Working together should be the common theme for everyone in the animal care & control and welfare world. Animals depend on us; pet owners depend on us. Whether you are an animal control officer, a shelter employee, or a volunteer for a rescue organization, we’ll talk about how we can work together to increase adoptions, decrease intake, and keep pets at home. Are you polite? Are you professional? We’ll agree to disagree with a mixture of creativity and legality. We’ll discuss the importance of understanding the law and ways to improve it. And that endless supply of patience…we’ll search for it in a room of learning opportunities. Presented by: Rob Leinberger Prince George County Animal Services

Human-animal interaction, such as a stay in a caregiver’s home for a few days, has been shown to reduce dogs’ cortisol levels and increase their rest. What is not well understood, though, is if longer durations of foster care could extend those benefits. In addition, co-housing in the animal shelter has been studied even less, but previous research suggest that dogs’ behavior can be improved through living with another dog. In this webinar, Dr. Lisa Gunter will present findings from her recently published study about weeklong fostering and co-housing, place these results in context with the team's previous work investigating various durations of fostering, and discuss the implications of these findings for how shelters utilize foster care and co-housing in the animal shelter. Presented by: Lisa M. Gunter, PhD, CAAB, CBCC-KA Assistant Professor, Animal Behavior & Welfare Virginia Tech | School of Animal Sciences

Fall and year-end fundraising success doesn’t begin in November … it begins now. In this practical webinar, Sandy Rees will walk nonprofit leaders through a simple Late Summer Donor Engagement Plan designed to strengthen donor relationships, increase giving readiness, and position your organization for a stronger year-end campaign. Learn actionable strategies for donor communication, stewardship, engagement, and smart planning you can implement before the busy fall season arrives. Presented by: Sandy Rees Chief Encouragement Officer Get Fully Funded

During this presentation, board certified veterinary behaviorist Dr. Leslie Sinn will help you understand what a phobia is, what the signs and symptoms are, and how to help dogs with noise phobias, including thunder and fireworks, cope better with their fears. We will talk about the aspects of storms that dogs react to and ways you can help dogs become less fearful of noises and storms, including altering the environment, mental stimulation, changing perception, and much more. Speaker: Leslie Sinn, DACVB, CPDT-KA; Behavior Solutions, LLC, Ashburn, VA Dr. Leslie Sinn is a board-certified veterinary behaviorist who maintains a private practice and consultation business, Behavior Solutions, LLC in Ashburn, VA which provides behavioral services to dogs, cats, parrots, horses and other animals throughout the Mid-Atlantic region. She frequently consults with rescues and shelters on animals with behavioral issues. She is a also a certified trainer (CPDT-KA) and enjoys working with a variety of species titling livestock, dogs, horses and llamas in halter, tracking, obedience, herding, tricks, Schutzhund, open jumping, judged trail riding, dressage, packing, obstacle, pleasure and other events. She is a well known speaker who has presented nationally and internationally and is the author of many articles and blog posts as well as chapters on abnormal repetitive behavior, psychopharmacology and hyperarousal. In addition, she is editor and one of the authors of the recently released book: Veterinary Cooperative Care: Research and Insights.

Infectious disease threatens the lives of animals in shelters, yet how diseases are transmitted can be complicated and misunderstood. How are common diseases transmitted in shelters? Why do we use the protocols that we do to prevent spread? What protocols should we even be using? Join us for this live session to learn about disease transmission, risk factors for disease, and prevention strategies for shelters. If you’re feeling the effects of the vet shortage, then we have great news: most of these strategies don’t even require a vet to implement! And not only is preventing disease (rather than treating it) better for pets – it’s better for the budget, too. Keeping animals healthy in the shelter is truly lifesaving! Erin Katribe, DVM, DABVP (Shelter Medicine Practice) Director, National Veterinary Programs Best Friends Animal Society

Learn how to onboard volunteers, shape a positive and inclusive team culture, and establish clear boundaries to promote a positive volunteer workforce. This session covers effective onboarding, creating a collaborative environment, and establishing roles and expectations to ensure both volunteers and the organization thrive. Presenters: Amelia Monroe, Loudoun County Animal Services, Volunteer Coordinator and Stacy Medrano, Fairfax County Animal Shelter, Volunteer Coordinator.

Are Virginians finding their perfect furry match? This presentation explores pet search trends, revealing what potential adopters are looking for most. We'll also delve into the growing trend of supported self-rehoming, offering insights to help responsible pet owners find new loving homes for their animals. Discover data on top breeds searched, pet availability, and supported self-rehoming success rates in Virginia. April Huntsman, CAWA Senior Director, Animal Welfare Adopt a Pet | A Kinship company

Petcademy’s Proactive Approaches for Positive Outcomes Hear from Petcademy co-founder and CEO, Bailey Schroeder, about the work they are doing to support shelters, rescues, and pet parents with post-adoption and foster challenges. Gain insight into the common behavioral questions from new adopters and foster families, and how to answer these questions effectively. Explore practical strategies to prevent returns by using proactive behavior support techniques. This session features exclusive data from Petcademy, and is designed for animal rescues and shelters looking to improve post-adoption and foster dynamics, ultimately benefiting pets and their new families.

This topic will discuss transfer ethics, including safe transport, legal requirements, health considerations, and the criticality of researching transfer partners before sending animals out of your facility. This presentation will include discussion of rescue hoarding, and how to ensure that transfer relationships are developed with compassion, respect and accountability. Learning Objective: Understanding how to ensure sending and receiving partners are operating in good standing; review of recommended transport guidelines from major agencies; recognizing red flags in transfer partners; tips for developing lasting transfer relationships based in trust and compassion. Presented by Nina Stively Loudoun County Animal Services