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Level Up Your Cat Housing
Watch the Recording and Take the Self-Paced Course

Level Up Your Cat Housing:
Game-Changing Upgrades Are Within Reach

Discover innovative, proven strategies to transform your feline housing and get cats purring! With this webinar, you’ll be prepared to level up your shelter’s housing even with limited resources. UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program veterinarians Dr. Becky Stuntebeck and Dr. Denae Wagner will unveil tips and tactics for creating environments that work better for cats and for your team. From DIY cozy nooks to interactive play zones and portals, you’ll learn the how-tos of housing that puts cats at ease, supports animal health and staff safety, and encourages adoptions. You’ll also discover keys to supercharging cat care and overall welfare regardless of housing.

Don’t wait – get all the info you need to get ahead while cat population numbers are lower. Watch this webinar recording and take the self-paced course version so that you can revolutionize cat housing and care in your shelter!

BONUS – We also have a full “Portal Installation Step-By-Step” module in that same course. Now is a great time to install portals in ALL of your cages.

You’ll learn:
- How to improve your cat housing
- Setup & strategies that meet cat, staff, & shelter needs
- Double-compartment housing benefits for cats & staff
- How to install portals in your existing cages to create double-sided housing.
Powered by partnership.

This webinar is brought to you by Maddie’s Million Pet Challenge Learniverse at the UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program.

Watch On Demand at Maddie’s University

The webinar was recorded and is available on-demand now as well as a self-paced course version and “Portal Install Step-By-Step” module.

Watch the Recording and Take the Self-Paced Course
May 1, 2024
Back Where They Belong Shelter Summit
Watch on Demand at Maddie’s University

An online solution-sharing summit to get animals home faster, easier, better

February 21 & 28
9 a.m.–2 p.m. PT

Our shelters are full of dogs and cats who have been separated from their people, their home, their habitat. Animals who very well may have been living their best lives before they appeared in the corner of our kennel card.

Join us for short, solutions-focused presentations to hear how shelter team members are getting animals back where they belong faster, easier, and better… and how you can too!

Right Place

Whether it’s getting community cats back to their hangouts and caretakers or reuniting dogs and their families, we know there’s no place like home sweet home for animals and their people. Of course we want new homes for animals who need them, but sometimes we forget how easy and impactful prioritizing going home again can be.

Right Care

From reducing shelter crowding to protect animals from disease and allow your team to provide better care, to building support and positive relationships in the community, the payoff is powerful for population management and beyond. And when we go all in on return to home, we reconnect with the reason we do this work: to do our best to give each animal we meet the right outcome–in the right place.

Right Now

Ready, set, make it happen: Learn the most effective ways shelter teams are incorporating return-to-home goals into everyday processes, protocols and community programming to ensure animals spend more nights at home, not in the shelter.

Sessions & Support for Everyone

Day One

Lost animals have a ten times greater chance of returning to their home if they never leave their neighborhood. Day one includes an overview of the most leveraged field interventions that turn Lost into Found, and touches on proven proactive programming that works to prevent separation in the first place.

You’ll want to invite your field, CSAs, call center, and communication teams to this day focused on lost animal prevention and shelter diversion.

Explore Day One Sessions

Day Two

Nearly half the animals in our shelter have the potential for a positive outcome that is not adoption, but the moment an animal enters our doors their odds of returning home begin to drop. Day two will focus on programs that have proven successful in reversing this trend and pushing Return-to-Home rates to heights that rival both adoption and transfer combined.

You’ll want to invite your entire frontline staff: By working together, we can get animals out of our shelters and back where they belong.

Explore Day Two Sessions

Full Schedule

Wednesday , February 21: Before (and Instead of!) the Shelter

Day One Schedule

Note: times listed are Pacific (PT).
- 9 a.m. – Event kickoff
- 9:10 a.m. – Keynote –The Crucial Role of Return to Home in Reducing Shelter Crowding and Euthanasia Today – Dr. Kate Hurley, UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program
Block 1 9:35 a.m.–11:45 a.m.
- 9:40 a.m. – Contracts, Jurisdictions, Fees and Local Ordinance Considerations to Promote Return to Home – Cole Wakefield, Good Shepherd Humane Society
- 10:10 a.m. – Getting Cats Back Where They Belong – Laura Lampley, Pasadena Humane Society
- 10:40 a.m. – Using Technology to Improve Your Lost and Found Systems – Elkie Wills, San Diego Humane Society
- 11:10 a.m. – Panel discussion and Q&A with speakers and guests
Block 2 11:45 a.m.–2:00 p.m.
- 11:45 a.m. – Focusing on Return to Home in the Field – Cole Wakefield, Good Shepherd Humane Society
- 12:15 p.m. – Empowering Dispatch With Training, Support and Resources for the Public – Michelle George, Companions and Animals for Reform and Equity (CARE)
- 12:30 p.m. – Working With Finders to Help Get Animals Back Where They Belong – Mike Wheeler, Cabot Animal Support Services
- 12:45 p.m. – Shelter Outreach and Support Programs to Get and Keep Animals Where They Belong – Christine Kim, My Dog is My Home
- 1:15 p.m. – Panel discussion and Q&A with speakers and guests
Wednesday, February 28: At the Shelter

Day Two Schedule

Note: times listed are Pacific (PT).
- 9 a.m. – Event kickoff
- 9:10 a.m. – Keynote – The Crucial Role of Return to Home in Reducing Shelter Crowding and Euthanasia Today – Dr. Kate Hurley, UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program
Block 1 9:35 a.m.–11:45 a.m.
- 9:40 a.m. – Focusing on Return to Home at the Shelter to Get More Animals Back Where They Belong – Shyanne Schull, Washoe County Animal Services
- 10:10 a.m. – Easy Shelter Website Changes to Increase Return to Home – Tori Fugate, KC Pet Project
- 10:40 a.m. – 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
- 11:10 a.m. – Panel discussion and Q&A with speakers and guests
Block 2 11:45 a.m.–2:00 p.m.
- 11:45 a.m. – Getting Pets Home with Better Approaches to On-Pet IDs and ID/Microchip Tracing – Nina Stively, Loudoun County Animal Services
- 12:15 p.m. – Leveraging Social Media, Other Internet Resources and Volunteers to Supercharge Return to Home – Jordan Frey and Caroline Malcolm, San Diego Humane Society
- 12:45 p.m. – Removing Barriers to Get More Animals Back Where They Belong – Akisha Townsend Eaton, Companions and Animals for Reform and Equity (CARE)
- 1:15 p.m. – Panel discussion and Q&A with speakers and guests
- 1:50 p.m. – Event closing and What Found Feels Like contest winners announced
Read the Session Descriptions

Speakers/Panelists

Akisha Townsend Eaton

Chief of Policy, Environmental Justice
CARE (Companions and Animals for Reform and Equity)

12:30 p.m. Feb. 28
Removing Barriers to Get More Animals Back Where They Belong

Akisha’s Bio

Akisha brings over a decade of animal law and policy experience to her current role as Chief of Policy, Environmental Justice Division at CARE. Prior to joining CARE, she worked as a managing attorney for the Animal Legal Defense Fund and as legislative attorney and policy advisor at various other national and international animal protection organizations. Akisha is an AmeriCorps alumni and is currently an active contributor to the Black Appalachian Coalition (BLAC) as well as the legal redress, environmental justice, and economic development committees of her local NAACP chapter, which recently awarded her the Prince and Cora Mack Humanitarian Award.

Akisha has contributed to numerous publications. Her most recent chapters have appeared in the Palgrave Handbook of Animal Ethics, Career Paths in Human-Animal Interaction for Social and Behavioral Scientists and People, Pets, and Policies: Towards Community Supported Animal Sheltering. She served as a consultant editor and contributor to the Journal of Animal Ethics and associate editor for the Journal of Animal Law.

Read more about Akisha

Bobby Mann

Chief Programs Officer, St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center
Humane Rescue Alliance

10:40 a.m. Feb. 28
Making It Easy for Owners to Find and Redeem Lost Pets: Tech Tips and Communication Strategies

Bobby’s Bio

Bobby Mann is the chief programs officer for the Humane Rescue Alliance. In his role, Bobby oversees HRA’s advocacy efforts, community programs, humane education, and public pet services all with the goal of uplifting and keeping people and pets together. Bobby also oversees the WayStation program, HRA’s best-in-class animal relocation program.

With more than a decade of experience at municipal animal shelters, Bobby’s deep operational expertise, leadership, and creativity have helped change the public’s perception of the animal welfare industry.

In his most recent role for American Pets Alive! as the Maddie’s® Human Animal Support Services (HASS) pilot director, Bobby’s work focused on developing programs and protocols to implement community supported sheltering and help keep pets in homes with families who already love them.

Previously, Bobby spent more than a decade working in Sacramento animal shelters, at both the Sacramento SPCA and later at the state capital’s municipal organization, Front Street Animal Shelter.

Bobby is passionate about implementing and expanding programs that instill a people-first mindset, support youth engagement, further the inclusion of historically marginalized communities, and celebrate the love between people and pets.

Christine Kim

Founder
My Dog is My Home

12:45 p.m. Feb. 21
Shelter Outreach and Support Programs to Get and Keep Animals Where They Belong

Christine’s Bio

Christine is a macro social worker with a specialized interest in building programs and policies that recognize the power of the human-animal bond. During her time working in supportive housing, Christine became acutely aware of the barriers people experiencing homelessness with animals face when attempting to access shelter and housing services. Christine’s research and work with human-animal homeless families includes a publication in the pioneering book Animals in Social Work: Why and How They Matter (Palgrave Macmillan, 2014), an exhibition for The Animal Museum called My Dog Is My Home and the founding of the non-profit organization by the same name. She served as the first director of the NYC Mayor’s Office of Animal Welfare under Mayor Bill de Blasio, and she is the recipient of the ASPCA’s 2021 Public Service Humane Awards for her leadership at the NYC’s Mayor’s Office during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Read more about Christine

Cole Wakefield

Executive Director
Good Shepherd Humane Society

9:40 a.m. Feb. 21
Contracts, Jurisdictions, Fees and Local Ordinance Considerations to Promote Return to Home

11:45 a.m. Feb. 21
Focusing on Return to Home in the Field

Cole’s Bio

Cole Wakefield is the executive director of The Good Shepherd Humane Society in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. He works with several national organizations, including the Human Animal Support Services Project and the Humane Society of the United States, on rural issues and consults with other animal welfare agencies on management practice and program implementation. He earned his Master of Science in Management and leadership from Western Governors University and is pursuing a doctorate in strategy and innovation.

Cole holds CARE REDI: Bronze certification and serves on the Association for Animal Welfare Advancement’s DEI Council. Cole also serves on the Consultive Council of Nonprofit Leaders for Charity Navigator.

Dianne Prado

Founder and Executive Director
HEART LA

Panelist

Dianne’s Bio

Dianne Prado is the founder of Housing Equity & Advocacy Resource Team (HEART LA), a legal non-profit that helps ensure people and their pets remain together & housed. Dianne provides legal training and consulting for the Stay Housed Los Angeles (SHLA) eviction defense program, a Lecturer in Law for UCLA Law School teaching Los Angeles Housing Law and Policy, and an appointed public member of the CA Veterinary Medical Board.

Elkie Wills

Senior Director of Community Engagement
San Diego Humane Society

10:40 a.m. Feb. 21
Using Technology to Improve Your Lost and Found Systems

Elkie’s Bio

Elkie is the Senior Director of Community Engagement at the San Diego Humane Society and has been with the shelter since 2020.

In this role she leads the Community Engagement team to develop and facilitate quality programs such as community outreach, Lost and Found, Guest Relations, the Community Pet Pantry, mobile adoptions, staff training and adult and youth activities for both companion animals and wildlife.

Read more about Elkie

Kate Hurley, DVM

Director
UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program

Keynote Event Opening

9:10 a.m. Feb. 21

9:10 a.m. Feb. 28

Kate’s Bio

Dr. Hurley began her career as an animal control officer in 1989 at the Santa Cruz SPCA, a private shelter providing field and sheltering services to the community in Santa Cruz, CA. She enjoyed the job more than she ever could have imagined, especially the feeling that she was able to help people take better care of their pets as well as protecting animals every day. Becoming a veterinarian seemed a logical way to continue serving both pets and people, and after six years she left the Santa Cruz SPCA to attend the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine.

Hurley soon found she couldn’t tear herself away from shelter work, however, and after graduation from veterinary school in 1999, immediately went to work as a shelter veterinarian. Hurley loved that job too but in 2001 couldn’t resist the opportunity to return to UC Davis to become the first in the world to undertake a residency in Shelter Medicine.

Read more about Kate

Laura Lampley

Senior Director of Animal Resources and Admissions
Pasadena Humane

10:10 a.m. Feb. 21
Getting Cats Back Where They Belong

Laura’s Bio

My professional background includes working in the legal field as well as the tech space and I am especially interested in how we can harness technology to help more animals. My current work in animal welfare is focused on returning lost pets to their owners through our Animal Resource Center AND community cats to their outdoor homes through our Community Cat Program. I have spent the past 10 years helping cats in my community through TNR and improved the existing Community Cat Program at Pasadena Humane by expanding services offered and making the program more accessible to our community members.

Read more about Laura

Michelle George

Director, Community Animal CARE (CAC)
Companions and Animals for Reform and Equity (CARE)

12:15 p.m. Feb. 21
Empowering Dispatch With Training, Support, and Resources for the Public to Get Animals Back Where They Belong

Michelle’s Bio

Michelle has over 10 years of working experience in an open-intake county animal shelter with services contracted for shelter operations as well as field enforcement operations. While working in most departments within the shelter, the majority of her work experience was gained within Field Services. In the pursuit of the next opportunity or new challenge, she has been able to learn many facets (kennel, adoptions, client care, dispatch, field support, rescue through transport, and more) within animal welfare, never shying from the chance to be a source of information to anyone she meets. Awareness and empowerment are key.

When away from work, Michelle enjoys spending time with her family, pets, and friends, traveling, and shopping.

Read more about Michelle

Mike Wheeler

Director of Community Services
Cabot, Arkansas

12:30 p.m. Feb. 21
Working with Finders to Help Get Animals Back Where They Belong

Mike’s Bio

Mike Wheeler is the Director of Community Services for Cabot, Arkansas. Over the last 15 years he has been dedicated to animal welfare and public safety while reducing euthanasia and promoting responsible pet ownership in Cabot, Arkansas. Under Mike’s management of his city’s open admission shelter and animal control operations, he has fostered a culture of helping people and animals which has brought about 23 community programs that focused on improving the lives of every person and every pet in his community through strengthening the human animal bond and keeping families together. This philosophy of returning/keeping animals with their families has reduced his annual intake from 3,357 animals in 2019 to 1022 animals in 2022 with a euthanasia rate of less than 1%, counting every animal the organization touched in 2022. His belief that animal control should harbor an environment where they work with the community rather than against the community has resulted in an 87% ordinance compliance without issuing citations in 2022.

His passion for animal welfare and public policy has driven him to a position on the Executive Management Committee for the Human Animal Support Services (HASS), the Executive Board of the National Animal Care and Control Association (NACA) and the position of Treasurer (Past President), of the Arkansas State Animal Control Association (ASACA). In this capacity he helps form best practices, trains animals control officers and assists Animal Service Departments and individuals across the country to become better representatives within their communities while providing a higher standard for animal welfare and public safety in those communities. Mike’s philosophy is one that is based on continued learning in an ever-changing world. As well as learning daily from human and animal welfare leaders across this country Mike holds a Masters in Business as well as degrees in Criminal Justice and Public Administration.

Read more about Mike

Nina Stively

Director
Loudoun County Animal Services

11:45 a.m. Feb. 28
Getting Pets Home with Better Approaches to On-Pet IDs and ID/Microchip Tracing

Nina’s Bio

Nina Stively is the Director of Loudoun County Animal Services in Leesburg, Virginia. She is a Virginia Animal Control Officer, a certified Animal Welfare Administrator, a certified Expert Animal Cruelty Investigator, and has Master’s Degrees in Veterinary Science and Business Administration. Nina started out as a volunteer over 20 years ago, and now loves working to improve industry standards in animal welfare, especially in the areas of professional ethics, transport, disease management and quality of care in shelters. She lives with her human family, and an assembly of pets, both permanent and fosters.

Read more about Nina

Shyanne Schull

Director
Washoe County Regional Animal Services

9:40 a.m. Feb. 28
Focusing on Return to Home at the Shelter to Get More Animals Back Where They Belong

Shyanne’s Bio

Shyanne Schull is the director for Washoe County Regional Animal Services in Reno, Nevada. Her proactive philosophy and approach to animal welfare issues helps to drive successful programs that support the bond between pets and people. With an intake average annual intake of 13,000 animals, Washoe County Regional Animal Services boasts a 40% combined cat and dog return to owner rate over a ten- year average. The success of these programs takes collaboration, dedication, community support and a lot of hard work.

In her 23- year career in animal welfare, Shyanne has worked in a wide array of capacities: kennel worker, dispatcher, officer, shelter manager, assistant director and director. She understands the respective challenges that each division area faces and believes in forging the passion and experience from each into a constructive goal; to develop life-saving strategies for shelter diversion and to support responsible pet ownership and pet retention.

Read more about Shyanne

Tori Fugate

Chief Communications Officer
KC Pet Project

10:10 a.m. Feb. 28
Easy Shelter Website Changes to Increase Return to Home

Tori’s Bio

Tori Fugate joined the KC Pet Project team in March 2012 – shortly after the organization took over the Kansas City, MO, animal shelter in January 2012. Tori’s role with KC Pet Project has enabled her to build the organization’s brand and promote its mission from inception to what it is today. She oversees all marketing, fundraising/development, events, web management, social media, retail sales, education initiatives, and media relations, and she recently served on the design and construction committee of the KC Campus for Animal Care, Kansas City’s new animal shelter. She enjoys the opportunity to promote KC Pet Project and its pets through social media and in print, radio and television appearances on a local and national level – including People Magazine, The Dodo, CNN, CBS News, USA Today, Queer Eye, and The Rachael Ray Show.

Read more about Tori

Powered by partnership.

This event is brought to you by the Maddie’s® Million Pet Challenge Learniverse at the UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program. Scan QR code with your phone camera to register!
February 23, 2024
Legal Meets Best Practices – California Focus
Watch Recorded Webinars

The webinars you’ve been asking for!

Legal Meets Best Practices: Translating California regulations into best practices that benefit you, your shelter, and the people and animals in your community.

Join us in this two-part series as we embark on a fun, interactive journey to demystify California’s legal landscape and discover how California laws and regulations can work in harmony with shelter policy to reduce unnecessary intakes and shorten shelter stays. Webinar recordings are available on-demand at Maddie’s&reg University.

In this series, we will cut through the legalese, distill key takeaways, and provide you with practical, “what does this mean for me and my work?” guidance. If your shelter squad only ever attends one webinar series about how legal guidelines can be used to your advantage let this be the one!

At the end of this series, you’ll understand how California laws and regulations should impact and inform best practices in how your shelter approaches critical areas including:
- Improving Community Cat Programs
- Getting lost animals home fast
- Focusing intake on the neediest animals
- Knowing intake & holding period requirements
- Knowing who can do what in the shelter
Powered by partnership.

This webinar is brought to you by the Maddie’s Million Pet Challenge Learniverse at the UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program, San Francisco SPCA’s Shelter PALS program, and CalAnimals.

By sharing our diverse expertise and working together to find the intersections where California law impacts animal shelters, we’ve formulated holistic shelter practices that allow you to better leverage the law.

Watch On Demand at Maddie’s University

Both webinars will be recorded and available on-demand after the live events.

Watch Recordings
January 25, 2024
Telemedicine and Vaccine Clinics in California 2024
Telemedicine and Vaccine Clinics in California

What Shelters Need to Know About Legislative Updates for 2024

Watch the Recording and Download the Resources

The webinar you need, right when you need it!

Telemedicine and Vaccine Clinics in California

What Shelters Need to Know About Legislative Updates for 2024

We’ve got amazing news about access to care in animal shelters for 2024. Thanks to groundbreaking veterinary telemedicine and vaccine clinic legislation, your California shelter can ring in the new year with fewer restrictions around who can provide essential care and how, freeing up your team to more easily meet medical needs in the shelter or community.

Discover how your shelter can:
- Empower RVTs to take charge of vaccine clinics (even if your vet is elsewhere)
- Provide increased access to wellness care for pets in your community
- Use telemedicine to expand the veterinary care your shelter can provide, whether an animal is in foster or in the field, working with staff or contract veterinarians
- Increase access to care for underserved pets and their people and decrease unnecessary intake
- Use telemedicine to increase veterinary care for animals in the shelter
Join our experts:

This must-see webinar will set the stage for everything you do this year.

Bruce Wagman, Attorney

Lead Counsel

San Francisco SPCA

Shelter PALS Program
Cindi Delany, DVM

Director of Online Learning

Maddie’s® Million Pet Challenge

UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program

Powered by partnership.

This webinar is brought to you by the Maddie’s Million Pet Challenge Learniverse at the UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program, San Francisco SPCA’s Shelter PALS program, and CalAnimals.

By sharing our diverse expertise and working together to find the intersections where California law impacts animal shelters, we’ve formulated holistic shelter practices that allow you to better leverage the law.

Watch On Demand at Maddie’s University

Watch the webinar and download a treasure trove of associated resources, all free #ThanksToMaddie!

Watch Now!
January 24, 2024
The Future Is Four: Deep Dive Into The 4 Rights of Animal Sheltering

Click “Course Home Page” Button below to take this course hosted on
Maddie’s®️ University.

The foundation of the Million Cat Challenge rested on Five Key Initiatives, refined and adapted to shelters of every size and type throughout North America, which together represented a holistic approach that addressed the “before, during and after” for any cat at risk of shelter entry. These initiatives were proven by over 3.5 million more cat lives saved by over 1500 Challenger Shelters. Now, #ThanksToMaddie, we’re thinking bigger.

With the Maddie’s®️ Million Pet Challenge, the Five Key Initiatives of the Million Cat Challenge have expanded to include other species at risk in shelters and evolved into the Four Rights.

Within the Four Rights, every element works in concert to support one another: animals and people are treated as individuals, empowering shelter staff to make the best decisions for everyone; community safety net services are in place and flourishing; and humane care within the shelter is provided, with appropriate outcomes for the animals that do come in, allowing shelters to deliver the Right Care, in the Right Place, at the Right Time, and to the Right Outcome.

As part of the Maddie’s®️ Million Pet Challenge’s Learniverse program, subject matter experts from the UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program will discuss guiding principles that animal welfare professionals can use to make decisions, train their staff and engage the public.

December 5, 2023
The Future is Four – Overview of the 4 Rights of Animal Sheltering

Within the Four Rights, every element works in concert to support one another: animals and people are treated as individuals, empowering shelter staff to make the best decisions for everyone; community safety net services are in place and flourishing; and humane care within the shelter is provided, with appropriate outcomes for the animals that do come in, allowing shelters to deliver the Right Care, in the Right Place, at the Right Time, and to the Right Outcome.

Click “Course Home Page” Button below to take this course hosted on
Maddie’s®️ University.

December 5, 2023
MMPC Spring 2023 Shelter Summit

Watch Now on Maddie’s University

About the Summit

Topics/Tracks

Fast Tracks info

Speaker/Coach info

Spring 2023 Shelter Summit On-Demand

Learn Some New Moves and Create the Change You Want to See with the Spring 2023 Shelter Summit and Fast Tracks

In March 2023, Maddie’s® Million Pet Challenge Learniverse launched the Spring 2023 Shelter Summit and Fast Tracks with your feedback, busy schedules, and big goals in mind.

Now available on demand and at your own pace, we’ll help you learn by doing, create the change you want to see at your shelter, and go further together with your colleagues and the support of expert coaches.

#ThankstoMaddie, participation in the Shelter Summit and Fast Tracks is absolutely free and everyone is welcome!

Click “Watch Now” below to view the recorded Spring 2023 Shelter Summit at Maddie’s University.

The Shelter Summit has been pre-approved for CAWA, NACA and RACE CE credit.

Watch Now!

https://vimeo.com/807648352

Ready to make positive changes? The Fast Tracks that happened after the submit were also recorded and are available on-demand on Maddie’s University. The presentations and discussions will help you sprint from idea to implementation and ongoing improvement.

Click on the name of the Fast Track you are interested in below, and you’ll get access to all the Fast Track meetings you can watch at your own pace.

Tell your friends and shelter team about this opportunity.

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Email

About the Fast Tracks

Coordinated Care: The Secret Sauce to Ensuring Animals and People Get the Right Care in the Right Place

Learn progressive and collaborative ways of respecting all of the members of your community, especially those who come to us for supportive services. We’ll focus on ways to help pets stay in their current homes when possible and effectively reserve shelter intake for animals who really need to be in our care. We’ll discuss not only how these techniques can reduce shelter intakes, but also how this approach will set everyone up for success, including families, animals, and shelter team members.

Track Coaches:

Lead Coach: Jennifer Toussaint, Chief Animal Control Officer at the Animal Welfare League of Arlington

Co-Coach: Kelly Bremken, Veterinary Social Worker at Oregon Humane Society

Coordinated Care Fast Track Meetings, Recordings, Resources on Maddie’s University

Are You Staying Within Your Capacity for Care? (You Might Be Surprised!)

Capacity for Care (C4C) is such a wonderful place to be, yet it can feel so out of reach. What is your shelter’s capacity for care, what is it based on, and are you staying within it?

Even just understanding what C4C is can feel overwhelming, much less getting there. Need a refresher or don’t know where to start? Answer — right here!

It all starts with knowing that it is possible to stay within your capacity for care at all organizations, regardless of how animals come to you. We’ll dive into what determines your capacity, how it impacts the work you do every day and the decisions you make. Discover how you can provide the Right Care in the Right Place for people and animals AND stay within your C4C. This is your chance to learn how to get out of crisis mode, decrease overwhelm, and make it possible for your team to maximize your resources, all while ensuring your shelter is able to have the greatest impact on the people and pets in your community.

This track is the foundation for all successful shelter operations and pairs well with every other offering at this summit. Not a shelter director or manager? No problem; we invite anyone in the animal shelter space to join us on this journey!

Track Coaches:

Lead Coach: Cindy Karsten, DVM, Director of Outreach at the UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program

Co-Coach: Ivy Ruiz, Outreach Specialist at the UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program

C4C Fast Track Meetings, Recordings, Resources on Maddie’s University

Hidden Gems: How to Make Your Shelter Software Help You Work Smarter, Not Harder

Is what your shelter software has to say getting lost in translation?

Start transforming numbers and patterns in your intake and outcome reports into concrete benefits for animals and staff. Discover how to increase live release and lower length of stay based on information you already have at your fingertips.

Track Coaches:

Lead Coach: Becky Stuntebeck, DVM, Facility Design Veterinarian at the UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program

Co-Coach: Cindi Delany, DVM, Maddie’s Million Pet Challenge Director of Online Learning at UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program

Shelter Software/Data Fast Track Meetings, Recordings, Resources on Maddie’s University

Proven Barrier-Busting Strategies That Send Animals Home

Uncover hidden and not-so-hidden roadblocks that are keeping animals in the shelter, contributing to shelter team overwhelm and fatigue, and tying up precious resources. Discover how to clear the way to ensure more pets are reunited with their families or placed in new homes. Tap into opportunities to increase live outcomes and build relationships with potential partners, volunteers, fosters, and adopters in your community.

Track Coaches:

Lead Coach: Nadia Oseguera, California Program Manager at the UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program

Co-Coach: Allison Cardona, California State Director at the UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program

Barrier-Busting Fast Track Meetings, Recordings, Resources on Maddie’s University

Feeling Overwhelmed with Making Outcome Decisions? We can help!

Shelter teams are faced daily with high-stakes outcome decisions made harder by an increasingly complex and strained system. We’ll discuss some of the issues at play and help you to develop tools to remove bottlenecks to outcomes and overcome the toughest decision-making dilemmas, from adoption to euthanasia, with transparency and compassion.

Track Coaches:

Lead Coach: Chumkee Aziz, DVM, Outreach Veterinarian, at the UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program

Co-Coach: Cindi Delany, DVM, Maddie’s Million Pet Challenge Director of Online Learning at the UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program

Outcome Decisions Fast Track Meetings, Recordings, Resources on Maddie’s University

A New Opportunity – Fast Tracks

Fast Track Your Way to Change

Ready to make positive changes? The Fast Tracks listed above will help you sprint from idea to implementation and ongoing improvement.

Access the meetings, recordings, and resources in the Fast Track of your choice by clicking the button in its description.

Speakers / Coaches

Nine amazing speakers presented at the Summit and were also the coaches in the Fast Tracks after the summit.

Jennifer Toussaint

Chief of Animal Control
Animal Welfare League of Arlington

Summit/Fast Track
Coordinated Care:
The Secret Sauce to Ensuring Animals and People Get the Right Care in the Right Place

Jennifer’s Bio

Jennifer Toussaint is the Chief of animal control in Arlington County, Virginia, at the Animal Welfare League of Arlington. Jennifer has been serving Arlington County for over 10 years and accepted the Chief position in 2016.

She has expanded the animal control department’s outreach efforts in providing additional support to pet owners to enable high owner-pet retention in the community. Jennifer is a Crisis Intervention Team (CIT)-trained officer and has trained animal control and welfare professionals on a variety of topics: active listening, emergency preparedness, emotional support and service animals, animal neglect/cruelty investigations, and wildlife intake and triage.

In 2023, Jennifer was an honoree for the Leadership Center for Excellence 40 under 40 leadership award. She is a graduate of Moravian College with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Spanish.

Read more about Jennifer

Kelly Bremken

Veterinary Social Worker
Oregon Humane Society

Summit/Fast Track
Coordinated Care:
The Secret Sauce to Ensuring Animals and People Get the Right Care in the Right Place

Kelly’s Bio

Kelly Bremken is the Veterinary Social Worker with Oregon Humane Society. Kelly has a Master of Science in Social Work (MSSW) from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, with a certification in Veterinary Social Work (VSW). This program trains MSSW students in the four areas of Veterinary Social Work. Those areas are Compassion Fatigue & Conflict Management, the Link Between Human & Animal Violence, Animal Assisted Interventions, and Animal-Related Grief & Bereavement.

At Oregon Humane Society, Kelly is on the forefront of utilizing social work practice to attend to the human needs that arise at the intersection of veterinary medicine & animal welfare, and social work practice. She serves as Oregon Humane Society’s first veterinary social worker and is paving the way in the field for greater workplace wellbeing and community partnership.

Read more about Kelly

Cindy Karsten, DVM

Director of Outreach
UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program

Summit/Fast Track
Are You Staying Within Your Capacity for Care?
(You Might Be Surprised!)

Karsten’s Bio

Dr. Karsten became board certified in Shelter Medicine Practice in November, 2017. Her main areas of interest include teaching and mentoring undergraduate and veterinary students, working with shelter leaders on change management, and providing accessible, affordable veterinary care to everyone who seeks it.

Throughout her KSMP career, Dr. Karsten has helped to identify and implement best practice protocols and capacity for care models at shelters across the United States and Canada.

She also continues to work to understand her role and that of animal shelters in increasing awareness of social justice issues and implementing policies to bring about equity.

Read more about Karsten

Ivy Ruiz

Outreach Specialist
UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program

Summit/Fast Track
Are You Staying Within Your Capacity for Care? (You Might Be Surprised)

Ivy’s Bio

Ivy joined the UC Davis team as the new Outreach Specialist for the Koret Shelter Medicine Program in September 2022. Ivy has a long history in shelter care and medicine; she is a Registered Veterinary Technician who has worked in high-capacity shelters in California. She is excited to continue to serve the animals and the people by sharing her knowledge and experience gained over the years.

Ivy’s passion for animal and human welfare shines through her community engagement as a member of the Tulare County Animal Services Advisory Committee, the Communications Committee with the City of Visalia, and the SMART team, which addresses issues surrounding the homeless community.

Read more about Ivy

Becky Stuntebeck

Facility Design Veterinarian
UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program

Summit/Fast Track
Hidden Gems: How to Make Your Shelter Software Help You Work Smarter, Not Harder

Becky’s Bio

Becky joined the KSMP team as a Facility Design Veterinarian in April 2022. She obtained her DVM degree at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine in 2013. She completed a shelter medicine internship at Dane County Humane Society via the KSMP team in 2014 and a shelter medicine residency with the UW Shelter Medicine Program in 2018, achieving board certification through the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners that Fall.

Becky has also worked as a shelter veterinarian at two private shelters in Wisconsin. In addition to facility design her interests include proactive population management and infectious disease prevention in shelters, as well as building relationships with folks across the sheltering field.

Read more about Becky

Allison Cardona

California State Director
UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program

Summit/Fast Tracks
Proven Barrier-Busting Strategies That Send Animals Home

Allison’s Bio

Allison Cardona joined the Koret Shelter Medicine Program in January 2022 as California State Director. She is thrilled to serve on this esteemed team and make an impact for animals and the people who care for them. Prior to this, Allison worked for nearly five years as deputy director for the Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care and Control. In that role, she oversaw two full-service animal care centers, a communications center, public relations, adoption partners, behavior and enrichment, and volunteer programs.

Allison also served as liaison to the County’s Homeless Initiative ensuring that people experiencing homelessness have options and resources for their pets as well as participating in the County’s Anti-racism, Diversity and Inclusion Initiative, assisting with the implementation of an anti-racist policy agenda.

Read more about Allison

Nadia Oseguera

California Program Manager
UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program

Summit/Fast Track
Proven Barrier-Busting Strategies That Send Animals Home

Nadia’s Bio

Nadia Oseguera joined the Koret Shelter Medicine Program (KSMP) in September 2022 as California Program Manager. Prior to joining the KSMP, Nadia received a Bachelor of Art degree in Psychology at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Her desire to help animals combined with her profound understanding and appreciation for people’s diverse experiences and motivations encouraged her to pursue a career in animal welfare.

Nadia’s professional background in customer care and education enabled her to approach animal sheltering with compassionate communication and collaboration, open-mindedness and solution-driven problem-solving.

Read more about Nadia

Chumkee Aziz, DVM

Outreach Veterinarian
UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program

Summit/Fast Track
Feeling Overwhelmed with Making Outcome Decisions? We Can Help!

Chumkee’s Bio

Dr. Aziz grew up in Houston, Texas within a strong Bangladeshi-American community. Pet ownership and veterinary medicine were uncommon concepts growing up within her culture and it wasn’t until later in life that she was exposed to veterinary specialty medicine and eventually shelter medicine. Dr. Aziz found that shelter medicine encompassed everything she was interested in within veterinary medicine – supporting communities, championing the human-animal bond, upholding animal welfare and wellbeing, and supporting shelter colleagues and veterinary students. After completing her shelter medicine residency training with UC-Davis KSMP, Dr. Aziz worked with Austin Humane Society, the ASPCA and eventually rejoined the KSMP team in 2022 as an outreach veterinarian. Through her various positions, Dr. Aziz has been able to work with shelters across the country on mitigating infectious disease outbreaks, operating within their capacity for care, and implementing programs to keep pets with their families.

Read more about Chumkee

Cindi Delany, DVM, KPA-CTP, FFCP

Maddie’s Million Pet Challenge Director of Online Learning
UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program

Summits/Fast Tracks

Hidden Gems: How to Make Your Shelter Software Help You Work Smarter, Not Harder

Feeling Overwhelmed with Making Outcome Decisions? We Can Help!

Delany’s Bio
With an undergraduate degree in Business/Economics from UCLA and a DVM from UC Davis, Dr. Cindi Delany has practiced emergency medicine, animal shelter medicine and shelter outreach for more than 20 years.

Her focus with the Koret Shelter Medicine Program’s animal shelter outreach and industry speaking activities is on programs targeted to improve animal outcomes, provide environmental enrichment for shelter animals, explore shelter animal behavior and training, improve shelter data collection and analysis, and maximize operational efficiencies in a limited resource environment.

Dr. Delany is now taking her passion and expertise for sharing information and learnings about maximizing animal shelter success to the next level as the Maddie’s® Million Pet Challenge Director of Online Learning at the UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program.

Read more about Delany

Contact Us

Contact us at learniverse@sheltermedportal.com if you have any questions.

Contact Us

December 1, 2023
Coordinated Care: The Right Care in the Right Place

Click “Course Home Page” Button below to take this course hosted on
Maddie’s®️ University.

Learn progressive and collaborative ways of respecting all of the members of your community, especially those who come to us for supportive services. We’ll focus on ways to help pets stay in their current homes when possible and effectively reserve shelter intake for animals who really need to be in our care. We’ll discuss not only how these techniques can reduce shelter intakes, but also how this approach will set everyone up for success, including families, animals, and shelter team members.

Information on CE (Continuing Education Credits)

Each 1/2 hour session of the Spring 2023 Shelter Summit has been approved for 0.5 hours of continuing education credits through Certified Animal Welfare Administrator (CAWA) and The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement and by National Animal Care and Control Association (NACA). Each session of this Summit when viewed on demand on Maddie’s University has been approved for 0.5 hours of continuing education credit until March 27th, 2025 in jurisdictions that recognize RACE approval. Upon viewing each session and passing the session’s short quiz, you can download your RACE CE certificate and upload it to https://CEBroker.com. This is the broker used by the AAVSB to track your continuing education credits.

Fast Track meeting on-demand viewing have been approved for 1.0 hours of continuing education credits through Certified Animal Welfare Administrator (CAWA) and The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement and by National Animal Care and Control Association (NACA). RACE approval is pending for Fast Tracks but is anticipated to be available as 4.0 units for attendance of all 4 live meetings (links to claim CE will be shared with participants at the end of the series once approved by RACE). On-demand session viewing is available through RACE after completion of a short quiz on each live meeting, valid through 4/4/2025.

Please contact learniverse@sheltermedportal.com if you have any questions or concerns about this course.

December 1, 2023
Hidden Gems: How to Make Your Shelter Software Help You Work Smarter, Not Harder

Click “Course Home Page” Button below to take this course hosted on
Maddie’s®️ University.

Is what your shelter software has to say getting lost in translation?

Start transforming numbers and patterns in your intake and outcome reports into concrete benefits for animals and staff. Discover how to increase live release and lower length of stay based on information you already have at your fingertips.

Track Coaches:

Lead Coach: Becky Stuntebeck, DVM, Facility Design Veterinarian at the UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program

Co-Coach: Cindi Delany, DVM, Maddie’s Million Pet Challenge Director of Online Learning at UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program

Information on CE (Continuing Education Credits)

Each 1/2 hour session of the Spring 2023 Shelter Summit has been approved for 0.5 hours of continuing education credits through Certified Animal Welfare Administrator (CAWA) and The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement and by National Animal Care and Control Association (NACA). Each session of this Summit when viewed on demand on Maddie’s University has been approved for 0.5 hours of continuing education credit until March 27th, 2025 in jurisdictions that recognize RACE approval. Upon viewing each session and passing the session’s short quiz, you can download your RACE CE certificate and upload it to https://CEBroker.com. This is the broker used by the AAVSB to track your continuing education credits.

Fast Track meeting on-demand viewing have been approved for 1.0 hours of continuing education credits through Certified Animal Welfare Administrator (CAWA) and The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement and by National Animal Care and Control Association (NACA). RACE approval is pending for Fast Tracks but is anticipated to be available as 4.0 units for attendance of all 4 live meetings (links to claim CE will be shared with participants at the end of the series once approved by RACE). On-demand session viewing is available through RACE after completion of a short quiz on each live meeting, valid through 4/4/2025.

Please contact learniverse@sheltermedportal.com if you have any questions or concerns about this course.

December 1, 2023
Are You Staying Within Your Capacity for Care? You Might Be Surprised!

Click “Course Home Page” Button below to take this course hosted on
Maddie’s®️ University.

Capacity for Care (C4C) is such a wonderful place to be, yet it can feel so out of reach. What is your shelter’s capacity for care, what is it based on, and are you staying within it? Even just understanding what C4C is can feel overwhelming, much less getting there. Need a refresher or don’t know where to start? Answer — right here!

Information on CE (Continuing Education Credits)

Each 1/2 hour session of the Spring 2023 Shelter Summit has been approved for 0.5 hours of continuing education credits through Certified Animal Welfare Administrator (CAWA) and The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement and by National Animal Care and Control Association (NACA). Each session of this Summit when viewed on demand on Maddie’s University has been approved for 0.5 hours of continuing education credit until March 27th, 2025 in jurisdictions that recognize RACE approval. Upon viewing each session and passing the session’s short quiz, you can download your RACE CE certificate and upload it to https://CEBroker.com. This is the broker used by the AAVSB to track your continuing education credits.

Fast Track meeting on-demand viewing have been approved for 1.0 hours of continuing education credits through Certified Animal Welfare Administrator (CAWA) and The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement and by National Animal Care and Control Association (NACA). RACE approval is pending for Fast Tracks but is anticipated to be available as 4.0 units for attendance of all 4 live meetings (links to claim CE will be shared with participants at the end of the series once approved by RACE). On-demand session viewing is available through RACE after completion of a short quiz on each live meeting, valid through 4/4/2025.

Please contact learniverse@sheltermedportal.com if you have any questions or concerns about this course.

December 1, 2023