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  • Webinar – 10/16/24 – Northern Tier Shelter Initiative Zoomies: Contracts, Compensation and Collaboration – ASPCAPro

    Webinar – 10/16/24 – Northern Tier Shelter Initiative Zoomies: Contracts, Compensation and Collaboration – ASPCAPro

    Join us for an insightful session in collaboration with the University of Wisconsin Shelter Medicine Program that will help your agency navigate the complexities of contracting for animal sheltering services. Our panelists will discuss the necessities of developing contracts with local governments, outline essential steps to build collaborative relationships with key government stakeholders and explore ways to demonstrate the need for adequate compensation for these valuable services.

    Takeaways

    • The essentials for building and maintaining collaborative relationships with key government stakeholders
    • Key elements to include and what to avoid in contract negotiations for animal sheltering services
    • Pros and cons of various contractual models

    Suited for:

    This session is best suited for animal welfare leaders and staff as well as local governments that contract for animal sheltering services.

    Speakers:

    • Triniti Halverson, CAWA, Executive Director of Yellowstone Valley Animal Shelter
    • Megan Dennis, Vice President of Strategic Initiatives at the Humane Society for Southwest Washington
    • Kate Meghji, Chief Operating Officer at Humane Rescue Alliance
    • Julianna Tetlow, Senior Director of Government Relations at the San Diego Humane Society & Civic Alliance Solutions
    • The University of Wisconsin Shelter Medicine Program

    WEBSITE LINK:  https://www.aspcapro.org/training/webinar/ntsi-zoomies-contracts-compensation-collaboration-how-build-animal-sheltering

  • Online Event – 10/29/24 – The Roundtable: How to Retain a Diverse Workforce – The AAWA

    Online Event – 10/29/24 – The Roundtable: How to Retain a Diverse Workforce – The AAWA

    This roundtable features panelists who share the realities of sustaining a workforce with employees from various backgrounds, needs, and experiences. Hear different perspectives on what to consider to keep professionals from diverse backgrounds engaged and committed to their teams and organizations.

    This discussion is especially for hiring managers, leaders, and committees who are interested in learning about resources that can help empower, support, and maintain a diverse workforce. This roundtable has been approved for 1 Certified Animal Welfare Administrator continuing education credit.

    The Roundtable Panel:

    • Rachel Levine, Director of People Development, Dumb Friends League
    • Jessica Lopez, Executive Director, The PAW Mission
    • Jessica Umunnabuike, Senior Talent & Diversity Specialist, San Diego Humane Society

    Moderated by Jasmin Robinson, Director of DEI Initiatives, The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement

    WEBSITE LINK: https://learning.theaawa.org/p/RT-10-29-24

     

  • Online Training – 10/16/24 – Surrender Prevention Certification Workshop Presented by Dr. Rachel Geller – Community Cats Podcast (small fee applies)

    Online Training – 10/16/24 – Surrender Prevention Certification Workshop Presented by Dr. Rachel Geller – Community Cats Podcast (small fee applies)

    Community Cats Podcast is teaming up with renowned cat behaviorist Dr. Rachel Gellar to present a certification workshop designed to keep more cats and families together. 

    The workshop aims to help anyone on the front lines of animal shelters or rescues, who routinely work with families thinking about giving their cat or kitten over to the shelter for reasons related to feline behavior. This session will offer more information about surrender prevention, what it is and why it works, and some common interventions.

    Instructed by Dr. Rachel Geller, she will share real examples, with proven results, setting the potential surrenderer and cat on the road to a happy relationship together and keeping the cat in her home. Attendees will receive a certificate after completing a short quiz.

    But that’s not all! Everyone who registers will also receive access to four (4) mini-courses, perfect for anyone looking to keep more cats in homes, regardless of experience level! Mini-courses will cover common behavior topics, such as:

    • Litter box issues
    • Scratching concerns
    • Introducing your new cat to your home
    • Introducing your new cat to your resident cat

    WEBSITE LINK:  https://www.communitycatspodcast.com/events/surrender-prevention-certification-workshop-oct-2024/

  • Online Event – 11/2/24 – Neighborhood Cats TNR Certification Workshop – Community Cats Podcast (small fee applies)

    Online Event – 11/2/24 – Neighborhood Cats TNR Certification Workshop – Community Cats Podcast (small fee applies)

    Are you ready to be part of the solution for feral and stray cats in your neighborhood? Our expert instructors will teach you best practices for Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) and colony management. Learn what TNR is and why it works. We’ll cover getting along with neighbors, preparations for trapping, trapping itself (including entire colonies at once), feeding, providing winter shelter, and more. Take advantage of the interactive format, extensive handouts, and video footage of actual projects. Attendees will receive a certificate of attendance and gain access to an ongoing Facebook group for networking with other TNR activists. Instructed by Susan Richmond, executive director, and Bryan Kortis, national programs director.

    Session duration is 2.5 hours, followed by an optional 15-minute Q&A session.

    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/the-neighborhood-cats-tnr-certification-workshop-nov-2024/

  • Online Event – 10/15/24 – All Call: Big Dog Solutions for Big Dog Populations – California for All Animals

    Online Event – 10/15/24 – All Call: Big Dog Solutions for Big Dog Populations – California for All Animals

    Join us for the next All Call on October 15! Director of Placement Izzy Nidetz will share Pasadena Humane’s approach to their large dog placement programs.

    About the Presentation:

    Large dogs often face significant challenges in finding homes, leading to longer stays in shelters and increased pressure on kennel space. To address this, we must explore innovative strategies that set both dogs and people up for success. How can we foster greater community involvement and encourage potential adopters to give big dogs a chance?

    We will explore proven solutions for getting large dogs into foster and adoptive homes through creative, results-driven programs. Topics will include Pasadena Humane’s Adoption Trial Program, Field Trip and Sleepover Programs, and unique events that have successfully engaged the public. Attendees will leave with actionable ideas for implementing or enhancing similar programs to improve outcomes for large dogs in their own communities.

    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 co-leaders Allison Cardona and Nadia Oseguera 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 here: https://tinyurl.com/all-call

  • Online Event – 10/3/24 – Live from the Ranch: A New Approach to Loose-Leash Walking with Kiki Yablon and Ken Ramirez – Karen Pryor Academy

    Online Event – 10/3/24 – Live from the Ranch: A New Approach to Loose-Leash Walking with Kiki Yablon and Ken Ramirez – Karen Pryor Academy

    On the Live From The Ranch, Kiki Yablon will join Ken Ramirez to discuss a new approach to loose-leash walking. Rather than just walking by your side, in this method, a dog and a person move through space together, almost like they were off-leash, interacting with each other and the world in ways both parties find enriching.

    WEBSITE LINK:  https://theranch.clickertraining.com/live/#next

  • Online Event – 11/13/24 – Camp Maddie: Pet-Inclusive Housing Edition – Maddie’s Fund

    Online Event – 11/13/24 – Camp Maddie: Pet-Inclusive Housing Edition – Maddie’s Fund

    Camp Maddie is back! Join us for the third edition of Camp Maddie, a free virtual half-day event on Wednesday, November 13th from 9AM-1PM PT / 12PM-4PM ET.

    Across the country, many people face tough choices due to housing restrictions, often having to give up their pets. At Camp Maddie: Pet-Inclusive Housing Edition, we will cover a variety of topics related to pet housing in presentations, videos and question and answer sessions.

    Presenters will share ideas about:

    • Understanding human homelessness response systems for better animal welfare advocacy and program design
    • Dog-inclusive housing
    • Legal protections for tenants with pets and the eviction process
    • Engaging rental housing providers with pet-inclusive approaches and pet owners with information they need to access pet-inclusive rental housing

    Presenting on these topics will be:

    • Christine Kim, Founder, My Dog is My Home
    • Shannon Glenn, Executive Director, My Pit Bull is Home
    • Dianne Prado, Founder and President, HEART LA
    • Diana Cruz, Program Director and Law Clerk, HEART LA
    • Zaira Bernal, Paralegal, HEART LA
    • Ross Barker, Program Director for the Pet-Inclusive Housing Initiative (PIHI), Michelson Found Animals Foundation
    • Sara Maria Muriello, Senior Program Manager for the Pet-Inclusive Housing Initiative (PIHI), Michelson Found Animals Foundation

    Camp Maddie: Pet-Inclusive Housing Edition is perfect for those interested or involved in animal shelters or foster-based organizations, social workers and anyone passionate about keeping pets and people together.

    At the end of the free half-day event, presenters will share a collection of resources to help you apply what you learn in your own organization and community. By embracing pet-inclusive policies, we can help families stay together and create neighborhoods where pets are valued as part of the family. Come make new friends and help make housing accessible to all members of the family!

    REGISTER HERE: https://maddies.fund/CampMaddieHousingRegistration
    Can’t make it? Register anyway to get notifications about the recordings.

    Find out more about the speakers and their presentations on Maddie’s Pet Forum: https://forum.maddiesfund.org/campmaddiepetinclusivehousing#agenda

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

  • Webinar – 10/4/24 – DPFL Playgroups: The Why, the What, and the How – Dogs Playing for Life

    Webinar – 10/4/24 – DPFL Playgroups: The Why, the What, and the How – Dogs Playing for Life

    Learn about all the ways in which DPFL Playgroups are transforming shelters all across the country! This webinar (formerly offered in three parts) will cover the Why, the What, and the How of playgroups. Attendees will be introduced to dynamic video examples and impactful data and experiences from some of the over 350 shelters who have embraced the power of letting shelter dogs play! This is a 3.5-hour presentation with Q&A at intervals throughout. This webinar will not be recorded. This course has been pre-approved for 3 continuing education unit (CEU) credits for Certified Animal Welfare Administrator (CAWA) by The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement (AAWA) and by the International Association of Canine Professionals (IACP).

    WEBSITE LINK:  https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_zlBqbWQpRtmPrZExC3_tzA#/registration

  • Online Event – 10/30/24 – The ASPCA-AAWA Research Forum 2024 – ASPCA and AAWA

    Online Event – 10/30/24 – The ASPCA-AAWA Research Forum 2024 – ASPCA and AAWA

    Don’t miss this FREE online event showcasing how to help vulnerable pets using data. Whether you love geeking out over data, want to help pets in your community—or both—you don’t want to miss the ASPCA®-AAWA Research Forum online on October 30 from 11 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. ET. Last year, nearly 1,300 of your colleagues registered for the Forum to explore new research results in community and shelter animal welfare.Get access to cutting-edge research that supports your lifesaving work, including studies on:

    • Tag! You’re Home! Reunification of Pet Cats with Their Owners Using a Community Engagement Approach
    • Benefits of Pair-Housing Dogs on Welfare Measures and Length of Stay
    • Using a behavior modification protocol to improve nail trim success in adult shelter cat
    • Rest or Rehabilitate? The Impact of Early Behavioral Treatment on Shelter Dog Rehabilitation Outcomes
    • Evaluation of StrayCare – a Targeted Cat Neutering Intervention

    Attendees will leave with practical suggestions for applying what they’ve learned to benefit their communities and are eligible for CAWA and NACA credit, as well as IAABC CEUs!

    Participate in a live Q&A with the researchers following the presentations.

    The Research Forum is for anyone interested in advancing animal welfare, including veterinarians, shelter leadership, staff, and volunteers. Register here for free: aspca.org/researchforum

    PS: Can’t attend live? Register anyway, and we’ll make the recordings available.

    WEBSITE LINK: http://aspca.org/researchforum

  • Webinar – 10/10/24 – Maddie’s Insights: Behavioral Euthanasia: Just the Facts! – Maddie’s Fund

    Webinar – 10/10/24 – Maddie’s Insights: Behavioral Euthanasia: Just the Facts! – Maddie’s Fund

    Maddie’s® Insights is our ongoing webcast series with practical tips based on current research to help pets and people. In October, Miranda Hitchcock, MS, CDBC, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA will be discussing factors associated with behavioral euthanasia in pet dogs.

    Behavioral euthanasia is a sensitive topic with a wide variety of personal thoughts and emotions. But what do we actually know about it? How often does it happen, and why? Do we have data we can use to make decisions? Where can we turn for information? This talk will walk you through the existing (and pending!) research on behavioral euthanasia to help us separate fact from fiction. There will be time for your questions.

    Register here: https://maddies.fund/MIwebcastsRegister

    What you’ll come away with:

    • An understanding of the history of research on behavioral euthanasia and the gaps
    • A summary of the 2024 paper “Factors Associated with Behavioral Euthanasia in Pet Dogs” and learn about the methods used (and why)
    • The types of behaviors that led to euthanasia in this study, and the information we can (and can’t) use from it to make decisions
    • The main findings of the study, including pieces that agree or disagree with previous literature
    • The limitations of research like this, and the potential for future study
    • Takeaways for pet professionals based on this research and resources available for folks in this situation

    Can’t attend live? Register anyway and you will get a link to the recording after the webcast.

    This webinar has been pre-approved for 1.0 Certified Animal Welfare Administrator continuing education credits by The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement and by the National Animal Care & Control Association. It has also been approved for 1 hour of continuing education credit in jurisdictions which recognize the Registry of Approved Continuing Education (RACE) approval.

    Maddie’s Pet Forum discussion thread https://maddies.fund/MIwebcastBehavioralEuthanasia

    About Guest Speaker: Miranda Hitchcock (she/her), MS Applied Animal Behavior, CDBC, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA, Fear Free Certified

    Miranda is the co-founder and executive director of Every Dog Behavior and Training, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing inclusive, accessible dog training and behavior resources.

    She began working with dogs as a volunteer at an animal shelter and fell down the rabbit hole of behavior. She moved to Austin for a Maddie’s Executive Leadership Fellowship with two of Austin’s shelters before becoming the operations manager at the municipal animal shelter.

    Miranda left sheltering to found Every Dog in 2019, taking her behavior and leadership expertise to the nonprofit world. She is a certified dog trainer and multi-certified dog behavior consultant. She holds a master’s degree in applied animal Behavior and Welfare from Virginia Tech. In 2024, her first research paper on behavioral euthanasia was published in the journal Frontiers of Veterinary Science.

    When not working, Miranda loves rock climbing, listening to fantasy audiobooks, and snuggling with her pittie, Nina.

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