Re-Imagining What's Possible in Animal Shelter Behavior Programming

Part 1: Positive Approach to Shelter Culture: Support for Animals and People
Wednesday, October 25, 2023
6pm to 7:30pm EDT  (USA and Canada)

Part 2: Socially Conscious Animal Communities and Resilience Training
Wednesday, November 15, 2023
6pm to 7:30pm EDT (USA and Canada)

Part 3: Working with the Community and Behaviorally Challenge Animals
Wednesday, December 6, 2023
6pm to 7:30pm EST (USA and Canada)

Join us for a three-part webinar that advocates for the implementation of best practices in animal sheltering. 
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The webinar is suitable for pet owners, veterinary professionals, animal trainers, animal behaviorists, pet guardians, shelter and rescue staff and volunteers, and anyone with an interest in evidence-based behavior and training.

In this Webinar Series: 

Working in an animal shelter can be incredibly rewarding, but it is also a challenging and demanding job. Emotional stress, limited resources, overpopulation, burnout, and public misconceptions are common issues that can negatively affect the ability for shelter staff to improve the lives of the animals in their care.

Despite the difficulties, many dedicated individuals find fulfillment in working at animal shelters by knowing they are making a positive impact on the lives of animals in need. Join us for a three-part webinar that advocates for the implementation of best practices in animal sheltering. We will provide a vision for the future of animal sheltering that includes:

  • Socially conscious animal communities
  • Organization-wide awareness of the complexity of behavior from shelter leadership to staff and volunteers 
  • Professionalizing and creating a safe environment for people and animals 
  • Resilience conditioning for shelter animals
  • Removing barriers for adoptions
  • Adoption of behaviorally-challenged animals
  • Providing behavior support through community-based programs

By understanding these aspects, we can develop effective practices that support and enhance our ultimate goal of ensuring the well-being of shelter animals while they wait for their forever homes and throughout their lives.

Part 1: Positive Approach to Shelter Culture: Support for Animals and People
We will promote a model that prioritizes the well-being of animals and communities, ethical decision-making, and strategies to ensure every healthy and safe animal finds placement by elevating the skills of shelter professionals. In turn, shelter animals can benefit from low-stress handling procedures, which are increasingly accessible to shelter professionals and integrated into daily care practices, resulting in improved welfare and easier placement.  

Part 2: Socially Conscious Animal Communities and Resilience Training
We delve into the concept of socially conscious animal communities and how to effectively operationalize the core concepts of this progressive model that builds community relationships and implements ethical decision-making processes. Learn how resilience conditioning for shelter animals can help develop interventions that enhance resilience, or the ability to resist and recover from the negative effects of stress, throughout the animal’s lifetime.

Part 3: Working with the Community and Behaviorally Challenge Animals
In the final installment of the series, we present diverse strategies to better align shelters with community needs and expand partnerships with other community organizations to ensure the behavioral health and welfare of shelter animals. We will present examples of behavior modification training and how to provide appropriate behavior support if your shelter lacks the capacity for behavior training. Don’t miss this opportunity to gain practical knowledge and embrace a more ethical, community-oriented future for animal shelters.  

4.5 CEUs pending:
  • KPA
  • PPAB
  • CPDT
  • IAABC

Tuition:
  • General Admission Tickets: $99
  • Shelter/Rescue/Vet Student/Vet Tech Tickets - no expiration date: 30% off general admission ticket (discount code is SDFWBV)


Discounts are available for groups of 5 or more - please contact Webinars@BehaviorVets.com for more information.

Cancellation policy: No refunds

Behavior Vets Membership
We are grateful that you trust us with your continued education, and we wanted to make it even easier for you to learn and grow with us. You can now gain access to ALL webinars for 25% off!!!

The Basic Level provides you with 25% off ALL webinars, seminars and workshops! Continuing Education Units (CEUs) for animal training and behavior professionals are offered for current and future webinars, not past webinars. You will have access to our webinar content for the length of your membership.

After enrolling, you can apply the Membership discount to THIS webinar! :)

There are two ways to enroll:

Monthly: This is a subscription, which automatically renews at $29.99 each month until you cancel. You may cancel at any time.
Subscribe monthly here: https://behaviorvets.mylearnworlds.com/subscriptions?id=behavior-vets-basic-membership-plan

Yearly: Purchase this package for $299.99 and save $60.00
Purchase yearly here: https://behaviorvets.mylearnworlds.com/course/basic-behavior-vets-membership
Meet the instructor

Ferdie Yau
MA, CPDT-KA

 Ferdie Yau (MA, CPDT-KA) is a wildlife biologist and animal trainer with over 20+ years of experience training both exotic and domestic species.

He is a strong advocate for improving animal welfare through his work as the Director of Community and Shelter Outreach for Behavior Vets and as Staff Trainer at the Humane Society of Westchester.

He is the host of “Worry Less, Wag More: The Behavior Vets Podcast”, which aims to educate practitioners and caretakers about the effectiveness and joy of reward-based training.

Ferdie has an MA in Conservation Biology from Columbia University and studies the ecology of New York City’s urban coyotes with the Gotham Coyote Project.
Patrick Jones - Course author
Meet the instructor

Dot Baisly
CDBC, CCBC, CSBS

Dot Baisly is the Executive Director for the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC) and the Behavior Consultant at Heal Veterinary Clinic in Watertown, MA. Dot also holds a master’s degree in Animal Behavior from Tufts University and is a certified dog behavior consultant (CDBC), certified cat behavior consultant (CCBC), and certified shelter behavior specialist (CSBS).

Dot is currently a core member of the Shelter Playgroup Alliance team where she facilitates course content for the on-line program and in-person workshops. Most recently she was the director of behavior for Northeast Animal Shelter where she built a behavior program and transformed the organization’s approach to behavior as a result of her leadership. Prior to this she was also the lead behavior staff at the SPCA of Westchester and then the Animal Rescue League of Boston.

Dot also worked as a consultant for Paws With A Cause, working with service dogs and the clients they serve for over 10 years.  She has been working in animal welfare, veterinary care and behavior for over 20 years, both in animal welfare and rescue organizations and as a private consultant.  Dot has consulted with private clients since her initial certifications, working with owned cats and dogs on a regular basis.  In her private practice, Dot specializes in working with dogs and cats exhibiting significant behavioral concerns, including human-directed aggression.

She also provides consultations to shelters across the country where she has evaluated dogs, educated staff and volunteers and continues to be recognized as a key leader in the animal welfare and shelter behavior community where she is sought out for her expertise, compassion, and skill in leading change efforts. Prior to working in sheltering, Dot managed a veterinary clinic and worked as a technician where she developed her knowledge and skills in low-stress veterinary handling. Since that time, Dot has taught those techniques in shelters and at veterinary practices across the country.
Patrick Jones - Course author