Animal Welfare Professionals

We hope to see you on the next Maddie's Community Conversation on Monday, March 2, 2026 at 11am PT / 2pm ET  for " What Happens After They Go Home?" with Dr. @Emily Weiss and Dr. @Mike Greenberg. 

Understanding the early post-adoption experience is critical to supporting animal welfare, strengthening the human–animal bond, and improving shelter practices. While most adopters report high satisfaction, behavioral and care-related challenges are common. Drs. Weiss and Greenberg will share about their recently published study that used the Petszel platform to evaluate early post-adoption outcomes across more than 22,000 dog and cat adopters from 112 shelters and rescue organizations.

This session is especially relevant for adoptions and foster staff & volunteers, return to home & intake prevention staff, behavior staff & volunteers, marketing & communications staff,  and the kitties - but all are welcome! 

🔑 Key Takeaways:

• Just because people say "everything is going well" after an adoption doesn't mean that everything is perfect.
• Detailed and subtle questions are required to really understand how things are going in the post-adoption period.
• A relatively high proportion of adopters are seeking and engaging with veterinary care in the first weeks following adoption.
  
  

Don't forget! Maddie's Fund will be giving away up to $10,000 in grants each month! You can enter for a chance to win each time you attend a call or watch it on demand during the month by completing the monthly giveaway drawing entry form. 

Register for Community Conversations hosted via Zoom. 

🧠 Got Topic or Speaker Suggestions?
We want to hear your ideas! If there's a topic you're curious about or a speaker you'd love to hear from, please share your suggestions with us on our Community Conversations Suggestions thread. 

Looking forward to being in community with you! 

This was so helpful! We do 2 day, 2 week, 2 month and 1 year follow ups via text to our adopters.  We troubleshoot through those conversations and extend into an in person meeting if needed.  Our rescue has a coordinator and 3 additional foster coordinators who facilitate these interactions.  We also encourage reaching out to us at any time w/questions etc.  So far, it has been successful and we often get random pics and updates as the adopters want to share.  I love the app suggestion, especially for larger organizations.  

We hope to see you on the next Maddie's Community Conversation on Monday, March 2, 2026 at 11am PT / 2pm ET  for " What Happens After They Go Home?" with Dr. @Emily Weiss and Dr. @Mike Greenberg. 

Understanding the early post-adoption experience is critical to supporting animal welfare, strengthening the human–animal bond, and improving shelter practices. While most adopters report high satisfaction, behavioral and care-related challenges are common. Drs. Weiss and Greenberg will share about their recently published study that used the Petszel platform to evaluate early post-adoption outcomes across more than 22,000 dog and cat adopters from 112 shelters and rescue organizations.

This session is especially relevant for adoptions and foster staff & volunteers, return to home & intake prevention staff, behavior staff & volunteers, marketing & communications staff,  and the kitties - but all are welcome! 

🔑 Key Takeaways:

• Just because people say "everything is going well" after an adoption doesn't mean that everything is perfect.
• Detailed and subtle questions are required to really understand how things are going in the post-adoption period.
• A relatively high proportion of adopters are seeking and engaging with veterinary care in the first weeks following adoption.
  
  

Don't forget! Maddie's Fund will be giving away up to $10,000 in grants each month! You can enter for a chance to win each time you attend a call or watch it on demand during the month by completing the monthly giveaway drawing entry form. 

Register for Community Conversations hosted via Zoom. 

🧠 Got Topic or Speaker Suggestions?
We want to hear your ideas! If there's a topic you're curious about or a speaker you'd love to hear from, please share your suggestions with us on our Community Conversations Suggestions thread. 

Looking forward to being in community with you! 

I'm curious on average how many adopters you have versus how many actually respond. If our shelter did something like this I feel like it would be overwhelming if even half of the adopters responded. I have heard though that post adoption support like this does reduce returns, do you experience that at your rescue?

This was so helpful! We do 2 day, 2 week, 2 month and 1 year follow ups via text to our adopters.  We troubleshoot through those conversations and extend into an in person meeting if needed.  Our rescue has a coordinator and 3 additional foster coordinators who facilitate these interactions.  We also encourage reaching out to us at any time w/questions etc.  So far, it has been successful and we often get random pics and updates as the adopters want to share.  I love the app suggestion, especially for larger organizations.  

We hope to see you on the next Maddie's Community Conversation on Monday, March 2, 2026 at 11am PT / 2pm ET  for " What Happens After They Go Home?" with Dr. @Emily Weiss and Dr. @Mike Greenberg. 

Understanding the early post-adoption experience is critical to supporting animal welfare, strengthening the human–animal bond, and improving shelter practices. While most adopters report high satisfaction, behavioral and care-related challenges are common. Drs. Weiss and Greenberg will share about their recently published study that used the Petszel platform to evaluate early post-adoption outcomes across more than 22,000 dog and cat adopters from 112 shelters and rescue organizations.

This session is especially relevant for adoptions and foster staff & volunteers, return to home & intake prevention staff, behavior staff & volunteers, marketing & communications staff,  and the kitties - but all are welcome! 

🔑 Key Takeaways:

• Just because people say "everything is going well" after an adoption doesn't mean that everything is perfect.
• Detailed and subtle questions are required to really understand how things are going in the post-adoption period.
• A relatively high proportion of adopters are seeking and engaging with veterinary care in the first weeks following adoption.
  
  

Don't forget! Maddie's Fund will be giving away up to $10,000 in grants each month! You can enter for a chance to win each time you attend a call or watch it on demand during the month by completing the monthly giveaway drawing entry form. 

Register for Community Conversations hosted via Zoom. 

🧠 Got Topic or Speaker Suggestions?
We want to hear your ideas! If there's a topic you're curious about or a speaker you'd love to hear from, please share your suggestions with us on our Community Conversations Suggestions thread. 

Looking forward to being in community with you! 

We hope to see you on the next Maddie's Community Conversation on Monday, March 2, 2026 at 11am PT / 2pm ET  for " What Happens After They Go Home?" with Dr. @Emily Weiss and Dr. @Mike Greenberg. 

Understanding the early post-adoption experience is critical to supporting animal welfare, strengthening the human–animal bond, and improving shelter practices. While most adopters report high satisfaction, behavioral and care-related challenges are common. Drs. Weiss and Greenberg will share about their recently published study that used the Petszel platform to evaluate early post-adoption outcomes across more than 22,000 dog and cat adopters from 112 shelters and rescue organizations.

This session is especially relevant for adoptions and foster staff & volunteers, return to home & intake prevention staff, behavior staff & volunteers, marketing & communications staff,  and the kitties - but all are welcome! 

🔑 Key Takeaways:

• Just because people say "everything is going well" after an adoption doesn't mean that everything is perfect.
• Detailed and subtle questions are required to really understand how things are going in the post-adoption period.
• A relatively high proportion of adopters are seeking and engaging with veterinary care in the first weeks following adoption.
  
  

Don't forget! Maddie's Fund will be giving away up to $10,000 in grants each month! You can enter for a chance to win each time you attend a call or watch it on demand during the month by completing the monthly giveaway drawing entry form. 

Register for Community Conversations hosted via Zoom. 

🧠 Got Topic or Speaker Suggestions?
We want to hear your ideas! If there's a topic you're curious about or a speaker you'd love to hear from, please share your suggestions with us on our Community Conversations Suggestions thread. 

Looking forward to being in community with you! 

We hope to see you on the next Maddie's Community Conversation on Monday, March 2, 2026 at 11am PT / 2pm ET  for " What Happens After They Go Home?" with Dr. @Emily Weiss and Dr. @Mike Greenberg. 

Understanding the early post-adoption experience is critical to supporting animal welfare, strengthening the human–animal bond, and improving shelter practices. While most adopters report high satisfaction, behavioral and care-related challenges are common. Drs. Weiss and Greenberg will share about their recently published study that used the Petszel platform to evaluate early post-adoption outcomes across more than 22,000 dog and cat adopters from 112 shelters and rescue organizations.

This session is especially relevant for adoptions and foster staff & volunteers, return to home & intake prevention staff, behavior staff & volunteers, marketing & communications staff,  and the kitties - but all are welcome! 

🔑 Key Takeaways:

• Just because people say "everything is going well" after an adoption doesn't mean that everything is perfect.
• Detailed and subtle questions are required to really understand how things are going in the post-adoption period.
• A relatively high proportion of adopters are seeking and engaging with veterinary care in the first weeks following adoption.
  
  

Don't forget! Maddie's Fund will be giving away up to $10,000 in grants each month! You can enter for a chance to win each time you attend a call or watch it on demand during the month by completing the monthly giveaway drawing entry form. 

Register for Community Conversations hosted via Zoom. 

🧠 Got Topic or Speaker Suggestions?
We want to hear your ideas! If there's a topic you're curious about or a speaker you'd love to hear from, please share your suggestions with us on our Community Conversations Suggestions thread. 

Looking forward to being in community with you! 

We hope to see you on the next Maddie's Community Conversation on Monday, March 2, 2026 at 11am PT / 2pm ET  for " What Happens After They Go Home?" with Dr. @Emily Weiss and Dr. @Mike Greenberg. 

Understanding the early post-adoption experience is critical to supporting animal welfare, strengthening the human–animal bond, and improving shelter practices. While most adopters report high satisfaction, behavioral and care-related challenges are common. Drs. Weiss and Greenberg will share about their recently published study that used the Petszel platform to evaluate early post-adoption outcomes across more than 22,000 dog and cat adopters from 112 shelters and rescue organizations.

This session is especially relevant for adoptions and foster staff & volunteers, return to home & intake prevention staff, behavior staff & volunteers, marketing & communications staff,  and the kitties - but all are welcome! 

🔑 Key Takeaways:

• Just because people say "everything is going well" after an adoption doesn't mean that everything is perfect.
• Detailed and subtle questions are required to really understand how things are going in the post-adoption period.
• A relatively high proportion of adopters are seeking and engaging with veterinary care in the first weeks following adoption.
  
  

Don't forget! Maddie's Fund will be giving away up to $10,000 in grants each month! You can enter for a chance to win each time you attend a call or watch it on demand during the month by completing the monthly giveaway drawing entry form. 

Register for Community Conversations hosted via Zoom. 

🧠 Got Topic or Speaker Suggestions?
We want to hear your ideas! If there's a topic you're curious about or a speaker you'd love to hear from, please share your suggestions with us on our Community Conversations Suggestions thread. 

Looking forward to being in community with you! 

Thanks to our speakers, Dr. @Emily Weiss and Dr. @Mike Greenberg - and everyone who joined us today! 

We would love to hear from you in response to today's reflection question: What is our organization currently doing to support our adopters in the weeks and months after they've adopted their new family members?

We hope to see you on the next Maddie's Community Conversation on Monday, March 2, 2026 at 11am PT / 2pm ET  for " What Happens After They Go Home?" with Dr. @Emily Weiss and Dr. @Mike Greenberg. 

Understanding the early post-adoption experience is critical to supporting animal welfare, strengthening the human–animal bond, and improving shelter practices. While most adopters report high satisfaction, behavioral and care-related challenges are common. Drs. Weiss and Greenberg will share about their recently published study that used the Petszel platform to evaluate early post-adoption outcomes across more than 22,000 dog and cat adopters from 112 shelters and rescue organizations.

This session is especially relevant for adoptions and foster staff & volunteers, return to home & intake prevention staff, behavior staff & volunteers, marketing & communications staff,  and the kitties - but all are welcome! 

🔑 Key Takeaways:

• Just because people say "everything is going well" after an adoption doesn't mean that everything is perfect.
• Detailed and subtle questions are required to really understand how things are going in the post-adoption period.
• A relatively high proportion of adopters are seeking and engaging with veterinary care in the first weeks following adoption.
  
  

Don't forget! Maddie's Fund will be giving away up to $10,000 in grants each month! You can enter for a chance to win each time you attend a call or watch it on demand during the month by completing the monthly giveaway drawing entry form. 

Register for Community Conversations hosted via Zoom. 

🧠 Got Topic or Speaker Suggestions?
We want to hear your ideas! If there's a topic you're curious about or a speaker you'd love to hear from, please share your suggestions with us on our Community Conversations Suggestions thread. 

Looking forward to being in community with you! 

Updated 3/2/26 at 1:17 pm - Recording now available to watch on-demand!

Enter here for a chance to win the March Community Conversations giveaway after watching live or on-demand.

Please note: All views expressed on these calls are not necessarily endorsed by Maddie's Fund. 

We hope to see you on the next Maddie's Community Conversation on Monday, March 2, 2026 at 11am PT / 2pm ET  for " What Happens After They Go Home?" with Dr. @Emily Weiss and Dr. @Mike Greenberg. 

Understanding the early post-adoption experience is critical to supporting animal welfare, strengthening the human–animal bond, and improving shelter practices. While most adopters report high satisfaction, behavioral and care-related challenges are common. Drs. Weiss and Greenberg will share about their recently published study that used the Petszel platform to evaluate early post-adoption outcomes across more than 22,000 dog and cat adopters from 112 shelters and rescue organizations.

This session is especially relevant for adoptions and foster staff & volunteers, return to home & intake prevention staff, behavior staff & volunteers, marketing & communications staff,  and the kitties - but all are welcome! 

🔑 Key Takeaways:

• Just because people say "everything is going well" after an adoption doesn't mean that everything is perfect.
• Detailed and subtle questions are required to really understand how things are going in the post-adoption period.
• A relatively high proportion of adopters are seeking and engaging with veterinary care in the first weeks following adoption.
  
  

Don't forget! Maddie's Fund will be giving away up to $10,000 in grants each month! You can enter for a chance to win each time you attend a call or watch it on demand during the month by completing the monthly giveaway drawing entry form. 

Register for Community Conversations hosted via Zoom. 

🧠 Got Topic or Speaker Suggestions?
We want to hear your ideas! If there's a topic you're curious about or a speaker you'd love to hear from, please share your suggestions with us on our Community Conversations Suggestions thread. 

Looking forward to being in community with you! 

#AccesstoCare
#AdoptionsandAdoptionPrograms
#DataandTechnology
#EducationandTraining

------------------------------
Sheila Kouhkan
Senior Education Specialist
Maddie's Fund
CA
------------------------------

Updated 3/2/26 at 1:17 pm - Recording now available to watch on-demand!

Enter here for a chance to win the March Community Conversations giveaway after watching live or on-demand.

Please note: All views expressed on these calls are not necessarily endorsed by Maddie's Fund. 

We hope to see you on the next Maddie's Community Conversation on Monday, March 2, 2026 at 11am PT / 2pm ET  for " What Happens After They Go Home?" with Dr. @Emily Weiss and Dr. @Mike Greenberg. 

Understanding the early post-adoption experience is critical to supporting animal welfare, strengthening the human–animal bond, and improving shelter practices. While most adopters report high satisfaction, behavioral and care-related challenges are common. Drs. Weiss and Greenberg will share about their recently published study that used the Petszel platform to evaluate early post-adoption outcomes across more than 22,000 dog and cat adopters from 112 shelters and rescue organizations.

This session is especially relevant for adoptions and foster staff & volunteers, return to home & intake prevention staff, behavior staff & volunteers, marketing & communications staff,  and the kitties - but all are welcome! 

🔑 Key Takeaways:

• Just because people say "everything is going well" after an adoption doesn't mean that everything is perfect.
• Detailed and subtle questions are required to really understand how things are going in the post-adoption period.
• A relatively high proportion of adopters are seeking and engaging with veterinary care in the first weeks following adoption.
  
  

Don't forget! Maddie's Fund will be giving away up to $10,000 in grants each month! You can enter for a chance to win each time you attend a call or watch it on demand during the month by completing the monthly giveaway drawing entry form. 

Register for Community Conversations hosted via Zoom. 

🧠 Got Topic or Speaker Suggestions?
We want to hear your ideas! If there's a topic you're curious about or a speaker you'd love to hear from, please share your suggestions with us on our Community Conversations Suggestions thread. 

Looking forward to being in community with you! 

#AccesstoCare
#AdoptionsandAdoptionPrograms
#DataandTechnology
#EducationandTraining

------------------------------
Sheila Kouhkan
Senior Education Specialist
Maddie's Fund
CA
------------------------------

GetBuddy has already built an AI veterinarian trainer that gives adopters instant guidance on health and behavior.

Next month we will launch a new version that helps adopters:

• Evaluate and discover ethical pet food brands

• Find independent veterinary clinics

• See transparent pricing for veterinary care

Later this year we will add automated adopter follow-ups. Rescues will be able to set timelines such as three, six, or nine months, and our system will automatically check in with adopters. The responses will flow directly back into our free rescue management system.

We're excited to roll this out and would love feedback from the community on how we can improve it. Thank you in advance.

Updated 3/2/26 at 1:17 pm - Recording now available to watch on-demand!

Enter here for a chance to win the March Community Conversations giveaway after watching live or on-demand.

Please note: All views expressed on these calls are not necessarily endorsed by Maddie's Fund. 

We hope to see you on the next Maddie's Community Conversation on Monday, March 2, 2026 at 11am PT / 2pm ET  for " What Happens After They Go Home?" with Dr. @Emily Weiss and Dr. @Mike Greenberg. 

Understanding the early post-adoption experience is critical to supporting animal welfare, strengthening the human–animal bond, and improving shelter practices. While most adopters report high satisfaction, behavioral and care-related challenges are common. Drs. Weiss and Greenberg will share about their recently published study that used the Petszel platform to evaluate early post-adoption outcomes across more than 22,000 dog and cat adopters from 112 shelters and rescue organizations.

This session is especially relevant for adoptions and foster staff & volunteers, return to home & intake prevention staff, behavior staff & volunteers, marketing & communications staff,  and the kitties - but all are welcome! 

🔑 Key Takeaways:

• Just because people say "everything is going well" after an adoption doesn't mean that everything is perfect.
• Detailed and subtle questions are required to really understand how things are going in the post-adoption period.
• A relatively high proportion of adopters are seeking and engaging with veterinary care in the first weeks following adoption.
  
  

Don't forget! Maddie's Fund will be giving away up to $10,000 in grants each month! You can enter for a chance to win each time you attend a call or watch it on demand during the month by completing the monthly giveaway drawing entry form. 

Register for Community Conversations hosted via Zoom. 

🧠 Got Topic or Speaker Suggestions?
We want to hear your ideas! If there's a topic you're curious about or a speaker you'd love to hear from, please share your suggestions with us on our Community Conversations Suggestions thread. 

Looking forward to being in community with you! 

#AccesstoCare
#AdoptionsandAdoptionPrograms
#DataandTechnology
#EducationandTraining

------------------------------
Sheila Kouhkan
Senior Education Specialist
Maddie's Fund
CA
------------------------------

I'm curious how reliable this vet advice is. Is there a disclaimer or a waiver they have to sign in case the information the AI gives is incorrect or not the best path forward for the animal? What kind of advice is the AI giving and what is it trained on? I can see how this may be useful but I am a little weary.

GetBuddy has already built an AI veterinarian trainer that gives adopters instant guidance on health and behavior.

Next month we will launch a new version that helps adopters:

• Evaluate and discover ethical pet food brands

• Find independent veterinary clinics

• See transparent pricing for veterinary care

Later this year we will add automated adopter follow-ups. Rescues will be able to set timelines such as three, six, or nine months, and our system will automatically check in with adopters. The responses will flow directly back into our free rescue management system.

We're excited to roll this out and would love feedback from the community on how we can improve it. Thank you in advance.

Updated 3/2/26 at 1:17 pm - Recording now available to watch on-demand!

Enter here for a chance to win the March Community Conversations giveaway after watching live or on-demand.

Please note: All views expressed on these calls are not necessarily endorsed by Maddie's Fund. 

We hope to see you on the next Maddie's Community Conversation on Monday, March 2, 2026 at 11am PT / 2pm ET  for " What Happens After They Go Home?" with Dr. @Emily Weiss and Dr. @Mike Greenberg. 

Understanding the early post-adoption experience is critical to supporting animal welfare, strengthening the human–animal bond, and improving shelter practices. While most adopters report high satisfaction, behavioral and care-related challenges are common. Drs. Weiss and Greenberg will share about their recently published study that used the Petszel platform to evaluate early post-adoption outcomes across more than 22,000 dog and cat adopters from 112 shelters and rescue organizations.

This session is especially relevant for adoptions and foster staff & volunteers, return to home & intake prevention staff, behavior staff & volunteers, marketing & communications staff,  and the kitties - but all are welcome! 

🔑 Key Takeaways:

• Just because people say "everything is going well" after an adoption doesn't mean that everything is perfect.
• Detailed and subtle questions are required to really understand how things are going in the post-adoption period.
• A relatively high proportion of adopters are seeking and engaging with veterinary care in the first weeks following adoption.
  
  

Don't forget! Maddie's Fund will be giving away up to $10,000 in grants each month! You can enter for a chance to win each time you attend a call or watch it on demand during the month by completing the monthly giveaway drawing entry form. 

Register for Community Conversations hosted via Zoom. 

🧠 Got Topic or Speaker Suggestions?
We want to hear your ideas! If there's a topic you're curious about or a speaker you'd love to hear from, please share your suggestions with us on our Community Conversations Suggestions thread. 

Looking forward to being in community with you! 

#AccesstoCare
#AdoptionsandAdoptionPrograms
#DataandTechnology
#EducationandTraining

------------------------------
Sheila Kouhkan
Senior Education Specialist
Maddie's Fund
CA
------------------------------