Learn about all the ways in which Dogs Playing For Life Playgroups are transforming shelters all across the USA.
In this first of three webinars, we will present powerful examples of how playgroups can not only enhance the quality of life for your shelter dogs, but how focusing on their quality of life through enrichment can lead to game-changing benefits to your shelter’s everyday operations.
Attendees will get to view dynamic video examples and impactful data and experiences from some of the nearly 300 shelters that have embraced the power of letting shelter dogs play!
This webinar is one of three that will be delivered over the coming months.
To learn more about DPFL go to https://dogsplayingforlife.com
Presenter: Aimee Sadler
Aimee is the Founder and CEO of Dogs Playing for Life (DPFL). With 35 years of experience working with multiple species in varying venues, Aimee has become an internationally recognized trainer and speaker specializing in shelter programs that enhance quality of life and reduce canine euthanasia in animal shelters. The cornerstone of DPFL’s programming is our Every Dog, Every Day!, an out-of-kennel enrichment model that is in increasing demand and has been introduced to over 300 shelters across the U.S. and Canada. DPFL’s measured programming is contributing to safer shelter environments by reducing dog-human bites while increasing canine lifesaving at an average rate of 4% at participating shelters. Starting in 2017, dogs most at risk of behavioral euthanasia can get a second chance at DPFL’s Canine Center Florida, an advanced training and behavior care center with an overall save rate of 86 percent.
Aimee has regularly presented at animal welfare and professional dog training conferences such as HSUS’ Animal Expo, Best Friend’s Annual Conferences, Masters in Behavior Conference, and the International Association of Canine Professionals (IACP) Conferences. DPFL was the inaugural recipient of Petco Foundation’s Love in Action Award. In 2016, DPFL was featured in Episode 4 of the PBS television series, “Shelter Me.”
Aimee is a proud recipient of the Henry Bergh Leadership Award and the Maddie’s Hero Award and has been inducted into the Members Hall of Fame for the IACP. Aimee currently resides in Longmont, CO, with her husband and family.
Lisa Gunter, PhD, CBCC-KA is an Assistant Professor at Coastal Carolina University in the Department of Psychology. Before beginning her graduate studies, she worked for nearly a decade with dogs in animal shelters and with pet dogs and their owners. The goal of Lisa’s research is to better the lives of companion animals and their owners. To this aim, she has investigated the breed labeling of shelter dogs, their breed heritage, shelter housing and social interactions, temporary and long-term fostering, short-term outings, behavioral indicators of welfare, post-adoption interventions focused on owner retention – and more recently, fostering during the pandemic and safety net programs to help keep people and their pets together. Under the mentorship of Clive Wynne, Lisa earned her Master’s in 2015, and her PhD in 2018 as a graduate student in the behavioral neuroscience and comparative psychology program at Arizona State University.
Franklin D. McMillan, DVM, served as the director of well-being studies at Best Friends Animal Society from 2007 to 2020. In that role, his research involved the quality of life, mental health, and emotional well-being of animals who had endured hardship, adversity, and psychological trauma. He has published in scientific journals the first studies of dogs rescued from puppy mills, hoarding situations, and abusive environments. The work has included the psychological health of puppies born sold through pet stores or over the Internet. Before coming to Best Friends, he was in private practice for 23 years as well as clinical professor of medicine at the Western University of Health Sciences College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. McMillan is board- certified in the veterinary specialties of small animal internal medicine and animal welfare. He lectures worldwide and is the author of the textbook Mental Health and Well-Being in Animals (now in its 2nd edition) and a book for the general public titled Unlocking the Animal Mind.
Dr. Hennessy is a behavioral neuroscientist with interests in both basic laboratory research on stress and how this research can be applied to reduce the impact of stress on dogs in animal shelters. He is currently Professor of Psychology at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio. He earned his PhD in experimental psychology at Northern Illinois University and then completed post-doctoral training and served as Research Associate in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University. He subsequently held the position of Research Psychologist at SRI International, and since coming to Wright State, has had stints as a visiting scholar at both the California National Primate Research Center at the University of California, Davis and the Department of Behavioral Biology at the University of Muenster in Muenster, Germany.
Regina Willen is a Neuroscience and Physiology Scientist. She is a board-certified applied animal behaviorist (ACAAB) with the Animal Behavior Society (ABS) and is an animal behavior consultant with the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC). She has extensively studied the behavior of shelter dogs in and out of the shelter. She specializes in creating behavior programs that are practical for shelter staff, volunteers, and the busy family. 
