Maddie's Insights: Practical tips based on current research to help pets and people
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These one-hour webinars have 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.
Some of the webcasts in this series have also been approved for 1 hour of continuing education credit in jurisdictions which recognize RACE approval.
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Contains 5 Component(s), Includes Credits
Learn about common retention programs focused on companion dogs and identify gaps between available programs and community needs
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 from July 22, 2024 - July 22, 2026. Complete the quiz to earn continuing education credit for RACE, CAWA and NACA.
Visit Maddie's Pet Forum to comment, follow a discussion or ask questions: https://maddies.fund/MIwebcast...
keywords Maddie's Insights, Seana Downling-Guyer, dog retention programs, community programs for shelter dogs
Seana Dowling-Guyer, MS
Associate Director
Collaborative (Center) for Shelter Dogs
Seana Dowling-Guyer is the Associate Director of Tufts Collaborative (Center) for Shelter Dogs at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University and teaches in the M.S. in Animals and Public Policy program. Seana is interested in the intersection of animal behavior and people’s perceptions of that behavior, particularly how our attitudes and knowledge of animal behavior impact animal welfare and behavior. Her research examines how to improve the welfare of dogs in shelters and support dogs and other companion animals in the home and community. She also investigates trends in animal sheltering. A long-time cat parent, Seana now takes care of four crazy ferrets while her daughter is away at college.
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Contains 5 Component(s), Includes Credits
Discover how an innovative, cloud-based tool turns everyday animal care records into powerful, visual evidence of welfare over an animal’s entire life.
Maddie's® Insights is our ongoing webcast series with practical tips based on current research to help pets and people.
Presenters
Rachel Malkani, BSc (Hons), MSc (AWSEL), PhD, CDBC, CCAB, ABTC-CAB
Sarah Wolfensohn, OBE, BSc (Hons), MA, VetMB, FRSB, DipECAWBM, FRCVS, Director, Welfare Assessment Technologies, Ltd.
Program Description:
The Animal Welfare Assessment Grid (AWAG http://www.awag.org.uk ) is a powerful, cloud-based tool designed to track and visualize the welfare and lifetime experiences of animals. By turning husbandry and veterinary records into clear, easy-to-read graphics, AWAG transforms complex welfare data into compelling visual evidence—making it easier to communicate with decision-makers, support strategies for change, or substantiate welfare-related marketing claims. Its unique time-based approach looks beyond single moments in time, providing a whole-life perspective that helps animal care professionals plan timely, targeted interventions to improve or safeguard quality of life.
Built around the five domains model, AWAG evaluates four key parameters—physical, behavioral/psychological, environmental, and procedural—each of which can be tailored to suit different species and animal-use contexts. The tool identifies significant events that impact welfare and calculates a Cumulative Welfare Assessment Score (CWAS) over time, allowing users to see trends in an animal’s quality of life at a glance. By highlighting specific areas for refinement, AWAG empowers carers, researchers, and organizations to make data-driven decisions that directly enhance animal welfare. This webcast will explore how AWAG works, its flexibility across settings, and how its lifetime approach to animal well-being sets it apart from other assessment methods.
Earn continuing education credit from The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement towards 1.0 CAWA CEs. This webinar has also been pre-approved for 1.0 continuing education credits by the National Animal Care & Control Association (NACA). It has also been approved for 1 hour of continuing education credit until 9/2/27 in jurisdictions which recognize RACE approval. Complete the quiz to earn continuing education credit.
Visit Maddie's Pet Forum to comment, follow a discussion or ask questions: https://maddies.fund/InsightsN...
keywords Maddie's Insights, Rachel Malkani, Sarah Wolfensohn, Animal Welfare Assessment Grid, AWAG, animal welfare, online tools for animal care records
Rachel Malkani, PhD
Group Clinical Research Lead, Researcher
Welfare Assessment Technologies, Ltd.
Rachel is the Group Clinical Research Lead for IVC Evidensia and a researcher at Welfare Assessment Technologies. She is also a certified clinical animal behaviorist and is a founder and board member of the Dog Friendly Clinic scheme in the UK. Additionally, Rachel is a trustee and veterinary engagement officer for the British Veterinary Behaviour Association. She graduated with a first-class honors degree in Applied Animal Behavior and an MSc in Animal Welfare Science, Ethics and Law with distinction from the University of Glasgow. She earned a PhD in veterinary medicine and science from the University of Surrey.
Sarah Wolfensohn, OBE, BSc, MA
Director
Welfare Assessment Technologies, Ltd.
Sarah's first degree in was in Physiology from University College London, she then read Veterinary Medicine at Churchill College, Cambridge. She spent a number of years in general practice, both small animal and mixed. She was Head of Veterinary Services at the University of Oxford for nearly 20 years, leaving there in 2010. She was then Professor of Animal Welfare at the veterinary school at the University of Surrey for 10 years. She is now an Emerita Professor, a Director of Welfare Assessment Technologies Ltd, and is an independent consultant on animal health and welfare advising various sectors, including government, on animal welfare. She is a European specialist in Animal Welfare, Ethics and Law. Her particular areas of expertise are assessment of animal welfare and lifetime experience and ethical evaluation of projects. She has published books, research papers and review articles; presented papers at international conferences and has extensive experience of working on committees. She was awarded an OBE for services to animal welfare in the Queen's birthday honors in 2012 and Fellowship of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons in 2019.
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Contains 5 Component(s), Includes Credits
Learn about which psychoactive medications and non-medication alternatives are most commonly used in shelters in North America, how shelter staff perceive their efficacy and ease of administration, and the barriers such as cost, uncertainty about efficacy, and time constraints that limit their use, when warranted.
Maddie's® Insights is our ongoing webcast series with practical tips based on current research to help pets and people.
Presenter
Bailey Eagan, PhD, MSc, Director of Research, ASPCA
Program Description:
Fear, anxiety, and stress are common challenges for cats and dogs in shelter environments, yet little is known about how shelters use psychoactive medications and non-medication alternatives to address these welfare concerns. This presentation includes findings from a recently published study examining which psychoactive medications (such as gabapentin, trazodone, and fluoxetine) and non-medication alternatives (such as pheromones and nutraceuticals) are most commonly used in shelters in North America, how shelter staff perceive their efficacy and ease of administration, and the barriers such as cost, uncertainty about efficacy, and time constraints that limit their use, when warranted.
In addition to highlighting key differences between cats and dogs in reported treatment frequency, this presentation will explore how factors such as shelter type, intake volume, and staff roles influence anxiety-medication decision-making. Attendees will gain a comprehensive overview of current practices, perspectives, and challenges to support them in evaluating and applying this information within their own animal care. Based on the barriers identified, the session will conclude with a research-informed discussion on practical strategies to address these challenges and identify priority areas for future work.
Earn continuing education credit from The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement towards 1.0 CAWA CEs. This webinar has also been pre-approved for 1.0 continuing education credits by the National Animal Care & Control Association (NACA). It has also been approved for 1 hour of continuing education credit until 8/18/27 in jurisdictions which recognize RACE approval. Complete the quiz to earn continuing education credit.
Visit Maddie's Pet Forum to comment, follow a discussion or ask questions: https://maddies.fund/InsightsOctober2025
keywords Maddie's Insights, anxiety medications and alternatives for pets, Bailey H. Eagen
Bailey Egan, Phd
Director of Research
ASPCA
Dr Bailey H Eagan, PhD, MSc, completed her PhD work at the University of British Columbia in Applied Animal Biology, and now serves as a Director of Research at the ASPCA. Dr. Eagan’s work focuses on understanding and improving shelter animal welfare through research, including topics such as sound impacts on shelter animals, drivers of shelter intake, anxiety-reducing medication and alternatives, behavior modification, and the use of accessible technologies like open-source computer vision. Dr Eagan’s work is dedicated to making animal welfare research both accessible and actionable for animal shelters.
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Contains 5 Component(s), Includes Credits
Recent research by Companions and Animals for Reform and Equity has found that BIPOC families are still more likely than white families to be denied during the adoption process. Learn about solutions for increasing access to pet ownership for BIPOC families.
Maddie's® Insights is our ongoing webcast series with practical tips based on current research to help pets and people.
Presenters:
Sloane Hawes, Chief of Research and Development at Companions and Animals for Reform and Equity
Celeste Morales, Senior Director of Research and Development at Companions and Animals for Reform and Equity
Program Description:
The animal welfare field has been discussing low-barrier adoption processes as a best practice for more than a decade, yet recent research by Companions and Animals for Reform and Equity has found that BIPOC families are still more likely than white families to be denied during the adoption process. The findings highlight the critical need to move discussions from "low-barrier adoptions" to "making pet ownership accessible to all."
Attendees will learn about:
• the prevalence and impact of shelter/rescue adoption discrimination in four U.S. cities (Atlanta, Philadelphia, Miami, Minneapolis)
• solutions for increasing access to pet ownership for BIPOC families
Earn continuing education credit from The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement towards 1.0 CAWA CEs. This webinar has also been pre-approved for 1.0 continuing education credits by the National Animal Care & Control Association (NACA). It has also been approved for 1 hour of continuing education credit until 7/24/27 in jurisdictions which recognize RACE approval. Complete the quiz to earn continuing education credit.
Visit Maddie's Pet Forum to comment, follow a discussion or ask questions: https://maddies.fund/InsightsA...
keywords Maddie's Insights, adoption discrimination, Sloane Hawes, Celeste Morales, Companions and Animals for Reform and Equity
Sloane Hawes
Chief of Research and Development
Companions and Animals for Reform and Equity
Sloane Hawes, MSW (she/her) is a scholar-activist who uses a community based participatory research approach to develop and evaluate equitable, accessible, and community-led solutions that improve the quality of life for marginalized people and their pets. She has nearly a decade of experience in research, direct care, and advocacy roles that include community organizing, case management for unhoused people, and supporting families in crisis at an open-admission animal shelter. Sloane currently serves as a commissioner for her local housing authority and a house call volunteer for the Colorado non-profit People and Animal Companions Together (PACT). She lives in Colorado with her partner, two young people, an English Mastiff, a Bassett-Corgi, and five chickens.
Celeste Morales
Senior Director of Research and Development
Companions and Animals for Reform and Equity
Celeste Morales (she/her) is a sociologist and scholar-activist committed to pursuing social justice-oriented research related to the intersections of animals, people, and communities. In particular, she is invested in utilizing community-engaged research approaches that elevate community voices and lived experiences. Celeste has been working in the human and animal well-being research space for the past five years. Celeste completed her BA in Sociology in 2017 from the University of British Columbia, and her MA in Sociology from the University of Victoria in 2020. She has worked with the Vancouver Humane Society as Lead Researcher and Program Manager, the Institute for Human Animal Connection at the University of Denver as a Research Associate and currently works at Companions and Animals for Reform and Equity as Senior Director of Research and Development, where she leads multiple community-based research projects.
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Contains 5 Component(s), Includes Credits
This webcast presents a study on how specific social media content features influence engagement with posts about adoptable animals, highlighting differences before and after the pandemic.
Maddie's® Insights is our ongoing webcast series with practical tips based on current research to help pets and people.
Presenter:
Rachel Morrison, PhD, Associate Professor in the Psychology Department at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke
Program Description:
This webcast explores how social media content influences engagement with posts about adoptable animals. It highlights findings from a study analyzing Facebook posts from rural shelters, examining how features like photo style, video content, text tone, and animal type impact likes and shares. The study also compares pre-pandemic (2019) and post-pandemic (2020) data, revealing that 2019 posts received more likes, while 2020 posts were shared more. Results suggest that both the type of animal and its depicted environment affect engagement, although further research is needed to link post content directly to adoption rates.
Attendees will learn about:
1. the online promotion of adoptable animals and the features that have previously been linked to increased adoptions
2. using social media platforms to increase public engagement of adoptable animals. Specifically, what features of post content may have an influence
3. questions that have yet to be answered. Topics of future exploration will be suggested.
Earn continuing education credit from The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement towards 1.0 CAWA CEs. This webinar has also been pre-approved for 1.0 continuing education credits by the National Animal Care & Control Association (NACA). It has also been approved for 1 hour of continuing education credit until 3/10/2027 in jurisdictions which recognize RACE approval. Complete the quiz to earn continuing education credit.
Visit Maddie's Pet Forum to comment, follow a discussion or ask questions: https://maddies.fund/MIwebcast...
keywords Maddie's Insights, Rachel Morrison, PhD, social media impact on pet adoption
Rachel Morrison, PhD
Associate Professor in the Psychology Department
University of North Carolina at Pembroke
Dr. Rachel Morrison received her B.S. in Biology with a concentration in animal biology and a minor in Psychology from Grand Valley State University (Allendale, MI). She received her M.A. in Psychology with a certification in Animal Behavior and Conservation from Hunter College of CUNY and her Ph.D. in Psychology with a concentration in Biopsychology from The Graduate Center of CUNY (New York, NY). Dr. Morrison is currently an Associate Professor in the Psychology Department at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke where she teaches Introductory Psychology, Research Methodology, Animal Cognition and Behavior, and Biopsychology.
Dr. Morrison’s research interests include animal behavior, animal cognition, animal welfare, and human-animal relationships. She has conducted research with diverse species in multiple locations and contexts including field research, lab studies, and studies of animals housed in zoological (e.g., whispering in cotton-top tamarin monkeys) and aquarium (e.g., the development of mirror self-recognition in bottlenose dolphins) settings. In addition, Dr. Morrison has investigated factors that influence college students’ attitudes towards animal use and the relationship between pro-welfare attitudes and perceptions of animal thinking, as well as links between college student pet attachment and the quality of care given to pets. More recently she has explored the use of social media (i.e., Facebook) by local animal shelters to promote adoptable animals and the impact of a miniature horse-assisted intervention on college student mood and optimism her PhD and MA degrees in the behavioral neuroscience and comparative psychology program at Arizona State University in the Canine Science Collaboratory.
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Contains 5 Component(s), Includes Credits
An overview of attachment theory, including what it means to be a Secure Base, and how this knowledge can be applied to better understand and improve dog-human relationships and the relationships shared between humans and other animals.
Maddie's® Insights are monthly webcasts with practical tips based on current research to help pets and people.
Many people feel that they have shared a strong bond with a do, and there is growing scientific evidence that these dogs also form strong bonds with their humans. However, science also tells us that not all bonds are created equal. The kind and quality of attachment relationship shared can influence a dog’s behavior and welfare outcomes. In this talk, Dr. Monique Udell provides an overview of attachment theory, including what it means to be a Secure Base, and how this knowledge can be applied to better understand and improve dog-human relationships and the relationships shared between humans and other animals.
Presenter: Monique Udell, Ph. D., CAAB
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 through 1/10/27. Complete the quiz to earn continuing education credit.
Visit Maddie's Pet Forum to comment, follow a discussion or ask questions: https://maddies.fund/MIwebcastSecureBase
keywords Maddie's Insights, Monique Udell, Human-Animal Interactions Lab, human-canine bond, dog behavior, attachment theory, Secure Base, dog-human relationships
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Contains 5 Component(s), Includes Credits
This talk will walk you through the existing (and pending!) research on behavioral euthanasia to help us separate fact from fiction.
Maddie's® Insights are monthly webcasts with practical tips based on current research to help pets and people.
Behavioral euthanasia is a sensitive topic with a wide variety of personal thoughts and emotions. But what do we actually know about it? How often does it happen, and why? Do we have data we can use to make decisions? Where can we turn for information? This talk will walk you through the existing (and pending!) research on behavioral euthanasia to help us separate fact from fiction.
Learning Objectives
In this session, attendees will come away with:
● An understanding of the history of research on behavioral euthanasia and the gaps
● A summary of the 2024 paper "Factors Associated with Behavioral Euthanasia in Pet Dogs" and learn about the methods used (and why)
● The types of behaviors that led to euthanasia in this study, and the information we can (and can't) use from it to make decisions
● The main findings of the study, including pieces that agree or disagree with previous literature
● The limitations of research like this, and the potential for future study
● Takeaways for pet professionals based on this research and resources available for folks in this situation
Presenter: Miranda Hitchcock, MS Applied Animal Behavior, CDBC, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA, Fear Free Certified
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 8/19/24 - 8/19/26. Complete the quiz to earn continuing education credit.
Visit Maddie's Pet Forum to comment, follow a discussion or ask questions: https://maddies.fund/MIwebcastBehavioralEuthanasia
keywords Maddie's Insights, Miranda Hitchcock MS, behavioral euthanasia in pet dogs
Miranda Hitchcock, MS
Co-founder and Executive Director
Every Dog Behavior and Training
Miranda is the co-founder and executive director of Every Dog Behavior and Training, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing inclusive, accessible dog training and behavior resources.
She began working with dogs as a volunteer at an animal shelter and fell down the rabbit hole of behavior. She moved to Austin for a Maddie’s Executive Leadership Fellowship with two of Austin’s shelters before becoming the operations manager at the municipal animal shelter.
Miranda left sheltering to found Every Dog in 2019, taking her behavior and leadership expertise to the nonprofit world. She is a certified dog trainer and multi-certified dog behavior consultant. She holds a master’s degree in applied animal Behavior and Welfare from Virginia Tech. In 2024, her first research paper on behavioral euthanasia was published in the journal Frontiers of Veterinary Science.
When not working, Miranda loves rock climbing, listening to fantasy audiobooks, and snuggling with her pittie, Nina.
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Contains 5 Component(s), Includes Credits
Learn about behavioral and physiological benefits of pair housing in shelter dogs as well as requirements to consider when using pain housing safely.
Maddie's® Insights is our ongoing webcast series with practical tips based on current research to help pets and people.
Presenter: Erica Feuerbacher, PhD, Associate Professor, School of Animal Sciences, Virginia Tech and Director, Applied Behavior & Welfare Lab
Program Description:
Dogs are often housed alone in shelter settings to reduce injury and disease spread. However, social isolation can be a stressor for dogs. Most prior studies have focused on laboratory dogs or shelter dogs that have been kenneled for several months. Thus, those results might not necessarily generalize to shelter dogs, many of which have shorter lengths of stay than those dogs studied to date and might be cohoused soon after intake.
The presenter and her team investigated the behavioral and physiological effects of single- or pair-housing shelter dogs, most of which had recently entered the shelter, as well as the impact of pair-housing on length of stay. In this talk, Dr. Feuerbacher will review the literature on co-housing dogs, go into detail on her study methods and results, and discuss the benefits and practical considerations of pair-housing dogs.
Attendees will learn to:
1. Identify behavioral and physiological benefits of pair housing
2. Identify adoption benefits of pair housing
3. Understand the requirements to consider using pair housing safely
Earn continuing education credit from The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement towards 1.0 CAWA CEs. This webinar has also been pre-approved for 1.0 continuing education credits by the National Animal Care & Control Association (NACA). It has also been approved for 1 hour of continuing education credit between 12/6/24 - 12/6/26 in jurisdictions which recognize RACE approval. Complete the quiz to earn continuing education credit.
Visit Maddie's Pet Forum to comment, follow a discussion or ask questions: https://maddies.fund/MIwebcast...
keywords Maddie's Insights, Erica N. Feuerbacher, pair-housing shelter dogs, co-housing shelter dogs, adoption benefits of pair housing
Erica N. Feuerbacher, PhD
Associate Professor
School of Animal Sciences, Virginia Tech
Dr. Erica Feuerbacher is an Associate Professor in the School of Animal Sciences at Virginia Tech and director of the Applied Animal Behavior & Welfare Lab, where she focuses her research on dogs and horses. She also coordinates the online Master’s degree program in Applied Animal Behavior & Welfare at Virginia Tech. She earned her Ph.D. in Psychology at the University of Florida and her Master’s in Behavior Analysis at the University of North. She is a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist and a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst. Her research focuses on understanding domestic animal behavior and learning from a behavior analytic perspective, using applied animal behavior to solve behavioral issues in dogs and horses, and identifying interventions that improve shelter dog welfare. She has published her research in a variety of scientific journals and has won awards for her research and teaching. She is passionate about humane, effective animal training, and working with owners, trainers, and shelter staff to improve our interactions with animals.
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Contains 5 Component(s), Includes Credits
Participants will learn how community data can complement animal shelter data to help divert animals from shelters.
Maddie's® Insights are monthly webcasts with practical tips based on current research to help pets and people.
How do we reduce relinquishment to animal shelters? In the U.S. and Canada, approximately 25-30% of animals that enter shelters are surrendered by owners. However, despite many shelters and rescues providing various pet support services for the past few decades, there has been little demonstratable reduction in owner surrendered animals. Currently, many animal shelters use data collected at intake, such as surrender reasons, to create programs that aim to support pet owners to keep their pets. This presentation will outline research into animal shelters, pet owning communities, self-rehoming platforms, and pet owners to demonstrate the complex system of pet surrender. By the end of this presentation, participants will learn how community data can complement animal shelter data to help divert animals from shelters.
Learning Objectives:
By the end of this presentation, you will be able to…
· Discuss strategies to improve standardization of intake data collection within your shelter
· Identify ways to connect animal shelter data to community-level demographic data to understand risks of surrender
· Interpret data from pet support services, self-rehoming platforms, and pet owners to understand how to promote intake diversion
Presenter: Lexis Ly, PhD Student, UBC Animal Welfare Program
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 through 2/7/28. Complete the quiz to earn continuing education credit for CAWA and NACA.
Visit Maddie's Pet Forum to comment, follow a discussion or ask questions: https://maddies.fund/MIWebcast...
keywords Maddie's Insights, Lexis Ly, intake data collection, animal shelter data, animal shelter intake reduction,owner surrendered animals
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Contains 5 Component(s), Includes Credits
Learn about the research showing the value of using standardized rating tools to evaluate feline behavior and welfare in shelters.
Maddie's® Insights are monthly webcasts with practical tips based on current research to help pets and people.
Program Description:
Safeguarding the well-being of cats is essential to the mission of any responsible animal shelter. Environmental enrichment and behavior modification are often key to this goal. Measuring response to these interventions is essential to ensure strategies are successful. This webinar will present four ordinal rating scales designed to evaluate different expressions of cat behavior/welfare on a 0–5 scale (modified Fear, Anxiety, and Stress score; Response to Petting score; Participation in Play score; and Food Intake Summary score) that have excellent inter-observer agreement and reliability, and a few other tools to describe behavior in a quantitative way. These tools are exceptionally useful to evaluate the response individual cats have to specific interventions, make decisions about which interventions should be tried first by looking at what was effective in cases presenting similarly in the past, and evaluating the efficacy of different interventions across a population of similar cats in a research project.
What you'll come away with:
- An understanding of the value of using standardized rating tools to evaluate behavior and welfare in shelters
- The ability to identify a range of practical applications for these tools, in both in the shelter and beyond
Presenter: Jacklyn Ellis, PhD, Director of Behavior, Toronto Humane Society
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 9/26/24 - 9/26/26. Complete the quiz to earn continuing education credit.
Visit Maddie's Pet Forum to comment, follow a discussion or ask questions: https://maddies.fund/MIwebcast...
keywords Maddie's Insights, Jacklyn Ellis, PhD, behavioral data for cats, feline behavior
Jacklyn J Ellis, PhD
Director of Behavior
Toronto Humane Society
Jacklyn Ellis is board certified by the Animal Behavior Society as a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist, is Certified in Shelter Behavior – Cat by the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants and is the Director of Behavior at Toronto Humane Society. She earned her PhD in Animal Welfare at the Atlantic Veterinary College, University of Prince Edward Island, where she conducted research on methods for reducing stress in shelter cats. Her work has been published widely in peer reviewed journals and she has presented at many national and international conferences, particularly on feline stress and elimination behavior. She has recently authored two chapters for a new edition of the leading textbook on the behavior and welfare of shelter animals.
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Contains 5 Component(s), Includes Credits
Learn about common retention programs focused on companion dogs and identify gaps between available programs and community needs
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 from July 22, 2024 - July 22, 2026. Complete the quiz to earn continuing education credit for RACE, CAWA and NACA.
Visit Maddie's Pet Forum to comment, follow a discussion or ask questions: https://maddies.fund/MIwebcast...
keywords Maddie's Insights, Seana Downling-Guyer, dog retention programs, community programs for shelter dogs
Seana Dowling-Guyer, MS
Associate Director
Collaborative (Center) for Shelter Dogs
Seana Dowling-Guyer is the Associate Director of Tufts Collaborative (Center) for Shelter Dogs at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University and teaches in the M.S. in Animals and Public Policy program. Seana is interested in the intersection of animal behavior and people’s perceptions of that behavior, particularly how our attitudes and knowledge of animal behavior impact animal welfare and behavior. Her research examines how to improve the welfare of dogs in shelters and support dogs and other companion animals in the home and community. She also investigates trends in animal sheltering. A long-time cat parent, Seana now takes care of four crazy ferrets while her daughter is away at college.
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Contains 5 Component(s), Includes Credits
Discover how an innovative, cloud-based tool turns everyday animal care records into powerful, visual evidence of welfare over an animal’s entire life.
Maddie's® Insights is our ongoing webcast series with practical tips based on current research to help pets and people.
Presenters
Rachel Malkani, BSc (Hons), MSc (AWSEL), PhD, CDBC, CCAB, ABTC-CAB
Sarah Wolfensohn, OBE, BSc (Hons), MA, VetMB, FRSB, DipECAWBM, FRCVS, Director, Welfare Assessment Technologies, Ltd.Program Description:
The Animal Welfare Assessment Grid (AWAG http://www.awag.org.uk ) is a powerful, cloud-based tool designed to track and visualize the welfare and lifetime experiences of animals. By turning husbandry and veterinary records into clear, easy-to-read graphics, AWAG transforms complex welfare data into compelling visual evidence—making it easier to communicate with decision-makers, support strategies for change, or substantiate welfare-related marketing claims. Its unique time-based approach looks beyond single moments in time, providing a whole-life perspective that helps animal care professionals plan timely, targeted interventions to improve or safeguard quality of life.
Built around the five domains model, AWAG evaluates four key parameters—physical, behavioral/psychological, environmental, and procedural—each of which can be tailored to suit different species and animal-use contexts. The tool identifies significant events that impact welfare and calculates a Cumulative Welfare Assessment Score (CWAS) over time, allowing users to see trends in an animal’s quality of life at a glance. By highlighting specific areas for refinement, AWAG empowers carers, researchers, and organizations to make data-driven decisions that directly enhance animal welfare. This webcast will explore how AWAG works, its flexibility across settings, and how its lifetime approach to animal well-being sets it apart from other assessment methods.Earn continuing education credit from The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement towards 1.0 CAWA CEs. This webinar has also been pre-approved for 1.0 continuing education credits by the National Animal Care & Control Association (NACA). It has also been approved for 1 hour of continuing education credit until 9/2/27 in jurisdictions which recognize RACE approval. Complete the quiz to earn continuing education credit.
Visit Maddie's Pet Forum to comment, follow a discussion or ask questions: https://maddies.fund/InsightsN...
keywords Maddie's Insights, Rachel Malkani, Sarah Wolfensohn, Animal Welfare Assessment Grid, AWAG, animal welfare, online tools for animal care records
Rachel Malkani, PhD
Group Clinical Research Lead, Researcher
Welfare Assessment Technologies, Ltd.
Rachel is the Group Clinical Research Lead for IVC Evidensia and a researcher at Welfare Assessment Technologies. She is also a certified clinical animal behaviorist and is a founder and board member of the Dog Friendly Clinic scheme in the UK. Additionally, Rachel is a trustee and veterinary engagement officer for the British Veterinary Behaviour Association. She graduated with a first-class honors degree in Applied Animal Behavior and an MSc in Animal Welfare Science, Ethics and Law with distinction from the University of Glasgow. She earned a PhD in veterinary medicine and science from the University of Surrey.
Sarah Wolfensohn, OBE, BSc, MA
Director
Welfare Assessment Technologies, Ltd.
Sarah's first degree in was in Physiology from University College London, she then read Veterinary Medicine at Churchill College, Cambridge. She spent a number of years in general practice, both small animal and mixed. She was Head of Veterinary Services at the University of Oxford for nearly 20 years, leaving there in 2010. She was then Professor of Animal Welfare at the veterinary school at the University of Surrey for 10 years. She is now an Emerita Professor, a Director of Welfare Assessment Technologies Ltd, and is an independent consultant on animal health and welfare advising various sectors, including government, on animal welfare. She is a European specialist in Animal Welfare, Ethics and Law. Her particular areas of expertise are assessment of animal welfare and lifetime experience and ethical evaluation of projects. She has published books, research papers and review articles; presented papers at international conferences and has extensive experience of working on committees. She was awarded an OBE for services to animal welfare in the Queen's birthday honors in 2012 and Fellowship of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons in 2019.
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Contains 5 Component(s), Includes Credits
Learn about which psychoactive medications and non-medication alternatives are most commonly used in shelters in North America, how shelter staff perceive their efficacy and ease of administration, and the barriers such as cost, uncertainty about efficacy, and time constraints that limit their use, when warranted.
Maddie's® Insights is our ongoing webcast series with practical tips based on current research to help pets and people.
Presenter
Bailey Eagan, PhD, MSc, Director of Research, ASPCAProgram Description:
Fear, anxiety, and stress are common challenges for cats and dogs in shelter environments, yet little is known about how shelters use psychoactive medications and non-medication alternatives to address these welfare concerns. This presentation includes findings from a recently published study examining which psychoactive medications (such as gabapentin, trazodone, and fluoxetine) and non-medication alternatives (such as pheromones and nutraceuticals) are most commonly used in shelters in North America, how shelter staff perceive their efficacy and ease of administration, and the barriers such as cost, uncertainty about efficacy, and time constraints that limit their use, when warranted.In addition to highlighting key differences between cats and dogs in reported treatment frequency, this presentation will explore how factors such as shelter type, intake volume, and staff roles influence anxiety-medication decision-making. Attendees will gain a comprehensive overview of current practices, perspectives, and challenges to support them in evaluating and applying this information within their own animal care. Based on the barriers identified, the session will conclude with a research-informed discussion on practical strategies to address these challenges and identify priority areas for future work.
Earn continuing education credit from The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement towards 1.0 CAWA CEs. This webinar has also been pre-approved for 1.0 continuing education credits by the National Animal Care & Control Association (NACA). It has also been approved for 1 hour of continuing education credit until 8/18/27 in jurisdictions which recognize RACE approval. Complete the quiz to earn continuing education credit.
Visit Maddie's Pet Forum to comment, follow a discussion or ask questions: https://maddies.fund/InsightsOctober2025
keywords Maddie's Insights, anxiety medications and alternatives for pets, Bailey H. Eagen
Bailey Egan, Phd
Director of Research
ASPCA
Dr Bailey H Eagan, PhD, MSc, completed her PhD work at the University of British Columbia in Applied Animal Biology, and now serves as a Director of Research at the ASPCA. Dr. Eagan’s work focuses on understanding and improving shelter animal welfare through research, including topics such as sound impacts on shelter animals, drivers of shelter intake, anxiety-reducing medication and alternatives, behavior modification, and the use of accessible technologies like open-source computer vision. Dr Eagan’s work is dedicated to making animal welfare research both accessible and actionable for animal shelters.
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Contains 5 Component(s), Includes Credits
Recent research by Companions and Animals for Reform and Equity has found that BIPOC families are still more likely than white families to be denied during the adoption process. Learn about solutions for increasing access to pet ownership for BIPOC families.
Maddie's® Insights is our ongoing webcast series with practical tips based on current research to help pets and people.
Presenters:
Sloane Hawes, Chief of Research and Development at Companions and Animals for Reform and Equity
Celeste Morales, Senior Director of Research and Development at Companions and Animals for Reform and EquityProgram Description:
The animal welfare field has been discussing low-barrier adoption processes as a best practice for more than a decade, yet recent research by Companions and Animals for Reform and Equity has found that BIPOC families are still more likely than white families to be denied during the adoption process. The findings highlight the critical need to move discussions from "low-barrier adoptions" to "making pet ownership accessible to all."Attendees will learn about:
• the prevalence and impact of shelter/rescue adoption discrimination in four U.S. cities (Atlanta, Philadelphia, Miami, Minneapolis)
• solutions for increasing access to pet ownership for BIPOC familiesEarn continuing education credit from The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement towards 1.0 CAWA CEs. This webinar has also been pre-approved for 1.0 continuing education credits by the National Animal Care & Control Association (NACA). It has also been approved for 1 hour of continuing education credit until 7/24/27 in jurisdictions which recognize RACE approval. Complete the quiz to earn continuing education credit.
Visit Maddie's Pet Forum to comment, follow a discussion or ask questions: https://maddies.fund/InsightsA...
keywords Maddie's Insights, adoption discrimination, Sloane Hawes, Celeste Morales, Companions and Animals for Reform and Equity
Sloane Hawes
Chief of Research and Development
Companions and Animals for Reform and Equity
Sloane Hawes, MSW (she/her) is a scholar-activist who uses a community based participatory research approach to develop and evaluate equitable, accessible, and community-led solutions that improve the quality of life for marginalized people and their pets. She has nearly a decade of experience in research, direct care, and advocacy roles that include community organizing, case management for unhoused people, and supporting families in crisis at an open-admission animal shelter. Sloane currently serves as a commissioner for her local housing authority and a house call volunteer for the Colorado non-profit People and Animal Companions Together (PACT). She lives in Colorado with her partner, two young people, an English Mastiff, a Bassett-Corgi, and five chickens.
Celeste Morales
Senior Director of Research and Development
Companions and Animals for Reform and Equity
Celeste Morales (she/her) is a sociologist and scholar-activist committed to pursuing social justice-oriented research related to the intersections of animals, people, and communities. In particular, she is invested in utilizing community-engaged research approaches that elevate community voices and lived experiences. Celeste has been working in the human and animal well-being research space for the past five years. Celeste completed her BA in Sociology in 2017 from the University of British Columbia, and her MA in Sociology from the University of Victoria in 2020. She has worked with the Vancouver Humane Society as Lead Researcher and Program Manager, the Institute for Human Animal Connection at the University of Denver as a Research Associate and currently works at Companions and Animals for Reform and Equity as Senior Director of Research and Development, where she leads multiple community-based research projects.
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Contains 5 Component(s), Includes Credits
This webcast presents a study on how specific social media content features influence engagement with posts about adoptable animals, highlighting differences before and after the pandemic.
Maddie's® Insights is our ongoing webcast series with practical tips based on current research to help pets and people.
Presenter:
Rachel Morrison, PhD, Associate Professor in the Psychology Department at the University of North Carolina at PembrokeProgram Description:
This webcast explores how social media content influences engagement with posts about adoptable animals. It highlights findings from a study analyzing Facebook posts from rural shelters, examining how features like photo style, video content, text tone, and animal type impact likes and shares. The study also compares pre-pandemic (2019) and post-pandemic (2020) data, revealing that 2019 posts received more likes, while 2020 posts were shared more. Results suggest that both the type of animal and its depicted environment affect engagement, although further research is needed to link post content directly to adoption rates.Attendees will learn about:
1. the online promotion of adoptable animals and the features that have previously been linked to increased adoptions
2. using social media platforms to increase public engagement of adoptable animals. Specifically, what features of post content may have an influence
3. questions that have yet to be answered. Topics of future exploration will be suggested.
Earn continuing education credit from The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement towards 1.0 CAWA CEs. This webinar has also been pre-approved for 1.0 continuing education credits by the National Animal Care & Control Association (NACA). It has also been approved for 1 hour of continuing education credit until 3/10/2027 in jurisdictions which recognize RACE approval. Complete the quiz to earn continuing education credit.
Visit Maddie's Pet Forum to comment, follow a discussion or ask questions: https://maddies.fund/MIwebcast...
keywords Maddie's Insights, Rachel Morrison, PhD, social media impact on pet adoption
Rachel Morrison, PhD
Associate Professor in the Psychology Department
University of North Carolina at Pembroke
Dr. Rachel Morrison received her B.S. in Biology with a concentration in animal biology and a minor in Psychology from Grand Valley State University (Allendale, MI). She received her M.A. in Psychology with a certification in Animal Behavior and Conservation from Hunter College of CUNY and her Ph.D. in Psychology with a concentration in Biopsychology from The Graduate Center of CUNY (New York, NY). Dr. Morrison is currently an Associate Professor in the Psychology Department at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke where she teaches Introductory Psychology, Research Methodology, Animal Cognition and Behavior, and Biopsychology.
Dr. Morrison’s research interests include animal behavior, animal cognition, animal welfare, and human-animal relationships. She has conducted research with diverse species in multiple locations and contexts including field research, lab studies, and studies of animals housed in zoological (e.g., whispering in cotton-top tamarin monkeys) and aquarium (e.g., the development of mirror self-recognition in bottlenose dolphins) settings. In addition, Dr. Morrison has investigated factors that influence college students’ attitudes towards animal use and the relationship between pro-welfare attitudes and perceptions of animal thinking, as well as links between college student pet attachment and the quality of care given to pets. More recently she has explored the use of social media (i.e., Facebook) by local animal shelters to promote adoptable animals and the impact of a miniature horse-assisted intervention on college student mood and optimism her PhD and MA degrees in the behavioral neuroscience and comparative psychology program at Arizona State University in the Canine Science Collaboratory.
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Contains 5 Component(s), Includes Credits
An overview of attachment theory, including what it means to be a Secure Base, and how this knowledge can be applied to better understand and improve dog-human relationships and the relationships shared between humans and other animals.
Maddie's® Insights are monthly webcasts with practical tips based on current research to help pets and people.
Many people feel that they have shared a strong bond with a do, and there is growing scientific evidence that these dogs also form strong bonds with their humans. However, science also tells us that not all bonds are created equal. The kind and quality of attachment relationship shared can influence a dog’s behavior and welfare outcomes. In this talk, Dr. Monique Udell provides an overview of attachment theory, including what it means to be a Secure Base, and how this knowledge can be applied to better understand and improve dog-human relationships and the relationships shared between humans and other animals.
Presenter: Monique Udell, Ph. D., CAAB
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 through 1/10/27. Complete the quiz to earn continuing education credit.
Visit Maddie's Pet Forum to comment, follow a discussion or ask questions: https://maddies.fund/MIwebcastSecureBase
keywords Maddie's Insights, Monique Udell, Human-Animal Interactions Lab, human-canine bond, dog behavior, attachment theory, Secure Base, dog-human relationships -
Contains 5 Component(s), Includes Credits
This talk will walk you through the existing (and pending!) research on behavioral euthanasia to help us separate fact from fiction.
Maddie's® Insights are monthly webcasts with practical tips based on current research to help pets and people.
Behavioral euthanasia is a sensitive topic with a wide variety of personal thoughts and emotions. But what do we actually know about it? How often does it happen, and why? Do we have data we can use to make decisions? Where can we turn for information? This talk will walk you through the existing (and pending!) research on behavioral euthanasia to help us separate fact from fiction.
Learning Objectives
In this session, attendees will come away with:
● An understanding of the history of research on behavioral euthanasia and the gaps
● A summary of the 2024 paper "Factors Associated with Behavioral Euthanasia in Pet Dogs" and learn about the methods used (and why)
● The types of behaviors that led to euthanasia in this study, and the information we can (and can't) use from it to make decisions
● The main findings of the study, including pieces that agree or disagree with previous literature
● The limitations of research like this, and the potential for future study
● Takeaways for pet professionals based on this research and resources available for folks in this situation
Presenter: Miranda Hitchcock, MS Applied Animal Behavior, CDBC, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA, Fear Free Certified
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 8/19/24 - 8/19/26. Complete the quiz to earn continuing education credit.
Visit Maddie's Pet Forum to comment, follow a discussion or ask questions: https://maddies.fund/MIwebcastBehavioralEuthanasia
keywords Maddie's Insights, Miranda Hitchcock MS, behavioral euthanasia in pet dogs
Miranda Hitchcock, MS
Co-founder and Executive Director
Every Dog Behavior and Training
Miranda is the co-founder and executive director of Every Dog Behavior and Training, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing inclusive, accessible dog training and behavior resources.
She began working with dogs as a volunteer at an animal shelter and fell down the rabbit hole of behavior. She moved to Austin for a Maddie’s Executive Leadership Fellowship with two of Austin’s shelters before becoming the operations manager at the municipal animal shelter.
Miranda left sheltering to found Every Dog in 2019, taking her behavior and leadership expertise to the nonprofit world. She is a certified dog trainer and multi-certified dog behavior consultant. She holds a master’s degree in applied animal Behavior and Welfare from Virginia Tech. In 2024, her first research paper on behavioral euthanasia was published in the journal Frontiers of Veterinary Science.
When not working, Miranda loves rock climbing, listening to fantasy audiobooks, and snuggling with her pittie, Nina.
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Contains 5 Component(s), Includes Credits
Learn about behavioral and physiological benefits of pair housing in shelter dogs as well as requirements to consider when using pain housing safely.
Maddie's® Insights is our ongoing webcast series with practical tips based on current research to help pets and people.
Presenter: Erica Feuerbacher, PhD, Associate Professor, School of Animal Sciences, Virginia Tech and Director, Applied Behavior & Welfare Lab
Program Description:
Dogs are often housed alone in shelter settings to reduce injury and disease spread. However, social isolation can be a stressor for dogs. Most prior studies have focused on laboratory dogs or shelter dogs that have been kenneled for several months. Thus, those results might not necessarily generalize to shelter dogs, many of which have shorter lengths of stay than those dogs studied to date and might be cohoused soon after intake.The presenter and her team investigated the behavioral and physiological effects of single- or pair-housing shelter dogs, most of which had recently entered the shelter, as well as the impact of pair-housing on length of stay. In this talk, Dr. Feuerbacher will review the literature on co-housing dogs, go into detail on her study methods and results, and discuss the benefits and practical considerations of pair-housing dogs.
Attendees will learn to:
1. Identify behavioral and physiological benefits of pair housing
2. Identify adoption benefits of pair housing
3. Understand the requirements to consider using pair housing safelyEarn continuing education credit from The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement towards 1.0 CAWA CEs. This webinar has also been pre-approved for 1.0 continuing education credits by the National Animal Care & Control Association (NACA). It has also been approved for 1 hour of continuing education credit between 12/6/24 - 12/6/26 in jurisdictions which recognize RACE approval. Complete the quiz to earn continuing education credit.
Visit Maddie's Pet Forum to comment, follow a discussion or ask questions: https://maddies.fund/MIwebcast...
keywords Maddie's Insights, Erica N. Feuerbacher, pair-housing shelter dogs, co-housing shelter dogs, adoption benefits of pair housing
Erica N. Feuerbacher, PhD
Associate Professor
School of Animal Sciences, Virginia Tech
Dr. Erica Feuerbacher is an Associate Professor in the School of Animal Sciences at Virginia Tech and director of the Applied Animal Behavior & Welfare Lab, where she focuses her research on dogs and horses. She also coordinates the online Master’s degree program in Applied Animal Behavior & Welfare at Virginia Tech. She earned her Ph.D. in Psychology at the University of Florida and her Master’s in Behavior Analysis at the University of North. She is a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist and a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst. Her research focuses on understanding domestic animal behavior and learning from a behavior analytic perspective, using applied animal behavior to solve behavioral issues in dogs and horses, and identifying interventions that improve shelter dog welfare. She has published her research in a variety of scientific journals and has won awards for her research and teaching. She is passionate about humane, effective animal training, and working with owners, trainers, and shelter staff to improve our interactions with animals.
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Contains 5 Component(s), Includes Credits
Participants will learn how community data can complement animal shelter data to help divert animals from shelters.
Maddie's® Insights are monthly webcasts with practical tips based on current research to help pets and people.
How do we reduce relinquishment to animal shelters? In the U.S. and Canada, approximately 25-30% of animals that enter shelters are surrendered by owners. However, despite many shelters and rescues providing various pet support services for the past few decades, there has been little demonstratable reduction in owner surrendered animals. Currently, many animal shelters use data collected at intake, such as surrender reasons, to create programs that aim to support pet owners to keep their pets. This presentation will outline research into animal shelters, pet owning communities, self-rehoming platforms, and pet owners to demonstrate the complex system of pet surrender. By the end of this presentation, participants will learn how community data can complement animal shelter data to help divert animals from shelters.
Learning Objectives:
By the end of this presentation, you will be able to…
· Discuss strategies to improve standardization of intake data collection within your shelter
· Identify ways to connect animal shelter data to community-level demographic data to understand risks of surrender
· Interpret data from pet support services, self-rehoming platforms, and pet owners to understand how to promote intake diversion
Presenter: Lexis Ly, PhD Student, UBC Animal Welfare Program
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 through 2/7/28. Complete the quiz to earn continuing education credit for CAWA and NACA.
Visit Maddie's Pet Forum to comment, follow a discussion or ask questions: https://maddies.fund/MIWebcast...
keywords Maddie's Insights, Lexis Ly, intake data collection, animal shelter data, animal shelter intake reduction,owner surrendered animals
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Contains 5 Component(s), Includes Credits
Learn about the research showing the value of using standardized rating tools to evaluate feline behavior and welfare in shelters.
Maddie's® Insights are monthly webcasts with practical tips based on current research to help pets and people.
Program Description:
Safeguarding the well-being of cats is essential to the mission of any responsible animal shelter. Environmental enrichment and behavior modification are often key to this goal. Measuring response to these interventions is essential to ensure strategies are successful. This webinar will present four ordinal rating scales designed to evaluate different expressions of cat behavior/welfare on a 0–5 scale (modified Fear, Anxiety, and Stress score; Response to Petting score; Participation in Play score; and Food Intake Summary score) that have excellent inter-observer agreement and reliability, and a few other tools to describe behavior in a quantitative way. These tools are exceptionally useful to evaluate the response individual cats have to specific interventions, make decisions about which interventions should be tried first by looking at what was effective in cases presenting similarly in the past, and evaluating the efficacy of different interventions across a population of similar cats in a research project.
What you'll come away with:
- An understanding of the value of using standardized rating tools to evaluate behavior and welfare in shelters
- The ability to identify a range of practical applications for these tools, in both in the shelter and beyondPresenter: Jacklyn Ellis, PhD, Director of Behavior, Toronto Humane Society
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 9/26/24 - 9/26/26. Complete the quiz to earn continuing education credit.
Visit Maddie's Pet Forum to comment, follow a discussion or ask questions: https://maddies.fund/MIwebcast...
keywords Maddie's Insights, Jacklyn Ellis, PhD, behavioral data for cats, feline behavior
Jacklyn J Ellis, PhD
Director of Behavior
Toronto Humane Society
Jacklyn Ellis is board certified by the Animal Behavior Society as a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist, is Certified in Shelter Behavior – Cat by the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants and is the Director of Behavior at Toronto Humane Society. She earned her PhD in Animal Welfare at the Atlantic Veterinary College, University of Prince Edward Island, where she conducted research on methods for reducing stress in shelter cats. Her work has been published widely in peer reviewed journals and she has presented at many national and international conferences, particularly on feline stress and elimination behavior. She has recently authored two chapters for a new edition of the leading textbook on the behavior and welfare of shelter animals.
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