Shelter Evacuation via Emergency Foster Homes - On-demand

Recorded On: 02/05/2026

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

One day ahead of Hurricane Helene hitting Asheville, NC, Brother Wolf Animal Rescue orchestrated a shelter evacuation into emergency foster homes with 100 animals going out the door in just two hours and two-thirds of the emergency fosters never having fostered for the organization previously. This action turned out to be lifesaving, as their shelter was consumed by 12 feet of floodwaters that very night. With full shelters across the US and an increase in natural disasters (a hurricane in the NC mountains?!), every animal welfare facility can benefit from having a plan in place to quickly evacuate pets to the safety of emergency foster homes. Join the Brother Wolf team to learn how to prepare ahead of time, communicate effectively when an evacuation occurs, collaborate with your community for support, and oversee the logistics seamlessly. These same strategies can be used to place animals into emergency foster homes due to any crisis: full shelter, unexpected large intake, part of shelter under construction, etc. The Brother Wolf team will walk you through turning a crisis into an opportunity for community connection and lifesaving work, together. 

Presenters: 
Leah Craig Chumbley, Executive Director, Brother Wolf Animal Rescue
Sara Groce, Director of Programs; Brother Wolf Animal Rescue

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, emergency evacuation, Brother Wolf Animal Rescue, Leah Craig Chumbley, Sara Groce

Leah Craig Chumbley

Executive Director

Brother Wolf Animal Rescue

Leah Craig Chumbley has worked in the nonprofit sector since 2009, driven by a desire to decrease suffering and increase joy in the world. She is currently the Executive Director of Brother Wolf Animal Rescue in Asheville, North Carolina, where she is honored to work to better the lives of companion animals and the people who love them.

Sara Groce

Director of Programs

Brother Wolf Animal Rescue

Sara Groce, CAWA, holds a masters degree in Anthropology and is passionate about working with and for her community. As Director of Programs at Brother Wolf Animal Rescue, she has spent the last six years using data-driven strategies to streamline processes and automate operations. She is driven by finding innovative, tech-forward solutions that make a real difference for companion animals and the people who love them.

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Shelter Evacuation via Emergency Foster Homes
Recorded 02/05/2026  |  53 minutes
Recorded 02/05/2026  |  53 minutes
You must register to access.
Certificate - CAWA and NACA CE
1.00 CAWA CE, NACA CE credit  |  Certificate available
1.00 CAWA CE, NACA CE credit  |  Certificate available
You must register to access.
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Select the "View Discussion on Maddie's Pet Forum" button to begin.
Select the "View Discussion on Maddie's Pet Forum" button to begin. View resources and continue the discussion with the guest speaker on this thread in Maddie’s Pet Forum https://maddies.fund/FosterConnectionFebruary2026
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