Our goal for every animal in need is to get them as quickly as possible to the right outcome, whether that involves a trip to the shelter or assistance in the community. This could look like sterilizing, vaccinating, and returning a cat to their neighborhood home; reuniting a dog with their family; or helping a foster kitten make the move to their new family. The Right Outcome, the capstone course in the Maddie’s® Million Pet Challenge Learniverse Four Rights series, is here to help you match each animal with the outcome that is right for them and make a plan to achieve it.

First, you’ll learn how weigh all possible outcomes to identify the right one—the outcome that best supports the well-being of animals, honors the connections between humans and pets, stabilizes communities, and maintains public health and safety.

Subject matter experts from the UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program will outline the most important Return to Home principles that enable us to get animals back to the homes they already have and lead you through identifying and removing barriers that can work against reunification efforts or make it harder for animals who need new homes to find them.

Finally, you’ll learn strategies for avoiding decision fatigue and promoting team clarity and consensus, so that you can make decisions with more confidence, compassion, and empathy, including determining when the right outcome for an animal is humane euthanasia to relieve suffering.

This short, self-paced online training module (SPOT mod) has been approved for 2.0 Certified Animal Welfare Administrator (CAWA) continuing education credits by The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement (AAWA) and by National Animal Care and Control Association, as well as two hours of continuing education credit until October 20, 2024 in jurisdictions that recognize RACE approval.

Right Outcome is the final course in a self-paced series that explores each of the Four Rights, an evolution of the Million Cat Challenge’s Five Key Initiatives and the foundation of Maddie’s® Million Pet Challenge. 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, to the Right Outcome.

Enroll today for free #ThankstoMaddie! The Right Place, The Right Time, The Right Care and other SPOT mods, along with cohort-style, coach-led Bootcamps, are available in the Maddie’s® Million Pet Learniverse at no cost.

Do you have comments, questions, or ideas related to the Four Rights? Join the discussion on Maddie’s Pet Forum.