As we head further into fall, Maddie’s^® Pet Forum remains busier than ever.  With over 100,000 animal well-being members to engage with and a plethora of resources, there’s something for everyone.

Below are some of the recent popular posts. Get ideas for your organization, or chime in with your own tips and success stories!

Paid holidays
One user asks, “I’m reviewing employee benefits and I’d love to hear from others how many paid holidays your organization offers and if you offer 1.5x or 2x pay (or some other compensation like an extra PTO day) for animal care staff who have to work on holidays?” Read over 15 responses

How are small pet food pantries handling delivery and transportation costs?
Another user shares, “We’re a newer nonprofit in southwest Iowa called No Hungry Pets Glenwood Outreach. We provide pet food and supplies to families in need, and many of the people we serve do not have reliable transportation, so delivery has become a major part of our work. We’re trying to build a sustainable system as we grow. I’d love to hear how other small animal-welfare organizations handle delivery costs and logistics…” Read more

Share your memories of Rich Avanzino
Mary Ippoliti-Smith of the Maddie’s Fund^® Executive Leadership Team shares, “The animal well-being community lost a true visionary on September 20, 2026. Rich Avanzino, affectionately and widely known as the father of the ‘no-kill’ movement, passed away peacefully at the age of 84. While we mourn the loss of a remarkable leader, we also celebrate a remarkable life dedicated to transforming the animal well-being industry into a more collaborative, inclusive, and hopeful space and that forever changed the destiny of countless companion animals and the people who love them…” Share now

Software
One user says, “I’ve been looking but not finding something that’ll easily allow me to create a ‘sponsor a cat’ section on our website. I know people do it because I’ve seen it. I just can’t figure out how they do it. I want something free that offers monthly recurring billing and can be set up per cat. I’d also like for it to say the cat is available for sponsorship again if someone stops sponsoring them. If this software doesn’t exist, is there any easy way to do something like this?” Read more