Shelter Learniverse and Industry-Wide Calendar

Blog

  • Online Event – 11/19/25 – Shelter Med LIVE – Pills, Skills, and New Bills: Keeping the California Shelter Clinic Compliant – UC Davis KSMP

    Online Event – 11/19/25 – Shelter Med LIVE – Pills, Skills, and New Bills: Keeping the California Shelter Clinic Compliant – UC Davis KSMP

    November Topic: Pills, Skills, and New Bills: Keeping the California Shelter Clinic Compliant

    Hosted by Dr. Jenn Bennett with guests Dr. Jena Valdez (Chief Medical Officer, San Francisco SPCA), Dr. Ginger White, (Veterinarian, ASAP Cats), and Dr. Carissa Jones (Chief Veterinarian, OC Animal Care)

    Over the past few years, new California laws have expanded what shelter staff, technicians, and veterinarians can do for animals. Meanwhile, shelter medicine remains a hot topic at the Veterinary Medical Board and the California Veterinary Medical Association as they consider compliance and concerns around compounding pharmaceuticals, owner exemptions for medical care, and veterinarian of record relationships.

    On this episode of Shelter Med LIVE, Drs. Valdez, Jones and White will share how they work through these issues in-shelter and with partner organizations. Together, we’ll unpack recent and upcoming changes and what they actually mean for your daily practice.

    Join the discussion on the questions everyone’s asking:

    • Can I still compound? What are the rules for drugs used in High-Quality High-Volume Spay/Neuter surgery and dispensing for common shelter treatments?
    • What can I delegate to veterinary staff or technicians to expand the medical care for shelter animals when I’m not onsite? What about serving owned animals?
    • What’s actually required for Vet of Record relationships, and what should I be aware of when working with shelters?

    Send your biggest questions to sheltermedicine@ucdavis.edu in advance. After this hour, you’ll feel more confident about the do’s, don’ts, and how to leverage laws at your shelter.

    About Shelter Med LIVE

    Shelter medicine bridges gaps in veterinary care access, ensuring animals are sterilized, vaccinated, and have the medical treatment they need before going home to the people and communities who care for them.

    Ask questions (or send them in ahead of time). This isn’t a lecture—it’s a conversation for everyone who wants to nerd out on shelter medicine. Kick back and recharge with your colleagues in the middle of a long week.

    This event has been approved for 1 hour of continuing education credit by CAWA and NACA.

    Can’t make it live? Register to receive the recording and resources after the event, accessible through the UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program Shelter Learniverse, #ThanksToMaddie!

    WEBSITE LINK:  https://www.shelterlearniverse.com/events

  • Webinar – 11/13/25 – Maddie’s Insights: The Animal Welfare Assessment Grid – Maddie’s Fund

    Webinar – 11/13/25 – Maddie’s Insights: The Animal Welfare Assessment Grid – Maddie’s Fund

    Discover how the Animal Welfare Assessment Grid (AWAG) turns everyday animal care records into powerful, visual evidence of welfare over an animal’s entire life. This innovative, cloud-based tool scores physical, behavioral/psychological, environmental, and procedural factors—revealing trends, pinpointing key events, and helping you take targeted action to improve quality of life.

    Whether you’re caring for animals, conducting research, or making the case for change, AWAG’s data-driven insights make animal well-being measurable, actionable, and easy to communicate.

    Learning outcomes:

    •  Describe the structure and utility of the AWAG in assessing canine welfare
    • Understand the scoring and interpret what scores mean
    • Identify the factors scored in dogs
    • Recognise predictors of behaviour disorders and their implications for clinical
      practice
    • Explore future applications of the AWAG and utilise its potential to improve well-
      being

    Guest Speakers:

    • Rachel Malkani, Veterinary and Animal Welfare Scientist, Clinical Animal Behaviorist, Founder and Board Member of the Dog Friendly Clinic
    • Sarah Wolfensohn, OBE, BSc, MA, VetMB, FRSB, DipECAWBM, FRCVS, Director, Welfare Assessment Technologies, Ltd.

    WEBSITE LINK: https://maddies.fund/MIwebcastsRegister

  • Online Event – 11/6/25 – Maddie’s Monthly Foster Connection: Detective, Educator, Mediator: A Holistic Approach to Foster Behavior Support – Maddie’s Fund

    Online Event – 11/6/25 – Maddie’s Monthly Foster Connection: Detective, Educator, Mediator: A Holistic Approach to Foster Behavior Support – Maddie’s Fund

    Foster insights are invaluable to shelters & rescues, and no concern should ever be dismissed or taken more lightly than the foster presents it. At the same time, that initial presentation of a concern tends to only offer one perspective: the human’s. Zan’s presentation will walk through example cases of their tried and true process of taking an analytical approach that simultaneously gets to the root causes of an animal’s concerning or unwanted behaviors and promotes a more nuanced understanding of those animals’ needs among fosters, all without sacrificing compassion for either.

    Guest Speaker: Zan Lowell

    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

  • Online Course – 11/12/25 – Return to Home Certification Workshop – Community Cats Podcast (small fee applies)

    Online Course – 11/12/25 – Return to Home Certification Workshop – Community Cats Podcast (small fee applies)

    Leave all your assumptions about ‘dumped, abandoned, or unwanted’ stray cats at the door! Imagine if every stray cat entering our shelters was treated as a beloved pet with a family searching for them. How can we streamline the process of reuniting lost pets with their owners—without overburdening our dedicated staff and volunteers or filling up shelter space with lengthy stray holds?

    In this session, we’ll explore straightforward, effective strategies and processes you can implement to support the owners of lost cats, become a valuable resource for those who find stray cats, and boost the rates at which cats in our shelters are joyfully reunited with their families.

    Take advantage of the interactive format and earn your certificate of completion after passing a short quiz. Plus gain access to an exclusive Facebook group to network with other cat-focused volunteers and professionals.

    This workshop is presented by Corinne Bourgoin, Shelter Operations Supervisor at the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals(MSPCA), and lasts 1.5 hours, including an optional 15-minute Q&A session. Registration is just $10.00.

    This course/webinar/series/conference has been approved for Continuing Educational Units by the National Animal Care & Control Association (NACA). National certificate holders can submit for credit consistent with the NACA CEU policy located https://nacatraining.org/continuing-education-recertification/

    WEBSITE LINK: https://www.communitycatspodcast.com/events/return-to-home-certification-workshop-nov-2025/

  • Webinar – 11/10/25 – Civil Liability in Animal Investigations: Avoid Becoming Homeless while Protecting Animals – NACA/Justice Clearinghouse

    Webinar – 11/10/25 – Civil Liability in Animal Investigations: Avoid Becoming Homeless while Protecting Animals – NACA/Justice Clearinghouse

    Officers involved in animal law enforcement face many of the same liability risks as traditional law enforcement—plus some that are unique to working with animals. There’s nothing more emotionally charged than removing someone’s child or pet, and even when officers—whether police, deputies, animal control, or humane officers—do everything by the book, they may still face allegations or lawsuits.

    Laws around child welfare investigations are well established. But in many cases, the legal framework around animal seizures is far less clear. That uncertainty makes it harder to do the right thing, the right way, at the right time—without violating the owner’s rights. Sometimes, doing what feels right can still land you in trouble.

    This webinar will explore where civil liability risks tend to arise in animal investigations, how to protect yourself from claims of civil rights violations, and what real-world cases have taught us—both about what went wrong, and what could have been prevented.

    WEBSITE LINK: https://www.justiceclearinghouse.com/webinar/civil-liability-in-animal-investigations-avoid-becoming-homeless-while-protecting-animals/

  • Webinar – 11/5/25 – Classroom to Clinic: Neonatal and Early Kittenhood Emergencies – The National Kitten Coalition

    Webinar – 11/5/25 – Classroom to Clinic: Neonatal and Early Kittenhood Emergencies – The National Kitten Coalition

    Are you a veterinary student or faculty member with a passion for feline health and welfare? Join the National Kitten Coalition this February for our RACE® CE-Approved Neonatal and Early Kittenhood Emergencies webinar tailored especially for you!

    Sign up for our Classroom to Clinic mailing list to receive the registration link and stay updated on our future events and initiatives.

    WEBSITE LINK:  https://kittencoalition.org/event/classroom-to-clinic-neonatal-and-early-kittenhood-emergencies-2/

  • Webinar – 10/29/25 – Access to Veterinary Care: Insights, Barriers, and Next Steps – Program for Pet Health Equity

    Webinar – 10/29/25 – Access to Veterinary Care: Insights, Barriers, and Next Steps – Program for Pet Health Equity

    📢 You’re Invited: Access to Veterinary Care – Insights, Barriers, and Next Steps

    We’re excited to invite our One Health colleagues and community partners to join a special live session with the authors of Access to Veterinary Care: Barriers and Insights from Pet Families.

    This conversation will explore the key findings of the report, the barriers families face in accessing veterinary services, and how these challenges impact both human and animal health. Together, we’ll look ahead at what’s next — and how One Health collaboration can help drive lasting solutions.

    💬 Hear directly from the researchers
    🐾 Ask questions and share your ideas
    🌎 Connect with others committed to improving access to care

    📅 Date: October 29, 2025
    🕓 Time: 12:00pm ET (US and Canada)
    🔗 Register here: https://tiny.utk.edu/2025AVCReportMeetTheAuthors

    Let’s keep building a future where every family — human and animal — can access the care they need. 💙
    More information

  • Online Event – 11/12/25 – The Roundtable: Justice in Action for Animal Welfare – The AAWA

    Online Event – 11/12/25 – The Roundtable: Justice in Action for Animal Welfare – The AAWA

    The animal welfare profession has made meaningful progress toward diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)—but real transformation requires going further. To create lasting change, we must look beyond DEI initiatives and examine the deeper systemic barriers that shape who has access to animal care, services, and leadership opportunities.

    As a follow-up to our Justice in Action: Moving Beyond DEI in Animal Welfare webinar (October 21, 2025), this interactive roundtable invites participants to explore what justice in action looks like in practice. You’ll hear from peers and panelists who are embedding justice into their organizations’ everyday work—sharing candid insights, challenges, and strategies along the way.

    Whether you lead an organization, manage teams, or work directly with communities, this discussion will provide a space to exchange ideas, spark collaboration, and co-create approaches to advancing justice across our field.

    Participants will:

    • Discuss what “justice in action” looks like in practice
    • Explore examples of justice in action in the workplace
    • Share strategies to incorporate justice in action into organizational culture

    Facilitated by: Jasmin Robinson, Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Initiatives, The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement

    WEBSITE LINK:  https://learning.theaawa.org/p/11-12-25

  • Webinar – 10/14/25 – Beyond the Page: Meet the Authors Shaping DEI in Veterinary Medicine – Stephen Niño Cital & Camia Tonge – MCVMA

    Webinar – 10/14/25 – Beyond the Page: Meet the Authors Shaping DEI in Veterinary Medicine – Stephen Niño Cital & Camia Tonge – MCVMA

    Join us on October 14th in celebration of National Veterinary Technician Week as we honor the essential contributions of veterinary technicians and explore how DEI can shape a stronger, more inclusive future for the profession. We’ll be chatting with Stephen Niño Cital, RVT, SRA, RLAT, VTS-LAM co-founder a leading veterinary technician specialist recognized for his expertise in anesthesia, pain management, and cannabinoid medicine and Camia Tonge, CVT, VTS (Small Animal Internal Medicine), MS president-elect of the Academy of Internal Medicine for Veterinary Technicians and Director of Licensed Veterinary Technicians and Assistants at Schwarzman Animal Medical Center.

    We’ll be discussing their chapter, “Diversifying the Veterinary Technician Specialist (VTS) Pipeline,” which explores how broadening representation in veterinary technician specialties strengthens the profession, improves access to care, and fosters more inclusive career pathways.

    Read the article now: Diversifying the Veterinary Technician Specialist (VTS) Pipeline

    Join us and register today!

    WEBSITE LINK: https://www.mcvma.org/beyond-the-page

  • Webinar – 10/15/25 – Workers’ Comp Unleashed: Building a Safer, Stronger Workplace – CalAnimals

    Webinar – 10/15/25 – Workers’ Comp Unleashed: Building a Safer, Stronger Workplace – CalAnimals

    Join Morris & Garritano for a lively session that takes the mystery (and the stress!) out of workers’ compensation. We’ll show you how to build a safer workplace, understand your experience modification (Ex Mod), best practices for claims reporting, and design return-to-work programs that keep your team protected and your costs under control. Carrier partner Jasmine Ariel Contreras from Berkshire Hathaway brings real-world tips and insider strategies to make workers’ comp a breeze.

    What You’ll Learn

    1. Workers’ Comp Basics: The essentials every organization needs to know.
    2. Experience Mod Explained: How it’s calculated and ways to improve it.
    3. Safety Culture Boost: Practical steps to prevent injuries and strengthen your workplace.
    4. Claims & Return-to-Work: Reporting tips and approaches to get employees back on the job smoothly.
    5. Renewal Readiness: How to prepare for policy renewal with confidence.

    Who Should Attend
    Anyone responsible for safety, human resources and insurance decisions who wants to handle workers comp with confidence and less stress.

    Presenters
    Lynette Dunn – Morris & Garritano
    Mandy O’Neal – Morris & Garritano
    Jasmine Ariel Contreras – Berkshire Hathaway Homestate Companies

    Can’t Attend the Live Session?
    Register anyway—you’ll receive the full recording to watch whenever it works for you.

    WEBSITE LINK: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_93kZs8gIRkGJvDhEHSwexw#/