Maddie's Insights - The Influence of Field Trip and Sleepover Programs on Shelter Dog Welfare (On-demand)

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

Animal shelters can be stressful for dogs, but human interaction, such as foster caregiving, can improve their experience. In this webcast, Dr. Gunter will discuss multiple studies she and her team have carried out as part of the Arizona State University/Virginia Tech Maddie’s Nationwide Fostering Study in which we studied the effects of field trip and sleepover programs on the welfare of dogs living in shelters. Their initial studies investigated the physiological impacts of these programs, and their published study examined how field trips and sleepovers influenced dogs’ likelihood of adoption and length of stay. They also explored factors related to the performance of these programs. Overall, their findings support the implementation of these programs. Learn how you can use short-term fostering programs to improve the welfare of dogs in your shelter as they await adoption.

Learning objectives:

•  Describe potential stressors that make shelters stressful for dogs

•  Relate how human social interaction can improve the welfare of dogs in the shelter

•  Extrapolate the different activities dogs likely engage in during field trips and sleepovers

•  Discuss the research findings about field trips and sleepovers

•  Differentiate how field trips and sleepovers impact dogs’ proximate and distal welfare

Presenter: Lisa Gunter, PhD, Assistant Professor of Animal Behavior and 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 and by the National Animal Care & Control Association. It has also been submitted for approval for 1 hour of continuing education credit in jurisdictions which recognize RACE approval. Complete the quiz to earn continuing education credit for CAWA, NACA and RACE. RACE CE is available until January 10, 2026.

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

keywords  Maddie's Insights, Lisa Gunter, animal foster care, animal welfare, human-animal bond, shelter dog field trips, shelter dog sleepovers, stress in shelter dogs