into the science of canine social behavior, with an emphasis on dog-to-dog social interactions. Veterinarians, behavior consultants, trainers, groomers, kennel staff, shelter workers, day care staff, pet sitters, dog walkers, and keen guardians will all benefit from this course.

    This course will help you:

    • Explain the importance of social relationships between dogs from a scientific perspective
    • Accurately interpret body language in dogs and understand how body language is linked to emotional states and communication
    • Describe and understand the stages of puppy development and how development can affect adult behaviors, including the development of problem behaviors
    • Recognize and interpret play and greeting behaviors in dogs
    • Describe the functions of conflict and reconciliation behaviors in dogs

    Duration: 5 weeks
    Instructor: Dr. Camille Ward MS, PhD, CAAB

    • Meetings are not recorded
    • Meetings take place on Tuesdays at 5pm EDT (first meeting April 14th)
    • Meetings are 1 hour in duration
    • There are 5 meetings for this course

    WEBSITE LINK: https://iaabcfoundation.org/courses/canine-social-behavior/

  • Conference – 5/11/26 to 5/13/26 – The Gathering 2026 – CARE (fee applies)

    Conference – 5/11/26 to 5/13/26 – The Gathering 2026 – CARE (fee applies)

    The Gathering is CARE’s annual multi-day conference bringing together community members, practitioners, researchers, advocates, and organizers working at the intersection of Human and Animal Well-being.

    Across three days, The Gathering creates space to examine how the Animal Welfare and Animal Protection fields have caused harm through exclusion, bias, and inequitable practices — and to collectively build pathways toward reform that honor both people and animals.

    Grounded in CARE’s core pillars — Intention, Mobilization, Peace, Education, Acknowledgment, Compassion, and Heart — this conference centers BIPOC leadership, lived experience, and community-based knowledge. Sessions move beyond theory to focus on practical tools, shared learning, and relationship-building that participants can bring back to their communities and institutions.

    The Gathering is designed for those who understand that animal welfare cannot be separated from human well-being, environmental justice, and systemic equity. Programming will reflect CARE’s four divisions:

    • Research & Development
    • Narrative & Truth Telling
    • Community Animal CARE
    • Environmental Justice & Policy

    This is not a traditional conference. It is a space for honest dialogue, accountability, healing, and action — built with accessibility, care, and community at the center.

    WEBSITE LINK: https://secure.qgiv.com/for/companionsandanimalsforreformandequity/event/thegathering4/

  • Webinar – 4/22/26 – Rethinking Retroviruses: FeLV and FIV Testing Updates – Best Friends

    Webinar – 4/22/26 – Rethinking Retroviruses: FeLV and FIV Testing Updates – Best Friends

    This session will equip shelter veterinarians and staff with the most current, evidence-based guidance on FeLV and FIV testing, interpretation, and management in the shelter setting. Participants will explore updated diagnostic recommendations, common testing challenges, and practical approaches for integrating testing into daily shelter operations. The session will also highlight strategies that support efficient population flow, informed decision-making, and strong lifesaving outcomes.

    This program has been submitted for RACE approval (but is not yet approved) for 1 hour of continuing education credit in jurisdictions which recognize RACE approval.

    Presented by: Dr. Erin Katribe, DVM, DABVP (Shelter Medicine Practice)

    National Shelter Medicine; Best Friends Animal Society

    WEBSITE LINK: https://bestfriends-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/4717437859110/WN_iRsWQsmFS4aikwy3tfGwsg

  • Online Event – First Fridays – First Fridays: AI for Animal Welfare Professionals Collaboration Calls – Outcomes for Pets Consulting

    Online Event – First Fridays – First Fridays: AI for Animal Welfare Professionals Collaboration Calls – Outcomes for Pets Consulting

    Please join us every first Friday of the month to discuss AI use in animal shelters, share new AI developments, and join your peers in discussing creative solutions to common problems.

    Meetings will occur the first Friday of each month at 11 am PST / 2 pm EST.

    Registering for this meeting will register you for the complete series.

    REGISTER NOW: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_tzBOM-0PQ6KEJp3lyAJ0fA#/registration

  • Online Event – 4/8/26 – Shelter Med LIVE from Animal Care Expo – UC Davis KSMP

    Online Event – 4/8/26 – Shelter Med LIVE from Animal Care Expo – UC Davis KSMP

    Expo FOMO? Tune in for a special April 8 edition of Shelter Med LIVE from Animal Care Expo! We’re bringing veterinarians from the conference floor to one Zoom room for a fun, fast-paced roundtable. They’ll share:

    • Sneak peeks: Top tips and takeaways from the critical topics they’re presenting.
    • Session resources: How to access information after the sessions are over or find out more if you can’t attend.
    • Pittsburgh perspectives: What vets think is important to share with their colleagues around the country.

    Whether you’re in the clinic, at home, or getting some Expo steps in, join the call so you won’t miss the chat. Can’t make it live? Register to receive a link to the recording and resources. We’ll return to our regular third Wednesday schedule in May.

    Special guests
    Click on presenter names to read about their conference sessions.

    This event has been approved for 1 hour of continuing education credit by CAWA and NACA.  Find past episodes on-demand in the UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program Shelter Learniverse, #ThanksToMaddie!

    About Shelter Med LIVE

    Shelter medicine bridges gaps in veterinary care access, ensuring animals are sterilized, vaccinated, and have the medical treatment they need before going home to the people and communities who care for them. Shelter Med LIVE is the place where vet professionals connect around what it takes to make shelter medicine happen every day—from intake triage to MacGyvering creative fixes. Every third Wednesday, join your UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program host Dr. Jenn Bennett and special guests for real talk and real solutions.

    Ask questions (or send them in ahead of time). This isn’t a lecture—it’s a conversation for everyone who wants to talk shop about shelter medicine. Kick back and recharge with your colleagues in the middle of a long week.

    WEBSITE LINK:  https://tinyurl.com/sheltermedlive

  • Webinar – 4/2/26 – Shelter Medicine Refresher and Updates 2026: Maximizing Veterinary Care in the Shelters – CalAnimals

    Webinar – 4/2/26 – Shelter Medicine Refresher and Updates 2026: Maximizing Veterinary Care in the Shelters – CalAnimals

    Presenter: Bruce Wagman, Attorney SFSPCA Shelter PALS Program

    San Francisco SPCA’s Shelter PALS program will update and summarize the types of tasks that can be done by Registered Veterinary Technicians and Veterinary Assistants in shelters, as well as those that are reserved to veterinarians, and how the team members can coordinate and work together to maximize animal health and welfare for all shelter animals.

    WEBSITE LINK:  https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_dR_FqbvNSCqZhQEEpAuV3g

  • Conference – 4/24/26 to 4/26/26 – IAABC Foundation Animal Behavior Conference 2026 – IAABC (fee applies)

    Conference – 4/24/26 to 4/26/26 – IAABC Foundation Animal Behavior Conference 2026 – IAABC (fee applies)

    Join animal welfare professionals at the 2026 IAABC Foundation Animal Behavior Conference. This conference features a dedicated Shelter Track on Saturday, April 25, with sessions on behavior assessment, welfare optimization, and enrichment strategies. Explore 40+ evidence-based sessions across species.

    WEBSITE LINK: http://iaabcfoundation.org/animal-behavior-conference/