This post originally ran on June 28, 2018. We wanted to share again because we think this topic is very important. An in-shelter behavior assessment is not a reliable way to determine whether dogs will or won’t be safe in adoptive homes, reports a new ASPCA position statement. Instead, such evaluations need to be based… Learn More
Do animal shelters need to be stressful places for pets? Leading shelter medicine and behavior experts say no, and they’ve created a free online course to show staff and volunteers how to make the process from intake to adoption a happy one. The course is part of Fear Free, an educational company originally founded to… Learn More
Looking to start or expand a low-cost shelter enrichment program for dogs? We have the resource for you! In case you missed this valuable post on Maddie’s Pet Forum – one of our Innovation grantees, Far Side Journey, used their grant to develop the Boredom Buster Program, a low-cost shelter enrichment program for dogs. They piloted the… Learn More
Does your organization have a hard-to-adopt cat? Ann Dunn, founder and executive director of Cat Town, a non-profit adoption center in Oakland, CA, has found a way to place scared, aggressive, old cats into loving homes. Many cats just don’t do well in a shelter environment, no matter how hard staff and volunteers help. In this… Learn More
Ever wish there was a place you could go to share your dog or cat wisdom with others? Or maybe you have an issue at your shelter or rescue organization and you’d like advice from someone who has been there before? Maddie’s® Pet Forum is an excellent resource for organizations looking for encouragement and guidance.… Learn More
Dr. Julie Reck got a frantic call from her team at the vet hospital late one night. Someone had abandoned a dog in a crate in their alley — and the pup was terrified and wouldn’t come out of the crate. When Reck arrived at the clinic, she put patience and her Fear Free handling… Learn More
When shelter staff and volunteers talk about clicker training for cats, it’s mostly as a way to get the kitties to put their best paw forward for adopters. But what if it can be something more — even a tool to fight suffering and disease? That was the theory of researchers at Colorado State and North… Learn More
What if you could sprinkle magic fairy dust to reduce fighting between cats in a family? That would certainly help keep cats in their homes, and encourage people to adopt multiple cats, so we wish we could tell you magic anti-cat fight fairy dust was a thing. What we can tell you is there’s something… Learn More
Do you have a dog in your shelter who could use some time away from the noise and activity levels of the adoption floor? How about a dog who just needs a staycation? With some creativity and a little bit of extra space, you can create your own “relaxation station” for a stressed-out dog! The… Learn More
What’s cuter than one kitten learning manners? Several kittens learning how to “touch,” “sit” and wear a harness with pride! After all, puppies have access to all sorts of classes, so why not kittens? By exposing kittens who are 16 weeks and younger to new experiences, they’ll be on their way to becoming confident and… Learn More