Stories and messages influence what people think is true. They trigger our brains to ask: What's the problem, who is responsible, and what's the solution? They power thinking about critical issues like overwhelmed shelters, access to care, cruelty, and pet ownership. The problem is that mainstream stories give us the wrong answers. We're stuck with stereotypes, shaming, villainizing, and burnout. We must messa...

Struggling to engage your employees and turn feedback into meaningful change? You're not alone. Many organizations face challenges in seeking, analyzing, and acting on feedback, yet engaged employees are more productive and committed. Join us as we explore the importance of empowering employee voices, featuring the Animal Rescue League of Boston's journey in making feedback central to their culture. Learn to develop a feedback-rich environment, analyze employee input, transform feedback into ...

In this presentation attendees will learn how to accurately age, assess and care for orphaned neonatal kittens. They will also learn how to recognize the signs and symptoms of fading kitten syndrome and how to combat it. 

Wind down from the day and enjoy some tasty snacks and beverages while getting to know fellow attendees and partaking in some or all of the many activities including arts and crafts, board games, cards, cornhole, a photo booth and more. Great giveaways will be raffled off to attendees.

We use language as a mode of communication every day and can understandably overlook that the words we utilize are rooted in history. Being aware of history, as that which is impacted by cultural and political forces, can actually help us to build compassion, empathy, and inclusion – all of which not only lead to positive outcomes, but also to a deep personal joy in knowing that we have played a part in bringi...

We'll introduce the concept of L.E.G.S. (Learning, Environment, Genetics, and Self) and discuss how to use this model within the shelter to improve match-making for dogs, enrichment, handling, and more. Attendees will delve into why breed and genetics matter and how to better support both adopters and dogs in their care.

Are you struggling to make decisions for dogs when it comes to their behavior? Are you seeing dogs returned for serious behaviors, or worried you may be euthanizing dogs who could find homes? Do you struggle to figure out what behaviors you can work on in the shelter? You're not alone! This presentation will give you practical steps for building adoptability criteria, decision guidelines for euthanasia, and reasonable training and enrichment strategies for "gray area" dogs in your care.

This presentation thinks about the humans affected during behavioral euthanasia; staff, volunteers, and adopters.  The speakers will aim to reframe behavioral euthanasia through a lens of public safety, the emotional difficulties owners face making this decision themselves, and organizational responsibility. Dr. Carly will share her real-world experiences speaking to owners about the decision-making process and how they grapple with managing a dog with behavioral concerns.Attendee...