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.
PetcoLove/UoP Presents (fee applies): This award-winning online certificate program provides practical information and valuable networking for current sheltering professionals, those looking to advance their career, or move into the field of animal sheltering. The program’s courses include leadership, shelter operations, community program development, animal health/clinic operations, and marketing/development.
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.
Best Friends Presents: Transform canine distemper from a death sentence into a lifesaving success story. In this webinar, learn how shelters can manage outbreaks effectively, apply updated protocols to clear infected dogs faster (no more months of isolation!), and save the lives of both exposed and infected animals.
NACA/Justice Clearinghouse Presents: Whether you’re leading a municipal shelter, running a nonprofit, or supporting a field team, this webinar will offer space to reset, refocus, and realign your leadership goals. We’ll explore practical strategies to inspire your staff, set meaningful goals, and stay anchored to your mission—even as the landscape shifts around you. Because the animals—and the people who care for them—deserve your strongest, most intentional leadership yet.
National Kitten Coalition Presents: Join us for this quick, 30 minute webinar covering the important milestones kitten caregivers need to know about. This live session will not only help you accurately determine the age of kittens, but it will also provide you with essential information to know what’s expected with for the first 12 weeks of a kitten’s development.
HASS Presents: You are invited every fourth Thursday of the month, to join fellow leaders from national, government, and non-profit animal welfare organizations for a strategic roundtable discussion focused on the most pressing challenges facing our field. Our first session will be discussing one of the industries biggest issues – BIG DOGS! This will be an open discussion on what’s working, what isn’t, and what we haven’t tried.
Maddie’s Fund Presents: Pain and discomfort are often under-diagnosed in dogs with behavioral issues. This presentation will highlight why this happens, and reviews cases where pain was the cause of the behavior issues or made behavioral issues worse. This is happening in young dogs and dogs who may not show any typical signs of pain/discomfort, but rather express it as aggression and/or anxiety.
CVMA Presents (fee applies for non-members): With several new laws taking effect in 2026, it is important for veterinary practices to have a clear view of the legal landscape to ensure continuing compliance. This talk will cover new and important laws pertaining to veterinary practice, as well as new general employment laws that apply to California businesses. The course qualifies as continuing education credit for the purpose of California veterinarian and registered veterinary technician license renewal.
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!
University of Tennessee One Health Initiative Presents: This virtual presentation by T’ Fisher examines how integrated One Health systems can improve outcomes for pet families while strengthening community health and resilience. Grounded in the One Health framework, the session highlights the importance of cross-sector collaboration among animal welfare, public health, veterinary medicine, and human services.
NACA/Justice Clearinghouse Presents: The “What’s ‘Common’ About Cruelty?” webinar is designed to deepen the participants’ understanding of animal abuse and neglect, which can often be prevalent within communities. This webinar will delve into the complexities of animal crimes, emphasizing the importance of understanding the underlying issues and developing effective strategies to present a compelling and persuasive case, particularly in scenarios where jurors may not immediately grasp the severity of the facts.
Life of Riley at Spring Point Presents:
UC Davis KSMP Presents: Ringworm stinks! Everyone in shelter medicine knows it, and many wrestle with it. But what we know about dermatophytosis—and how best to manage it—has evolved. In this webinar, experienced shelter veterinarians share how new and ongoing research has transformed the way they diagnose, treat, and manage ringworm in shelter settings. You’ll walk away with practical, evidence-based guidance for building a consistent and effective ringworm management strategy, one that protects animal health and supports well-being during treatment—and preserves staff sanity.
Maddie’s Fund Presents: Join the Brother Wolf team to learn how to prepare ahead of time, communicate effectively when an evacuation occurs, collaborate with your community for support, and oversee the logistics seamlessly. These same strategies can be used to place animals into emergency foster homes due to any crisis: full shelter, unexpected large intake, part of shelter under construction, etc. The Brother Wolf team will walk you through turning a crisis into an opportunity for community connection and lifesaving work, together.
