Managing the Unknown: Uncertainty, Behavior, and Better Outcomes in Animal Welfare
Animal welfare organizations operate under constant uncertainty. Funding needs, staff and time limitations, adoption pressures, and the nonstop demands of animal care all shape how decisions get made. Uncertainty isn’t just a challenge; it’s the system that drives behavior across organizations, adopters, and communities.
This conversation looks at how uncertainty shows up in animal welfare and how it influences the choices organizations make. We’ll explore the critical uncertainties AWOs face, how common responses are shaped by resource constraints and values-driven decision-making, and where those responses may unintentionally work against desired outcomes. We’ll also examine uncertainty from the adopter’s perspective, where decisions hinge on comfort level and predictability rather than simply having more information.
This session invites audience members to step back and have more deliberate conversations about the uncertainties they’re managing, their tolerance for uncertainty and change, and where small, intentional shifts could lead to better outcomes for animals, organizations, and the communities they serve.
About Community Conversations:
Maddie’s Fund hosts a weekly hour-long Zoom call for animal well-being professionals. These calls are a collaborative space to share exciting new programs and research, discuss uncomfortable topics, connect with peers in the industry, and more, all while sharing a common goal of preserving the human-animal bond.
This call, recurring each Monday unless otherwise posted, is for executive directors, animal well-being leaders, shelter workers, pet support professionals, volunteers, and rescue organizations.
The registration link is: https://maddies.fund/CommunityConversationsRegistration2025
All calls are recorded and uploaded to the Community Conversations page on Maddie’s Pet Forum https://forum.maddiesfund.org/communityconversations
Enter for a chance to win up to $10,000.
Each month, Maddie's Fund will be giving away up to $10,000 in grants. You can enter to win each time you attend a call or watch on-demand during the month by completing the giveaway drawing entry forms shared in the chat during the calls.
Please Note: All views expressed on these calls are not necessarily endorsed by Maddie’s Fund.
#Education and Training
#Organizational Management
#People Management (including Volunteer Integration)
#Pet Support Services *