Shelter Learniverse

Online Event - 11/5/24 - All Call: Integrating Social Work Into Shelters - California for All Animals
2024-11-05 12:00 - 13:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Virtual
Join your colleagues at noon on November 5 for a conversation with veterinary social worker Raquel Bernaldo, Friends of the Alameda Animal Shelter (FAAS) Community Services Manager, and Deja Johnson, FAAS Community Services Lead. Submit your questions for Raquel and Deja in advance.
About the presentation: At Friends of the Alameda Animal Shelter (FAAS), we are an open-admission shelter and a community resource dedicated to keeping pets and people together. Our presentation will explore FAAS’s Healthy Pets Healthy People programs and our shift from traditional charity models to mutual aid, where we focus on trust, community partnerships, and recognizing pet owners as the experts on their animals. Programs include free pet food, no-cost vaccines, the Skyla Fund for veterinary assistance, spay/neuter vouchers, microchipping, and up to 90 days of emergency boarding.
Mutual aid moves beyond charity’s limitations by eliminating conditions like income verification, fees, adherence to timeliness, etc. and focusing on building connection, trust, and safety. We’ve redefined volunteer roles, differentiating between the shelter’s animal care expertise and our department’s role in supporting pet owners. This shift required intentional work to reestablish leadership, align programs, and build collaborative partnerships with local businesses, veterinary clinics, grooming services, and social service providers.
The presentation will feature a conversational dialogue, supported by slides, to illustrate how FAAS has created a sustainable, humane model for community-based animal welfare.
About the All Call: The All Call is a twice-monthly, California community call for animal well-being professionals that occurs on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday. The one-hour call is a dedicated space to share and learn from each other. Popular topics include initiatives that create a more inclusive culture for both staff and community, programs that keep pets with their people, industry trends, research studies, as well as the hard stuff, like what’s not working or what is particularly difficult during times of scarcity. The call is a mix of presentations, storytelling, open discussion, and Q&A time.
The All Call is hosted by California for All team members Allison Cardona, Nadia Oseguera, and Ivy Ruiz, and is enriched by rotating facilitators. You only need to register one time. Calls are sometimes recorded; recap emails with supplemental resources are sent post-call.
Register here: https://tinyurl.com/all-call

Online Event - 11/7/24 - Maddie's Monthly Foster Connection: Long Stay Pet Workshop - Maddie's Fund
2024-11-07 12:00 - 13:00
With every shelter stuffed to bursting, finding fosters and adopters is crucial. For some pets this is simple, but others are harder to place. In this workshop, we’ll discuss your favorite long stay pets to identify strategies for marketing them to fosters and adopters. This workshop is not just for foster staff– it’s open to anyone who is interested in marketing pets who are harder to place!
Make sure to bring information about your own favorite or most challenging long stay. We’ll choose several and work through them together, discussing what works, what doesn’t work and some innovative new ways that can get extra attention and help them find the right home. We’ll discuss how we talk about behavioral and health challenges in bios and social media and discuss the optimal ways to be frank about issues while also not deterring potential adopters. We’ll look at different social media channels and how to optimize content about those pets for those channels to get the message across and help these pets put their best paw forward. Be prepared for a fun, frank and useful webinar with a lot of workshopping and participation!
Guest Speaker: Finnegan Dowling, Shelter Program and Engagement Manager
Finnegan Dowling is Mutual Rescue’s Shelter Engagement Manager. She has been in animal welfare for more than 25 years and has worked in shelters in Washington, Colorado, California, and Nicaragua. Prior to working for Mutual Rescue, she was the social-media manager for HSSV where her work was honored with Shorty and Communicator Awards. Finnegan’s writing has been published in The Bark, Bay Woof, and Huffington Post. In her current role she works with shelters around the country to help them start day foster programs. She often presents on day fostering and marketing at animal welfare conferences. She has spoken at Best Friends, Virginia Federation of Humane Societies, New Mexico Humane Conference and many others. She lives in coastal Texas with an opinionated dog and her husband.
About Maddie’s Monthly Foster Connection:
Join us on the first Thursday of every month to discuss successful foster innovations and programs, collaborate with others in the field, answer questions and talk through complex foster-related issues.
Who should join: Foster managers, coordinators, volunteers and any staff who are interested in learning about what’s working in foster programs.
You only need to register once for all meetings: https://maddies.fund/MonthlyFosterRegistration
Can’t attend live? Register anyway and you will get a link to the recording within a day or two after each meeting.
All recordings and resources shared during the webcast will also be available in the Maddie’s Monthly Foster Connection group on Maddie’s Pet Forum https://maddies.fund/monthlyfosterconnectionMPF
Maddie’s Fund does not share registration information.
The opinions expressed by webinar presenters are their own and do not necessarily represent those of Maddie’s Fund.
WEBSITE LINK: https://maddies.fund/MonthlyFosterRegistration

Online Event - 11/13/24 - Camp Maddie: Pet-Inclusive Housing Edition - Maddie's Fund
2024-11-13 09:00 - 13:00
Camp Maddie is back! Join us for the third edition of Camp Maddie, a free virtual half-day event on Wednesday, November 13th from 9AM-1PM PT / 12PM-4PM ET.
Across the country, many people face tough choices due to housing restrictions, often having to give up their pets. At Camp Maddie: Pet-Inclusive Housing Edition, we will cover a variety of topics related to pet housing in presentations, videos and question and answer sessions.
Presenters will share ideas about:

Understanding human homelessness response systems for better animal welfare advocacy and program design
Dog-inclusive housing
Legal protections for tenants with pets and the eviction process
Engaging rental housing providers with pet-inclusive approaches and pet owners with information they need to access pet-inclusive rental housing

Presenting on these topics will be:

Christine Kim, Founder, My Dog is My Home
Shannon Glenn, Executive Director, My Pit Bull is Home
Dianne Prado, Founder and President, HEART LA
Diana Cruz, Program Director and Law Clerk, HEART LA
Zaira Bernal, Paralegal, HEART LA
Ross Barker, Program Director for the Pet-Inclusive Housing Initiative (PIHI), Michelson Found Animals Foundation
Sara Maria Muriello, Senior Program Manager for the Pet-Inclusive Housing Initiative (PIHI), Michelson Found Animals Foundation

Camp Maddie: Pet-Inclusive Housing Edition is perfect for those interested or involved in animal shelters or foster-based organizations, social workers and anyone passionate about keeping pets and people together.
At the end of the free half-day event, presenters will share a collection of resources to help you apply what you learn in your own organization and community. By embracing pet-inclusive policies, we can help families stay together and create neighborhoods where pets are valued as part of the family. Come make new friends and help make housing accessible to all members of the family!
REGISTER HERE: https://maddies.fund/CampMaddieHousingRegistration
Can’t make it? Register anyway to get notifications about the recordings.
Find out more about the speakers and their presentations on Maddie’s Pet Forum: https://forum.maddiesfund.org/campmaddiepetinclusivehousing#agenda
WEBSITE LINK: https://maddies.fund/CampMaddieHousingRegistration

Online Event - 1st Tuesdays - All Call - California for All Animals
2024-11-16 12:00 - 13:00, 2024-12-16 12:00 - 13:00, 2025-01-16 12:00 - 13:00, 2025-02-16 12:00 - 13:00
The All Call is a twice-monthly, California community call for animal well-being professionals. The one-hour call is a dedicated space to share and learn from each other. Popular topics include initiatives that create a more inclusive culture for both staff and community, programs that keep pets with their people, industry trends, research studies, as well as the hard stuff, like what’s not working or what is particularly difficult during times of scarcity. The call is a mix of presentations, storytelling, open discussion, and Q&A time.
The All Call is hosted by the California for All Animals team, Nadia Oseguera-Ramón, Ivy Ruiz, and Allison Cardona. You only need to register one time. Calls are sometimes recorded; recap emails with supplemental resources are sent post-call. Find past call resources and recordings, including the recent Multicultural Engagement Community of Practice series, at the Cal for All Animals website.
Register here: https://tinyurl.com/all-call

Online Event - 11/19/24 - All Call: Exploring Promising Systems to Support People and Pets - California for All Animals
2024-11-19 12:00 - 13:00
At the next All Call on November 19, we’ll explore how we can integrate public health models into our work. Rachel Rae Williams will lead us in discovering and applying promising systems designed to achieve health equity in order to design programming that prioritizes the well-being of people, pets, and the planet.
All levels of learners and leaders are welcome!
Learning Outcomes:

Explore the intersection of human and animal wellbeing
Participants will receive resources and instruction to design, implement and expand sustainable programming to support people and pets

About the All Call
The All Call is a twice-monthly, California community call for animal well-being professionals that occurs on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday. The one-hour call is a dedicated space to share and learn from each other. Popular topics include initiatives that create a more inclusive culture for both staff and community, programs that keep pets with their people, industry trends, research studies, as well as the hard stuff, like what’s not working or what is particularly difficult during times of scarcity. The call is a mix of presentations, storytelling, open discussion, and Q&A time.
The All Call is hosted by the California for All Animals team, Nadia Oseguera-Ramón, Ivy Ruiz, and Allison Cardona. You only need to register one time. Calls are sometimes recorded; recap emails with supplemental resources are sent post-call.
Register here: https://tinyurl.com/all-call

Online Event - 11/21/24 - Maddie's Monthly Behavior Connection - Dog-Dog Matchmaking: Setting Adopters and Their Dogs Up for Success - Maddie's Fund
2024-11-21 12:00 - 12:50
Conducting dog meets for adopters and their resident dogs can feel stressful and full of pressure. What if it doesn’t go well? How can I tell if they actually like each other? What do they do when they get home?
All of these questions and more will be answered during this session! From quick body language cues, to tips and tricks for integration, to having tough conversations – maybe the dog they chose isn’t a good fit! – Sam will guide you through the do’s and don’ts to help you get more comfortable and have more success in dog to dog matchmaking.
Guest Speaker: Sam Wolfman, Certified Professional Dog Trainer, Animal Welfare League of Arlington
Register here: https://maddies.fund/MonthlyBehaviorRegistration
About Maddie’s Monthly Behavior Connection:
Join us on the fourth Thursday of every month as we talk about dog and cat behavior – supporting pets in our community and animal shelters. Each month, we hear from speakers about topics of interest to our group, such as behavior medications, modifying animal behavior, assessing and improving animal welfare, and how organizations successfully provide behavior support to dogs and cats. Webcasts hosted by Board-Certified Veterinary Behaviorist, Dr. Sheila Segurson
All recordings and resources shared during the webcast will also be available on the Maddie’s Monthly Behavior Connection page in Maddie’s Pet Forum – https://maddies.fund/monthlybehaviorconnectionMPF
WEBSITE LINK: https://maddies.fund/MonthlyBehaviorRegistration

Online Event - Fourth Thursdays - Maddie's Monthly Behavior Connection - Maddie's Fund
2024-11-28 12:00 - 13:00, 2024-12-28 12:00 - 13:00, 2025-01-28 12:00 - 13:00
Join us on the fourth Thursday of every month as we talk about dog and cat behavior – supporting pets in our community and animal shelters. Each month, we hear from speakers about topics of interest to our group, such as behavior medications, modifying animal behavior, assessing and improving animal welfare, and how organizations successfully provide behavior support to dogs and cats.
Who should join: Animal welfare staff and volunteers who are interested in dog and cat behavior, and everyone who works to keep pets out of shelters and in homes.
You only need to register once for all meetings: https://maddies.fund/MonthlyBehaviorRegistration
Can’t attend live? Register anyway and you will get a link to the recording within a day or two after each meeting.
All recordings and resources shared during the webcast will also be available in the Maddie’s Monthly Behavior Connection group on Maddie’s Pet Forum – https://maddies.fund/monthlybehaviorconnectionMPF
Maddie’s Fund does not share registration information.
The opinions expressed by webinar presenters are their own and do not necessarily represent those of Maddie’s Fund.
WEBSITE LINK: https://maddies.fund/MonthlyBehaviorRegistration

Online Event - 12/3/24 - All Call: Fighting Hunger with Pet Food Pantries and Community Collaboration - California for All Animals
2024-12-03 12:00 - 13:00
At 12 p.m. PT on December 3, join Jorge Delgado and Cel Jimenez from the Humane Society of Sonoma County for our last All Call of the year. They will discuss their Community Action Team initiatives, including how they sustain their pet food pantry, engage human services agencies, and more!
Pet food pantries are becoming part of animal shelter community programming to prevent animal surrenders and help people in need feed their pet companions. Although these pantries provide much-needed relief for the community, sustaining them long-term is challenging and stressful due to the lack of support from hunger relief organizations like food banks. It is time to raise awareness regarding pets’ food insecurity and advocate for our pet’s guardians in need. Please join us to discuss strategies to build a sustainable pet food pantry and how to create support among food banks and pet food pantries to fight hunger in our communities.
About the All Call
The All Call is a twice-monthly, California community call for animal well-being professionals that occurs on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday. The one-hour call is a dedicated space to share and learn from each other. Popular topics include initiatives that create a more inclusive culture for both staff and community, programs that keep pets with their people, industry trends, research studies, as well as the hard stuff, like what’s not working or what is particularly difficult during times of scarcity. The call is a mix of presentations, storytelling, open discussion, and Q&A time.
The All Call is hosted by the California for All Animals team, Nadia Oseguera-Ramón, Ivy Ruiz, and Allison Cardona. You only need to register one time. Calls are sometimes recorded; recap emails with supplemental resources are sent post-call.
Register here: https://tinyurl.com/all-call

Online Event – 12/5/24 – Live from the Ranch: Ken Ramirez and Melissa Taylor – Karen Pryor Academy
2024-12-05 13:00 - 14:00
Join Ken Ramirez and Melissa Taylor on the next episode!
WEBSITE LINK: https://theranch.clickertraining.com/live/#next

Online Event – 12/7/24 – Neighborhood Cats TNR Certification Workshop – Community Cats Podcast (small fee applies)
2024-12-07 11:00 - 13:30
Are you ready to be part of the solution for feral and stray cats in your neighborhood? Our expert instructors will teach you best practices for Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) and colony management. Learn what TNR is and why it works. We’ll cover getting along with neighbors, preparations for trapping, trapping itself (including entire colonies at once), feeding, providing winter shelter, and more. Take advantage of the interactive format, extensive handouts, and video footage of actual projects. Attendees will receive a certificate of attendance and gain access to an ongoing Facebook group for networking with other TNR activists. Instructed by Susan Richmond, executive director, and Bryan Kortis, national programs director.
Session duration is 2.5 hours, followed by an optional 15-minute Q&A session.
This course/webinar/series/conference has been approved for Continuing Educational Units by the National Animal Care & Control Association (NACA). National certificate holders can submit for credit consistent with the NACA CEU policy located https://nacatraining.org/continuing-education-recertification/
WEBSITE LINK: https://www.communitycatspodcast.com/events/the-neighborhood-cats-tnr-certification-workshop-dec-2024/

Online Event - Monthly - Journey You Own Meditation Gathering - JYO
2024-12-11 17:00 - 17:45, 2025-01-08 17:00 - 17:45, 2025-02-12 17:00 - 17:45
Create a shared, supportive space to explore grounding practices.
The guided meditations happen every month and typically run 30-45 minutes. All are welcome to these very low-key sessions, with videos on or off, whatever feels most comfortable to you. No speaking is necessary unless you’d like to share at the end of the session.
Attendees register once and can attend any of the monthly meditation dates. Don’t forget to add the dates to your calendar to ensure you don’t miss out on any sessions.

About the Host
Jyothi Robertson is a student of meditation practice for 40+ years and trauma-sensitive grounding practices formally for the past three years. She was raised by parents who practice meditation and lead spiritual teachings for members of their Indian community. She began pursuing her own formal exploration of spirituality as an anthropology major at Princeton University and conducted fieldwork for her thesis while living at an ashram (spiritual center) in India in 1996. As a veterinarian, she is interested in highlighting the spiritual connection between all living beings.
Jyothi has completed certifications in trauma-sensitive mindfulness, advanced trauma-sensitive meditation, deep listening, DEI, and since 2019, has been receiving training in Buddhist meditation practices and philosophy. As a student learning meditation, she is interested in exploring these practices with others in community.
WEBSITE LINK: https://jyo.world/meditation-gathering/

Online Event - 12/19/24 - Maddie's Monthly Behavior Connection: Behavior Modification Plans - Maddie's Fund
2024-12-19 12:00 - 12:50
Behavior Modification Plans: What works in one place, may not in another…
So how do you adjust your training and modification plans to account for location and environmental variation? If you’re interested in behavior modification plans, this webcast is for you! Attendees will benefit from Tom’s extensive experience in the UK Shelter Network and learn how to evaluate challenges in difficult training environments. Tom will also show us how to create successful, adjustable behavior modification plans to maximize progress and achieve measurable success.
Learning objectives:

Understand what is meant by Behaviour Modification Plans, and how they can be used to create H.A.P.P.I.E.R. dogs.
Learn how to evaluate the dog’s environment for challenging factors and understand their potential impact.
Be able to identify and apply the “Three Rs”: Risk, Reduce, Resolve.
Deep dive into the S.M.A.R.T. system to set goals and measure progress.
Understand the role of the emotional state

Guest Speaker: Tom Candy, Simplifying Shelter Behavior
About Maddie’s Monthly Behavior Connection:
Join us on the fourth Thursday of every month as we talk about dog and cat behavior – supporting pets in our community and animal shelters. Each month, we hear from speakers about topics of interest to our group, such as behavior medications, modifying animal behavior, assessing and improving animal welfare, and how organizations successfully provide behavior support to dogs and cats.
Who should join: Animal welfare staff and volunteers who are interested in dog and cat behavior, and everyone who works to keep pets out of shelters and in homes.
You only need to register once for all meetings: https://maddies.fund/MonthlyBehaviorRegistration
Can’t attend live? Register anyway and you will get a link to the recording within a day or two after each meeting.
All recordings and resources shared during the webcast will also be available in the Maddie’s Monthly Behavior Connection group on Maddie’s Pet Forum – https://maddies.fund/monthlybehaviorconnectionMPF
Maddie’s Fund does not share registration information.
The opinions expressed by webinar presenters are their own and do not necessarily represent those of Maddie’s Fund.
WEBSITE LINK: https://maddies.fund/MonthlyBehaviorRegistration

Online Event - 1/2/25 - Maddie's Monthly Foster Connection: Expanding Capacity with Foster Innovation at SBCAS - Maddie's Fund
2025-01-02 12:00 - 13:00
Sarah Aguilar, Director of Santa Barbara County Animal Services, describes how she and her small team expanded their capacity and improved morale through the growth of their foster program. From starting a Doggy Day Trip program, with about 350 trips each month, to 1,500 kitten placements and housing as many dogs in foster as in shelter, SBCAS built on their existing systems and saw immediate benefits in dog well-being, adoptions, and volunteer engagement. Hear how they did it, what they learned along the way, and what’s next for the program.
Guest Speaker: Sarah Aguilar, Director, Santa Barbara County Animal Services
About Maddie’s Monthly Foster Connection:
Join us on the first Thursday of every month to discuss successful foster innovations and programs, collaborate with others in the field, answer questions and talk through complex foster-related issues.
Who should join: Foster managers, coordinators, volunteers and any staff who are interested in learning about what’s working in foster programs.
You only need to register once for all meetings: https://maddies.fund/MonthlyFosterRegistration
Can’t attend live? Register anyway and you will get a link to the recording within a day or two after each meeting.
All recordings and resources shared during the webcast will also be available in the Maddie’s Monthly Foster Connection group on Maddie’s Pet Forum https://maddies.fund/monthlyfosterconnectionMPF
Maddie’s Fund does not share registration information.
The opinions expressed by webinar presenters are their own and do not necessarily represent those of Maddie’s Fund.
WEBSITE LINK: https://maddies.fund/MonthlyFosterRegistration

Online Event – 1/2/25 – Live from the Ranch: Social Reinforcement with Ken Ramirez and Maia Huff-Owen – Karen Pryor Academy
2025-01-02 13:00 - 14:00
On Live from The Ranch, Maia Huff-Owen will join Ken Ramirez to share insights on social reinforcement—where the reinforcer involves the behavior of another being besides your learner—which she gained from teaching positive reinforcement sheep herding.
Explore what makes social reinforcement a powerful catalyst for fabulous performances, why it merits explicit consideration and preparation in dog training, and how positive sheepdog training techniques can foster a partnership that thrives even when you can’t control the ultimate reinforcer—be it sheep, squirrels, or even your spouse.
Tune in on Thursday, January 2, at 1:00 pm (PT) for this free, live broadcast with audience Q&A!
WEBSITE LINK: https://theranch.clickertraining.com/live/#next

Online Event – 1/4/25 – Neighborhood Cats TNR Certification Workshop – Community Cats Podcast (small fee applies)
2025-01-04 11:00 - 13:30
Are you ready to be part of the solution for feral and stray cats in your neighborhood? Our expert instructors will teach you best practices for Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) and colony management. Learn what TNR is and why it works. We’ll cover getting along with neighbors, preparations for trapping, trapping itself (including entire colonies at once), feeding, providing winter shelter, and more. Take advantage of the interactive format, extensive handouts, and video footage of actual projects. Attendees will receive a certificate of attendance and gain access to an ongoing Facebook group for networking with other TNR activists. Instructed by Susan Richmond, executive director, and Bryan Kortis, national programs director.
Session duration is 2.5 hours, followed by an optional 15-minute Q&A session.
This course/webinar/series/conference has been approved for Continuing Educational Units by the National Animal Care & Control Association (NACA). National certificate holders can submit for credit consistent with the NACA CEU policy located https://nacatraining.org/continuing-education-recertification/
WEBSITE LINK: https://register.gotowebinar.com/rt/5162202024417496160

Online Event - 1/21/25 - All Call: Stronger Together - California for All Animals
2025-01-21 12:00 - 13:00
1/21 All Call Update
The way we get through the hardest days and nights is together: It’s what we’ve seen in the actions of Los Angeles animal shelters, partner organizations, community members, and neighbors near and far. At the next All Call on January 21, we are shifting gears to create space for what’s most needed now—connection and resource-sharing. Join your colleagues across California at 12 p.m. PT to offer and receive support. SoCal organizations will highlight resources available to shelters as they continue to mobilize to assist pets and people displaced by the fires.
Postponed: Are you passionate about increasing adoptions, foster, return to home, and keeping more pets and people together? Do you want to learn and share practical strategies for building relationships with diverse communities? Join the January 21 All Call to preview our upcoming virtual community of practice focused on multicultural engagement! Interested in joining? Let us know at tinyurl.com/partneringforpets.
Starting on January 28, this new community will provide a space for peer-supported learning, sharing, and networking with fellow professionals dedicated to building stronger connections with all segments of their communities.
At each meeting, you’ll hear how California shelters are advancing culturally-responsive programming and building bridges to decrease length of stay and increase positive outcomes for animals, as well as the shelter staff and community members who care for them.
Registration priority will be given to Cal for All Animals grantee shelters. As space allows, non-grantee organizations will also be invited to join.
About the All Call
The All Call is a twice-monthly, California community call for animal well-being professionals that occurs on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday. The one-hour call is a dedicated space to share and learn from each other. Popular topics include initiatives that create a more inclusive culture for both staff and community, programs that keep pets with their people, industry trends, research studies, as well as the hard stuff, like what’s not working or what is particularly difficult during times of scarcity. The call is a mix of presentations, storytelling, open discussion, and Q&A time.
The All Call is hosted by California for All co-leaders Allison Cardona and Nadia Oseguera and is enriched by rotating facilitators. You only need to register one time. Calls are sometimes recorded; recap emails with supplemental resources are sent post-call.
Register here: https://tinyurl.com/all-call

Online Event - 1/23/25 - Maddie's Monthly Behavior Connection: Decoding Behavior Certifications - Maddie's Fund
2025-01-23 12:00 - 13:00
Guest Speaker: Dorothy Baisly
Alphabet soup! The behavior and training world is full of letters and it can be very confusing to navigate. Which letters mean what and how do you know as a behavior professional which certifications you should pursue. Even harder for shelter leadership is knowing who to hire to best serve the animals in your care.
Meet with Dot Baisly, the Executive Director of the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC) for a discussion on deciphering all those letters and learn about the IAABC’s certifications, particularly the shelter behavior certifications. These certs are the only ones in the animal behavior industry that are specific to the needs of shelters and their animals. Dot will review the steps to becoming certified and be available after for a discussion and answer questions anyone may have about certifications and IAABC specifically.
About Maddie’s Monthly Behavior Connection: Join us on the fourth Thursday of every month as we talk about dog and cat behavior – supporting pets in our community and animal shelters. Each month, we hear from speakers about topics of interest to our group, such as behavior medications, modifying animal behavior, assessing and improving animal welfare, and how organizations successfully provide behavior support to dogs and cats.
Who should join: Animal welfare staff and volunteers who are interested in dog and cat behavior, and everyone who works to keep pets out of shelters and in homes.
You only need to register once for all meetings: https://maddies.fund/MonthlyBehaviorRegistration
Can’t attend live? Register anyway and you will get a link to the recording within a day or two after each meeting.
All recordings and resources shared during the webcast will also be available in the Maddie’s Monthly Behavior Connection group on Maddie’s Pet Forum – https://maddies.fund/monthlybehaviorconnectionMPF
Maddie’s Fund does not share registration information.
The opinions expressed by webinar presenters are their own and do not necessarily represent those of Maddie’s Fund.
WEBSITE LINK: https://maddies.fund/MonthlyBehaviorRegistration

Online Event - 1/29/25 - Insights on the Consequences of America's Affordable Housing Crisis on People, Pets, and Animal Shelters - IHAC
2025-01-29 10:00 - 11:30
Please join the Institute for Human-Animal Connection, in-person or virtually, for our winter quarter Research Seminar! This event will not be recorded.
Presented by Lauren Loney, JD and IHAC Researcher, with insights from Denver City Councilmember Chris Hinds, Denver City Council District 10. Councilmember Hinds will discuss his District 10 2025 Pilot Pet Deposit Assistance Program and his passion for keeping people and pets together in their homes.
Recent research has shown that housing insecurity for tenants has dramatically increased in the last several years as rents have skyrocketed and eviction rates have climbed higher than even pre-pandemic levels. Housing insecurity directly impacts peoples’ ability to acquire and keep pets. There is a small, but growing body of research to better understand the impact of rental housing conditions on pets, pet owners, and animal shelters in the U.S. and how this issue relates to broader affordable housing and tenants’ rights social justice advocacy.
This presentation will share a brief history of how we arrived at today’s housing crisis, the local, state, and federal policy changes supported by our research, and provide the audience with an exciting peek at upcoming research in collaboration with the City of Denver to implement and assess a pilot pet deposit assistance program. Join us to learn about trends in pet relinquishment due to housing issues, policy solutions, and programmatic tools that may be most useful to mitigate the flow of beloved pets into animal shelters.
WEBSITE LINK: https://crimsonconnect.du.edu/IHAC/rsvp_boot?id=2267099

Online Event – 2/1/25 – Neighborhood Cats TNR Certification Workshop – Community Cats Podcast (small fee applies)
2025-02-01 11:00 - 13:30

Online Event - 2/4/25 - All Call: Why Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Still Matters - California for All Animals
2025-02-04 12:00 - 13:00
In animal welfare, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are not just ideals—they are essential components of impactful and sustainable change. However, enacting change is not always easy. This presentation will explore three strategies to address diversity, equity, and inclusion in the animal welfare profession.
Attendees will gain practical insights into the challenges of creating psychologically safe work environments and strategies to foster equity and inclusion. Join us to discover how prioritizing DEI can strengthen our collective mission to improve the lives of animals and the communities that care for them.
About the presenter
Jasmin Robinson is the Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Initiatives with The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement and MSM Global Consulting.
Jasmin is a consultant, educator, and people strategist with more than 14 years of professional experience. She has contributed her thought leadership across industries, including education, nonprofit organizations, government, and corporations. Jasmin is committed to empowering professionals who are aware of the inequities in society and strive to be better leaders in their communities and organizations.
Jasmin is completing a Ph.D. in Educational Administration. Her research interests include Black women’s experiences in historically white spaces, anti-Blackness, and cultural competence. In her spare time, Jasmin enjoys cooking, walking, thrifting, and reading.
About the All Call
The All Call is a twice-monthly, California community call for animal well-being professionals that occurs on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday. The one-hour call is a dedicated space to share and learn from each other. Popular topics include initiatives that create a more inclusive culture for both staff and community, programs that keep pets with their people, industry trends, research studies, as well as the hard stuff, like what’s not working or what is particularly difficult during times of scarcity. The call is a mix of presentations, storytelling, open discussion, and Q&A time.
The All Call is hosted by the California for All Animals team, Nadia Oseguera-Ramón, Ivy Ruiz, and Allison Cardona. You only need to register one time. Calls are sometimes recorded; recap emails with supplemental resources are sent post-call.
Register here: https://tinyurl.com/all-call

Online Event - 2/6/25 - Maddie's Monthly Foster Connection: Protecting Pups - A Shelter Vet’s Guide to Common Infectious Disease - Maddie's Fund
2025-02-06 12:00 - 13:00
​​This presentation equips foster caregivers and adopters with essential knowledge about common infectious diseases in dogs, with a focus on practical tips for prevention and management. Covering topics like parasites, distemper, parvo, leptospirosis, canine infectious respiratory disease complex, rabies, heartworm, and tick-borne diseases, attendees will learn what each disease is, how it spreads, and whether it poses a risk to humans. We’ll discuss key signs to watch for, the severity and prognosis of each disease, and steps to prevent infection in pets and their human families.
Guest Speaker: Dr. Rachael Wooten, Medical Director, One Tail at a Time

Dr. Rachael Wooten, a passionate shelter medicine veterinarian with seven years of experience, proudly represents her Black and Puerto Rican heritage. She earned her DVM from Tuskegee University (2017) and after graduation she completed a shelter medicine specialty internship at the University of Illinois CVM. Currently serves as the Medical Director at One Tail at a Time Animal Rescue in Chicago, and has recently completed a Shelter Medicine Fellowship through UW-Madison and UC-Davis.
Dr. Wooten actively advocates for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion within the veterinary community. Her commitment to fostering an inclusive environment is underscored by her completion of the CARE REDI certificate and serving on multiple DEI boards, further enriching her ability to make a meaningful impact in the field of animal welfare.
About Maddie’s Monthly Foster Connection:
Join us on the first Thursday of every month to discuss successful foster innovations and programs, collaborate with others in the field, answer questions and talk through complex foster-related issues.
Who should join: Foster managers, coordinators, volunteers and any staff who are interested in learning about what’s working in foster programs.
You only need to register once for all meetings: https://maddies.fund/MonthlyFosterRegistration
Can’t attend live? Register anyway and you will get a link to the recording within a day or two after each meeting.
All recordings and resources shared during the webcast will also be available in the Maddie’s Monthly Foster Connection group on Maddie’s Pet Forum https://maddies.fund/monthlyfosterconnectionMPF
Maddie’s Fund does not share registration information.
The opinions expressed by webinar presenters are their own and do not necessarily represent those of Maddie’s Fund.
WEBSITE LINK: https://maddies.fund/MonthlyFosterRegistration

Webinar - 2/15/25 - From the Backyard to the Front Page: Building a TNR Movement - Community Cats Podcast (small fee applies)
2025-02-15 11:00 - 13:00
So many cats, so few trappers… and veterinarians… and holding space… and transporters. If you live in a well populated urban or suburban area and you’re trying to use TNR to address your city or town’s entire free-roaming cat population, you’re going to need a lot of help! How do you mobilize the public to trap the cats in their own backyards and get hands-on involved, attract volunteers and gain community support?
Learn from the folks who started the community TNR program in New York City and helped other municipalities organize their programs as well. We’ll go over training the public, providing support services, tracking success, gaining publicity and more.
Take advantage of the interactive format, extensive handouts, and real-life video footage from actual projects. Attendees will receive a certificate of attendance and access to a dedicated Facebook group for ongoing networking with fellow TNR advocates.
This session is led by Susan Richmond, Executive Director, and Bryan Kortis, National Programs Director, and lasts 2.5 hours, followed by an optional 15-minute Q&A session. Registration is just $10.00.
This course/webinar/series/conference has been approved for Continuing Educational Units by the National Animal Care & Control Association (NACA). National certificate holders can submit for credit consistent with the NACA CEU policy located https://nacatraining.org/continuing-education-recertification/
WEBSITE LINK: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/7923043849557765726

Online Event - 2/18/25 - All Call: Understanding Your Community Part 1 - California for All Animals
2025-02-18 12:00 - 13:00
Now, more than ever, it’s crucial to engage all members of our communities. Starting February 18, Partnering for Pets: A Multicultural Community of Practice, is coming to the All Call to strengthen our capacity to do just that.
Are you passionate about increasing adoptions, foster, return to home, and keeping more pets and people together? Do you want to learn and share practical strategies for building relationships with diverse communities? This community is for you!
February 18 Topic: Understanding Your Community Part 1, a discussion with the Cal for All team and Patitas y Palabras. Register to join us.
Through June 3, the All Call will provide a space for learning, sharing, and networking with colleagues dedicated to building stronger connections with all segments of their communities. You’ll hear how California shelters are advancing culturally-responsive programming and building bridges to decrease length of stay and increase positive outcomes for animals, as well as the shelter staff and community members who care for them.
About the All Call
The All Call is a twice-monthly, California community call for animal well-being professionals that occurs on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday. The one-hour call is a dedicated space to share and learn from each other. Popular topics include initiatives that create a more inclusive culture for both staff and community, programs that keep pets with their people, industry trends, research studies, as well as the hard stuff, like what’s not working or what is particularly difficult during times of scarcity. The call is a mix of presentations, storytelling, open discussion, and Q&A time.
The All Call is hosted by California for All team members Allison Cardona, Nadia Oseguera-Ramóna, and Ivy Ruiz, and is enriched by rotating facilitators. You only need to register one time. Calls are sometimes recorded; recap emails with supplemental resources are sent post-call.
Register here: https://tinyurl.com/all-call
