Topics in the Animal Welfare Community

 




About Topics:

Topics are used on Maddie's Pet Forum to help categorize discussions and resources which makes all content easily searchable. Members of the Animal Welfare Professionals community must select at least one topic when creating posts or when adding files to the Resource Center. Members are also encouraged to follow topics of interest to curate the notifications you receive in your Personalized Digest emails.

On your profile, there are two areas related to topics: "Topics I Follow" and "Observed Topics".
To follow topics of interest, click on the "+ Add a Topic" button to reveal the list of 25 Animal Welfare topics. This is the most direct way to ensure you receive the content you're most interested in.
Reveals list of animal welfare topics to follow
Topics that have an asterisk * next to them mean that they are a specific Human Animal Support Services (HASS) Element. These have recently been added to better support the members of the HASS Learning Community and you do not need to be a HASS project participant in order to post to these topics.

As you interact with discussions and resources in the Animal Welfare Professionals Community, the system performs calculations based on your actions (such as reading, favoriting, liking and commenting on content) to automatically promote content you're interested in in your Personalized Digest email. These are shown on your profile as your Observed Interests. You can easily remove any of these interests by clicking on the gray x next to the topic name. 


All Animal Welfare Topic Discussions

  • RE: Reddit and Threads

    Discussion

    I just search for cats then post wherever as long as it seems active. ------------------------------ Bre Hoffman (they/m) Special Little Whiskers Sanctuary Decatur IL SpecialLittleWhiskersKittenRescue.com See More

  • RE: Reddit and Threads

    Discussion

    Hi Bre, I wondered what subheadings you post in? ------------------------------ April King Volunteer and Board Member Kotor Kitties +1 206 407 5336 http://www.kotorkitties.org ---------------------- See More

  • RE: Leash training

    Discussion

    You might try to incorporate training in a low distractions environment - like in your house : ) Asking for good behavior when the dog is presented with things a lot more interesting than your request See More

  • RE: Grant help

    Discussion

    I'm a grant writer for a nonprofit animal shelter in Northeastern Minnesota, but I think I have resources that can help, no matter where you're located. My recommended grant hub is GrantWatch. It's See More

  • Discussion

    Justin, Sounds like you have a great organization! Thank you for doing that work. I've had 5 years experience working with shelter dogs, much of that with dogs others found too difficult to work with. See More

  • Discussion

    And that presents another issue, who is a trainer or behaviorist? For example, our local shelter has a trainer. He has never been to a class, has no certifications, but he is doing behavioral evaluations. See More

  • Discussion

    Linda, I agree. "Stubborn" is an interpretation placed on the dog, not an explanation of the behavior. It tells us what the handler believes is happening, but it does not identify what is actually driving See More

  • Discussion

    The common use of "stubborn dog" needs to be addressed. Stubborn is NOT a trait of dogs, or any animal for that matter. It can be fear, stress, not understanding, or confusion. This is accorrding to UC See More

  • Great idea and program from your neighbor in Kentucky!! ------------------------------ [Christine] [Fredericks] [Volunteer] [Hope for All Pets, Inc.] [Bronston] [KY] ------------------------------

  • Hi Michelle, I think the short answer is that it has made a huge dent, and continues to, and the more the better, especially because we've lost so much ground in the last six years. The animal welfare See More

  • I wanted to let folks know that if you have been thinking of teaching kids in your community about responsible pet ownership, we have a free YouTube channel that you can follow/subscribe to! We're Talking See More

  • Discussion Thread

  • Like the question. It would be great if Maddie had a comprehensive course on booting up a small office, then more in depth courses addressing topics like: Office essentials (physical plant) Staff See More

  • Discussion

    sorry about the typo Justin, this is an important question, and I appreciate you raising it. I would be glad to discuss the case privately and explore whether a structured records review, screening process, See More

  • Discussion

    Justin and anyone else reading this respose, thank you for raising this. Based on the behaviors described, I would be cautious about labeling the male as dominant, stubborn, or simply strong-willed. Those See More

  • RE: Grant help

    Discussion

    Hi Jeremy, I've been doing grant writing for a little over a year now, so happy to share what's worked for me! I'd start by identifying your greatest need, whether that's veterinary care, food, capital See More

  • Discussion

    I write something cute at the top like "Pip chose to grace us w her picture" Then at the bottom in slightly smaller text I post our url ------------------------------ Bre Hoffman (they/m) Special Little See More

  • RE: Grant help

    Discussion

    Assuming GrantWatch and GrantStation are subscription based, are they worth the money in your opinion? ------------------------------ Samantha Singer Volunteer grant writer Big Bones Canine Rescue CO See More

  • RE: Reddit and Threads

    Discussion

    What does the text say? I'm not able to see it from my phone 😞 ------------------------------ Samantha Singer Volunteer grant writer Big Bones Canine Rescue CO ------------------------------ See More

  • RE: Reddit and Threads

    Discussion

    r/animalshelterstories isn't really for advertising adoptables. It's more for discussing shelter issues and commiserating with other shelter/rescue employees and volunteers. Animal advertising and fundraising See More

  • Discussion

    I post pics like this and just repost the caption as the title. I probably should do better but it is getting us traffic. ------------------------------ Bre Hoffman (they/m) Special Little Whiskers See More

  • SAVE THE DATE! We will be accepting applications in three weeks, starting on Friday, August 14th, 2026, for the Fall 2026 session of Online Instructor-Led Courses! Classes will begin the week of September See More

  • Library Entry

    #Behavior,TrainingandEnrichment

  • Discussion

    Hello everyone, Purple Paws for Peace here. We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Placer County, California, and we're seeking professional insight from those with experience in canine behavior and training-particularly See More

  • Discussion Thread

  • Discussion

    One of our go-to methods has been partnering with local restaurants: Applebee's, Panera, non-chain local faves, and doing a once-a-month percentage of the tab donation. Applebee's has been the most generous, See More

  • RE: Mailchimp

    Discussion

    I know mailchimp pretty well - I can take a look and see how I can improve it. Email me: drakiesdream@gmail.com ------------------------------ Lindsay Dancy Founder Drakies Dream MA ---------------- See More

  • RE: Reddit and Threads

    Discussion

    Haven't had much luck on threads. Reddit definitely can be helpful though for advice or getting eyes on a pet. ------------------------------ Winny W Volunteer Furever and Pawways TN --------------- See More

  • Hi, For those of you wanting to share references about GI disease and behavior with your veterinary team, here's the article Dr. Haug was referring to, below. Your veterinarian would need to have university See More

  • Hi, Here's the presentation slides for today's webcast about GI disease and behavior. Looking forward to seeing everyone at noon PT/3 pm ET! Sign up for the webcast ------------------------------ See More

  • RE: Reddit and Threads

    Discussion

    Great, thanks! I'll check out that sub. 🙂 ------------------------------ Samantha Singer Volunteer grant writer Big Bones Canine Rescue CO ------------------------------ See More

  • RE: Reddit and Threads

    Discussion

    Reddit is huge for marketing. I'd recommend posting in r/animalshelterstories, and other dog or cat related subs depending on your rescue. ------------------------------ Kyle Leighton Founder PawPlacer See More

  • Discussion

    Thank you so much! This could be (budget permitting) very, very helpful! ------------------------------ Christine Blank Shelter Manager Independence Animal Services MO ------------------------------

  • PVC, FRP(we used these) and HDPE. I found this company online because I searched using "dairy," but you can buy these and similar boards elsewhere and online and in different thicknesses. If you buy See More

  • Discussion Thread

  • Reddit and Threads

    Discussion

    Has anyone had any luck going viral on Threads or had a lot of engagement on Reddit? We do the usual Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, but I'm trying to tap into Threads and Reddit, which I think are resources See More

  • Reddit and Threads

    Discussion Thread

  • Discussion

    Apologies if this is the wrong place, brand new to the forum. I foster out of NC for a few local groups (dogs) and our county shelter (dogs and cats). I know things are not great where I'm at but our community See More

  • Discussion

    "Thank you so much for the kind words! Haven was truly special, and seeing her transform from a neglected, fearful pup into a confident family dog makes every single late night worth it. Living with them See More

  • Mailchimp

    Discussion Thread

  • Mailchimp

    Discussion

    Our MailChimp newsletter looks real dated (because it is!) and we are wondering if anyone out there feels like they're a MailChimp design wiz and willing to lend us a little help developing a new template. See More

  • Discussion Thread

  • Discussion

    Does anyone have suggestions for dog proof and weather proof panels that can be attached to existing chain link fences to reduce the fighting between dogs with a shared fence? #Behavior,TrainingandEnrichment See More

  • Wow this is so cool and honestly such a good idea. Love what all of you are doing! ------------------------------ Kyle Leighton Founder PawPlacer NY ------------------------------

  • Wow love this!! ------------------------------ Kyle Leighton Founder PawPlacer NY ------------------------------

  • Discussion

    Hi Jessica, I'm Kyle, the founder and creator of PawPlacer (www.pawplacer.com). We built PawPlacer, a management platform built for shelters and rescues of all sizes. We've been heads down building See More

  • Hi Sofia, I'm Kyle, the founder of PawPlacer (www.pawplacer.com). We built PawPlacer after hearing many of the same frustrations you're describing from shelters and rescues trying to manage See More

  • Discussion

    Hi Jen, I'm Kyle, the founder of PawPlacer (www.pawplacer.com). Reading your post, it sounds like your biggest concerns aren't really about adoption fees, they're about the time you've already See More