Maddie's Insights are a series of webinars about the latest research in animal well-being and how you can use the findings in your shelter and community.
This webcast was recorded on Thursday, February 8, 2024 at 12noon Pacific / 3pm Eastern.
The Influence of Field Trip and Sleepover Programs on Shelter Dog Welfare with Dr. @lisa gunter
WATCH THE RECORDING HERE
Program Description
Animal shelters can be stressful for dogs, but human interaction, such as foster caregiving, can improve their experience. In this webcast, Dr. Gunter will discuss multiple studies she and her team have carried out as part of the Arizona State University/Virginia Tech Maddie's Nationwide Fostering Study in which they studied the effects of field trip and sleepover programs on the welfare of dogs living in shelters. Their initial studies investigated the physiological impacts of these programs, and their published study examined how field trips and sleepovers influenced dogs' likelihood of adoption and length of stay. They also explored factors related to the performance of these programs. Overall, their findings support the implementation of these programs. Learn how you can use short-term fostering programs to improve the welfare of dogs in your shelter as they await adoption.
Learning Objectives:
• Describe potential stressors that make shelters stressful for dogs
• Relate how human social interaction can improve the welfare of dogs in the shelter
• Extrapolate the different activities dogs likely engage in during field trips and sleepovers
• Discuss the research findings about field trips and sleepovers
• Differentiate how field trips and sleepovers impact dogs' proximate and distal welfare
This webinar has been pre-approved for 1.0 Certified Animal Welfare Administrator continuing education credits by The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement and by the National Animal Care & Control Association. It has also been submitted for approval for 1 hour of continuing education credit in jurisdictions which recognize the Registry of Approved Continuing Education (RACE) approval.
Maddie's Fund does not share registration information. The presentations will be recorded, so register even if you cannot attend live - you'll be sent the on-demand recording link after the live event.
About the presenter
Lisa Gunter, PhD, Assistant Professor of Animal Behavior and Welfare, Virginia Tech
Before beginning her graduate studies, Dr. Lisa Gunter worked for nearly a decade with dogs in animal shelters and with pet dogs and their owners. The goal of Lisa's research is to better the lives of companion animals and their owners. To this aim, she has investigated the breed labeling of shelter dogs, their breed heritage, shelter housing and social interactions, temporary and long-term fostering, short-term outings, behavioral indicators of welfare, post-adoption interventions focused on owner retention - and more recently, fostering during the pandemic and safety net programs to help keep people and their pets together. Under the mentorship of Clive Wynne, Lisa earned her Master's in 2015, and her PhD in 2018 as a graduate student in the behavioral neuroscience and comparative psychology program at Arizona State University.
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Alison Gibson
Media Projects Manager
Maddie's Fund
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