Shelter Learniverse and Industry-Wide Calendar

Blog

  • Webinar – 4/22/25 – Opening your own procedure clinic to reduce economic euthanasia and provide affordable options – United Spay Alliance

    Webinar – 4/22/25 – Opening your own procedure clinic to reduce economic euthanasia and provide affordable options – United Spay Alliance

    Thinking of Opening a Clinic in Your Community? Don’t Miss This Free Webinar – LIVE SESSION ONLY!
    Join us on Tuesday, April 22, 2025 for a special presentation from Dr. Lisa Warren on how to open a procedure-focused clinic that serves your community’s animal welfare needs.

    Designed for veterinarians and anyone interested in starting a clinic, this session will explore Dr. Warren’s collaborative partnership model, proving that procedure clinics can be both profitable and community-driven.

    Can’t wait? Check out our blog post with a sneak peak into Dr. Warren’s work in Kentucky here.

    What: Opening your own procedure clinic to reduce economic euthanasia and provide affordable options

    When: Tuesday, April 22, 2025 @ 2:00 PM ET

    Live session only – no recording will be available! Don’t miss this opportunity to learn directly from Dr. Warren.

    WEBSITE LINK: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/637890912072853085

  • Online Course – Application deadline 4/26/25 – Shelter Care Specialist Certification Program Summer 2025 Session – UC Davis KSMP Shelter Learniverse

    Are you ready to take your career in animal sheltering to the next level? Offered by the Koret Shelter Medicine Program Shelter Learniverse as part of Maddie’s® Million Pet Challenge, 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.

    Through engaging online courses, you’ll gain expertise in:

    • Best practices to reduce animal stress.
    • Foundational animal care and medical care to enhance your skills.
    • Behavior, training, and enrichment for healthier, happier animals.
    • Population management to optimize shelter resources.
    • Daily care best practices that streamline your workflow and maximize impact.

    Whether you’re new to shelter work or a seasoned professional, this program equips you with the tools, knowledge, and recognition to make a greater difference.

    Why Become Certified?

    • Advance your career with professional credentials.
    • Learn practical, actionable skills to improve daily operations.
    • Gain confidence in providing high-quality care for every animal.

    Applications are being accepted for the summer 2025 session starting 5/26/25! Start learning today and become part of the growing movement to transform animal sheltering. 

    APPLICATION DEADLINE: 4/26/25.

    Certification is currently free, #ThanksToMaddie!

    This program is most relevant for individuals working in public shelters or private shelters with municipal contracts. Enrollment is limited; applicants from these shelter types will be prioritized for this session.

    Learn more about upcoming sessions and apply at https://tinyurl.com/SCS-General

  • Webinar – 3/13/25 – Lost Pets, Found Faster: How to Improve Reunification Efforts at Intake – HASS

    Webinar – 3/13/25 – Lost Pets, Found Faster: How to Improve Reunification Efforts at Intake – HASS

    Every year, countless pets go missing, but how effective are our current reunification efforts? This webinar explores solutions to improve lost pet reunification rates and keep lost pets out of kennels. Join us March 13th at 1pm/CST as Ashley Shrewsbury, Pet Reunification Specialist at Charlotte-Mecklenburg Animal Care & Control as well as Gina Botticello, Community Partnerships and Programs Manager at PASCO County Animal Services, discuss insights into making reunification faster, easier, and more effective. Register today to be part of the solution!

    WEBSITE LINK:  https://zoom.us/webinar/register/9817412860693/WN_Y2RiiWiiRnCCJoQpMeAKqQ#/registration

  • Online Course – Starts 5/26/25 – Shelter Care Specialist Certification Program – UC Davis KSMP Shelter Learniverse

    Are you ready to take your career in animal sheltering to the next level? Offered by the Koret Shelter Medicine Program Shelter Learniverse as part of Maddie’s® Million Pet Challenge, 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.

    Through engaging online courses, you’ll gain expertise in:

    • Best practices to reduce animal stress.
    • Foundational animal care and medical care to enhance your skills.
    • Behavior, training, and enrichment for healthier, happier animals.
    • Population management to optimize shelter resources.
    • Daily care best practices that streamline your workflow and maximize impact.

    Whether you’re new to shelter work or a seasoned professional, this program equips you with the tools, knowledge, and recognition to make a greater difference.

    Why Become Certified?

    • Advance your career with professional credentials.
    • Learn practical, actionable skills to improve daily operations.
    • Gain confidence in providing high-quality care for every animal.

    Applications are being accepted for the next session starting 8/4/25! Start learning today and become part of the growing movement to transform animal sheltering. 

    APPLICATION DEADLINE: 7/4/25.

    Certification is currently free, #ThanksToMaddie!

    This program is most relevant for individuals working in public shelters or private shelters with municipal contracts. Enrollment is limited; applicants from these shelter types will be prioritized for this session.

    Learn more about upcoming sessions at https://tinyurl.com/SCS-General

  • Online Event – 4/12/25 – 2025 Online Behavior Day Conference – Community Cats Podcast (fee applies)

    Online Event – 4/12/25 – 2025 Online Behavior Day Conference – Community Cats Podcast (fee applies)

    Join Community Cats Podcast for our annual Online Behavior Day, an exciting event designed to deepen your understanding of feline behavior and improve your ability to support cats in your home, shelter, or rescue organization. Understanding cat behavior is crucial for building positive relationships with cats, reducing stress, and preventing behavior-related issues that can lead to relinquishment or abandonment. This event features some of the animal welfare industry’s most trusted authorities on feline behavior, who will lead a variety of workshops covering a wide range of cat behavior concerns—from managing vet visits and providing enrichment to addressing litter box issues and navigating multi-cat households.

    You’ll gain valuable insights into new concepts, tools, and techniques that can be immediately applied to help resolve common behavioral challenges. In addition to the informative workshops, enjoy fun cat trivia and prizes that will enhance your experience, along with opportunities to network with fellow professionals and volunteers in the animal welfare community. This is a great chance to connect with others who share your passion for improving the lives of cats.

    Registration is just $25 and includes access to the live event and recorded sessions after the event, as well as speaker slides, handouts, and more.

    WEBSITE LINK:  https://www.communitycatspodcast.com/events/2025-online-behavior-day/

  • Webinar – 4/10/25 – Maddie’s Insights: Exploring Efficacy, Barriers, and Best Practices of Companion Animal Foster Caregiving – Maddie’s Insights

    Webinar – 4/10/25 – Maddie’s Insights: Exploring Efficacy, Barriers, and Best Practices of Companion Animal Foster Caregiving – Maddie’s Insights

    Foster care is a unique form of human-animal interaction that is increasingly understood to be an effective tool for improving the welfare of shelter-living animals. Even brief stays in foster care can allow animals to escape the stressors of the shelter, provide an environment that allows for greater social interaction, and offer opportunities for improved health and behavior.

    In this presentation, we will highlight the key takeaways revealed in the 42 published articles evaluating companion animal foster care programs that are included in our recent review paper: Companion animal foster caregiving: A scoping review exploring animal and caregiver welfare, barriers to caregiver recruitment and retention, and best practices for foster care programs in animal shelters. During our discussion, we will examine a variety of foster care programs that have been studied, explore the evidence of their effects on human and animal welfare, evaluate the successes and challenges in supporting shelter foster care programs, illuminate discrepancies in equity and diversity of caregiver engagement that offer opportunities for recruitment, and recommend best practices for lasting programmatic success.

    Learning Objectives:
    1. Describe scientific research about foster caregiving as an intervention for companion animals.
    2. Identify the proximate (i.e., physical and emotional) and distal (i.e., length of stay and adoption outcomes) welfare benefits of foster caregiving for shelter animals as well as their caregivers.
    3. Explore opportunities for improving foster care programs in animal shelters, including utilizing a stepwise approach to foster caregiving, providing greater caregiver support, increasing the diversity of caregiver involvement, and expanding the extent of community engagement within foster care programs.

    Guest Speakers:
    Lisa Gunter, Assistant Professor, PhD, CAAB, CBCC-KA, and Grace Phillips, Master’s Student, Virgina Tech, School of Animal Sciences

    Register for Maddie’s Insights Webcasts: https://maddies.fund/MIwebcastsRegister

  • Online Event – 5/20/25 – All Call: Helping Paws and People – Food and Resource Pantry Programming – California for All Animals

    Online Event – 5/20/25 – All Call: Helping Paws and People – Food and Resource Pantry Programming – California for All Animals

    Now, more than ever, it’s crucial to engage all members of our communities. Starting February 18, Partnering for Pets: A Multicultural Community of Practice, is coming to the All Call to strengthen our capacity to do just that.

    Are you passionate about increasing adoptions, foster, return to home, and keeping more pets and people together? Do you want to learn and share practical strategies for building relationships with diverse communities? This community is for you!

    May 20 Topic:

    As food banks face funding cuts, communities are mobilizing to ensure individuals and families have access to food and other resources without judgment. At the next community of practice at the All Call, we’ll learn about Pasadena Humane and Humane Society of Sonoma County’s approaches to multicultural community engagement and supporting pet guardians experiencing food insecurity. If you’ve already registered for the All Call, all you need to do is join the call at 12 p.m. PT.

    Speakers:

    • Laura Lampley, Sr. Director of Animal Resources and Admissions at Pasadena Humane
    • Miguel Ruelas, Helping Paws Manager at Pasadena Humane
    • Jorge Delgado, Community Initiatives Manager at Humane Society of Sonoma County
    • Cel Jimenez, Community Initiatives Coordinator at Humane Society of Sonoma County

    Through June 3, the All Call will provide a space for learning, sharing, and networking with colleagues dedicated to building stronger connections with all segments of their communities. You’ll hear how California shelters are advancing culturally-responsive programming and building bridges to decrease length of stay and increase positive outcomes for animals, as well as the shelter staff and community members who care for them.

    About the All Call

    The All Call is a twice-monthly, California community call for animal well-being professionals that occurs on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday. 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 California for All team members Allison Cardona, Nadia Oseguera-Ramóna, and Ivy Ruiz, and is enriched by rotating facilitators. You only need to register one time. Calls are sometimes recorded; recap emails with supplemental resources are sent post-call.

    Register: https://tinyurl.com/all-call

     


    Ahora, más que nunca, es esencial que todos los miembros de nuestras comunidades participen. A partir del 18 de febrero, Partnering for Pets: A Multicultural Community of Practice (Colaborando para mascotas: Una comunidad de práctica multicultural), llegará a All Call para reforzar nuestra capacidad de hacer precisamente eso.

    ¿Le apasiona aumentar las adopciones, el cuidado temporal, el regreso a casa y mantener juntos a más mascotas y personas? ¿Quiere aprender y compartir estrategias prácticas para cultivar relaciones con comunidades diversas? ¡Esta comunidad es para ti!

    Hasta el 3 de junio, el All Call ofrecerá un espacio para aprender, compartir y establecer contactos con colegas dedicados a construir conexiones más fuertes con todos los segmentos de sus comunidades. Escuchará cómo los refugios de California están avanzando en programas culturalmente responsables y construyendo puentes para reducir la estancia y aumentar los resultados positivos para los animales, y también para el personal del refugio y los miembros de la comunidad que los cuidan.

    Acerca de All Call

    All Call es una llamada comunitaria que se realiza dos veces al mes para profesionales del bienestar animal en California, los primeros y terceros martes. La llamada de una hora es un espacio dedicado a compartir y aprender unos de otros. Los temas más populares incluyen iniciativas que crean una cultura más inclusiva tanto para el personal como para la comunidad, programas que mantienen a las mascotas con su familia, tendencias de la industria, estudios, y también temas difíciles, como lo que no funciona o lo que es particularmente difícil en tiempos de crisis. La sesión es una mezcla de presentaciones, historias, debate abierto y tiempo para preguntas y respuestas.

    All Call está organizada por Allison Cardona, Nadia Oseguera-Ramóna e Ivy Ruiz, miembros del equipo de California For All, y se complementa con facilitadores rotativos. Sólo es necesario inscribirse una vez. En ocasiones, las llamadas se graban; después de la llamada se envían correos electrónicos de resumida con recursos adicionales.

    Regístrese: https://tinyurl.com/all-call

  • Webinar – 3/10/25 – Transforming Perceptions, Increasing Adoptions: The Future of Shelter Pets in California – CalAnimals

    Webinar – 3/10/25 – Transforming Perceptions, Increasing Adoptions: The Future of Shelter Pets in California – CalAnimals

    Most Californians say they support pet adoptions from shelters—but the reality doesn’t match their intentions. So, how do we close this gap and make shelters the first choice for pet seekers?

    Join us for an exclusive look at CalAnimals’ new statewide advertising campaign designed to shift public perception and drive more pet adoptions. Sasha Howell, the strategic lead from Off Madison Ave, will reveal key research findings that uncover the biggest barriers to adoption—and how our campaign is strategically designed to overcome them.

    You’ll gain insights into:

    • What Californians really think about shelters (and why they hesitate to adopt).
    • The research-backed messaging approach that will reshape public perception.
    • How you can help amplify this campaign and make a lasting impact on pet homelessness.

    With our ad campaign launching soon, we need the collective power of shelters, advocates, and supporters to get this message in front of the right people at the right time. Be part of the movement that’s redefining shelter adoption in California!

    Register now and be a part of the change!

    WEBSITE LINK: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_kP4P4g3pSFS29xPOXedRkg#/registration

  • Online Event – 6/3/25 – All Call: Community-Centered Field Services and Animal Control in Action – California for All Animals

    Online Event – 6/3/25 – All Call: Community-Centered Field Services and Animal Control in Action – California for All Animals

    Now, more than ever, it’s crucial to engage all members of our communities. Starting February 18, Partnering for Pets: A Multicultural Community of Practice, is coming to the All Call to strengthen our capacity to do just that.

    Are you passionate about increasing adoptions, foster, return to home, and keeping more pets and people together? Do you want to learn and share practical strategies for building relationships with diverse communities? This community is for you!

    June 3 Topic: Community-Centered Field Services and Animal Control in Action

    At the next community of practice at the All Call, we’re welcoming Dr. Christina Avila (City of Perris), April Stevenson (City of Rancho Cordova), and Samantha McKain (City of Rancho Cordova) for a discussion focused on progressive and culturally responsive field services and animal control practices.

    The All Call will provide a space for learning, sharing, and networking with colleagues dedicated to building stronger connections with all segments of their communities. You’ll hear how California shelters are advancing culturally-responsive programming and building bridges to decrease length of stay and increase positive outcomes for animals, as well as the shelter staff and community members who care for them.

    About the All Call

    The All Call is a twice-monthly, California community call for animal well-being professionals that occurs on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday. 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.

    Register here: https://tinyurl.com/all-call

  • Conference – 4/27/25 to 4/29/25 – Humane Canada’s Summit for Animals – Humane Canada (fee applies)

    Conference – 4/27/25 to 4/29/25 – Humane Canada’s Summit for Animals – Humane Canada (fee applies)

    Join us in Montréal, Québec for the biggest and boldest animal welfare conference in Canada!

    Join us at Humane Canada’s Summit for Animals in Montréal, Quebec, April 27-29, 2025, where you’ll discover innovative strategies and practical solutions to enhance the well-being of animals in your community and beyond.

    Education: 

    Our conference features diverse speakers, including experts in advocacy, community outreach, animal care, farmed and wild animals, shelter medicine, fundraising, marketing and more. They will share valuable insights and best practices that you can implement in your daily work and organization. Dive into our conference educational topics here.

    Networking: 

    Experience the Discovery Hub, where you can explore a dynamic exhibit floor featuring cutting-edge products, technology and services, make connections and enjoy delicious food. This area brings together exhibitors and top-tier partners, all seamlessly connected within the conference venue. At the Discovery Hub, you will also find our Hot Topics area, where you can gather in small groups to discuss current topics and pressing issues in animal welfare.

    Wellbeing:

    Unwind in our Happy Walrus Recharge Room, a relaxing and calm space to support your mental and physical well-being while at the conference.

    Fun: 

    Our Yappy Hour will be the perfect opportunity to mingle with fellow attendees in a laid-back environment before the conference officially begins.

    Our friends at the Montréal SPCA will give us a warm welcome to their city at our scocial: Soirée Rendez-vous, and will host shelter tours.

    This is a fantastic opportunity to connect with fellow animal welfare professionals, advocates and volunteers from across Canada, the United States and abroad to learn, share and advance together. Join us and be part of the movement to create a more humane world for all animals.

    WEBSITE LINK: https://reg.eventmobi.com/summitforanimals