Shelter Learniverse

Online Event - 7/15/25 to 7/17/25 - The Leadership Summit - The AAWA
2025-07-16 10:00 - 11:30, 2025-07-17 10:00 - 11:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Virtual
Does your organization have a culture of learning and growth?
The Leadership Summit is a can’t-miss virtual professional development event for animal welfare leaders who want to boost their own skills and inspire their team members to flourish. Each day features a keynote, followed by a roundtable discussion, and then small group conversations.
1pm – 2:30 pm ET, daily, Tuesday, July 15 – Thursday, July 17
Daily Topic & Keynote Speaker
July 15 – Self-Care and Peer Support for Leaders | Jessica Dolce
July 16 – Building Trust in Animal Welfare | Jasmin Robinson & Maria Morukian
July 17 – Strategic Thinking and Balancing Priorities | Dorie Clark
WEBSITE LINK: https://learning.theaawa.org/leadership-summit

Online Event - 7/19/25 - 2025 Online Feline Leukemia Day - Community Cats Podcast (small fee applies)
2025-07-19 07:00 - 14:00
The Community Cats Podcast in partnership with the Tompkins Foundation for FeLV Advocacy will once again host the highly anticipated Online Feline Leukemia Day. This one-day event is dedicated exclusively to supporting cats affected by feline leukemia virus (FeLV), a retrovirus that impacts a cat’s immune system and makes them more vulnerable to illness. Although FeLV is often misunderstood, many cats with the virus can live fulfilling, happy lives with proper care and support.
Designed for animal shelter staff, veterinarians, caregivers, and pet parents who care for these special kitties, the event will offer insights into the latest advancements in FeLV treatment and diagnosis, along with best practices for managing FeLV-positive cats in shelter settings.
Sessions will cover critical topics, including approaches to reduce virus transmission, ways to create enriching environments that enhance the well-being of FeLV-positive cats, and effective strategies for educating the public on FeLV misconceptions and care. Expert speakers from across the animal welfare community will provide practical strategies and answer questions, equipping attendees with the knowledge needed to make a meaningful difference for cats with FeLV. This event is an invaluable opportunity to learn from experienced professionals and connect with others committed to improving the lives of FeLV-positive cats.
WEBSITE LINK: https://www.communitycatspodcast.com/events/2025-online-feline-leukemia-day-conference/

Online Event - 7/22/25 to 7/24/25 - Pacific Animal Control/Service Officer Virtual Summit - Best Friends
2025-07-22 09:00 - 15:00, 2025-07-23 09:00 - 15:00, 2025-07-24 09:00 - 15:00
Join us for a transformative three-day virtual summit tailored specifically for animal control/service officers and dispatch in the Pacific Region. This summit aims to equip officers with advanced skills, innovative strategies, and a supportive network to enhance community engagement and animal welfare outcomes.
Summit Highlights:
– Advanced Field Techniques: Delve into topics like “Beyond the Scanner: Advanced Return to Home in the Field” and “Intake Diversion in the Field” to refine your on-the-ground approaches.
– Community Engagement: Explore “Community Oriented Approaches” while helping identify your biases, and “Community Cat Conflict Mitigation” to foster stronger community relations and proactive solutions.
– Operational Excellence: Sessions on “Strategic Field Operations”, “Understanding your Ordinances” and “Lifesaving Dispatch” will provide insights into effective and lawful practices.
– Wellness and Resilience: Address the importance of mental well-being in the field with a dedicated session on compassion fatigue and resilience-building.
– Interactive Learning: Participate in facilitated roundtables and case studies to share experiences, challenges, and solutions with peers.
WEBSITE LINK: https://bestfriends-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/1817504495481/WN_NVwdoTviQOC9mIUGxljwSA#/registration

Online Event - 7/24/25 - Maddie's Monthly Behavior Connection: Accomplishing the Goal of Successful Outcomes - Maddie's Fund
2025-07-24 12:00 - 13:00
Accomplishing the Goal of Successful Outcomes: Animal Behavior, De-escalation Techniques, & What Happens when they Leave our Care
In this talk, Dr. Carley Faughn will focus on behavioral outcomes for cats and dogs, with an emphasis on large dogs but relevant to all animals. How do you communicate behavior challenges to potential fosters and/or adopters? How does your team discuss these challenges among themselves? How does your team work to de-escalate conversations with potential fosters/adopters as well as the community? What happens once an animal leaves your shelter that has behavior challenges? Dr. Faughn will share tips for all of these questions, with real life examples from 20+ years of experience in animal welfare. Meaningful goals are to keep pets and families safe, together, and happy. In this talk, you will learn ways to accomplish increased lifesaving within your shelter and next foregoing into community homes. Attendees will learn about:
• Tips for safely getting dogs with behavior challenges into foster and ready for adoption with efficient timelines.
• What you can do in and out of the shelter to capture and highlight animals’ fundamental qualities
• Proven strategies for supporting animals with behavior concerns after adoption with a focus on follow-ups, who should be involved in the follow-ups, and ways to keep track of significant behavior information after dogs leave the shelter.
• De-escalation techniques when communicating with distraught fosters, adopters, and the community, as well as working with their own team members.
• How to create a “Tip Sheet Template” to be individually designed for animals moving into foster care and/or adoptive homes
Guest Speaker: Dr. Carley Faughn, Outcomes & Behavior Manager at the Humane Society of Vero Beach & Indian River County
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 - Fourth Thursdays - Maddie's Monthly Behavior Connection - Maddie's Fund
2025-07-28 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

Webinar - 7/29/25 - Caring for Each Other: What to do if ICE comes to your vet clinic - MCVMA and AAVMP
2025-07-29 17:00 - 18:00
In the current tumultuous political climate, knowing our rights and caring for our communities is more important than ever. The increased abductions and deportations happening by Immigration and Customs Enforcement have been tearing apart families and communities. These deportations are targeting BIPOC, primarily affecting Latinx and Asian-American communities. Veterinary medicine is not immune to the impacts. Our colleagues, employees, clients, and patients can all be affected. Aside from the devastating human impacts, pets could be separated from their family members with no warning or ability to plan for their care. This could lead to increased strain on shelters and rescues, increase barriers to accessing veterinary care, and lead to the loss of some of our most vulnerable veterinary colleagues. Knowing our rights can help us protect each other.
Join us for a live presentation by the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project, hosted by the Multicultural Veterinary Medical Association and the Association of Asian Veterinary Medical Professionals:
Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/6317513410672/WN_2QsiDAgfQXypMQhisY3mVg

Online Event - 8/7/25 - Maddie's Monthly Foster Connection: Foundations of Dog Communication - Maddie's Fund
2025-08-07 12:00 - 13:00
Reading dog body language and communicating effectively with our own behavior are practiced skills that we need to mindfully develop over time. Foster caregivers, adopters and staff need to understand what the dog is telling them and also communicate their intentions to the dog. The goal is always for the human and the dog to be in agreement that “I’m into you!” Through this webcast, you’ll recognize behaviors that suggest the dog is unsure, and consider how to de-escalate the conversation to “I’m into you!”
Guest Speaker: Devan Amundsen, CPDT-KA CBCC-KA, Principal, Animal Welfare United
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 – 8/7/25 – Live from the Ranch with Sarah Owings – Karen Pryor Academy
2025-08-07 13:00 - 14:00
On Live from The Ranch, Sarah Owings joins Ken Ramirez to demonstrate protected contact training, which is invaluable for trainers working in a zoo, dog trainers working with aggressive or fearful dogs, and for many trainers who want a safe way to start working with large animals, such as cows, like Sarah.
Tune in on Thursday, August 7, at 1:00 pm (PT) for this free, live broadcast with audience Q&A!
WEBSITE LINK: https://theranch.clickertraining.com/live/#next

Webinar - 8/7/25 - Prop 129: One Year Later - The Bridge Club
2025-08-07 17:00 - 18:00
It has been one year since the Veterinary Professional Associates (VPA) in Colorado was passed. The very controversial legislation has caused confusion, stress and uncertainty for many. This conversation will discuss where it stands today, what is happening and what is planned.
WEBSITE LINK: https://thebridgeclub.com/event/prop-129-one-year-later/

Online Event - Monthly - Journey You Own Meditation Gathering - JYO
2025-08-13 17:00 - 17:45, 2025-09-10 17:00 - 17:45, 2025-10-08 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 - 8/21/25 - Maddie's Monthly Behavior Connection - Making the First Move: Approaching Cats with Care - Maddie's Fund
2025-08-21 12:00 - 13:00
Making the First Move: Approaching Cats with Care
Building on Cracking the Cat Code, this session explores how to apply the Considerate Approach when working with cats in shelter environments. Through video examples, you’ll learn how to thoughtfully and confidently approach cats in different settings — from cages to carriers. Gain practical tools to reduce stress, improve adoption readiness, and advocate effectively for the cats in your care.
Guest Speaker: Tabitha Kucera, RVT, KPA-CTP, CCBC, VTS (Behavior)
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 - 9/2/25 - All Call: Lessons from Growing Front Street’s HOAP Program - California for All Animals
2025-09-02 12:00 - 13:00
Since the Homeless Outreach and Assistance Program (HOAP) launched in May 2022, Sacramento’s Front Street Animal Shelter has managed to not only sustain but also grow partnerships with pet owners and community organizations. In its first two years alone, the HOAP team supported 1,510 people experiencing homelessness, helped 2,713 animals, administered over 7,908 treatments and coordinated $380,000 in emergency veterinary services. Now they’re making care even more accessible with a new mobile veterinary clinic.
On September 2, join Program Coordinator Jenna Topper for behind-the-scenes insights into the program as it heads into year four. You’ll discover how the HOAP team:

Built and sustained partnerships with pet owners and community organizations to deepen impact.
Balanced program growth and sustainability while handling a large volume of services.
Overcame challenges to expand access to care delivered with respect and dignity.

Bring your questions to the conversation and take away real-world strategies you can apply in your own shelter. Connect with your colleagues—only three calls left! Register for the call.
The All Call is a 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 Nadia Oseguera-Ramón and Ivy Ruiz. 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 - 9/4/25 - Maddie's Monthly Foster Connection: Smarter Systems for Stronger Support - Maddie's Fund
2025-09-04 12:00 - 13:00
Feeling overwhelmed by an unmanageable foster roster? Struggling to keep caregivers engaged or streamline onboarding? You’re not alone—and there’s a better way forward.
In this webinar, we’ll explore how SICSA restructured its foster program over the past year to boost engagement, ease staff workload, and improve care for animals. Learn how they:

Streamlined our foster roster through a full audit and re-engagement campaign
Combined and modernized our dog and cat foster manuals
Introduced specialized mentor roles to support caregivers across programs
Launched a new, self-paced onboarding process with the help of Google automations and ChatGPT
Piloted a bottle baby nursery for staff foster caregivers to grow neonatal capacity

You’ll walk away with actionable ideas you can tailor to your own organization—whether you’re looking to overhaul your onboarding, clean up your database, or make fostering feel more accessible. This session is ideal for anyone ready to rethink old systems and build a stronger, scalable, sustainable foster program.
Guest Speaker: Michelle Misra, Foster Program Manager, SICSA Pet Adoption & Wellness Center
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 - 9/9/25 - One Health Clinic Quarterly Coffee Hour - One Health Clinic
2025-09-09 14:30 - 15:30
One Health Clinic Quarterly Coffee HourWhen: Sep 9, 2025 from 02:30 PM to 03:30 PM (PT)
We will have our quarterly One Health Clinic coffee hour on September 9th, 2:30-3:30 Pacific. Please join us if you want to talk about your One Health Clinic activities, ask questions about how to set up a Clinic in your region, and to learn from others.
We can also discuss the new publication looking at 4 years of data from the flagship One Health Clinic in Seattle
If you have joined our free Toolkit , you will receive an email with the zoom link, but the Zoom link is here:
Join Zoom Meeting
https://washington.zoom.us/j/99200444453?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 992 0044 4453
Passcode: [REDACTED]

Online Event - 9/10/25 - Turning the Tide for Big Dogs: Proven Strategies That Work - The AAWA
2025-09-10 11:00 - 11:30
Across the country, shelters are facing one of today’s biggest adoption challenges—finding loving homes for large dogs. But there’s hope, and there are solutions.
Join the Arizona Humane Society for an energizing Lunch & Learn that will show how big changes can start with bold ideas. You’ll discover how their team has not only increased big dog adoptions, but also dramatically reduced length of stay—transforming outcomes for some of their most overlooked companions.
Through a mix of:

Creative adoption incentives that spark interest
High-impact marketing campaigns that tell unforgettable stories
Innovative programs that meet both dogs’ and adopters’ needs

…the AHS team is creating a blueprint any shelter can adapt.
This special Lunch & Learn will take place on Wednesday, September 10, from 2-2:30 ET. Bring your questions—there will be time for a Q&A so you can take actionable ideas back to your own organization. Because every big dog deserves a big story—and a happy ending.
WEBSITE LINK: https://learning.theaawa.org/p/9-10-25

Online Event - 9/25/25 - Maddie's Monthly Behavior Connection - The Human Side of Shelter Work: Building Compassion Satisfaction and Resilience (Part 1) - Maddie's Fund
2025-09-25 12:00 - 13:00
Working in animal shelters can be deeply meaningful—and emotionally draining. In this session, Valerie Bogie, MSSW, Veterinary Social Worker, defines key terms while sharing fresh strategies to help you to increase your well-being and continue the work you are so passionate about!
Attendees will learn:

The signs and impact of secondary trauma, burnout, burden transfer and compassion fatigue
Navigating moral distress and tough ethical dilemmas
The importance of compassion satisfaction—and how to cultivate it
Tools to better understand yourself, build resilience, and practice sustainable self-care

This webinar is for anyone working in or around animals in shelters—especially those feeling the weight of the work. Leave with renewed clarity, practical tools, and a reminder that you matter, too.
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 - 10/2/25 - Maddie's Monthly Foster Connection: Smarter Systems for Stronger Support - Maddie's Fund
2025-10-02 12:00 - 13:00
Long Stay Pet Workshop
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!
To submit a question for our presenters or a long stay pet you’d like to discuss during the workshop, please fill out this form:
https://forms.gle/i1K3jAvzsJCfRtBs6
Guest Speaker: Finnegan Dowling, Shelter Program and Engagement Manager, Mutual Rescue
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 - 10/7/25 - All Call - Meeting Challenges Together: Lessons from Fresno Animal Center's Evolution - California for All Animals
2025-10-07 12:00 - 13:00
Connect with your California colleagues—only two All Calls left!
Central Valley animal welfare organizations and pet owners are meeting shared veterinary challenges with innovation and collaboration to make sure animals get the care they need. Fresno Animal Center Director Alma Torres and her team have built powerful local and regional partnerships—and they’re seeing real results.
At the October 7 All Call, Alma and colleagues Candace Krider, DVM, (Medical Director, Fresno Animal Center) and Samantha Yang (Division Manager, City of Fresno) will walk us through key strategies that have helped the shelter and community navigate difficult times and keep moving forward.
You’ll learn how they’ve:

Established a medical clinic and coordinated with partner organizations to expand spay/neuter access
Launched new community programs to provide free microchips, vaccines, and pet food
And reduced barriers through initiatives like fee-waived reclaims and free adoptions to keep and bring more pets and people together.

Bring your questions to the conversation and leave with lessons you can adapt for your own shelter. Register for the All Call.
The All Call is a 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 Nadia Oseguera-Ramón and Ivy Ruiz. 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 Conference - 10/11/25 to 10/12/25 - 2025 United Spay Alliance Online Conference - Community Cats Podcast & United Spay Alliance (fee applies)
2025-10-11 07:00 - 14:00, 2025-10-12 07:00 - 14:00
Join the Community Cats Podcast and United Spay Alliance for an informative two-day virtual conference focused on all aspects of spay/neuter. This event will bring together animal welfare experts from across the field to present a variety of topics, including how to establish and maintain a low-cost spay/neuter program, secure funding for essential services, and raise awareness in communities about the importance of spay/neuter initiatives.
Throughout the conference, attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions, hear details and get firsthand knowledge of successful programs, and learn valuable lessons from both professionals and volunteers on what strategies have worked (and what hasn’t) in their spay/neuter efforts. This event offers a chance to connect with others who share a commitment to reducing pet overpopulation and to come away with innovative ideas and practical solutions to make a lasting impact in your community.
WEBSITE LINK: https://www.communitycatspodcast.com/events/2025-united-spay-alliance-online-conference/

Online Event - 10/15/25 - Shelter Med LIVE - Small Patients, Big Procedures: Weighing Pediatric Spay and Neuter Considerations - UC Davis KSMP
2025-10-15 16:00 - 17:30
Shelter medicine bridges gaps in veterinary care access, ensuring animals are sterilized, vaccinated, and healthy 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 outreach veterinarian host 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 nerd out on shelter medicine. Kick back and recharge with your colleagues in the middle of a long week.
On the 10/15 edition, we’re diving into pediatric spay and neuter—what’s new, what’s still misunderstood, and how to make it work in a shelter context. Hosted by Dr. Jennifer Bennett (DVM, MS, CAWA) with guests Dr. Brian DiGangi (DVM, MS, DABVP) and Dr. Emily McCobb (DVM, MS, DACVAA), the discussion will cover everything from pre-surgical candidate considerations, anesthesia tweaks, and recovery, to barriers and implications for shelters and access-to-care programs. Expect the kind of practical wisdom you can only get when you’ve been there, spayed that, plus plenty of “wish I’d known that sooner” takeaways. You’ll find a conversation that’s as accessible as it is evidence-based.
This event has been approved for 1.5 hours 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/webinars

Online Event - 10/23/25 - ASPCA Research Forum 2025 - ASPCA
2025-10-23 08:00 - 13:30
Registration is open for the 2025 ASPCA Research Forum! Join us virtually on Thursday, October 23, from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET for a dynamic gathering of animal welfare professionals and researchers. Together, we will explore cutting-edge research that has the power to transform the lives of animals and further support your lifesaving efforts.
The Agenda
The conference will include five presentations with Q&A sessions at the end of each.
Who Should Attend
This virtual forum is open to all, including, but not limited to, shelter/rescue staff and volunteers, animal control, community cat organizations, veterinary students and professionals, animal behavior professionals, and students and researchers interested in the science behind animal welfare.
Why Attend?
This is more than just another webinar—it’s an annual event designed to inspire, educate and spark new ideas that can drive change in animal welfare. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to connect with leading minds in the field and take your knowledge to the next level! Engage with a community of like-minded professionals and experts. With live Q&A sessions after each presentation, you’ll have the opportunity to interact directly with the researchers and speakers and take away insights that can further support your lifesaving efforts.
WEBSITE LINK: https://www.aspcapro.org/researchforum

Online Event - Fourth Thursdays - Maddie's Monthly Behavior Connection - The Human Side of Shelter Work: Navigating Tough Situations (Part 2) - Maddie's Fund
2025-10-23 12:00 - 13:00
Veterinary Social Worker Most of us in the animal shelter world are there because we love animals. But what about all of the human emotions and situations that come with the job? In this session, Valerie Bogie, MSSW, Veterinary Social Worker, discusses some of the toughest emotional challenges shelter workers face- and how to navigate them with care and compassion.
Attendees will learn:

How communicating with clients & co-workers impacts well-being
An overview of types of grief and current grief models to support emotional processing
The emotional toll of euthanasia and how to care through it
Tools to support yourself and your team through emotionally complex situations

This webinar is for anyone working in or around animals in shelters. You are not alone – and you can work towards a more sustainable career.
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 - 11/4/25 - All Call: Connecting Shelter Medicine and Mobile Outreach - California for All Animals
2025-11-04 12:00 - 13:00
After nearly four years and 71 calls, we hope you’ll be a part of our final All Call conversation on the intersection of shelter medicine and community outreach.
On Tuesday, November 4, at 12 p.m. PT, Shelter Outreach Veterinary Assistant Ehani Hunter will share her journey from San Diego Humane Society’s shelter medicine team to their traveling HQHVSN clinic. Whether you’re curious about community-based veterinary work or exploring different pathways in shelter medicine, this conversation will offer inspiration for how vet professionals can adapt and grow within the field.
Invite a colleague and gather in gratitude for this community we’ve made together!
The All Call is a 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 - 11/6/25 - Maddie's Monthly Foster Connection: Detective, Educator, Mediator: A Holistic Approach to Foster Behavior Support - Maddie's Fund
2025-11-06 12:00 - 13:00
Foster insights are invaluable to shelters & rescues, and no concern should ever be dismissed or taken more lightly than the foster presents it. At the same time, that initial presentation of a concern tends to only offer one perspective: the human’s. Zan’s presentation will walk through example cases of their tried and true process of taking an analytical approach that simultaneously gets to the root causes of an animal’s concerning or unwanted behaviors and promotes a more nuanced understanding of those animals’ needs among fosters, all without sacrificing compassion for either.
Guest Speaker: Zan Lowell
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
