Sometimes it’s just a case of catitude. And sometimes cats have genuine behavior problems. What can shelters and rescue groups do to help them? In a recent presentation at the 2015 American Pets Alive! No Kill Conference, the Austin Pet’s Alive! Cat Behavior Team  tackled how to prevent feline behavior problems before they start, ensure… Learn More

When animal shelters and rescue groups talk about “promoting” pets available for adoption, or adopting “two for the price of one,” does that choice of language reduce pets to the level of a commodity? At a daylong workshop presented by Maddie’s Fund® at Animal Care Expo several years ago, Bonney Brown, then Director of the… Learn More

Do animal welfare organizations need to worry about “branding”? Isn’t that just for big business, chain stores and fast-food outlets? Despite its business buzzword feel, “branding” is something no organization that needs volunteers, donors, adopters, publicity and supporters can ignore, even if they hate the term itself. In the proverbial nutshell, branding refers to an… Learn More

It’s a stickily delicious solution to a lot of common dog challenges, and it’s being celebrated during National Peanut Butter Lovers Month! Peanut butter can help relieve stress in shelter dogs, keep dogs in homes occupied and happy, and distract dogs from frightening or disruptive situations. And of course, it can be made into a… Learn More

It’s National Cat Day — where better to spend it than the Cat Town Cafe? It’s the nation’s first cat cafe, located in Oakland, California, financed in part by Maddie’s Fund® and featuring the cats of Oakland Animal Services (OAS) — all available for cuddles, pets, purrs and, of course, adoption, while visitors are sipping… Learn More

‘Twas the night before Cat Day and near SF Bay Not a kitty was stirring at Cat Town Cafe The cats were all draped on the cat trees with care In hope that their adopters soon would be there The kittens were snoozing all snug in their beds While visions of families danced in their… Learn More

Is the missing link to saving more lives, relieving animal suffering, saving money on general operating costs and boosting community goodwill hiding in plain sight in your animal shelter’s spay/neuter clinic? Shelter veterinarians are not just a set of hands to perform surgery, give vaccines and treat emergencies. They’re a powerful source of experience, knowledge,… Learn More

Will people adopt a one-eyed hard luck pet? And what kind of adoption group places a Siberian Husky who’s already been returned by one adopter… into a new home in an apartment? The answers are “You bet!” to the first, and “We did!” to the second. In celebration of Adopt a Shelter Dog Month, here… Learn More

The phrase “customer service” doesn’t always roll off the tongue of people in animal adoption circles. The people we interact with are adopters, not customers, and the pets in our care aren’t a product or service, but living beings. Right? Of course that’s true. But it doesn’t mean we can’t serve pets better, and save… Learn More