Maddie's Insights: Aligning Programs with Community Needs to Support Companion Dog Retention (Live verification)

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

Animal sheltering has evolved to focus on community-based services as much as in-shelter care. The philosophy that animal sheltering begins and ends within the community through various support programs is gaining traction. These programs, ranging from food banks and training classes to veterinary services, aim to support pet guardianship and retention in the home. However, there's often a mismatch between the programs offered and the actual needs of the community. In this session, Seana will share research on pre-COVID retention programs focused on companion dogs offered by US animal sheltering organizations, highlighting gaps between these programs and community needs. She will outline a strategic decision-making process for selecting community programs to support pets in homes and discuss different program options.

 Learning Objectives: 

In this session, attendees will:

·      Learn about common retention programs focused on companion dogs offered by US shelters and identify gaps between available programs and community needs

·      Become familiar with a strategic decision-making process that can be used when developing and evaluating community programs that support pets in homes

Presenter: Seana Dowling-Guyer, MS, Associate Director, Collaborative (Center) for Shelter Dogs; Lecturer, Masters in Animals and Public Policy,Center for Animals and Public Policy, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine

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 approved for 1 hour of continuing education credit in jurisdictions which recognize RACE approval between July 22, 2024 and July 23, 2026. Complete the quiz to earn continuing education credit for CAWA and NACA.

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keywords  Maddie's Insights, Seana Downling-Guyer, dog retention programs, community programs for shelter dogs