The Human Side of Shelter Work (Part 2): Navigating Tough Situations
Recorded On: 10/23/2025
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This course is part of Maddie's Monthly Behavior Connection, monthly webcasts about pet behavior - supporting pets in our community and animal shelters.
Most of us in the animal shelter world are there because we love animals. But what about all of the human emotions and situations that come with the job? In this session, Valerie Bogie, MSSW, Veterinary Social Worker, discusses some of the toughest emotional challenges shelter workers face- and how to navigate them with care and compassion.
Attendees will learn:
● How communicating with clients & co-workers impacts well-being
● An overview of types of grief and current grief models to support emotional processing
● The emotional toll of euthanasia and how to care through it
● Tools to support yourself and your team through emotionally complex situations
This webinar is for anyone working in or around animals in shelters. You are not alone– and you can work towards a more sustainable career.
Speaker: Valerie Bogie, MSSW, Veterinary Social Worker, Fear Free Certified Professional
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, access the resources, follow a discussion or ask questions: https://forum.maddiesfund.org/...
keywords Maddie's Monthly Behavior Connection, Valerie Bogie, Fear Free, compassion fatigue
Valerie Bogie
MSSW, Veterinary Social Worker, Fear Free Certified Professional
Valerie is a passionate advocate for enhancing well-being for caretakers within the animal world. While the majority of her 20+ year animal care career was spent training exotic animals in zoos and aquariums, she also has experience in a variety of other settings, including animal shelters, veterinary clinics and dog training. Like so many others in animal care, Valerie experienced burnout and compassion fatigue, eventually leaving the career that had once been her dream job.
Her journey took a transformative turn upon discovering Veterinary Social Work—a field focused on the human side of human-animal interactions. She understood firsthand the profound impact this kind of support could have, and a new dream job was born. Valerie is now dedicated to raising awareness and creating resources for the growing and expansive field of Veterinary Social Work.
Valerie graduated from the University of Tennessee with her Master of Science in Social Work (MSSW) and a Veterinary Social Work Certificate. She currently serves as the Director of Partnerships for the International Association of Veterinary Social Work (IAVSW), offers dog and cat training sessions as a Behavior Consultant and leads Human Support Services- both for Insight Animal Behavior Services (a DACVB practice), and provides psychoeducation and consulting through Valerie Bogie, LLC.
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