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  • Online Event – 6/26/24 – Ask NKC- Q&A Session – National Kitten Coalition

    Online Event – 6/26/24 – Ask NKC- Q&A Session – National Kitten Coalition

    Ask National Kitten Coalition’s kitten experts, Dr. Emily Coleman and Susan Spaulding, aka ‘The Nation’s Kitten Mom,’ your most pressing kitten questions!

    We recommend that you submit your questions during registration, but we will allow you to submit them live during the webinar. Any questions posed during the conference should be framed in a generalized manner to ensure that responses remain informative and do not constitute personalized medical advice.

    If you think of questions after registration, you can also submit questions anytime before the webinar using this link  – https://forms.gle/DPsr9vseSfK3k2VaA 

    Disclaimer:

    The information provided during this webinar is for general educational purposes only and is not intended to substitute for professional veterinary advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Attendees should consult with their own veterinarians or other qualified professionals regarding specific cases or medical conditions. 

    If you can’t attend the live presentation, don’t worry! Sign up anyway. A recording of this webinar will be accessible on NKC’s eLearning Center within two weeks of the live event. 

    Register now for this FREE webinar!

    WEBSITE LINK:  https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/9617158850716/WN_TR1QWCeWQ_u0pSp3vT1bYQ

  • Webinar – 8/22/24 – Are you ready for CATastrophe? – National Kitten Coalition

    Webinar – 8/22/24 – Are you ready for CATastrophe? – National Kitten Coalition

    Join NKC for a special presentation by guest speaker Joanna Fortin, Director of Community Programs at The Animal Welfare League of Alexandria. 

    Disasters can affect anyone. Before the disaster hits, it is vital to prepare to care for your family, pets, fosters, and shelter animals during and after an emergency.

    This session will offer participants a brief overview of emergency planning and response for animal shelters, rescue groups, and foster parents, with a focus on considerations for kittens. It will cover common emergencies to prepare for, information on creating an emergency plan for shelters and foster homes in advance of a crisis, and agencies and organizations that can help with the process. We will also touch on the concept of community animal response teams and how you can join or create a team within your community.

    If you can’t attend the live presentation, don’t worry! Sign up anyway. A recording of this webinar will be accessible on NKC’s eLearning Center within two weeks of the live event. 

    Register now for this FREE webinar!

    WEBSITE LINK:  https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/7917159812964/WN_G2HCzIoMS-uVGQp4olXkjA

  • Webinar – 7/28/24 – Empowerment in Adversity: Cultivating Strength Through Loss and Fatigue – National Kitten Coalition

    Webinar – 7/28/24 – Empowerment in Adversity: Cultivating Strength Through Loss and Fatigue – National Kitten Coalition

    Join NKC for a special presentation by guest speaker Colette Junod, L.M.S.W, President Justice for Paws. Embark on a transformative journey with our session “Empowerment in Adversity: Cultivating Strength Through Loss and Fatigue” tailored for the heroes who care for neonatal kittens. This enlightening presentation delves into the unique challenges faced by caregivers, offering a sanctuary of knowledge to combat burnout and stress. Discover the intricate link between brain function and stress, and arm yourself with practical, evidence-based strategies for emotional regulation. You’ll learn to craft a personalized stress management plan, integrating coping strategies with insights from neuroscience to navigate the demanding world of feline rescue.  This session is designed to support your mental well-being, ensuring you’re equipped to continue your invaluable work with these fragile creatures, while also safeguarding your own resilience.

    If you can’t attend the live presentation, don’t worry! Sign up anyway. A recording of this webinar will be accessible on NKC’s eLearning Center within two weeks of the live event. 

    Register now for this FREE webinar!

    WEBSITE LINK:  https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/1617158883277/WN_Tco95gQ6SJGwDwjA-MNC9Q

  • New Adoption Counseling Course for Shelter Staff, Volunteers, and Fosters

    New Adoption Counseling Course for Shelter Staff, Volunteers, and Fosters

    There’s a new, free self-paced course available at Maddie’s® University, and it’s all about facilitating successful adoptions!

    This course provides guidance for navigating the entire adoption process, with an emphasis on adoption counseling. The course demonstrates the general adoption counseling process and then dives into adoption counseling for pets with behavior or medical conditions. Text content is supported by videos, infographics and exercises. All videos are shareable and all infographics are available for download so you can use them in training. 

    “This course goes deep on adoption counseling for cats and dogs and spans a number of interconnected topics,” co-author Rachel Jones shares. Topics include:

    • Customizing meet and greets for individual animals and their behaviors and medical needs.
    • Order of operations when receiving inquiries through different channels
    • Using approachable language when discussing different types of behaviors and medical needs.
    • Prioritizing counseling topics.
    • Important paperwork to consider.
    • Helping potential adopters determine whether a pet is a match themselves.
    • Setting adopters up for success in the home.
    • Fostering a welcoming environment.
    • Ways to simplify your own placement processes without sacrificing quality.
    • Minor marketing tips.
    • And more.

    The Adoption Counseling course is eligible for 2.0 hours of credit from the Association for Animal Welfare Advancement (AAWA) and the National Animal Care & Control Association (NACA).

    Enroll now for free
  • Webinar – 6/25/24 – Embracing Diversity: Creating Inclusive Spaces in the Pet Professional Industry – Fear Free

    Webinar – 6/25/24 – Embracing Diversity: Creating Inclusive Spaces in the Pet Professional Industry – Fear Free

    At Fear Free, we believe that everyone deserves to feel welcome, valued, respected, and protected in all aspects of life, especially at work. A Fear Free work environment strives to promote safety for both people and animals, allowing them to express themselves authentically and to feel valued, safe, and secure while doing so.

    Join us for our upcoming webinar on June 25, at 12 p.m. ET hosted by Dr. Adam Christman, DVM, MBA, FFCP to discuss the importance of inclusivity in the workplace and how it leads to better care for pets, owners, and professionals in the industry. Our diverse panel of experts will share their experiences and best practices for fostering a culture of acceptance and support within your community, including support for the LGBTQIA+ community.

    During this webinar, we will discuss:

    • Understanding the importance of recognizing and celebrating diverse identities
    • Effective practices and policies that promote a culture of acceptance and support
    • How inclusivity in the workplace leads to better care for pets
    • Practical steps to foster a Fear Free environment that values the emotional wellbeing of both people and animals

    WEBSITE LINK:  https://fearfreellc.webinargeek.com/embracing-diversity-creating-inclusive-spaces-in-the-pet-professional-industry

  • Webinar – 6/20/24 – Future of Field Services: Community Engagement for Pet & Public Safety – HASS

    Webinar – 6/20/24 – Future of Field Services: Community Engagement for Pet & Public Safety – HASS

    Field services officers are the first responders of animal welfare for every single community. In order to rise above the “neighborhood dog catcher” stigma, a new approach rooted in not just public and pet safety, but community advocacy is required. Early research shows, when ACO’s are collaborate directly with their local shelter, more pets and people remain united, stay safe and shelters can avoid unnecessary intake.

    Join panelist Dr. Josh Fisher, Director of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Animal Services/Police Department and Annette Ramirez, Los Angeles Animal Services Assistant General Manager to discuss their experience in field services and how the role of ACOs have evolved over the years and what shelters can do to prioritize building a strong partnership with field services.

    WEBSITE LINK:  https://zoom.us/webinar/register/7816739797796/WN_ZoyLjLiUTY2Mh1i3noj0pQ#/registration

  • Online Event – 6/18/24 – All Call: Building a Successful Dog Day Trip Program – California for All Animals

    Online Event – 6/18/24 – All Call: Building a Successful Dog Day Trip Program – California for All Animals

    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.

    Join us on June 18 as Sarah Aguilar shares the success of Santa Barbara County Animal Services’ Dog Day Trip program, which has significantly boosted dog adoption rates and volunteer engagement. Sarah will share practical steps for replicating the initiative, emphasizing community collaboration, effective marketing, and streamlined coordination, and talk about what they learned along the way to over 300 day trips a month.

    About the presenter

    Following a life altering accident in 2011, Sarah Aguilar has dedicated her life to improving the lives of pets in every community she has been in.  As a team member for nonprofits and municipal agencies, Sarah has done it all from building a multi-state foster network for a small breed specific rescue to leading agencies with over 15,000 annual intakes.  Sarah has held leadership roles at some familiar agencies such as Austin Pets Alive, Greater Good Charities and Pima Animal Care, and is currently the Director at Santa Barbara County Animal Services.

    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 – 6/20/24 – Intro To Behavior Medications: What Are They, And How Can They Help? – FDSA (fee applies)

    Webinar – 6/20/24 – Intro To Behavior Medications: What Are They, And How Can They Help? – FDSA (fee applies)

    Do you have a dog with behavior issues, or work with client dogs who do? If so, join us for a fun and informative discussion! You may already know how to address issues like anxiety, reactivity, or aggression from a training standpoint, but many dog owners and trainers are unsure about how medication might fit into the picture.

    This webinar will provide an overview of the most common medications used to treat behavior problems in dogs. Our focus will be on practical, “real-world” information including:

    • How to know if your dog might benefit from medication
    • Goals of using meds in behavior cases
    • Different classes of drugs and how they work
    • Natural supplements and calming aids

    Can be taken on its own, or as a lead-in to Part 2 for those who want ALL THE DETAILS!

    Note: This webinar is back by popular demand. Please check your webinar library before purchasing.

    Presenter: Jennifer Summerfield, DVM

    WEBSITE LINK:  https://www.fenzidogsportsacademy.com/index.php/self-study/webinars

  • Webinar – 6/26/24 – Advancements in Neonatal Kitten Care – Maddie’s Fund

    Webinar – 6/26/24 – Advancements in Neonatal Kitten Care – Maddie’s Fund

    Neonatal kitten care has seen significant advancements over the last decade. At the same time, social media had created thousands of influencers sharing information on the best ways to save these little ones. This information is often conflicting. In 2023, several major shelter medicine programs and animal advocacy groups updated their guidelines for caring for neonatal kittens which added even more confusion and debate about the best ways to care underage kittens.

    Join Dr. Julie Levy and Marnie Russ for a review of these changes and clarification about feeding schedules, weaning age, temperature regulation, euthanasia rates, medical interventions, combining litters, socialization, and adoption. Come away knowing how you and your shelter can provide neonatal kittens with the best possible care.

    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 submitted for approval for 1 hour of continuing education credit in jurisdictions which recognize the Registry of Approved Continuing Education (RACE) approval.

    Guest Speakers:

    Dr. @Julie Levy, Fran Marino Distinguished Professor of Shelter Medicine Education at the
    University of Florida

    @Marnie Russ, National Kitten College Program Administrator, National Kitten College/Animal Welfare League of Arlington

    WEBSITE LINK:  http://maddies.fund/WebcastRegistrationNeonatalKittens

  • Online Meeting – 6/17/24 – Weekly Community Conversations: Healing Justice for Trauma Experienced in the Workplace – Maddie’s Fund

    Online Meeting – 6/17/24 – Weekly Community Conversations: Healing Justice for Trauma Experienced in the Workplace – Maddie’s Fund

    Maddie’s Fund hosts a weekly 50-minute Zoom call for animal well-being professionals. These calls are a collaborative space to share exciting new programs and research, discuss uncomfortable topics, connect with peers in the industry, and more, all while sharing a common goal of preserving the human-animal bond.

    June 17 Topic: Healing Justice for Trauma Experienced in the Workplace

    If you have ever struggled with work-life balance and the impact of work stressors or you are in a position to create organizational changes, this is the session for you! Hear from two BIPOC women who have worked in high volume shelters/clinics about the impact of burnout and how they have healed. The workshop will focus on the importance of centering healing justice, a collective healing framework, that will ultimately benefit individuals, teams and organizations as a whole. We will define the types of burnout one might experience and provide examples, specifically those that we experienced and overcame throughout our careers in animal welfare. We will go over strategies we found useful to prevent burnout as individuals, and we’ll share recommendations for using a healing justice framework in which teams can support each other and work together to prevent and address burnout. Additionally, we provide recommendations to promote wellbeing and support healing amongst teams that helped us in our journey. Understanding the signs and causes of burnout, as well as working together to prevent it and overcome it, is incredibly important in ensuring a balance in our lives to be able to show up to work in a way that is thoughtful and intentional.

    Guest Speakers:

    • @Nadia Oseguera, CA State Program Manager at UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program
    • @Ivy Ruiz, Outreach Specialist at UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program

    Who Should Join?
    Executive directors, animal well-being leaders, shelter workers, pet support professionals, volunteers, rescue organizations and anyone who shares the common goal of preserving the human-animal bond.

    Win Ca$h for Attending!
    Each month, Maddie’s Fund will be giving away up to $10,000 in grants. You can enter to win each time you attend a call or watch on-demand during the month by completing the giveaway drawing entry forms shared in the chat during the calls.

    Register Today
    Join us each Monday at 11am PT/2pm ET to receive support and learn about innovative ideas other organizations across the country are seeing success with. If you registered prior to May 2024 or are new to these meetings, please use this link to register:
    https://maddies.fund/CommunityConvoRegistration2024 

    All calls are recorded and uploaded to the Community Conversations page on Maddie’s Pet Forum https://forum.maddiesfund.org/communityconversations

    Please note: All views expressed on these calls are not necessarily endorsed by Maddie’s Fund.

    WEBSITE LINK:  https://maddies.fund/CommunityConvo2024Registration