PPG Presents: Join Laura Cassiday and Joanna Wachowiak-Finlaison as they chat with Marci Koski about paths to becoming a feline behavior consultant.
IAABC Presents (fee applies): What’s going on in an animal’s head (even when they’ve decided it’s a great idea to stick their head in a wasp’s nest) is a complex, fascinating, and vital part of understanding their behavior! Your instructor, Dr. Kristina Spaulding, CAAB, will guide you and your fellow students through exercises and discussions designed to engage and excite you about this ever-growing field of research.
The UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Shelter Learniverse Presents: Are you ready to take your career in animal sheltering to the next level? The Shelter Care Specialist Certification Program empowers frontline animal shelter workers to provide exceptional care, grounded in best practices, with a focus on improving outcomes for animals and communities. Apply for the next session—it’s currently free, #ThanksToMaddie!
CalAnimals Presents: San Francisco SPCA’s Shelter Policy and Legal Services program is ready to start 2026 off with a bark and a purr and fill you in on all the new laws passed last year that become effective on January 1, 2026. Learn about the expanded potential for RVTs and VAs to do more in the shelters; about the expanded ability to have RVT-run vaccination clinics to help public animals across the state; and several more bills that continue to improve the lives of California animals in the shelters, and in their new homes.
Maddie’s Fund Presents: Understanding and respecting an animal’s signals during interactions can significantly enhance their welfare and improve the human-animal interactions. In this presentation, Dr. Amir Sarrafchi will discuss his research on how dogs respond behaviourally when allowed to choose or refuse human contact. Drawing from his work on animal agency and consent, Dr. Sarrafchi will explore how these concepts can be practically applied in everyday animal care, shelter environments, and adoption programs.
Shelter Playgroup Alliance Presents (fee applies): Don’t miss out on this hands-on workshop to build essential skills for safely working with dogs in the shelter over four days at Berkeley Animal Care Services. You will work in small groups along side experienced, certified coaches to build your skills in a supportive and constructive environment. Join us January 13-16, 2026, and you will earn a Certificate of Completion, as well as the confidence and skills to improve the lives of the animals in your care.
CalAnimals Presents: In this practical webinar, Dr. Kate Hurley from the UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program will cover the specifics of how to calculate the right target number to maximize life-saving while optimizing animal health and welfare – and staff sanity. Annette Ramirez, Interim General Manager from LAAS, along with members of her team, will share their agency’s experience of going from severe crowding to attaining, and more importantly maintaining, a population pretty close to their Capacity for Care. It’s a pretty inspiring example and we hope it will be a useful one for many shelters facing similar challenges.
Community Cats Podcast Presents (fee applies): Take part in two days filled with cat-centric content, speakers from a wide variety of animal welfare roles share their perspectives on the field, providing valuable insights to help you or your organization create a more humane world for community cats. Attendees can take advantage of the interactive format, useful handouts, and get access to an exclusive Facebook group to network with other cat-focused volunteers and professionals. Early bird discounts end at midnight on December 25!
