Tune in for a Return to Home town hall TONIGHT!

March 18, 2021

We are halfway through the No Place Like Home Challenge and Best Friends Animal Society is going to check in with several participants of the Challenge tonight. Register now for the town hall this evening at 6:00pm EST. Even if you are not participating in the Challenge, anyone can benefit from attending. Let’s Get Them…

Coming soon: The No Place Like Home Challenge!

January 6, 2021

Want to kick off the New Year with a chance at $150,000 in grant prizes? Mark your calendars for our latest grant opportunity, the No Place Like Home Challenge. The first of its kind and a collaboration amongst 10 national organizations, this challenge is all about reuniting pets with their families ASAP. The Challenge begins on March 1st…

Boost your animal welfare organization’s return-to-owner rates with Animal Care Officers

October 8, 2020

When trying to boost your animal welfare organization's return-to-owner (RTO) rates, Animal Care Officers (ACO) can play big role. Adam Ricci, Vice President of the National Animal Care and Control Association (NACA), and Director of Operations at Palm Valley Animal Society in Edinburg, TX, shares how animal welfare organization's field officers can help increase RTO…

How animal welfare organizations can use technology to reunite lost pets with their families

September 15, 2020

Animal welfare organizations have been transitioning to a more community-centric model of animal sheltering, including how animal shelters and rescue organizations can support their community reunite with their lost pets. Does your organization offer services to your community that increases return to owner rates AND decreases your intake?   Do you know the biggest obstacles someone…

#HassInAction: Dallas Animal Services gets creative to provide additional services to their community

September 3, 2020

Dallas Animal Services (DAS), a Tier 1 pilot shelter in the Human Animal Support Services (HASS) coalition, has recently created a few exciting tools that shows HASS in action. In this guest post, Leah Backo, Public Information Coordinator, shares three HASS examples to spark some inspiration for other animal welfare organizations.  Created a COVID-19 pet…

Managing Big Dogs: The New Horizon

Ellen Jefferson, DVM and Sheila Segurson, DVMApril 2020

In this session you will gain a deeper understanding of lifesaving best practices and innovations to increase lifesaving for big dogs.

Million Cat Challenge: Don't steal the cats!

POSTPONED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE

Due to unforeseen circumstances, we have had to postpone this webcast until further notice.  We will publish the new webcast date as quickly as possible. For those of you who have already registered, you will not need to re-register and will receive an email once a new date has been set.  We apologize for this inconvenience and hope you will stay tuned for updates on this page.

Keep Them Happy at Home

Rebecca Lohnes, MS, CDBC, ACCBC, Behavior and Training Manager, Lollypop FarmJuly 2019

In this workshop Rebecca Lohnes of Lollypop Farm discusses various strategies and programs aimed at helping to address behavioral issues in the animal's original home before they are relinquished to a shelter. This presentation was recorded at the 2019 ASPCA Maddie's^® Cornell Shelter Medicine Conference.

Managing Intake & Reuniting Pets with Families

Sonia Gonzalez, Intake Coordinator, SPCA of Tompkins CountyJuly 2019

In this workshop viewers learn about how the SPCA of Tompkins County manages its intake in order to create better outcomes, conduct smoother intakes and lower intake. This presentation was recorded at the 2019 ASPCA Maddie's^® Cornell Shelter Medicine Conference.

Bringing Your Foster Cat Home

June 2019

In this short class, you will learn how to set up your home in a way that creates a safe space for your foster cat and help your foster cat acclimate to their new environment.

A Playbook Approach to Saving Lives in Animal Shelters

Dr. Sara PizanoWednesday, May 15, 2019

In this webcast. Dr. Sara Pizano will walk you through the steps each shelter, whether public or private and regardless of resources, can take to help and save more cats and dogs.

The First 72 Hours: A Model Intake and Animal Flow Process for Disease Prevention

Faith Wright, Ellen Jefferson DVM, Jordana Moerbe, Paula Medrano and Amelia NusbaumMarch 2019

Join American Pets Alive! staff as they discuss an intake and animal flow process designed to help you prevent outbreaks and ensure live outcomes.

Valuable Volunteer Programs: Successful Programs Proven to Work

Monica Dangler, Volunteer Manager, Austin Pets Alive! and Gerri Kappler, Austin Pets Alive! Board MemberMarch 2019

Join volunteer leaders to learn how to rethink volunteers and reach your goals together and as a united front.

Cat Medical Care on a Shoestring Budget

Monica Frenden, Maddie's^® Director of Feline Lifesaving, American Pets Alive! and Dr. Alexis Bardzinski, Medical Director, Austin Pets Alive!March 2019

In this session, you will have the chance to learn how to save cats with medical conditions on a tight budget from national leading cat experts.

Saving All the Cats: Live Outcome Options for All Healthy, Outdoor Cats

Adrienne Clark, Monica Frenden, Christi Metropole and Wendy BeaupreMarch 2019

Learn how to start a barn program from scratch, including selecting cats, finding quality homes, relocation procedures, and safe handling and sheltering practices.

Solutions for the Top Five Reasons Dogs are Dying in Shelters

Mike Kaviani, Director, Orange County Animal Care and Aaron Caldwell, Dog Behavior Co-Manager, Austin Pets Alive!March 2019

The presentation will provide you with practical and manageable solutions for the top five reasons dogs are dying and being killed in shelters today.

Analyzing Length of Stay: Make Your Animals Ready and Move Them Fast

Teresa Johnson, CEO/Executive Officer and Chief Lifesaving Officer, Kansas City Pet Project and Michele Figueroa, Operations Manager, Pima Animal Care CenterMarch 2019

Time wasted means animal lives lost, leave this session with a plan to move animals through your shelter more quickly.

Why Are Big Dogs So Hard to Save? Identifying and Maintaining Adequate Capacity

Ellen Jefferson, DVM Executive Director, Austin Pets Alive!March 2019

Learn about the essential programs, best practices, and core philosophies needed to start saving big dogs in your communities.

Nuts and Bolts of Large-scale Cat and Dog Foster Programs

Kelly Duer, Monica Frenden, Regan Goins and Lorian EpsteinMarch 2019

Learn from experts the details of setting up and implementing a large-scale foster program.

Proactive Return to Owner Programs

Shyanne Schull, Director, Washoe County Regional Animal Services, and Paula Powell, Director, El Paso Animal ServicesMarch 2019

Learn about how two very large animal shelters reached higher live release rates by attaining Return to Owner rates over 25% - way above best practice!

Save Lives in Space Crises

Michele Figueroa, Christi Metropole and Faith WrightMarch 2019

Learn how to not end lives due to temporary space shortages by pulling other levers that will decrease the pressure that you feel.

Saving Dogs with Behavioral Challenges

Aaron Caldwell, Dog Behavior Co-Manager, Austin Pets Alive! and Mike Kaviani, Director, OC Animal CareMarch 2019

Viewers will learn about cutting edge ways to solve non-shelter created behavior problems in shelter dogs.

Conquer Fear and Doubt: Managing Your Team Through Change and Controversy - panel

Tawny Hammond, Jose Ocano, Mike Kaviani and Paula PowellMarch 2019

Learn how to be a motivating people manager and help your team reach their goals - even through change and controversy.

High Volume Foster Programs for Cats and Dogs

Monica Frenden, Regan Goins and Lorian EpsteinMarch 2019

Learn how to rethink foster care in terms of capacity and expand the concept of what animals should be considered for foster.

How to Run A Sustainable, Low Budget, No Kill Municipal Shelter

Cheryl Schneider, Director of Animal Services, Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter and Lindsey Huffman, Director of Lifesaving Programs, Charlottesville-Albemarle SPCAMarch 2019

Successful shelter leaders share their knowledge on how to run a no-kill organization even when you have a very limited budget.

Momentum in Texas Sheltering Communities

Michael Bricker, Jay Garrett, Jr., Steven Greene, Paula Powell, Ed Jamison and Dr. Michael WhiteMarch 2019

Learn from animal welfare experts about how Texas is getting to no-kill status.

Lifesaving in the Deep South

Karen Sheppard, DVM, Director, Huntsville Animal Services, and Ginny Sims, Executive Director, Southern Pines Animal ShelterMarch 2019

Hear the heartwarming and touching tales from two incredible leaders who have transformed seemingly impossible parts of the U.S. into true lifesaving communities.

Save Rate: Exceed the 80% Benchmark - panel

Makena Yarbrough, Rebecca Guinn, Tawny Hammond, Ed Jamison and Paula PowellMarch 2019

Attendees will learn about the experiences of people who successfully broached 80% and beyond save rates.

Becoming No-kill

Ryan Clinton, Attorney and Founder, FixAustin.orgMarch 2019

Join attorney Ryan Clinton, founder of Fix Austin, as he kicks off the conference by sharing the obstacles, challenges, successes, and strategies that Austin faced on their journey to no-kill.

Blueprint to a Successful No-kill Journey

Ellen Jefferson, DVM, Executive Director of Austin Pets Alive! and American Pets Alive!March 2019

Join Dr. Ellen Jefferson as she guides you step-by-step through what are considered Best Practice metrics in outcomes, intakes, and the 12 programmatic ingredients of lifesaving.

Build Team Resilience - panel

Rebecca Guinn and Ed JamisonMarch 2019

Join this presentation and get the insider tips on how to cultivate a team of resilience and how to build strong teams that will rally around you.

Every Life Matters: Using Past Data to Plan Better Outcomes

Monica Frenden, Maddie's Director of Feline Lifesaving, Austin Pets Alive!March 2019

Data is a key piece of the lifesaving puzzle, but how do we use it to save the lives of the animals in our care?

How to Be the Boss of Your Organization's Save Rate

Paula Powell, Director, El Paso Animal Services and Lee Ann Shenefiel, South Central Regional Director, Best Friends SocietyMarch 2019

In this session, you will learn what the Shelter Director's role is in stopping unnecessary death in the shelter, how to do it, and how to be successful.

Leading with Resilience in Extreme Crisis

Ellen Jefferson, DVM, Kristen Auerbach, Mike Kaviani and Lars RabbeMarch 2019

Join an impressive group of experts, who together will teach you the tools needed to save lives even when the deck is stacked against you.

Maddie's^® Lifesaving Academy: How Austin is Shaping Tomorrow's Leaders

Lisa Ward, Director of Education, Maddie's Fund and Jessica Powers, Maddie's Director of Education, American Pets Alive!March 2019

Success stories from students of Maddie's^® Lifesaving Academy and how apprenticeships are helping shape tomorrow's animal welfare leaders.

Managing Staff to Ensure Accountability - panel

Tawny Hammond, Ed Jamison, Marc Peralta, Makena Yarbrough and Rachel LunaMarch 2019

What does it mean to have an accountable staff and why is this important to no-kill shelter and rescue leaders?

Municipal Shelter Leadership: Getting and Starting the Job - panel

Sarah Aguilar, Marian Cannell, Jordan Craig and Mike KavianiMarch 1, 2019

Join this session for expert tips and tricks and leave with a strong understanding of how to apply for, land and start a leadership position at a municipal shelter.

The Surprising Science of Meetings: Key Learnings and Implications for Shelter Success and You as Someone Who May Lead Meetings

Steven G. Rogelberg, PhD, Chancellor's Professor, University of North Carolina at CharlotteThursday, March 28, 2019

This webcast delves into the research leading to an evidence-based path that will help you conduct a more productive meeting.

Million Cat Challenge: Fighting Fungus with Facts

Laura Mullen, Shelter Medicine Outreach Manager, SFSPCA San Francisco, CaliforniaWednesday, March 27, 2019

This webinar outlines research-based protocols that are in use at the San Francisco SPCA and examine how those same concepts apply to a variety of different shelters and rescues.

How to Check Foster Pets for Dehydration

March 2019

In this short class, you will learn how to assess for dehydration in foster pets

Million Cat Challenge: Foster Care On-Deck: Strategies to get kittens into foster homes quickly

Erin Doyle, DVM, DABVP (Shelter Medicine Practice) Senior Director, Shelter Medicine - ASPCAWednesday, March 20, 2019

Learn how to get kittens and nursing queens out of the shelter and into foster homes as quickly as possible.

Million Cat Challenge: Cats, Birds, and Animal Shelters: Seeking Common Ground

Kate Hurley, DVM, MPVM January 23, 2019

In this presentation, Dr. Kate Hurley, Director of the U.C. Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program, will explore the real-life implications of various policies proposed to balance the needs of cats and birds.

Unleashing the People Potential: How to Develop an Extraordinary Volunteer Culture for Winning Organizations

Gina Knepp and Bobby MannOctober 2018

Learn how a small municipal shelter attracted over 2,000 volunteers who give over 100,000 hours of service annually.

Crazy Awesome Customer Service for Animal People

Sue Cosby, Director of Lifesaving Programs & Partnerships, Petco FoundationOctober 2018

Learn how to integrate great customer experiences into everyday interactions, developing not just a customer relationship but creating supporters, donors and even advocates.

How to Help People Resolve Some Common Behavior Problems and Keep Their Pets

Kelley Bollen, MS, CABC, Owner and Executive Director, Kelley Bollen ConsultingOctober 2018

This talk reviews the most common behavior problems in dogs and cats and provides practical advice that can be shared with the pet owner to help keep pets in their homes.

Leadership Requires Attention

Gina Knepp, Animal Care Services Manager, Front Street Animal Shelter, City of SacramentoOctober 2018

Leadership takes a special skillset and mindset. How your staff and volunteers are managed is but one key to success. It takes courage, hard work and creativity but the pay-off is well worth every effort.

Leadership - The Who, How, What and When

Susanne Kogut, President and Executive Director, PetCo FoundationOctober 2018

In order to create a lifesaving community, our leadership needs to create a workshop of possibilities...the who is you, the how is together, the what is a positive attitude and the when is now.

Saving More Lives with Best Practices

Cynthia Delany, DVM, UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program; Supervising Shelter Veterinarian - Yolo County Animal Services; Executive Director - California Animal Shelter Friends, Inc.October 2018

This talk discuss how you can save more animals while emphasizing welfare (both for the animals, yourself and your staff) by following best practices.

Accessible Veterinary Care: Service Learning Programs to Help Animals & People

Emily McCobb, DVM, MS DACVAA, Clinical Associate Professor, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University December 2018

This talk discusses the Tufts at Tech program and other aspects of Tufts Community Medicine that bring students from multiple training programs together to help community members access veterinary care and other services for pets.

An Evidence-Based Look at Compassion Fatigue: Diagnosing the Doctor and Healing the Healer, Part 1 of 2

Brian A. DiGangi, DVM, MS, DABVP, Senior Director, Shelter Medicine, ASPCA December 2018

This presentation explores the various definitions of compassion fatigue, reviews the evidence of its impact on healthcare professions and the symptoms of compassion fatigue in ourselves and others.

An Evidence-Based Look at Compassion Fatigue: Diagnosing the Doctor and Healing the Healer, Part 1 of 2

Brian A. DiGangi, DVM, MS, DABVP, Senior Director, Shelter Medicine, ASPCADecember 2018

This presentation continues the deep dive into the research behind compassion fatigue among animal caregivers and offers methods for managing stress.

Creating a Culture of Philanthropy

Jill Beckwith, Chief Philanthropy Officer, EmancipetDecember 2018

This presentation discusses the importance of creating an organization-wide culture of philanthropy that extends beyond the development team

Effective Communication for Staff and Volunteers, Part 1

Susan Britt, Senior Director of Shelter Training, Interim Director of Operations, ASPCA December 2018

This workshop covers techniques to keep a conversation productive and respectful.

Effective Communication for Staff and Volunteers, Part 2

Susan Britt, Senior Director of Shelter Training, Interim Director of Operations, ASPCA December 2018

This interactive workshop on honing communication skills in the shelter (or any) workplace continues from Part 1.

Engaging the Community: How to Make Your Organization a Vital Presence in Your Community

Bonney Brown, President and Founder, Humane NetworkDecember 2018

In this presentation, learn how to get the word out about your organization, develop strong relationships, ways to create memorable communication and how people become engaged, the pitfalls to avoid, and things you can do right away.

General Canine Infectious Diseases

Erin Henry, VMD, Instructor of Shelter Medicine, Maddie's Shelter Medicine Program, Cornell University College of Veterinary MedicineDecember 2018

This interactive session will provide an overview of the most common infectious diseases found in shelter dogs and how you can help prevent their spread.

General Feline Infectious Diseases

Chumkee Aziz, DVM, Senior Director, ASPCA Northern Tier Shelter Initiative December 2018

This program provides an overview of common feline infectious diseases that remain persistent challenges for shelters.

Hiring the Right Person for the Job

Bonney Brown, President and Founder, Humane NetworkDecember 2018

This presentation shares strategies to find and hire people who not only have the skill, ability and drive to do the job, but are going to be a good fit for your organization, as well as how to set them up to be successful in the role.

Transports Make Me Nervous!

Holly Putnam, DVM, Director of Operations and Outreach, Shelter Outreach Services, Ithaca NYDecember 2018

This presentation discusses best practices of transport programs and other tips to help minimize risk, while maximizing lifesaving.

Choosing the Appropriate Walking Gear

November 2018

In this class, you will learn the various different types of dog walking equipment, the pros and cons of each equipment, and what might be best for your foster dog.

Fear Free Pet Brushing

November 2018

In this short video, learn the best way to brush your dog or cat that makes the process fun and easy for both you and your foster pet.

Fear Free Ear Cleaning

November 2018

In this short video, learn techniques for helping your foster pet learn that ear treatments don't have to be a frightening and unpleasant experience.

How to Handle Leash Walking

November 2018

In this short class, learn the best tips for training your foster dog to walk properly on leash as well as a few other training scenarios leashes come in handy for.

Fear Free Eye Treatment

November 2018

In this video, learn how to make these treatments more of a positive experience for your foster dog or cat and make the entire process less of a struggle for both you and your foster pet.

Fear Free Tooth Brushing

November 2018

In this video, learn how you can gain your foster pets approval of teeth brushing as well as turn a potential negative experience into a positive one.

Lifesaving Webcast Series: Intake Mitigation and Managed Intake

Sarah Boyd and Joe HellebrandThursday, November 15, 2018

In this webcast, Brevard County Sheriff's Office Animal Shelter personnel Dr. Sarah Boyd and Joe Hellebrand let you in on the secret that Animal Control shelters can operate as no-kill.

Million Cat Challenge: Helping vs Enabling: Knowing the Difference Made All the Difference!

Shelly SimmonsThursday, October 18, 2018

Learn how the largest open-admission shelter in South Carolina decreased cat intake in their shelter by nearly 60% and increased the feline save rate from 30% to over 80% in less than three years!

Million Cat Challenge: Believe in Saving Lives

Karen SheppardThursday, October 11, 2018

How changing communication approaches, implementing strong programs, and the power of belief all came together to save cats' lives in Huntsville's municipal shelter.

Lifesaving Webcast Series: Where are you with Lifesaving in your Shelter? Your Data is the Lifeline

Dr. Mike GreenbergThursday, October 4, 2018

Your data is a powerful tool for decision making. We partner with Shelter Animals Count and Humane Dash to bring you charts and graphs of your data, fast!

Introducing a New Dog to Pocket Pets and/or Birds

September 2018

Introducing a new dog to pocket pets and/or birds can be risky, and needs to be carefully planned and done slowly.

Feeding Your New Dog

September 2018

Nutrition and the food you choose to feed your dog will have a big impact on their overall health and energy.

What Do I Need? Training and Walking Supplies for Your New Dog

August 2019

Here are some basics that will help to be prepared for the best walks of your life with your new dog.

Housetraining - Building Healthy Elimination Habits

August 1, 2019

With a good plan, your new dog can quickly learn to use the outdoor bathroom area you establish.

Play and Toys - Your New Dog's First Few Days

September 2018

Play is a great way to release stress and tension, and a dog occupied with toys or games will also be a dog that isn't chewing on your personal belongings and furniture.

LifeLine Animal Project's Pets for Life Program

August 31, 2018

The Shelter's Role in Disaster Response

Dr. Elise GingrichJune 21, 2018

Last year saw communities across the country devastated by hurricanes, wildfires, and mudslides. That leaves a simple question for every animal organization: Do you have a disaster plan?

If the answer is no, or if you do but you're not sure it's up to date, please join us and the Association of Shelter Veterinarians (ASV) for The Shelter's Role in Disaster Response with Dr. Elise Gingrich, Supervising Veterinarian at Larimer Humane Society in Fort Collins, CO.

Hurricane Harvey- Dealing with Distemper in the Midst of a Crisis

Ellen Jefferson, DVM and Carley Faughn, PhDMarch 2018

Contagious disease is always a threat to a shelter or rescue group but in the midst of a crisis, when you have make-shift housing and many hands in the pot, it can spread like wildfire.

Maddie's Idea Lab: Saving Lives and Spreading Good Ideas

Sheila Segurson D'Arpino, DVM, DACVBMarch 2018

Maddie's^® Idea Lab supports the implementation and assessment of innovative ideas that have a high likelihood of advancing lifesaving of dogs and cats, the utilization of foster care for dogs and cats or animal welfare leadership. Come to this lecture to find out what we've learned and how these ideas are saving lives.

Venturing Past 90: Who are the Last 10% of Dogs and How Do You Save Them?

Mike Kaviani and Marian CannellMarch 2018

What should your shelter/community expect when you're ready to push past 90%? Come learn about "the last 10 percent", and the programs that are saving the dogs that have historically been deemed unsaveable.

Hiring for Culture

Myles ChadwickJanuary 2018

Peter Drucker first said "Culture eats strategy for lunch" and since then, organizational culture has become a buzzword and a way of life for organizational development consultants.

Animal Shelter Volunteer Management

Laura FrankJanuary 2018

Want to learn some of the ASPCA's best practices around volunteer management?

Playing with your Foster Dog

January 2017

Playing is a great way to bond and get to know your foster dog.

Opitmizing Volunteer Engagement

December 2016

Integrating Volunteers into Your Animal Shelter Programs and Culture

Paula FasseasOctober 2016

Could your animal shelter use 5,000 volunteers?

Building a Powerful No-Kill Team: How to Recognize and Cultivate Leaders

Marc PeraltaJuly 2016

Your team and and what positions you have - be they staff or volunteers - are all tactics to reaching your no-kill goals. Watch this presentation to find out how to build a success-driven team.

Moving Forward: Creating a Culture of Continuous Improvement

Vincent MedleyJuly 2016

Knowing the talents of individual team members is key to setting them up for success. When a staff member is successful, their programs are usually successful.

Community Pet Adoption Survey Results - Foster Caregiver Involvement in Adoption

February 2016

Generally speaking, the model for foster programs has been a period of temporary pet fostering, followed by return of the animal to the shelter for adoption. Although foster caregivers are in a unique position to give insights into pet health and pet behavior in a home environment, foster caregiver involvement in the adoption process has been a fairly new and fairly controversial subject. In this survey report, we examined how often caregivers choose to be involved, to what extent organizations actually allow involvement and more.

Community Pet Adoption Partnerships Survey Results: Stray Kitten Scenario

June 2015

During the Summer of 2014, Maddie’s Institute^® conducted a survey to assess strategies that may prevent animals from entering shelter facilities. One such strategy involves asking community members who bring in kittens to care for them until organizational resources are available or they are old enough to be placed for adoption.  This report addresses the extent to which organizations encourage community member care, the frequency of community members who elect to provide care, how organizational resources link to involvement and more.

Creating and Sustaining a Dog Foster Network

Ann LindholmFebruary 2015

With a viable foster program it's possible to begin transforming your community to no-kill, even if you don't have a shelter. Learn how a one person position grew into a dog foster team of more than 35 volunteers. This team supports a network of over 1,000 approved foster parents.

Rescuing Dogs from the Euthanasia List

Palmer NeuhausFebruary 2015

Fifty percent of the dogs in Austin, Texas were dying in 2008 when Austin Pets Alive! began saving lives. The rescue team had merely one- to two-hours to go through the euthanasia list, choose animals and save them before their time was up. Learn how the rescue team evaluated and chose dogs.

Getting Big Dogs Out of the Shelter via Canine Good Citizen Training

Marian Cannell and Amy LewisFebruary 2015

Through a partnership with Best Friends Animal Society, Austin Pets Alive! embarked on a six-month pilot program to test the effectiveness of Canine Good Citizen (CGC) Training on adoption rates.  The results have been very good and show a clear adoption rate difference between dogs who undergo training and those who don’t. 

Saving All the Little Dogs: Small Dog Behavior Issues

Faith Wright and Deaven WilsonFebruary 2015

Do you know how many small breed dogs are euthanized in your community shelter?  In Austin, Texas in 2008, it was many more than would have been expected (roughly 500).   Do you know that nearly ALL of them can be saved and although many are marked "aggressive", they rarely are?

Creating and Growing a Successful Cat Foster Program

Ashley FerryFebruary 2015

Fosters often mean the difference between life and death for cats in the shelter. They are essential in addressing overcrowding issues, shelter behavior problems and providing personalized care for medical conditions.

Rescuing Cats from the Euthanasia List

Frances Flower, PhDFebruary 2015

Learn how to create a sustainable rescue program that relies solely on volunteers to assess cats on the euthanasia list and save the most lives it can that are out of other options for a live outcome. 

How to Create a Successful Barn Cat Program

Monica FrendenFebruary 2015

Often overlooked for rescue, feral and fractious cats can be saved through a progressive Barn Placement Program and given a new lease on life as working cats. Learn how to start a barn program from scratch.

How to Start and Grow a Large Bottle Baby Program in Your Community, Part 1

Casandra MensingFebruary 2015

In this is a two-part presentation, you’ll learn how to start and build a bottle baby nursery, plus how to create a foster network for neonates. In Part 1, Casandra Mensing will share her experience running APA!’s Nursery, from its meager beginnings to the groundbreaking phenomenon that it is today.

How to Start and Grow a Large Bottle Baby Program Part 2

Rachel Sherinian February 2015

In this is a two-part presentation, you’ll learn how to start and build a bottle baby nursery, plus how to create a foster network for neonates. In Part 2, Rachel Sherinian will focus In finding, training, and retaining specialized foster families for kittens, whether you have a nursery or not. 

Taking Troubled Tabbies from Naughty to Nice

Sara Cookson and Kristin Hill February 2015

Every rescue encounters troubled cats with issues that go beyond tortitude. The Austin Pet's Alive! Cat Behavior Team will teach you how to prevent behavior problems before they start.

Volunteer 1.0: Volunteer Recruitment and Engagement

Gerri KapplerFebruary 2015

Austin Pets Alive! is well known for its huge volunteer force (over 2,000 hours per week). But in 2008 APA! started with no funds for staff and relied solely on volunteers to do everything related to saving lives and building a huge organization. How did they do it? 

The Value of Teamwork: Shelter Managers, Staff and Volunteers

Michael and Pam Kitkoski February 2015

Volunteers are a necessity for rescue and shelter organizations working to achieve no-kill. Volunteers must be treated as partners, offering meaningful work and appropriate autonomy. But even in an atmosphere of mutual accountability, conflicts with both staff and volunteers can arise.

Why Creative Writing is Essential to Saving Lives

Elizabeth DoyleFebruary 2015

Learn how to get more pets adopted through better marketing and advertising using online venues and volunteer photographers.

Creating and Keeping a Stellar Lifesaving Team

Marc PeraltaFebruary 2015

Working together is the only way to achieve our lifesaving goals. This seminar concentrates on how to build and maintain a successful team focused on the techniques that result in successful high-volume adoptions.

Exceeding Customer Service Expectations in Relation to Adoptions

Marc PeraltaFebruary 2015

Are doing all you can to help increase the number of animal lives saved? This seminar focuses on the impact of exceptional customer service.

The Adoptline Team: Virtual Frontline of Austin Pets Alive

Patty Lepley Alexander and Gerri KapplerFebruary 2015

Austin Pets Alive!’s (APA) Adoptline Response Team provides email and phone mail responses to inquiries 365 days a year, 14 hours a day and has been critical in increasing APA's adoptions.

Healing the Wounded Healer: Techniques to Reduce Stress in High-Intensity Practices

Michele Gaspar, DVM, DABVP (Feline), MAOctober 2013

If you're a shelter medicine professional, it's easy to begin neglecting your own well-being and balance. Because shelter medicine is one of the most emotionally demanding practices within veterinary medicine, clinicians face burnout, compassion fatigue and a wide range of mental health problems.

Orphaned Kitten Survey Results

September 2013

Orphaned kittens are the most fragile of homeless animals, and many shelters consider it too resource-intensive to care for them. For that reason, they often make up the largest single group of animals euthanized at many shelters. We surveyed shelters and rescue organizations to gather data on: care and housing, prevalence of health issues, training given to individuals who provide care, and challenges organizations may face in providing care for kittens.

Staff and Volunteer Engagement Survey Results

September 2013

Research clearly links high staff and volunteer engagement to high performance and productivity. We surveyed shelters and rescue organizations to: assess overall levels of engagement, investigate potential drivers which may contribute to engagement or disengagement and provide resources to enable organizations to improve engagement.

Training and Development Survey Results

November 2012

Research shows that attention to your workers' training and development can also lead to increased confidence, a deeper connection to the mission, accountability and retention, while reducing monotony and disengagement. We surveyed shelters and rescue organizations to: understand current training and development practices, identify common needs and challenges, and offer tips and resources to improve programs.

Web-Based Educational Resource Survey Results

January 2011

We asked our funded partners and newsletter subscribers to complete an online survey regarding educational resources available on the web.

Foster Care Volunteers are Lifesavers

Brenda Barnette2009

The Seattle Humane Society wanted to remain an open door private shelter, but the number of pets coming in exceeded the space it had to properly care for them. The solution: ask the community to help foster. The result: 3,001 dogs and cats in foster care in FY2008-2009.