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  • Product Image: Investing Your Energy in the Right Foster Program - Maddie's Community Conversations (On Demand)

    Investing Your Energy in the Right Foster Program - Maddie's Community Conversations (On Demand)
    Contains 3 Component(s), Includes Credits

    Offering a variety of foster programs can contribute to higher adoption rates, good PR for your organization, and happier shelter dogs.

    This course is part of Maddie's Community Conversations, weekly webcasts for the animal welfare field supporting pets in our community and animal shelters.

    This webinar is for anyone working in or around animals in shelters including adoptions and foster staff and volunteers, veterinary professionals (vets, techs, support staff), behavior staff and volunteers, field services/animal control officers.

    Fostering is something that nearly every organization does, but putting your efforts into what is successful (and first, figuring out what is successful) makes all the difference. Whether you have a paid foster coordinator or a dedicated volunteer team helping out, offering a variety of foster programs can contribute to higher adoption rates, good PR for your org, and happier shelter dogs. This presentation will focus on a municipal shelter and focus on medium-large breed dogs, but there will be plenty to take away and think about applying to your own organization.

    Key takeaways:

    • Potential fosters should not be treated any differently than potential adopters. If your adoption process allows same-day adoptions after a brief conversation (and it should if you follow the Adopters Welcome manual), then it should be that easy for a foster to take home an animal for the first time. Support vs. Screen!

    • More fosters than you think will take on the simple burdens like providing food, a crate, or toys for their foster animal. Focus any funding you have on positive reinforcement trainers, behavior help, emergency medical, and routine medical.

    • Day trips are a gateway drug :)

    Speaker:
    Dana Eldred, Executive Director, Friends of Detroit Animal Care and Control

    This webinar has been pre-approved for .75 Certified Animal Welfare Administrator continuing education credits by The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement and by the National Animal Care & Control Association.

    Visit Maddie's Pet Forum to comment, access the resources, follow a discussion or ask questions: https://maddies.fund/community...

    keywords Maddie's Community Conversations, pet foster programs, Dana Eldred, Friends of Detroit Animal Care and Control

    Kelly Duer

    Kelly Duer

    Senior Community Solutions Initiative Specialist - Foster Care Specialist

    Maddie's Fund

    As Senior Community Solutions Initiative Specialist, Kelly's focus is on helping shelters and rescue organizations increase lifesaving through the implementation of robust foster care programs. Her role includes consulting with shelters, creating and providing training for organizations and their foster coordinators, writing and assisting with research on foster care.

    Kelly previously coordinated a foster program that brought orphaned children to the United States in order to find them permanent adoptive homes, worked as the Foster Expansion Coordinator for a national study of foster care, and assisted with the behavioral foster study that was conducted at the Fairfax County Animal Shelter. Her work with foster care and social media has been featured in many national publications, websites and networks, including Animal Sheltering magazine, the Huffington Post, Best Friends magazine, BarkPost, iheartdogs.com, HuffPost Live and Fox News.

    Dana Eldred

    Dana Eldred

    Executive Director

    Friends of Detroit Animal Care and Control

    Dana is the project coordinator at Detroit Animal Care and Control where she has worked for 9 years. She oversees the foster, adoption, transfer, and volunteer programs. She is also the Executive Director of Friends of DACC, the nonprofit group that supports the shelter.

    Dana has a BS in Language, Literature, and Writing and a minor in Communications from Eastern Michigan University. Before finding her career in animal wellbeing, she was a proofreader. She's passionate about pit bulls, Detroiters, and reading. Her goal is to make her city a better place for pets and their people. Dana has one pit bull, DD Beans (who does not want any dog friends), and a chinchilla, Hufflepuff.

    Shafonda Davis Allen, CAWA

    Shafonda Davis Allen, CAWA

    Founder & Principal Consultant

    Back to Basics Animal Welfare Leadership Consulting

    Shafonda Davis Allen, CAWA, is a nationally respected animal welfare leader whose work centers equity, community partnership, and the belief that people and pets thrive when systems are designed with compassion and access at the core. With nearly three decades of experience, she brings deep operational knowledge, policy insight, and a lived-experience lens to conversations about the future of animal well-being.

    A proud Durham, North Carolina native, Shafonda began her career as an adoption counselor and advanced through every level of shelter operations, ultimately serving more than 12 years as Executive Director of the Animal Protection Society of Durham. Her leadership is marked by resilience, transparency, and a commitment to dismantling barriers that disproportionately affect marginalized communities.

    Shafonda is a Certified Animal Welfare Administrator and has served on the Board of The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement, where she continues to contribute as a member of its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council. She previously served on the boards of the North Carolina Animal Federation and Companions and Animals for Reform and Equity.

    Today, Shafonda is the Founder and Principal Consultant of Back to Basics Animal Welfare Leadership Consulting, where she mentors emerging leaders, supports organizations navigating complex challenges, and advocates for community-rooted solutions. Her work is grounded in shared power, strong networks, and the courage to reimagine humane care for both people and animals.

  • Product Image: Eliminando el Miedo a la Alimentación con Biberón y Cuidado Básico de Gatitos

    Eliminando el Miedo a la Alimentación con Biberón y Cuidado Básico de Gatitos
    Contains 4 Component(s), Includes Credits

    Aprende a ayudar a los gatitos a crecer sanos siguiendo las recomendaciones más recientes sobre alimentación y cuidados básicos.

    ¿Sabías que los gatitos recién nacidos y sanos NO necesitan comer cada dos horas? En este curso aprenderás las recomendaciones más actuales sobre cómo alimentarlos y cuidarlos correctamente. Ver crecer a los gatitos y prepararlos para irse a su nuevo hogar es una experiencia muy gratificante. Sin embargo, son muy vulnerables y necesitan cuidados especiales y supervisión diaria. En este curso aprenderás cómo brindarles la atención que necesitan.

    Al finalizar este curso podrás:

    • Prepararte para la llegada de los gatitos
    • Monitorear su salud
    • Proporcionarles un espacio adecuado según su edad
    • Alimentarlos con biberón y con jeringa
    • Estimularlos para que hagan del baño
    • Iniciar el proceso de destete
    • Bañarlos de forma segura
    • Socializarlos

    Este curso fue creado por Marnie Russ, Administradora Nacional del Programa Kitten College y experta reconocida en el cuidado de gatitos en situación de riesgo.

    Note: This course is also available in English.

  • Product Image: Llevando a un Nuevo Perro a Casa

    Llevando a un Nuevo Perro a Casa
    Contains 3 Component(s), Includes Credits

    Aprende cómo presentar a tu perro a nuevas personas, convivir con niños, enseñarle a hacer sus necesidades en el lugar correcto, ayudarle a sentirse tranquilo cuando se queda solo y mucho más.

    Este curso es ideal para personas que brindan hogar temporal a perros, familias que están adoptando y coordinadores de programas de hogar temporal.

    Si eres una persona que brinda hogar temporal, el cuidado, la paciencia y la atención que le das a tu perro pueden marcar una gran diferencia y ayudarlo a encontrar la familia ideal. Si acabas de adoptar un perro, necesitará de tu apoyo para adaptarse poco a poco a su nuevo hogar.

    A través de videos cortos aprenderás técnicas sencillas para presentar a tu perro a nuevas personas, ayudarlo a convivir con niños, enseñarle a hacer sus necesidades en el lugar correcto, prevenir o manejar la ansiedad cuando se queda solo y mucho más.

    Note: This course is also available in Spanish. 

  • Product Image: Behavior Assessments in Shelters: Building Better Outcomes for Dogs (On Demand)

    Behavior Assessments in Shelters: Building Better Outcomes for Dogs (On Demand)
    Contains 3 Component(s), Includes Credits

    Many organizations struggle with developing a structured system to get to know the dogs in their care - here's a program at SICSA that is working really well!

    This course is part of Maddie's Monthly Behavior Connection, monthly webcasts about pet behavior - supporting pets in our community and animal shelters.

    This webinar is for anyone working in or around animals in shelters.  

    Many organizations struggle with developing a structured system to get to know the dogs in their care - Vanly has developed a program for SICSA that is working really well.

    About the session:
    Structured dog behavior assessments help shelters shift from reacting to behavior concerns after they escalate to proactively identifying needs early in a dog’s shelter stay. Although walks, enrichment, playgroups, and quiet time are important parts of daily care, some dogs need more individualized support to reduce stress, improve quality of life, and increase their likelihood of successful placement into homes. Using real shelter dog examples, behavior rating tools, action items, and outcome data, attendees will learn how early assessments can create consistency across staff and volunteers, support safer, more effective care, and identify concerns early, before they become significant barriers to adoption. 

    Speaker:
    Vanly Griffith, Dog Behavior Coordinator at SICSA Pet Adoption and Wellness Center near Dayton, OH

    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.

    Visit Maddie's Pet Forum to comment, access the resources, follow a discussion or ask questions: https://maddies.fund/BehaviorConnectionJune2026

    keywords Maddie's Monthly Behavior Connection, Vanly Griffith, animal behavior assessments, behavior assessment in animal shelters

    Vanly Griffith

    Vanly Griffith

    Dog Behavior Coordinator

    SICSA

    Vanly Griffith is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer-Knowledge Assessed (CPDT-KA) serving as the Dog Behavior Coordinator at SICSA Pet Adoption & Wellness Center. In this role, she conducts behavior assessments, facilitates dog-dog introductions and playgroups, maintains behavior documentation, and develops individualized training, enrichment, and handling plans for shelter dogs. She works closely with trained behavior staff and volunteers to create individualized training plans, enrichment strategies, and handling recommendations to support dogs both in the shelter and in foster care, while also helping prepare them for successful transitions into adoptive homes. In addition to her hands-on training and behavior work, Vanly designed and implemented SICSA’s proactive canine behavior assessment process. This program ensures that every dog receives an early behavioral evaluation at intake to determine the level of intervention and support needed, allowing for individualized behavior plans that maximize positive live outcomes and improve each dog’s pathway through the shelter system. 

  • Product Image: After the Bite: Healing Emotionally

    After the Bite: Healing Emotionally
    Contains 3 Component(s), Includes Credits

    Animal bites are an expected risk and emotionally impactful part of shelter work. This course provides a trauma-informed, practical framework for shelter staff and volunteers to emotionally recover after a bite occurs.

    Animal bites are an expected risk and emotionally impactful part of shelter work. Beyond the physical injury, a bite can trigger fear, shame, guilt, loss of confidence and even long-term avoidance of certain animals or situations. This course provides a trauma-informed, practical framework for shelter staff and volunteers to emotionally recover after a bite occurs. Participants will learn how to process their own emotional responses, support coworkers, communicate needs, review protocols without blame and help create a culture of psychological and physical safety. Take this course before you get bit! 

    Course author: Valerie Bogie, behavior consultant and veterinary social worker

  • Product Image: NACA Field Services Series: Disaster Response for Animal Control

    NACA Field Services Series: Disaster Response for Animal Control
    Contains 3 Component(s), Includes Credits

    Respond effectively to emergencies while prioritizing the safety of both people and animals

    Animal Control Officers (ACOs) play a vital role in disaster response, often serving as the first line of support for displaced animals and impacted communities. This course provides the knowledge and tools necessary to respond effectively to emergencies while prioritizing the safety of both people and animals.

    Course authors: John Peaveler and Trevor Skaggs

  • Product Image: Sharing Isn’t Easy: Resource Guarding in Rescue and Shelter Dogs (On Demand)

    Sharing Isn’t Easy: Resource Guarding in Rescue and Shelter Dogs (On Demand)
    Contains 3 Component(s), Includes Credits

    This presentation explores the current research on resource guarding and how it applies to real-world rescue settings.

    This course is part of Maddie's Monthly Behavior Connection, monthly webcasts about pet behavior - supporting pets in our community and animal shelters.

    This webinar is for anyone working in or around animals in shelters.  

    Resource guarding is a common behaviour seen in dogs entering rescue and shelter environments, often arising from stress, uncertainty, and past experiences around scarce or valuable resources. This presentation explores the current research on resource guarding and how it applies to real-world rescue settings.

    Participants will learn how to recognize and assess resource guarding safely, understand the factors that contribute to the behaviour, and interpret guarding signals in a shelter context. The session will also cover practical management strategies to reduce risk for both dogs and handlers, alongside evidence-based behaviour modification approaches that can help improve welfare and adoptability.

    Designed for animal rescue workers and shelter staff, this presentation aims to provide the knowledge and practical tools needed to support dogs displaying resource guarding while maintaining safe and compassionate care practices

    Speaker:
    Tom Candy, Senior Clinical Animal Behaviourist Development Officer
    The Animal Behaviour and Training Council in the United Kingdom

    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.

    Visit Maddie's Pet Forum to comment, access the resources, follow a discussion or ask questions: https://maddies.fund/BehaviorC...

    keywords Maddie's Monthly Behavior Connection, Tom Candy, resource guarding, canine behavior

    Tom Candy, CCAB, CCBC, CSBS, CBATI-KA

    Tom Candy, CCAB, CCBC, CSBS, CBATI-KA

    Senior Training and Behaviour Advisor

    Animal Behaviour and Training Council

    A passion for animal welfare, canine behaviour, and the development of others has been cornerstones of Tom’s (He/Him) career, which spans over 15 years in Shelter and Rescue with 10 focusing on training and behaviour. This experience and a drive to support even more shelter and rescue animals and staff, led to Tom starting Simplifying Shelter Behaviour, an educational organisation and podcast dedicated to bringing up to date, positive based training and behaviour tips and tricks to shelter and rescue staff and volunteers.  

    Having started volunteering in rescue at the age of 15, Tom has been involved in a variety of aspects of rescue, including fundraising, home checking, transporting and general day-to-day operations, which pushed Tom to undertake a Bachelor of Science (Hons) degree in bio-veterinary science and a Master of Science degree in Clinical Animal Behavior from the University of Lincoln in the United Kingdom.  

    Tom then worked at the UKs largest dog welfare organisation, as a Training and Behaviour Advisor, eventually working across seven rehoming centres before being promoted to Senior Training and Behaviour Advisor, where he supported the Training and Behaviour teams across the southwest of the United Kingdom. 

    Tom is a Certified Clinical Animal Behaviourist with the Animal Behaviour and Training Council in the United Kingdom, and a Certified Canine Behavior Consultant and Certified Shelter Behavior Specialist with the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultant and a member of faculty and CBATI-KA with the Grisha Stewart Academy.

  • Product Image: Transforming Finders into Fosters (On-demand)

    Transforming Finders into Fosters (On-demand)
    Contains 3 Component(s), Includes Credits

    In this presentation, Misty Valenta explores how your community can transform the way you look at your intake counter. Building a community-based team through fostering benefits everyone involved - especially the pets!

    This course is part of Maddie's Monthly Foster Connection, monthly webcasts about foster care - supporting pets in our community and animal shelters.

    What is your shelter's biggest resource? If you didn't say "our community," then let's talk. In this presentation, Misty Valenta will explore how your community can transform the way you look at your intake counter. Building a community-based team through fostering benefits everyone involved - especially the pets!

    You'll learn how the Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter transformed its old intake philosophy to a services philosophy. And, in turn, inspired the community to be part of the solution.

    Presenter: Misty Valenta, Animal Services Director, Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter

    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.

    Visit Maddie's Pet Forum to comment, follow a discussion or ask questions: https://maddies.fund/FosterCon...

    Keywords Maddie's Monthly Foster Connection, foster care-givers, foster support, Misty Valenta, Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter

    Misty Valenta

    Misty Valenta

    Animal Services Director

    Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter

    Misty Valenta is Shelter Director for the Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter. Her journey in animal welfare began when she took her rambunctious puppy to a training class – and the instructors convinced her to volunteer at the shelter.  Since then, she has overseen marketing, media, fundraising, the volunteer program, the foster program, community events, and rescue/shelter partnerships. She has led conversations at regional events such Texas Unites for Animals, New Mexico Humane Conference, and Carolinas Unite. And been honored to present at national conferences such as the Best Friends National Conference. Misty lives in Austin with her husband, children, and her furry tripod canine child.  

  • RACE CE
    Product Image: Maddie's Insights: Implications of weeklong fostering and co-housing on shelter dog welfare (On demand)

    Maddie's Insights: Implications of weeklong fostering and co-housing on shelter dog welfare (On demand)
    Contains 5 Component(s), Includes Credits

    Explore new evidence on weeklong fostering and co-housing, and discover how to apply field trips, sleepovers, and weeklong fostering to improve dogs' immediate and long-term welfare while leveraging co-housing to ease shelter entry.

    Maddie's® Insights are monthly webcasts with practical tips based on current research to help pets and people.  

    Meeting both the physical and psychological needs of dogs living in animal shelters is a challenging proposition. Negative environmental inputs, such as excessive noise, restrictive kenneling, and social isolation, contribute to compromised canine welfare. Human-animal interaction, such as a temporary stay in a caregiver’s home, has been shown to reduce dogs’ cortisol levels and increase their rest. What is not well understood, though, is if longer durations of foster care could extend those benefits. In addition, co-housing in the animal shelter has been even less explored scientifically, but previous studies suggest that dogs’ behavior can be improved through living with another dog. In this webcast, Dr. Lisa Gunter will present our findings from her recently published study about weeklong fostering and co-housing, place these results in context with their previous work investigating various durations of fostering, and discuss the implications of these findings for how they utilize foster care and co-housing in the animal shelter.

    Key learning objectives:
    - discuss previous research about field trips and sleepovers
    - describe new findings about weeklong fostering and co-housing
    - differentiate how to utilize field trips, sleepovers, and weeklong fostering to positively impact dogs' proximate and distal welfare
    - recognize utility of co-housing on entry into the animal shelter

    Webcast host: Kelly Duer, Senior Shelter Solutions Specialist, Maddie's Fund

    Presenter: Lisa Gunter, PhD, MA, CBCC-KA, Asst Professor, Animal Behavior & Welfare, Virginia Tech

    This webinar has been pre-approved for 1.0 Certified Animal Welfare Administrator continuing education credits by The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement (CAWA) and by the National Animal Care & Control Association (NACA). It has also been approval for 1 hour of continuing education credit in jurisdictions which recognize RACE approval until 4/8/2028. Complete the quiz to earn a certificate of attendance to use for CAWA, NACA and RACE CE. 

    Visit Maddie's Pet Forum to comment, follow a discussion or ask questions: https://maddies.fund/InsightsM...

    keywords  Maddie's Insights, Dr Lisa Gunter, shelter pet foster programs, week-long fostering and co-housing for shelter dogs. animal welfare research

    Lisa Gunter, PhD, CAAB, CBCC-KA

    Lisa Gunter, PhD, CAAB, CBCC-KA

    Assistant Professor

    Virginia Tech School of Animal Sciences

    Dr. Lisa Gunter is an Assistant Professor of Animal Behavior & Welfare at Virginia Tech in the School of Animal Sciences and directs the Companion Animal Research & Education (CARE) Lab. Before beginning her graduate studies, she worked for nearly a decade with dogs in animal shelters and owners and their dogs. Over her academic career, she has investigated the breed labeling of shelter dogs, their breed heritage, shelter housing and social interactions with other dogs and people, weeklong fostering, temporary stays in foster homes, short-term outings, behavioral indicators of welfare, post-adoption interventions focused on owner retention, canine adoption and relinquishment in the animal shelter - and more recently, fostering during the pandemic and safety net programs aimed at keeping people and their pets together. Prior to joining Virginia Tech, she was an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at Coastal Carolina University and the Maddie’s Fund Research Fellow at Arizona State University and managed the ASU/VT Maddie’s Nationwide Fostering Study. Lisa earned her PhD and MA degrees in the behavioral neuroscience and comparative psychology program at Arizona State University in the Canine Science Collaboratory.

  • Product Image: Supporting Fearful Foster Cats: Practical Strategies (On-demand)

    Supporting Fearful Foster Cats: Practical Strategies (On-demand)
    Contains 3 Component(s), Includes Credits

    Explore actionable strategies to reduce stress and fear for cat fosters.

    This course is part of Maddie's Monthly Foster Connection, monthly webcasts about foster care - supporting pets in our community and animal shelters.

    Shelters can be overwhelming places, impacting cats’ well-being and adoptability. In this session, we’ll explore actionable strategies to reduce stress and fear for cat fosters. From environmental factors to trust-building techniques, you’ll leave with practical techniques  that can be used immediately to reduce stress and fear in cats.

    Presenter: Tabitha Kucera, CCBC, RVT, KPA-CTP, VTS, Board Certified Veterinary Technician Specialist in Behavior, Chirrups and Chatter

    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.

    Visit Maddie's Pet Forum to comment, follow a discussion or ask questions: 

    Keywords Maddie's Monthly Foster Connection, foster care-givers, Tabitha Kucera, Chirrups and Chatter, cat fostering

    Tabitha Kucera

    Tabitha Kucera

    VT, CCBC, KPA-CTP, Owner, Chirrups and Chatter

    Chirrups and Chatter

    Tabitha Kucera is an Elite Fear Free and Low-Stress Handling Certified Registered Veterinary Technician, Veterinary Technician Specialist (Behavior), Certified Cat Behavior Consultant, and Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner.

    She is the owner of Chirrups and Chatter Cat and Dog Behavior Consulting and Training and serves as the animal behavior technician at The Gentle Vet in Ohio. Tabitha lectures nationally and internationally, helping audiences build stronger connections with animals through a deeper understanding of behavior.

    Tabitha has held leadership roles with the Society of Veterinary Behavior Technicians, the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants, and the Pet Professional Guild's Cat Committee. She also served as a behavior consultant and mentor for the Cat Pawsitive Pro program for six years.

    In addition, Tabitha works closely with animal welfare and veterinary organizations, including veterinary hospitals and animal shelters, to develop and implement training and behavior programs. She is a Fear Free certified speaker and coach, a Fear Free Practice Certification Consultant, and the host of the podcast Tails from a Vet Tech.