When it comes to learning more about animal shelter management and medicine, shelter staff members are turning increasingly to online educational opportunities.
During the summer and fall of 2010, Maddie's Fund®
asked its funded partners and newsletter subscribers to help us better
understand their needs when it comes to shelter health information and
resources.
Of the 171 organizations that responded, 59 percent reported their staff members had attended webinars on shelter operations and
management. Of those who did not report having staff members attend webinars, around
half reported they weren't aware such options were available.
Topics of interest included cleaning protocols,
disease control, vaccinations, behavior assessments,
behavior enrichment, pediatric spay/neuter and TNR.
Shelter business practices were also popular, covering topics like marketing, adoptions, social media,
event planning, getting grants, volunteer management/recruitment and
customer service.
The majority categorized
each of the following as extremely helpful:
- Webinar presentations
- Short educational videos
- Downloadable information sheets
- Informational links to expert sites
- Web-based assessment tools
- Continuing education certificates
Read the full details of the survey on the Maddie's Fund website.
Photo: Maddie's Fund Director of Veterinary Services Dr. Laurie Peek behind the scenes at a Maddie's InstituteSM webcast with Dr. Ronald D. Schultz.