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  • Hybrid Conference – 7/11/25 to 7/13/25 – ASPCA® Cornell Maddie’s® Shelter Medicine Conference – ASPCA (fee applies)

    Hybrid Conference – 7/11/25 to 7/13/25 – ASPCA® Cornell Maddie’s® Shelter Medicine Conference – ASPCA (fee applies)

    The 2025 ASPCA® Cornell Maddie’s® Shelter Medicine Conference will be held July 11-13, 2025, at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. Now in its 22nd year, this year’s conference features world-class continuing education from dozens of sessions covering the latest in medical, behavior and shelter operations. This year’s  features over 40 sessions, workshops, and roundtables for sheltering, veterinary, and behavior professionals, including a keynote by Vincent Medley, Maddie’s Human Animal Support Services Director at Austin Pets Alive. Vincent will discuss the history of animal control and its relationship to sheltering.

    This year’s tracks include:

    • Foundations of Sheltering:  Features two full days of sessions focused on a review of sheltering principles to deliver high quality care. Includes sessions on population management, training spay/neuter teams, enrichment and more!
    • Integrated Care: Sessions are centered around veterinary, behavior, and sheltering teams working together to optimize care. Includes presentations on behavior modification in a shelter, behavior in a medical setting, puppy socialization and more!
    • Vet-to-Vet: Offerings focus on providing efficient and practical medical care to animals in shelter medicine, community medicine, and accessible care settings – delivered by veterinarians, for veterinarians. Includes sessions on clinical pathology, surgical spectrum of care, orthopedic surgery decision making and more!
    • Community connections: Sessions explore the connection between animal sheltering and the community. Includes sessions on community vaccine clinics, field services, community outreach as a culture and more!
    • Sheltering Research & Applications: Offerings focus on applying research-backed solutions and protocols. Includes sessions on ringworm in cats, antimicrobials and more!

    Livestream Available Again This Year!

    Can’t make it to Ithaca? We’ve got you covered! Most conference sessions will be livestreamed and available for both in-person and livestream ticket holders. Check out our livestream page for more info!

    WEBSITE LINK: https://events.bizzabo.com/sheltermedconference

  • Online Training – 6/11/25 – Equitable Community Engagement for Board Members – Virginia Community Voice (fee applies)

    Online Training – 6/11/25 – Equitable Community Engagement for Board Members – Virginia Community Voice (fee applies)

    This training is for Board Members and shares VACV’s framework for equitable community engagement, and will guide participants through reflections on their experiences making decisions about and for historically marginalized communities.

    Virginia Community Voice encourages organizations to reevaluate how they engage marginalized communities.

    Virginia Community Voice offers leaders a simple framework to reflect on how decisions are made for both the Board and the institution the Board serves. Participants will work through the mental models that uphold traditional power systems, how to equitably make decisions, and engage people of color and other marginalized groups. Using this model, organizations can maximize impact and minimize harm caused to people in historically marginalized communities.
    In this two-hour virtual training, participants will:

    • Think through traditional board structures and how they uphold power systems in organizations and communities
    • Learn about the four stages of the Community Voice model of engagement: Listen, Connect, Craft, and Reflect
    • Reflect on power, and understanding how to think about the power the Board wields, and how to imagine power sharing as a value for your Board
    • Reflect on their own experiences making decisions about and engaging people in historically marginalized communities
    • Learn strategies for power-sharing and diversifying your boards

    Not a member of a Board? That’s ok! We still want you come, to let us know if this training resonates with you, and if you think your Board Members would benefit from it. We’ll also provide tips on how to approach the conversation with your Board about attending this training.

    WEBSITE LINK: https://vacommunityvoice.networkforgood.com/events/79349-2025-june-equitable-community-engagement-for-board-members

  • Webinar – 5/28/25 – Making Kittens Count: Kitten-Focused Data Insights and Opportunities – Shelter Animals Count

    Webinar – 5/28/25 – Making Kittens Count: Kitten-Focused Data Insights and Opportunities – Shelter Animals Count

    Join us for this exciting conversation with Hannah Shaw, aka “The Kitten Lady”. This session explores how better data-keeping for pre-adoption age kittens can drive lifesaving outcomes for the tiniest felines. Hannah will share fascinating new national insights from SAC’s animal-level data, uncover the challenges and opportunities of tracking kittens, and offer practical strategies to improve how we record, understand, and act on kitten-focused data.

    Plus, you’ll hear the latest initiatives from Hill’s Pet Nutrition, and the latest data from Shelter Animals Count.

    Panelists:
    Hannah Shaw – The Kitten Lady
    Tori Fugate- Shelter Animals Count
    Stephanie Filer – Shelter Animals Count
    Courtney Suthoff – Hill’s Pet Nutrition

    This webinar will be recorded and shared at http://shelteranimalscount.org/unlocking-animal-data-series/.

    Making Kittens Count is part of the Unlocking Animal Data series, powered by Hill’s Pet Nutrition.

    WEBSITE LINK: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_88p4zhlHSomTktSvHqwxGQ#/registration

  • Online Event – 6/26/25 – Maddie’s Monthly Behavior Connection: Leadership through Lifesaving and Euthanasia Process – Maddie’s Fund

    Online Event – 6/26/25 – Maddie’s Monthly Behavior Connection: Leadership through Lifesaving and Euthanasia Process – Maddie’s Fund

    Difficult lifesaving decisions can divide an organization and jeopardize team spirit. Strong leadership is essential to navigate these decisions and gain buy-in from staff and volunteers. At Cincinnati Animal CARE, they have found a way to bring their team along and allow them to become part of the process from beginning to end. Through transparency, open lines of communication, clear action items, and an “everyone’s welcome” attitude, they have developed a supportive and respectful culture that has resulted in a 95% live release rate since 2020, even as a municipal shelter with more than 4,000 dogs and 4,000 cats arriving each year. The buy-in from staff, volunteers, and foster caregivers has resulted in more efficiency from a more united team. The CAC team is now focused on lifesaving rather than criticizing and fighting. This presentation will look at how they developed their culture even when decisions are difficult.

    Guest Speaker: Meaghan Colville

    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

  • Event – 6/7/25 – California Adopt-a-Pet Day 2025 – CalAnimals, SF SPCA, ASPCA

    Event – 6/7/25 – California Adopt-a-Pet Day 2025 – CalAnimals, SF SPCA, ASPCA

    On June 7, 2025, more than 150 animal shelters across California will be offering fee-waived adoptions during the Second Annual California Adopt-a-Pet Day, with the ASPCA providing grants to underwrite the adoption fees for most of these participating organizations.

    Shelters and other organizations can help spread the word—in Chinese, English, Korean, Spanish, Tagalog, Urdu, and Vietnamese! California for All Animals partnered with Patitas y Palabras to provide colloquial translations of promotional resources, now available at the California Adopt-a-Pet Day website. To download multilingual social graphics, flyers, and more, use the “Select Language” menu in the top left corner of the site.

    California Adopt-a-Pet Day is managed by CalAnimals, an organization that focuses on the success of California animal welfare and sheltering organizations in meeting the needs of animals and people in their communities. The initiative is generously supported by the San Francisco SPCA, a nonprofit that works in San Francisco, the Central Valley, and across California to ensure that every companion animal has access to quality medical care, compassionate shelter, and a loving home, and the ASPCA, the longest-standing animal welfare organization in North America that works on the frontlines to save, transform, and protect the lives of millions of dogs, cats, equines, and farm animals in the fight against animal cruelty and homelessness.

    Visit the Adopt-a-Pet Day website to download shelter resources: https://caadoptapetday.org/shelter-resources

  • Webinar – 5/29/25 – Identifying, Strengthening, & Expanding the Mental Health Component within the One Health Framework – UT OHI

    Webinar – 5/29/25 – Identifying, Strengthening, & Expanding the Mental Health Component within the One Health Framework – UT OHI

    While the One Health Framework identifies “mental health” as an integral component within the intersections of human, animal, and ecosystem health, its place within the literature remains limited. In this presentation, Chris Weatherly examines reasons why “mental health” remains underexplored within One Health research and practice, while also identifying existing themes within the literature and potential future directions. He’ll also discuss his journey in becoming interested in the field of One Health and expanding its mental health component, including his work as a mental health practitioner, researching climate change and mental health, and his current attempt to synthesize the literature on “animal mental health.”

    Dr. Chris Weatherly is an assistant professor in the University of Georgia School of Social Work. He is licensed clinical social worker whose research areas of interest include strengthening rural mental health systems and unpacking the intersections of climate change, environmental degradation, species loss, and mental well-being. He has over 10 years of experience as a mental health professional and has worked within acute psychiatric settings, post-disaster, and rural contexts with populations with severe mental illness, substance use concerns, and complex trauma histories.

    WEBSITE LINK: https://tennessee.zoom.us/meeting/register/mmnkiAirTxu-_lEkvThBiw#/registration

  • Online Event – 6/5/25 – Maddie’s Monthly Foster Connection: Homeward Hound – Bringing Home Your New Dog – Maddie’s Fund

    Online Event – 6/5/25 – Maddie’s Monthly Foster Connection: Homeward Hound – Bringing Home Your New Dog – Maddie’s Fund

    From environmental changes to grief and loss, Chancel’s presentation explores how emotional readiness, health, and home setup play crucial roles in a successful transition. She’ll challenge the often-cited “3-3-3 rule,” examine how unresolved health conditions can mimic or worsen behavioral problems, and discuss practical tools for managing stress, building trust, and setting dogs up for success. Topics include behavior management, crate/confinement training, enrichment, multi-dog dynamics, and what to expect emotionally during the early days of fostering or adopting.

    Guest Speaker: Chancel Siebuhr, Animal Care & Behavior Manager, PAWS of Coronado

    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

  • Webinar – 5/20/25 – Healthy Humans, Happy Pets Part 1 – Physical Wellbeing: The Foundation of Health – Fear Free Shelters

    Webinar – 5/20/25 – Healthy Humans, Happy Pets Part 1 – Physical Wellbeing: The Foundation of Health – Fear Free Shelters

    Physical wellbeing is the foundation for showing up as our best selves—both for the animals in our care and for each other. Just as we prioritize comfort and health for pets, it’s vital to extend that same level of care to ourselves to maintain energy, focus, and emotional resilience in veterinary and pet care environments.

    Join Fear Free Shelters for a webinar with Melyssa Allen, MA, NBC-HWC, DipACLM, as we explore the six pillars of lifestyle medicine and their role in supporting wellbeing. We’ll focus on the core behaviors of nutrition, physical activity, and sleep, and how they influence not only our physical health but the quality of care we provide to pets every day.

    What You’ll Learn:
    • An introduction to the six pillars of lifestyle medicine
    • How core health behaviors impact physical wellbeing and mental health
    • The importance of lifestyle habits in supporting both personal and professional quality of life
    • How to create a personal wellbeing vision and identify goals aligned with that vision

    Presentation by
    Melyssa Allen, MA, NBC-HWC, DipACLM

    Register now: https://fearfreellc.webinargeek.com/healthy-humans-happy-pets-part-1-physical-well-being-the-foundation-of-health

  • Webinar – 6/12/25 – Not Strays, Just Found a Street Away – HASS

    Webinar – 6/12/25 – Not Strays, Just Found a Street Away – HASS

    What do people in your community do when they find a lost pet?

    In the United States, the majority of pets enter animal shelters as lost pets, making supporting this population the most significant opportunity for lifesaving and community engagement. In this webinar, Ali Triplett, Community Support Manager for LifeLine Animal Project, and Jenifer Reed, HASS Senior Education Specialist, will present data-backed solutions based on community behavior trends to help your organization reunite more lost pets with their owners and reduce shelter overcrowding.

    Just in time for Lost Pet Prevention month (July), attendees can expect to leave with tools for implementing effective lost pet reunification programs, including short-term foster placements, tracking actionable data, and enhancing lost-and-found pet communication strategies.

    WEBSITE LINK: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/7017387899470/WN_cJs3T2jZQPyveCqhPIx5GA#/registration

  • Webinar – 5/19/25 – Redefining the Gold Standard: A New Framework for More Accessible Care – UC Davis KSMP

    Webinar – 5/19/25 – Redefining the Gold Standard: A New Framework for More Accessible Care – UC Davis KSMP

    What if the “gold standard” isn’t gold for everyone?

    We all know it’s time to have this conversation. At best, one-size-fits-all thinking in veterinary care limits our ability to help—and feels disempowering on both sides of the exam table. At worst, care without context results in barriers that prevent us from even meeting the pets who need us most.

    Let’s flip the script!

    A standing-room-only presentation at this year’s Animal Care Expo reinforced what we’ve all been thinking: It’s time to say no to the status quo! Join us Monday, May 19, from 1- 2:30pm Pacific for Redesigning the Gold Standard: A New Framework for More Accessible Care.

    By the end of this webinar, you’ll be able to:

    • Articulate the difference between spectrum of care, incremental care, gold standard, and standard of care—and learn how contextualized care is critical to all.
    • Match care to context—balance medical best practices with real-world constraints, community needs, and ethical obligations.
    • Understand how the law supports your ability to provide care.
    • SCOPE before you SOAP.

    Presented by Dr. Jennifer Bennett, Dr. Sarah Mantovani and Kelly Bremken, MSSW

    Register now: https://sheltermedicine.zoom.us/webinar/register/8017470939827/WN_QUVCHUn_RvKtsnVarFa8dw