Shelter Learniverse

Online Event - 4/2/26 - Maddie's Monthly Foster Connection: Creating a Foster-Centric Medical Clinic - Maddie's Fund
2026-04-02 12:00 - 13:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Virtual
In this discussion, we will review how animal shelters can shift from a kennel-centric medical model to a foster-centric clinic that effectively supports animals living in foster homes. As more shelters place 50% or more of animals in foster care, clinics must adapt their infrastructure, staffing, communication, and workflows to serve both people and pets. The discussion emphasizes guiding principles such as prioritizing quality of life, valuing foster caregivers as essential partners, transparency in decision-making, and treating foster care as a core organizational function.
Guest Speaker:
Jordana Moerbe, Director of Lifesaving Partnerships and Medical Care at Austin Pets Alive!
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 - First Fridays - First Fridays: AI for Animal Welfare Professionals Collaboration Calls - Outcomes for Pets Consulting
2026-04-03 11:00 - 12:00, 2026-05-01 11:00 - 12:00, 2026-06-05 11:00 - 12:00, 2026-07-03 11:00 - 12:00
Please join us every first Friday of the month to discuss AI use in animal shelters, share new AI developments, and join your peers in discussing creative solutions to common problems.
Meetings will occur the first Friday of each month at 11 am PST / 2 pm EST.
Registering for this meeting will register you for the complete series.
REGISTER NOW: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_tzBOM-0PQ6KEJp3lyAJ0fA#/registration

Online Event - 4/8/26 - Shelter Med LIVE from Animal Care Expo - UC Davis KSMP
2026-04-08 16:00 - 17:00
Expo FOMO? Tune in for a special April 8 edition of Shelter Med LIVE from Animal Care Expo! We’re bringing veterinarians from the conference floor to one Zoom room for a fun, fast-paced roundtable. They’ll share:

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

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

Dr. Becca Boronat, MV, CAWA (Veterinarian, Best Friends Animal Society)
Dr. Sarah Hicks, DVM (Outreach Veterinarian, UW-Madison Shelter Medicine Program)
Dr. Kate Kuzminski, DVM, COO (Veterinarian and Co-founder, Ruthless Kindness)
Dr. Alison Lindsay, DVM (Assistant Clinical Professor of Community Medicine, Maddie’s Shelter Medicine Program, Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine)
Dr. Erica Schumacher, DVM (Outreach Veterinarian, UW-Madison Shelter Medicine Program)
Dr. Christina Tran, DVM (Executive Associate Dean & Clinical Professor, Roseman University of Health Sciences)
Dr. Bridgid Twomey, VMD (Assistant Professor, Western University of the Health Sciences)

This event has been approved for 1 hour of continuing education credit by CAWA and NACA. Find past episodes on-demand in the UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program Shelter Learniverse, #ThanksToMaddie!
About Shelter Med LIVE
Shelter medicine bridges gaps in veterinary care access, ensuring animals are sterilized, vaccinated, and have the medical treatment they need before going home to the people and communities who care for them. Shelter Med LIVE is the place where vet professionals connect around what it takes to make shelter medicine happen every day—from intake triage to MacGyvering creative fixes. Every third Wednesday, join your UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program host Dr. Jenn Bennett and special guests for real talk and real solutions.
Ask questions (or send them in ahead of time). This isn’t a lecture—it’s a conversation for everyone who wants to talk shop about shelter medicine. Kick back and recharge with your colleagues in the middle of a long week.
WEBSITE LINK: https://tinyurl.com/sheltermedlive

Online Event - 4/18/26 - Feline Behavior Summit 2026 - Community Cats Central (small fee applies)
2026-04-18 07:00 - 14:00
Join Community Cats Central for an exciting virtual summit designed to deepen your understanding of feline behavior and improve your ability to support cats in your home, shelter, or rescue organization.
Understanding cat behavior is crucial for building positive relationships with cats, reducing stress, and preventing behavior-related issues that can lead to relinquishment or abandonment. This event features some of the animal welfare industry’s most trusted authorities on feline behavior, who will lead a variety of workshops covering a wide range of cat behavior concerns.
You’ll gain valuable insights into new concepts, tools, and techniques that can be immediately applied to help resolve common behavioral challenges.
In addition to the informative workshops, enjoy fun cat trivia and prizes that will enhance your experience, along with opportunities to network with fellow professionals and volunteers in the animal welfare community. This is a great chance to connect with others who share your passion for improving the lives of cats.
Date: April 18, 2026 Time: 10:00 – 5:00 PM ET
Cost: $25
REGISTER NOW: https://communitycatscentral.thinkific.com/courses/feline-behavior-summit-2026

Online Event - Monthly - Journey You Own Meditation Gathering - JYO
2026-04-21 06:30 - 07:15, 2026-04-29 17:00 - 17:45, 2026-05-05 06:30 - 07:15, 2026-05-13 17:00 - 17:45, 2026-06-02 06:30 - 07:15, 2026-06-10 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 - 4/23/26 - Maddie's Monthly Behavior Connection: The Cypress Protocol - Maddie's Fund
2026-04-23 12:00 - 13:00
When reactive dogs are confronted with their triggers at every turn in the shelter setting, how do we make progress? This presentation will go over a special shelter dog, Cypress, and the multifaceted approach his shelter team took to help him overcome his reactivity and find his way into a home. From finding ways to control his environment, to playgroups, to training volunteers to continue working with him, his team pulled out every tool in their box to teach him how to cope in the shelter setting—and eventually in his new home. His case created what his shelter now calls the “Cypress Protocol” and has helped many dogs in the shelter setting succeed.
Guest Speaker: Lindsay Echito and Marie Lombardo, Orphans of the Storm
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 - First Thursdays - Maddie's Monthly Foster Connection - Maddie's Fund
2026-05-07 12:00 - 13:00, 2026-06-04 12:00 - 13:00, 2026-07-02 12:00 - 13:00, 2026-08-06 12:00 - 13:00, 2026-09-03 12:00 - 13:00, 2026-10-01 12:00 - 13:00
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 - Third Wednesdays - Shelter Med LIVE - UC Davis KSMP
2026-05-20 16:00 - 17:00, 2026-06-17 16:00 - 17:00, 2026-07-15 16:00 - 17:00, 2026-08-19 16:00 - 17:00, 2026-09-16 16:00 - 17:00
Shelter medicine bridges gaps in veterinary care access, ensuring animals are sterilized, vaccinated, and have the medical treatment they need before going home to the people and communities who care for them. Shelter Med LIVE is the place where vet professionals connect around what it takes to make shelter medicine happen every day—from intake triage to MacGyvering creative fixes. Every third Wednesday, join your UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program host Dr. Jenn Bennett and special guests for real talk and real solutions.
Ask questions (or send them in ahead of time). This isn’t a lecture—it’s a conversation for everyone who wants to talk shop about shelter medicine. Kick back and recharge with your colleagues in the middle of a long week.
This event has been approved for 1 hour of continuing education credit by CAWA and NACA.
Can’t make it live? Register to receive the recording and resources after the event, accessible through the UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program Shelter Learniverse, #ThanksToMaddie!
WEBSITE LINK: https://www.shelterlearniverse.com/events

Online Event - Fourth Thursdays - Maddie's Monthly Behavior Connection - Maddie's Fund
2026-05-28 12:00 - 13:00, 2026-06-25 12:00 - 13:00, 2026-07-23 12:00 - 13:00, 2026-08-27 12:00 - 13:00, 2026-09-24 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
