Shelter Learniverse Return to the Shelter Learniverse

Shelter Learniverse and Industry-Wide Calendar

Blog

  • Online Course – 8/6/24 – Feline Confident With Pattern Games – IAABC (fee applies)

    Online Course – 8/6/24 – Feline Confident With Pattern Games – IAABC (fee applies)

    Pattern games offer animals predictability and focus in our unpredictable world. This course will give you practical ideas and tools to use with your cats and clients to set them up for success in a variety of contexts. This course is designed for cat behavior consultants but will also appeal to pet owners.

    What to expect from this course:

    • Create training plans using pattern games
    • Teach a variety of pattern games, such as 1-23, Look At That, Super Bowls, and more
    • Explore contexts in which the use of each pattern game would be most suitable
    • Apply pattern games in specific situations, and learn how and when to adjust your training plan
    • Consider best practices for setting your clients up for success

    Join us for this course and develop knowledge and skills to use with all your feline behavior cases.

    Course Begins: August 6, 2024
    Duration: 6 weeks
    Instructor: Beth Brown CDBC, CCBC, CCUI, CSAT, CPDT-KSA, FFCP

    WEBSITE LINK:  https://iaabcfoundation.org/courses/feline-confident-with-pattern-games/

  • Online Training – 7/18/24 – Understanding Aggressive Behavior in Dogs – CalAnimals (fee applies)

    Online Training – 7/18/24 – Understanding Aggressive Behavior in Dogs – CalAnimals (fee applies)

    With overflowing kennels and longer lengths of stay, most shelters are seeing no shortage of behavioral challenges among dogs. The most concerning, of course, is aggression, and behavior expert Kelley Bollen will lead this session to take a deep dive into why dogs exhibit aggressive behavior, the different types of aggression we see in dogs, and what situations can trigger aggressive behavior. She will discuss what we as shelter professionals can do to modify this serious and sometimes dangerous behavior and provide guidance on safe placement. With safety considerations for staff, volunteers, and the public, as well as the overall implications our choices have on our ability to maintain liability insurance as an industry, you won’t want to miss this!

    • 2 hours of CE for Humane Officers, CACOs, and CAWAs
    • $25 members, $35 non-members
    • Recording available through September 30th

    Please be sure to log in for your member discount!

    WEBSITE LINK: https://calanimals.site-ym.com/event/understandingaggressivebehavior

  • Webinar – 7/30/24 – Budget Calculator: Build a Budget Backed by Local Government and Community Support – HASS

    Webinar – 7/30/24 – Budget Calculator: Build a Budget Backed by Local Government and Community Support – HASS

    Never enough budget: an all-too common problem in animal welfare. HASS wants to showcase a new budget calculator tool created to garner more municipal funding, community support and address the chronic underfunding shelters unfortunately face daily. This webinar, led by APA! President & CEO, Ellen Jefferson, and Senior Director of Research & Development, Maggie Lynch, will cover how to use the HASS Budget Calculator and its results to advocate for budgets appropriate to meet the public’s expectations around humane care and shelter lifesaving.

    Register below and join us live on Tuesday, July 30 at 5 p.m. CT. After the live event, a recording will be distributed to all registrants within 3 business days.

    WEBSITE LINK:  https://zoom.us/webinar/register/3017156557816/WN_06Vk3axPS8Gr-zKDbtqEiA#/registration

  • Webinar – 9/19/24 – Embracing Proactive and Progressive Practices: Balancing the Letter and Spirit of the Law in Animal Control – NACA/Justice Clearinghouse

    Webinar – 9/19/24 – Embracing Proactive and Progressive Practices: Balancing the Letter and Spirit of the Law in Animal Control – NACA/Justice Clearinghouse

    In this engaging presentation, we delve into the nuanced concept of the “Letter of the Law vs Spirit of the Law” as it pertains to animal care and control practices. Addressing a crucial aspect of the profession, we explore the delicate balance between enforcing regulations strictly by their written word and interpreting them with empathy and foresight. By emphasizing proactive and progressive measures over punitive actions, we equip animal control officers with the tools to navigate complex situations effectively.

    Drawing on real-life scenarios and case studies, we’ll examine the benefits of approaching enforcement with a holistic understanding of animal welfare and community needs. By fostering compassion-driven interventions, this session empowers officers to make informed decisions that prioritize both legal compliance and the well-being of animals and communities alike, one that honors the spirit of the law while upholding its letter.

    This webinar has been certified by the National Animal Care & Control Association and is approved for 1 Continuing Education Unit. Please refer to your NACA membership portal for current CEU submission process. Current NACA Members who attend the live presentation or watch the recording will be able to download a jointly issued attendance certificate that includes the National Animal Care & Control Association logo. Visit the NACA training page for a complete list of future trainings.

    This webinar has been pre-approved by the Maine Animal Welfare Program for 1 Continuing Education Unit for the State of Maine’s ACO annual training. You can find more information about Certification, required annual training or submitting materials for credit at Maine’s Animal Control Officer Resource Page.

    Presenter:

    Spencer Conover has dedicated his life to innovative, servant leadership at some of the top animal welfare organizations across the country including, the Dumb Friends League, Best Friends Animal Society, the Humane Society of Utah, and Pasco County Animal Services. He is passionate about leadership development and surrounding himself with other lifesaving individuals. Spencer has a Master of Interdisciplinary Studies in Contemporary Animal Services Leadership and Leadership Studies. He is a certified green belt in lean six sigma process improvement. Spencer has had the pleasure to lead various shelter operations teams including animal control, adoption, intake, customer care, foster care, volunteer, education/outreach, transfer/rescue, and animal behavior. He is an animal control officer, CPR, and humane euthanasia certified with training in dangerous/fractious animal handling. Spencer has a passion for shelter operation, statistics, data-driven decision-making, and innovative, life-saving community-based programs.

    WEBSITE LINK:  https://www.justiceclearinghouse.com/webinar/embracing-proactive-and-progressive-practices-balancing-the-letter-and-spirit-of-the-law-in-animal-control/

  • Online Event – 9/10/24 – National Shelter Medicine Rounds – UW Shelter Medicine Program

    Online Event – 9/10/24 – National Shelter Medicine Rounds – UW Shelter Medicine Program

    There is a NEW way to register! We will no longer be emailing you with a new zoom link for every meeting. There is a ONE TIME registration link here through zoom!

    National Shelter Medicine Rounds Registration Link

    National Shelter Medicine Rounds is hosted by the University of Wisconsin Shelter Medicine Program and is open to any professional in the veterinary field who works in shelter medicine or who has an interest in learning more about shelter medicine.

    Rounds provides an opportunity for discussions to be held on current topics in shelter medicine for continued learning and collaboration among shelter medicine professionals. Presenters are primarily interns, residents, and fellows of shelter medicine training programs, their faculty, program staff, and their alumni.

    These meetings will be scheduled for the second Tuesday of every month, subject to change or cancellation if necessary.

    Recordings and shared documents/links info:

    • Recorded rounds can be found at this box link: https://uwmadison.box.com/s/bdzl9zkkkcy5komx5cvkqc3nsmik9jc1 Some more formalized rounds will be recorded but many discussions will not be recorded in order better facilitate open and honest discussion. If you do not see a previous rounds on this document then it was not recorded.
    • Links/documents shared in the chat during rounds can be accessed at this box link: https://uwmadison.box.com/s/9aafkcezkivmnb569upycuvxjpbgftvx We will be saving any documents and links that are shared in the chat in this folder called ‘Links shared in chat’
    • You should be able to access these box folders as a guest at any time without a sign in necessary.

    Zoom Meeting Link:  https://uwmadison.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJAvcO6gqDsuE9B_7YN-vvLTi0a5CVgAONJF#/registration

  • Conference – 7/11/24 to 7/13/24 – 2024 Best Friends National Conference – Best Friends

    Conference – 7/11/24 to 7/13/24 – 2024 Best Friends National Conference – Best Friends

    At the Best Friends National Conference, you’ll learn the latest actionable tools and data-driven techniques to take home and immediately start saving more dogs and cats in your community to reach or sustain a no-kill status in 2025.

    You will hear from presenters from different backgrounds and organization types, including leaders in advocacy and community engagement, field and animal services, shelter medicine and animal care, fundraising and development, and more.

    Beyond the 90+ sessions to choose from, you’ll have access to the Hub to enjoy delicious food, mingle with exhibitors and sponsors, and shop for human and pet gear.

    You can also join us in the Well-Being Room and designated outdoor areas to treat yourself to plenty of well-being activities, and you can attend our closing party with delicious food stations, drinks, music, and games.

    Plus, you’ll make meaningful connections with fellow animal welfare volunteers and staff members from across the country.

    WEBSITE LINK:  https://bestfriends.org/best-friends-national-conference

  • Online Event – 7/16/24 – All Call: Collaborative Programs at Pasadena Humane – California for All Animals

    Online Event – 7/16/24 – All Call: Collaborative Programs at Pasadena Humane – California for All Animals

    Join the next All Call for a conversation with Chief Veterinarian and Animal Care Officer Dr. Maria Pyrdek and Chief Program Officer Chris Ramon from Pasadena Humane,and bring your questions!

    Effective shelter operations rely on a smooth integration between the impound process, the care animals receive while in the shelter and the adoption/placement process. Successful integration of these areas of the shelter relies on functional working relationships among the leadership. Chris Ramon and Dr. Maria Pyrdek have worked together for over two years to integrate these areas and look forward to sharing the challenges, successes and the on-going “experiments” to further streamline these areas resulting in happier, more productive teams, decreased length of stay and improved care for animals in the shelter.

    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

  • Webinar – 7/25/24 – “Behavioral Euthanasia: Taking the Stigma Out of a Difficult Decision” with Dr. Shana Gilbert-Gregory – ACVB (fee applies)

    Webinar – 7/25/24 – “Behavioral Euthanasia: Taking the Stigma Out of a Difficult Decision” with Dr. Shana Gilbert-Gregory – ACVB (fee applies)

    Behavioral euthanasia (BE) can be a profoundly difficult decision for owners to make and often comes with significant stigma and judgement from friends, family, online communities and sometimes members of the veterinary field. This presentation will discuss behavioral considerations for euthanasia, tools to discuss behavioral euthanasia with clients and staff, humane protocols for euthanizing patients with fear, anxiety and aggression disorders, considerations for veterinary personnel in navigating the emotions associated with behavioral euthanasia and resources for support in navigating moving forward after behavioral euthanasia.

    Dr. Shana Gilbert-Gregory grew up in New York City and at a very young age, she developed a passion for animals and their well-being. Her experiences with sheltering and animal rescue throughout her life helped her realize that she was especially interested in addressing behavioral medicine concerns and helping improve the human-animal bond. This passion led her to graduate from the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine followed by completing her behavioral medicine residency at The Ohio State University to become a Behavioral Medicine Clinician.

    Dr. Gilbert-Gregory has a special interest in behavioral medicine but also enjoys shelter medicine, internal medicine, neurology, emergency, critical care and orthopedics. At home, she has 4 pets: Lou-Wee, a 10 year old Golden Retriever, Eldy, a 7 year-old Boston Terrier, Roland, a two-year-old Golden Retriever and Brick, and ancient domestic shorthair (who rules the roost.)

    WEBSITE LINK:  https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/7203036353487864919

  • Webinar – 7/15/24 – A Life Worth Living: Promoting Well-Being in our Animal Companions – PPG (fee applies)

    Webinar – 7/15/24 – A Life Worth Living: Promoting Well-Being in our Animal Companions – PPG (fee applies)

    How do we assess welfare and well-being in animals? What’s the difference between the two? This webinar will walk attendees through the current scientific thinking on the most effective ways to evaluate well-being, or positive welfare, in animals. We start with the Five Domains model and move onto another, more updated model, that has replaced the original Five Domains. These models are based directly on the latest research on well-being and will be applicable to anyone that works with animals.

    About the Presenter

    Dr. Kristina Spaulding has been in the dog training and behavior profession for over 20 years. She has a PhD in biopsychology—the study of the biological basis of behavior—and is a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist. She also has a B.S. in Wildlife Ecology from the University of Wisconsin – Madison. She is particularly interested in stress, neurobiology, cognition, emotion, and wellbeing and how to apply these concepts to the prevention and early intervention of behavior problems in dogs. In addition to working with behavior clients, Dr. Spaulding teaches a variety of online courses and webinars on the science of behavior through her website, www.smartdogtrainingandbehavior.com. She also regularly presents on canine behavior science at conferences and other events.

    In 2019, Dr. Spaulding received the Association of Professional Dog Trainer’s (APDT’s) Member of the Year Award. She currently serves on the IAABC Foundation Board and the Fear Free Advisory group.

    WEBSITE LINK:  https://www.petprofessionalguild.com/webinars-events/webinars-2/a-life-worth-living/

  • Online Course – Starts 10/21/24 – Compassion Fatigue Strategies Plus – University of Florida – Maddie’s Shelter Medicine Program (fee applies)

    Online Course – Starts 10/21/24 – Compassion Fatigue Strategies Plus – University of Florida – Maddie’s Shelter Medicine Program (fee applies)

    Today’s animal welfare and veterinary medical professionals are pushing the boundaries of what’s possible for animals, people, and the organizations that heal, connect, and protect them. If that’s you, it’s easy to feel like nothing you do is ever good enough. The work feels never-ending. Taking care of your own needs might seem impossible.

    Transforming empathic distress (aka compassion fatigue) is absolutely possible for you and your staff. That’s why the Shelter Medicine Program at the University of Florida is once again offering its Compassion Fatigue Strategies online course with certified compassion fatigue educator Jessica Dolce.

    This course will help you recognize signs and symptoms of compassion fatigue, burnout, and vicarious trauma, learn how to reduce stress injury, increase your self-care and team-care practices, build compassion satisfaction, restore resiliency, and make successful changes in your life and in your organization.

    By the end of class you’ll:

    • Have 6 strategies to help you do the work you love, without being sidelined by compassion fatigue and burnout, so that you can feel energized and happy again
    • Know which self-care and stress management practices work for you
    • Have a personal mission statement so that you can feel clear about why you do this work even when it’s challenging
    • Have clear and manageable goals, so that you can make lasting changes in your sleep, diet, friendships, or anything else that really matters to you
    • Feel comfortable using super simple meditation practices, so that you can restore your balance
    • Clearly understand how and when to get professional mental health help, without shame
    • Know how to collaborate with your staff and coworkers on these issues so that you can all benefit from what you learned in the course

    Regular individual registration is $349 per person through October 21st, 2024.

    Bring the whole team for a 10% discount on groups of 10 or more.

    WEBSITE LINK:  https://sheltermedicine.vetmed.ufl.edu/education/continuing-education/compassion-fatigue-strategies/