Shelter Learniverse and Industry-Wide Calendar

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  • Webinar – 1/17/24 – Level Up Your Cat Housing: Game-Changing Upgrades Are Within Reach – Maddie’s® Million Pet Challenge

    Webinar – 1/17/24 – Level Up Your Cat Housing: Game-Changing Upgrades Are Within Reach – Maddie’s® Million Pet Challenge

    Register Now!

    Discover innovative, proven strategies to transform your feline housing and get cats purring! With this webinar, you’ll be prepared to level up your shelter’s housing even with limited resources. UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program veterinarians Dr. Becky Stuntebeck and Dr. Denae Wagner will unveil tips and tactics for creating environments that work better for cats and for your team. From DIY cozy nooks to interactive play zones and portals, you’ll learn the how-tos of housing that puts cats at ease, supports animal health and staff safety, and encourages adoptions. You’ll also discover keys to supercharging cat care and overall welfare regardless of housing.

    Don’t wait – get all the info you need to get ahead while cat population numbers are lower. Register today and revolutionize cat housing and care in your shelter!

    You‘ll learn:

    • How to improve your cat housing
    • Setup & strategies that meet cat, staff, & shelter needs
    • Double-compartment housing benefits for cats & staff

    To invite others, download, print, share, and post the flyer at your shelter.


    Register Now!


    Click the image to download the flyer, then print, share, and post it at your shelter to invite other staff members


    QR CODE

    To register, scan this code with your phone’s camera.

    This webinar is brought to you by the Maddie’sⓇ Million Pet Challenge Learniverse at the UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program.

  • Webinar – 1/11/24 – For Dog’s Sake, Can You Stop That? Canine-Friendly Body Language Improvements for Humans – Dogs Playing for Life

    Webinar – 1/11/24 – For Dog’s Sake, Can You Stop That? Canine-Friendly Body Language Improvements for Humans – Dogs Playing for Life

    Dogs are resilient and oh-so-forgiving! These qualities make them endearing as companions, along with their ability to love unconditionally. So, why do some dogs struggle to understand us when we are offering affection or when we want to help them, not harm them? In this session, we will focus on the HUMAN handling that contributes to unwanted behavior, even “aggression”. Get ready to rethink your approach as we reveal the common and widely accepted and taught handling errors that set dogs up for failure. Through extensive video examples, we will demonstrate alternative handling techniques that help dogs to trust and thrive!

    This webinar will demonstrate:

    – Examples of handling that causes negative behavior compared to handling that promotes  desired behavior

    – Demonstration of handling that induces trust and learning with dogs that are too afraid to respond initially to food rewards or affection

    – Comprehensive discussion around the correct use of pressure and release and why this is a critical skill for shelter canine handlers to master to save more dogs

    This is a 2-hour presentation followed by a Q&A session. This webinar will NOT be recorded and is scheduled at EASTERN TIME.

    WEBSITE LINK:  https://dogsplayingforlife.com/webinars/

  • Online Event – 1/17/24 and 1/18/24 – Discovering a New Path: Positive Training for Aggressive & Reactive Dogs! – Puppyworks (fee applies)

    Online Event – 1/17/24 and 1/18/24 – Discovering a New Path: Positive Training for Aggressive & Reactive Dogs! – Puppyworks (fee applies)

    Exclusive Online Event Featuring Annie Phenix, Sarah Fisher & Dr. Laura Donaldson!

    5.5 CEUs – January 17 & 18, 2024 – 10 AM PST, 11 AM Mountain,  12 PM Central & 1 PM EST

    Or watch onDemand anytime, anywhere after the live session!

    • When traditional methods fail in addressing aggressive or reactive behavior in dogs, what’s the next step? Walking away from clients or suggesting drastic measures like euthanasia or punitive measures? Join us in this groundbreaking webinar where we explore a new innovative approach—strictly positive training—for handling aggressive and reactive dogs.
    • We delve into understanding the root causes behind these behaviors. We’ll shine a light on the physical and emotional trauma that often underlies aggression, unraveling the triggers that lead to reactive responses. Our focus lies in empowering dogs to choose non-aggressive reactions through a compassionate training approach.
    • This webinar is designed to equip trainers with insights into causation, enabling a shift towards effective solutions rooted in positive reinforcement. Join us as we explore this transformative method, aiming to create a safer and happier environment for both dogs and their human companions.
    • For a better understanding of reactivity we must include creating deep safety dogs and have a nonviolent approach that allows for social processing in the dog in a way that addresses canine trauma and teaches dogs how to self-calm.
    • A new, strictly positive approach to managing aggressive & reactive dogs delving deep into often overlooked issues ranging from trauma, stress factors, nervous system and phobias – based on Annie Phenix groundbreaking book.
    • Discussing the shift  in the training industry that elevates the welfare of the dog before formal training takes place.
    • Annie Phenix will provide an In-depth look at body language, phobias and their effect on reactivity via:
      • A crash course in FREE-WORK by Sarah Fisher, the non-intrusive approach teaching keen observations skills to handlers and trainers, focusing on movement patterns, body awareness, proprioception and the vestibular system as sources of pain inducing reactivity.
      • Slow Thinking is Lifesaving for Dogs® with Dr. Laura Donaldson focusing on changing a dog’s thinking patterns to find more appropriate ways to respond to triggers by helping to gradually reorient the dog’s perception.

    WEBSITE LINK:  https://www.puppyworks.com/phenix

  • Online Event –2/3/24 – Neighborhood Cats TNR Certification Workshop – Community Cats Podcast (small fee applies)

    Online Event –2/3/24 – 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 after taking a short quiz 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.

    WEBSITE LINK:  https://www.communitycatspodcast.com/events/the-neighborhood-cats-tnr-certification-workshop-feb-2024/

  • Webinar – 2/13/24 – Better Futures for Animals – And With – Animals: The Canine Cellmates Model for Post-Conviction Animal Care Programs – NACA/Justice Clearinghouse

    Webinar – 2/13/24 – Better Futures for Animals – And With – Animals: The Canine Cellmates Model for Post-Conviction Animal Care Programs – NACA/Justice Clearinghouse

    Join Deputy District Attorney Jill Hollander and Animal Legal Defense Fund Managing Attorney David B. Rosengard for a discussion of programs that pair defendants (either via diversion or as part of a sentence) with high euthanasia-risk animals in need of socialization and behavioral support.

    We will examine the penological goals these programs prioritize, they ways they safeguard animal interests, and their impact in the broader community. This presentation will additionally walk through Fulton County, Georgia’s Canine Cellmates program as a case study. The program prevents men who have been charged or convicted of crimes from experiencing the myriad traumatic life disruptions and setbacks incarceration causes because courts can offer participation in Canine Cellmates as a diversion program or incarceration alternative. Successful completion of Canine Cellmates also allows participants the ability to have charges dismissed or eligible convictions expunged.

    For this reason, the program not only saves Fulton County financial resources associated with court and incarceration costs, but it also saves the county financial resources successful participants might otherwise need, had they not learned the foundational skills Canine Cellmates provides. Furthermore, the program’s human graduates experience family restoration, increased employability, and low recidivism rates. These graduates become model citizens for teaching compassion to other humans and animals, which promotes the vitality of a strong community within a One Health-oriented ecosystem.

    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.

    WEBSITE LINK:  https://www.justiceclearinghouse.com/webinar/better-futures-for-animals-and-with-animals-the-canine-cellmates-model-for-post-conviction-animal-care-programs/

  • Webinar – 1/11/24 – Bringing the Past, Present and Future into Focus for Kittens – National Kitten Coalition

    Webinar – 1/11/24 – Bringing the Past, Present and Future into Focus for Kittens – National Kitten Coalition

    It was not very long ago in the United States that kittens too young for adoption or those with signs of illness were routinely euthanized. Happily, the situation for kittens in our country has been rapidly changing, and those same kittens who would never have had a chance in the past are now being successfully cared for and adopted into loving homes.

    This session will provide the inspiration for attendees to continue in their life-saving efforts. Attendees will gain insights into past and present situations for kittens’ survival and will also acquire useful, proven information on new, upcoming programs and protocols being implemented around the country that are saving more kittens than ever. We can see a better future for kittens in our country, and together we can make that vision become the reality!

    Presenter: Rosemarie Crawford, LVT

    Click here to register for this FREE webinar.

    If you can’t join us for the live presentation, don’t worry! Sign-up anyway, because a recording of this, and other webinars, will be available on NKC’s eLearning Center no later than two weeks after they air.

    WEBSITE LINK:  https://kittencoalition.org/event/bringing-the-past-present-and-future-into-focus-for-kittens/

  • Webinar – 1/24/24 – Telemedicine and Vaccine Clinics in California: What Shelters Need to Know About Legislative Updates for 2024 – Maddie’s® Million Pet Challenge

    Webinar – 1/24/24 – Telemedicine and Vaccine Clinics in California: What Shelters Need to Know About Legislative Updates for 2024 – Maddie’s® Million Pet Challenge

    REGISTER FOR THE EVENT NOW – CLICK HERE

    January 24, 2024 10 a.m.–11:30 a.m.

    We’ve got amazing news about access to care in animal shelters for 2024. Thanks to groundbreaking veterinary telemedicine and vaccine legislation, your California shelter can ring in the new year with fewer restrictions around who can provide essential care and how, freeing up your team to more easily meet medical needs in the shelter or community.

    Discover how your shelter can:

    • Empower RVTs to take charge of vaccine clinics (even if your vet is elsewhere)
    • Provide increased access to wellness care for pets in your community 
    • Use telemedicine to expand the veterinary care your shelter can provide, whether an animal is in foster or in the field, working with staff or contract veterinarians
    • Increase access to care for underserved pets and their people and decrease unnecessary intake
    • Use telemedicine to increase veterinary care for animals in the shelter 

    This must-see webinar will set the stage for everything you do this year. Register today and invite your field officers, veterinary staff and community partners, so you can turn the page to better care together!


    Powered by partnership. This webinar is brought to you by the Maddie’s Million Pet Challenge Learniverse at the UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program, San Francisco SPCA’s Shelter PALS program, and CalAnimals. By sharing our diverse expertise and working together to find the intersections where California law impacts animal shelters, we’ve formulated holistic shelter practices that allow you to better leverage the law.


    Want to invite others to this webinar?

    Download, print, and share this flyer and post it at your shelter to invite other staff members!

    Download this flyer to share
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  • National Shelter Medicine Rounds – 12/12/23 – A Discussion of Canine Respiratory Disease and Its Management in Shelters: What’s Old, New, Tried, and True?  – UW Shelter Medicine Program

    National Shelter Medicine Rounds – 12/12/23 – A Discussion of Canine Respiratory Disease and Its Management in Shelters: What’s Old, New, Tried, and True? – UW Shelter Medicine Program

    Please join us for the next installment of National Shelter Medicine Rounds Tuesday, December 12th.

    National Rounds is a platform for discussion of current topics relevant to shelter medicine for continued learning and collaboration. While primarily intended for shelter veterinarians, others interested in shelter medicine are welcome to join; we believe everyone will take something away from these calls!

    As news and social media continue to circulate information about a new severe respiratory disease in dogs, we’d like to offer the next National Rounds as an opportunity for informal, open discussion, questions, sharing observations and (maybe) some answers. Please join us Tuesday December 12th to go over what’s been in the news, share experiences and review foundational practices that reduce the risk of disease spread in shelters no matter the pathogen.

    This meeting will be devoted entirely to attendee discussion and will not be recorded.

    We hope to have an open discussion, so come with questions and feel free to unmute to participate!  Our hope is to create a space that feels safe for all participants; we ask you to follow these Accountable Space guidelines. The presentation portion of National Rounds will be recorded, but the discussion and Q & A sessions will not.

    If you or someone you know would like to be added to the national rounds email list,  please send your request to nationalsheltermedicinerounds@vetmed.wisc.edu.

    Please use the following Zoom link to access National Rounds calls: https://uwmadison.zoom.us/j/97442637396

    Meeting ID: 974 4263 7396
    One tap mobile
    +13017158592,,97442637396# US (Washington DC)
    +13052241968,,97442637396# US

    Zoom Meeting Link:  https://uwmadison.zoom.us/j/97442637396

  • The Future Is Four: Deep Dive Into The 4 Rights of Animal Sheltering

    The Future Is Four: Deep Dive Into The 4 Rights of Animal Sheltering

    Click “Course Home Page” Button below to take this course hosted on
    Maddie’s®️ University.



    The foundation of the Million Cat Challenge rested on Five Key Initiatives, refined and adapted to shelters of every size and type throughout North America, which together represented a holistic approach that addressed the “before, during and after” for any cat at risk of shelter entry. These initiatives were proven by over 3.5 million more cat lives saved by over 1500 Challenger Shelters. Now, #ThanksToMaddie, we’re thinking bigger.

    With the Maddie’s®️ Million Pet Challenge, the Five Key Initiatives of the Million Cat Challenge have expanded to include other species at risk in shelters and evolved into the Four Rights.

    Within the Four Rights, every element works in concert to support one another: animals and people are treated as individuals, empowering shelter staff to make the best decisions for everyone; community safety net services are in place and flourishing; and humane care within the shelter is provided, with appropriate outcomes for the animals that do come in, allowing shelters to deliver the Right Care, in the Right Place, at the Right Time, and to the Right Outcome.

    As part of the Maddie’s®️ Million Pet Challenge’s Learniverse program, subject matter experts from the UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program will discuss guiding principles that animal welfare professionals can use to make decisions, train their staff and engage the public.

  • The Future is Four – Overview of the 4 Rights of Animal Sheltering

    The Future is Four – Overview of the 4 Rights of Animal Sheltering

    Within the Four Rights, every element works in concert to support one another: animals and people are treated as individuals, empowering shelter staff to make the best decisions for everyone; community safety net services are in place and flourishing; and humane care within the shelter is provided, with appropriate outcomes for the animals that do come in, allowing shelters to deliver the Right Care, in the Right Place, at the Right Time, and to the Right Outcome.

    Click “Course Home Page” Button below to take this course hosted on
    Maddie’s®️ University.