Maddie’s Weekly Roundup: Recruiting foster caregivers, weeklong fostering and more!
Happy Monday. Below is a brief roundup of resources added over the past week. Does your animal organization need more foster caregivers? These 6 questions can helpHaving trouble finding foster caregivers? These six questions can help guide you toward a successful strategy. 1. Is it easy to become a foster caregiver at your rescue organization? Research shows that the organizations with the biggest foster programs have quick and easy onboarding processes. Organizations that require things like… Learn More Implications of...
Implications of weeklong fostering and co-housing on shelter dog welfare
Meeting both the physical and psychological needs of dogs living in animal shelters is a challenging proposition. Negative environmental inputs, such as excessive noise, restrictive kenneling, and social isolation, contribute to compromised canine welfare. Human-animal interaction, such as a temporary stay in a caregiver’s home, has been shown to reduce dogs’ cortisol levels and increase their rest. What is not well understood, though, is if longer durations of foster care could extend those benefits. In addition, co-housing in...
Maddie’s Weekly Roundup: Maddie’s Tail Wag, the Go-To Guide for Animal Services and more!
Happy Monday. Below is a brief roundup of resources added over the past week. Get this free activity book for kids, #ThanksToMaddie!Summer is just around the corner and we have just what you need to keep the kids entertained (for a little while anyways). Maddie’s® Tail Wag activity book is available for two different age groups and is designed to spark empathy, creativity and a love for animals. Children six and under will find these fun… Learn More Download the Go-To Guide for Animal Services today!We’re excited to...
Get this free activity book for kids, #ThanksToMaddie!
Summer is just around the corner and we have just what you need to keep the kids entertained (for a little while anyways). Maddie’s® Tail Wag activity book is available for two different age groups and is designed to spark empathy, creativity and a love for animals. Children six and under will find these fun and educational pages are intended to help develop skills necessary for entrance into kindergarten. It’s a great tool for parents as well as animal well-being organizations that want to develop their humane education...
Download the Go-To Guide for Animal Services today!
We’re excited to share that The Go-To Guide for Animal Services from Team Shelter USA is now available for download! This guide is a high level summary resource for all things animal well-being and relevant for both non-profit and municipal leaders. And, it’s free #ThankstoMaddie! Below is an excerpt from the report: Animal services departments, whether housed within government or contracted to nonprofit partners, are often asked to solve complex social, public-health, and safety challenges with limited budgets,...
Maddie’s Weekly Roundup: Foster 50 Challenge, Maddie’s birthday and more!
Happy Monday. Below is a brief roundup of resources added over the past week. Join the Foster 50 Challenge now!Registration for the Foster 50 Challenge is now open and closes on April 30. Foster 50 was built on a simple belief: lasting impact happens when animal shelters, foster-based rescues, partners and pet parents work together. In its inaugural year, this national, coalition-led program proved what’s possible through community-powered action. Together, Foster 50 communities: Welcomed… Learn More Happy birthday,...
Join the Foster 50 Challenge now!
Registration for the Foster 50 Challenge is now open and closes on April 30. Foster 50 was built on a simple belief: lasting impact happens when animal shelters, foster-based rescues, partners and pet parents work together. In its inaugural year, this national, coalition-led program proved what’s possible through community-powered action. Together, Foster 50 communities: Welcomed over 9,000 new foster parents Increased active foster participation by 11% Placed nearly 40,000 dogs and cats into foster homes Saw almost 12,000 pets adopted...
Maddie’s Weekly Roundup: New guide for animal services, lessons from award-winning foster programs and more!
Happy Monday. Below is a brief roundup of resources added over the past week. Lessons from award-winning foster programsJoin us for a dynamic look at some of the winning strategies from the 2025 Foster 50 Challenge (registration for 2026 is now open!) Through a series of lightning-fast talks, you’ll learn how grant funding helped spark new ideas, expanded foster programs and created measurable change for communities and animals in need. In less than 90… Learn More Learning opportunities to help prevent dog bitesIt’s...
Lessons from award-winning foster programs
Join us for a dynamic look at some of the winning strategies from the 2025 Foster 50 Challenge (registration for 2026 is now open!) Through a series of lightning-fast talks, you’ll learn how grant funding helped spark new ideas, expanded foster programs and created measurable change for communities and animals in need. In less than 90 minutes, you’ll walk away with practical strategies and inspiration that show what’s possible when shelters invest in fostering. Who should attend? Everyone is welcome! This webcast is...
Learning opportunities to help prevent dog bites
It’s National Dog Bite Prevention week and we know that despite management and prevention, dog bite accidents can still happen. And, healing is not just physical, but emotional after a bite. Here are two existing learning opportunities on Maddie’s® University to help decrease the chances of dog bites occurring: Fundamentals of Canine Communication and Safe Dog Handling (self-paced course by Devan Amundsen, CPDT-KA): Reading dog body language and communicating effectively with our own behavior are practiced skills...
