A Trauma-Informed Approach to Behavioral Care in Shelters

As our communities become more informed about recognizing and responding to human trauma, there’s growing interest in the impact of chronic stress and trauma on animal behavior. There’s a large volume of evidence that demonstrates the negative impact of trauma on human health and welfare. While research in animals isn’t focused on the concept of trauma, this session will share evidence that demonstrates the impact of stressful experiences on animal health and welfare. Acknowledgement of the role of trauma in animal behavior encourages us to be more understanding and respond more appropriately to undesirable or challenging behaviors that may be caused by trauma. This presentation will discuss practical ways you can prevent trauma and help animals to recover.

Presenter: Sheila Segurson, DVM, DACVB, CDBC, CCBC, Director of Outreach and Research @ Maddie’s Fund

This lecture 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.

keywords behavior assessment, animal behavior, canine behavior, chronic stress in shelter dogs, stress in shelter dogs, shelter medicine, 2022 ASPCA Maddie's Cornell Shelter Medicine Conference, trauma in shelter dogs, dog aggression, aggressive behavior, public safely, risk assessment