Animal Welfare Professionals

We hope to see you on the next Maddie's Community Conversation on Monday, August 18, 2025 at 11am PT / 2pm ET  for a presentation on "The Real Reasons Pets Enter Shelters and How to Change the Story" with @Amanda Foster, Director of Programs, and @Jenifer Reed, Senior Education and Program Specialist, at HASS. 

Shelters often take in pets because of complex human challenges, rarely just a single reason. In this condensed session, you'll discover key insights from the Human Animal Support Services (HASS) Intake Triage Project, which replaces transactional intake with a triage-based approach to uncover the full story behind owner surrenders and found pets. Learn how shelters used conversational intake to gather richer, more actionable data, spot trends unique to their communities, and design targeted resources that keep pets with their families. We'll share common themes and proven strategies for addressing financial and housing barriers, resolving behavior concerns, empowering finders to reunite lost pets, and building effective finder-to-foster programs.

Don't forget! $10,000 in grants each month! 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 giveaway drawing entry forms that will be shared in the chat during the calls.

Register for Community Conversations hosted via Zoom: https://maddies.fund/CommunityConversationsRegistration2025
If you have not re-registered for the new season, please do so today. 

🧠 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, @Amanda Foster and @Jenifer Reed, and everyone who joined us today! We would love to hear from you in response to today's reflection question: 

What's something you have wanted to try at your organization but have been too hesitant/scared/apprehensive to implement?

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

Original Message:
Sent: 08-14-2025 10:30 AM
From: Sheila Kouhkan
Subject: Community Conversations - 08/18/2025 - The Real Reasons Pets Enter Shelters and How to Change the Story

We hope to see you on the next Maddie's Community Conversation on Monday, August 18, 2025 at 11am PT / 2pm ET  for a presentation on "The Real Reasons Pets Enter Shelters and How to Change the Story" with @Amanda Foster, Director of Programs, and @Jenifer Reed, Senior Education and Program Specialist, at HASS. 

Shelters often take in pets because of complex human challenges, rarely just a single reason. In this condensed session, you'll discover key insights from the Human Animal Support Services (HASS) Intake Triage Project, which replaces transactional intake with a triage-based approach to uncover the full story behind owner surrenders and found pets. Learn how shelters used conversational intake to gather richer, more actionable data, spot trends unique to their communities, and design targeted resources that keep pets with their families. We'll share common themes and proven strategies for addressing financial and housing barriers, resolving behavior concerns, empowering finders to reunite lost pets, and building effective finder-to-foster programs.

Don't forget! $10,000 in grants each month! 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 giveaway drawing entry forms that will be shared in the chat during the calls.

Register for Community Conversations hosted via Zoom: https://maddies.fund/CommunityConversationsRegistration2025
If you have not re-registered for the new season, please do so today. 

🧠 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! 

#EducationandTraining

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

I truly appreciate Amanda and Jenifer taking my question about which strategy they recommend starting with for proactive communication to share resources available in our community. Sometimes it's difficult to know where to start. While on the webinar yesterday, another Georgia group shared a list of resources that we are looking forward to linking to the BCAR (Big Canoe Animal Rescue) webpage. This connects to data we have been analyzing as to how much traffic is getting to our webpage and clicking through on other pages currently available. We have a fall fundraising push getting ready to happen and plan to also connect all marketing to the webpage to learn more.

https://www.bigcanoeanimalrescue.org/

I'm so happy to be a part of this group and look forward to each Monday webinar and all of the resource offerings available! 

------------------------------
Patti Denny
BCAR Volunteer
Big Canoe Animal Rescue

Original Message:
Sent: 08-18-2025 12:10 PM
From: Sheila Kouhkan
Subject: Community Conversations - 08/18/2025 - The Real Reasons Pets Enter Shelters and How to Change the Story

Thanks to our speakers, @Amanda Foster and @Jenifer Reed, and everyone who joined us today! We would love to hear from you in response to today's reflection question: 

What's something you have wanted to try at your organization but have been too hesitant/scared/apprehensive to implement?

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

Original Message:
Sent: 08-14-2025 10:30 AM
From: Sheila Kouhkan
Subject: Community Conversations - 08/18/2025 - The Real Reasons Pets Enter Shelters and How to Change the Story

We hope to see you on the next Maddie's Community Conversation on Monday, August 18, 2025 at 11am PT / 2pm ET  for a presentation on "The Real Reasons Pets Enter Shelters and How to Change the Story" with @Amanda Foster, Director of Programs, and @Jenifer Reed, Senior Education and Program Specialist, at HASS. 

Shelters often take in pets because of complex human challenges, rarely just a single reason. In this condensed session, you'll discover key insights from the Human Animal Support Services (HASS) Intake Triage Project, which replaces transactional intake with a triage-based approach to uncover the full story behind owner surrenders and found pets. Learn how shelters used conversational intake to gather richer, more actionable data, spot trends unique to their communities, and design targeted resources that keep pets with their families. We'll share common themes and proven strategies for addressing financial and housing barriers, resolving behavior concerns, empowering finders to reunite lost pets, and building effective finder-to-foster programs.

Don't forget! $10,000 in grants each month! 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 giveaway drawing entry forms that will be shared in the chat during the calls.

Register for Community Conversations hosted via Zoom: https://maddies.fund/CommunityConversationsRegistration2025
If you have not re-registered for the new season, please do so today. 

🧠 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! 

#EducationandTraining

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

Thanks to our speakers, @Amanda Foster and @Jenifer Reed, and everyone who joined us today! We would love to hear from you in response to today's reflection question: 

What's something you have wanted to try at your organization but have been too hesitant/scared/apprehensive to implement?

We hope to see you on the next Maddie's Community Conversation on Monday, August 18, 2025 at 11am PT / 2pm ET  for a presentation on "The Real Reasons Pets Enter Shelters and How to Change the Story" with @Amanda Foster, Director of Programs, and @Jenifer Reed, Senior Education and Program Specialist, at HASS. 

Shelters often take in pets because of complex human challenges, rarely just a single reason. In this condensed session, you'll discover key insights from the Human Animal Support Services (HASS) Intake Triage Project, which replaces transactional intake with a triage-based approach to uncover the full story behind owner surrenders and found pets. Learn how shelters used conversational intake to gather richer, more actionable data, spot trends unique to their communities, and design targeted resources that keep pets with their families. We'll share common themes and proven strategies for addressing financial and housing barriers, resolving behavior concerns, empowering finders to reunite lost pets, and building effective finder-to-foster programs.

Don't forget! $10,000 in grants each month! 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 giveaway drawing entry forms that will be shared in the chat during the calls.

Register for Community Conversations hosted via Zoom: https://maddies.fund/CommunityConversationsRegistration2025
If you have not re-registered for the new season, please do so today. 

🧠 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! 

Thank you Amanda and Jenifer for a great conversation about important topics. I did not have a chance to post my questions so I will do it here.  I love the idea of creating an intake environment that is non-threatening and displays comfort. Do you have any data on whether this approach helps with the surrendering rate? I want to share my one person approach to rehoming. I am a trainer and often look at Nextdoor posts of rehoming pets and there are so many. Depending on what was posted but if  it might be a behavior issue, I contacted the poster privately to see if I could help. Those who accept help indicate to me that they want to keep their pets. I then provided help pro bono quickly over chat or even for a long period of time. One person claimed she had a bad back and could not walk her one year dog and wanted to rehome her dog. I worked with this individual at least 10 sessions, starting out inside getting her to come on board with working with her dog with easy and fun skill first then we tackle the outdoor walk. The idea is that she does not need to walk her dog religiously. There are other thing she could do.  It was crazy that it took me 9 months and yet she kept telling me she still wanted to rehome her dog but I think she finally decided to keep her very sweet dog which is now a year older and displays less of the puppy antics. She was going to get her back surgery but I don't know if she did. I even offered to exercise her dog free of charge during her recuperation. I am a firm believer in proactive and preventive measures. And it is easy for me to do this because I am just a one person organization. I have to say my success rate is not 100%. It is somewhere 50-75% but even just one dog gets to stay in the home is good enough for me. I often thought about offering a free behavior hotline as part of my nonprofit. I have no idea how to structure something like this and wondering if a hot line already exists.  I would love to explore to see how that is done and learn from others. Thanks for the opportunity to ask.

Thanks to our speakers, @Amanda Foster and @Jenifer Reed, and everyone who joined us today! We would love to hear from you in response to today's reflection question: 

What's something you have wanted to try at your organization but have been too hesitant/scared/apprehensive to implement?

We hope to see you on the next Maddie's Community Conversation on Monday, August 18, 2025 at 11am PT / 2pm ET  for a presentation on "The Real Reasons Pets Enter Shelters and How to Change the Story" with @Amanda Foster, Director of Programs, and @Jenifer Reed, Senior Education and Program Specialist, at HASS. 

Shelters often take in pets because of complex human challenges, rarely just a single reason. In this condensed session, you'll discover key insights from the Human Animal Support Services (HASS) Intake Triage Project, which replaces transactional intake with a triage-based approach to uncover the full story behind owner surrenders and found pets. Learn how shelters used conversational intake to gather richer, more actionable data, spot trends unique to their communities, and design targeted resources that keep pets with their families. We'll share common themes and proven strategies for addressing financial and housing barriers, resolving behavior concerns, empowering finders to reunite lost pets, and building effective finder-to-foster programs.

Don't forget! $10,000 in grants each month! 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 giveaway drawing entry forms that will be shared in the chat during the calls.

Register for Community Conversations hosted via Zoom: https://maddies.fund/CommunityConversationsRegistration2025
If you have not re-registered for the new season, please do so today. 

🧠 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! 

Hi Julielani,

It sounds like you're doing fantastic work supporting people with their pets! While not all owner surrenders are preventable, we've found that reaching owners earlier, before they reach a crisis point, allows us to provide better support and can significantly reduce the need for surrender. In fact, our sample showed that by the time someone comes to the shelter physically to surrender their pet, 85% indicate that it's too late to receive support.

Your idea of a behavior hotline is excellent and could be a valuable resource for owners dealing with behavior challenges. The ASPCA offers some great resources on this that you might find helpful.

Behavior Helpline Webinar | ASPCApro

Best of luck!

Amanda

Thank you Amanda and Jenifer for a great conversation about important topics. I did not have a chance to post my questions so I will do it here.  I love the idea of creating an intake environment that is non-threatening and displays comfort. Do you have any data on whether this approach helps with the surrendering rate? I want to share my one person approach to rehoming. I am a trainer and often look at Nextdoor posts of rehoming pets and there are so many. Depending on what was posted but if  it might be a behavior issue, I contacted the poster privately to see if I could help. Those who accept help indicate to me that they want to keep their pets. I then provided help pro bono quickly over chat or even for a long period of time. One person claimed she had a bad back and could not walk her one year dog and wanted to rehome her dog. I worked with this individual at least 10 sessions, starting out inside getting her to come on board with working with her dog with easy and fun skill first then we tackle the outdoor walk. The idea is that she does not need to walk her dog religiously. There are other thing she could do.  It was crazy that it took me 9 months and yet she kept telling me she still wanted to rehome her dog but I think she finally decided to keep her very sweet dog which is now a year older and displays less of the puppy antics. She was going to get her back surgery but I don't know if she did. I even offered to exercise her dog free of charge during her recuperation. I am a firm believer in proactive and preventive measures. And it is easy for me to do this because I am just a one person organization. I have to say my success rate is not 100%. It is somewhere 50-75% but even just one dog gets to stay in the home is good enough for me. I often thought about offering a free behavior hotline as part of my nonprofit. I have no idea how to structure something like this and wondering if a hot line already exists.  I would love to explore to see how that is done and learn from others. Thanks for the opportunity to ask.

Thanks to our speakers, @Amanda Foster and @Jenifer Reed, and everyone who joined us today! We would love to hear from you in response to today's reflection question: 

What's something you have wanted to try at your organization but have been too hesitant/scared/apprehensive to implement?

We hope to see you on the next Maddie's Community Conversation on Monday, August 18, 2025 at 11am PT / 2pm ET  for a presentation on "The Real Reasons Pets Enter Shelters and How to Change the Story" with @Amanda Foster, Director of Programs, and @Jenifer Reed, Senior Education and Program Specialist, at HASS. 

Shelters often take in pets because of complex human challenges, rarely just a single reason. In this condensed session, you'll discover key insights from the Human Animal Support Services (HASS) Intake Triage Project, which replaces transactional intake with a triage-based approach to uncover the full story behind owner surrenders and found pets. Learn how shelters used conversational intake to gather richer, more actionable data, spot trends unique to their communities, and design targeted resources that keep pets with their families. We'll share common themes and proven strategies for addressing financial and housing barriers, resolving behavior concerns, empowering finders to reunite lost pets, and building effective finder-to-foster programs.

Don't forget! $10,000 in grants each month! 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 giveaway drawing entry forms that will be shared in the chat during the calls.

Register for Community Conversations hosted via Zoom: https://maddies.fund/CommunityConversationsRegistration2025
If you have not re-registered for the new season, please do so today. 

🧠 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, @Amanda Foster and @Jenifer Reed, and everyone who joined us today! We would love to hear from you in response to today's reflection question: 

What's something you have wanted to try at your organization but have been too hesitant/scared/apprehensive to implement?

We hope to see you on the next Maddie's Community Conversation on Monday, August 18, 2025 at 11am PT / 2pm ET  for a presentation on "The Real Reasons Pets Enter Shelters and How to Change the Story" with @Amanda Foster, Director of Programs, and @Jenifer Reed, Senior Education and Program Specialist, at HASS. 

Shelters often take in pets because of complex human challenges, rarely just a single reason. In this condensed session, you'll discover key insights from the Human Animal Support Services (HASS) Intake Triage Project, which replaces transactional intake with a triage-based approach to uncover the full story behind owner surrenders and found pets. Learn how shelters used conversational intake to gather richer, more actionable data, spot trends unique to their communities, and design targeted resources that keep pets with their families. We'll share common themes and proven strategies for addressing financial and housing barriers, resolving behavior concerns, empowering finders to reunite lost pets, and building effective finder-to-foster programs.

Don't forget! $10,000 in grants each month! 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 giveaway drawing entry forms that will be shared in the chat during the calls.

Register for Community Conversations hosted via Zoom: https://maddies.fund/CommunityConversationsRegistration2025
If you have not re-registered for the new season, please do so today. 

🧠 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! 

Our organization SPR has pivoted to meet the increasing demands of the local dog problem. Prior to 2019, SPR's intake ratio was 97% of the dogs came from their southern partners in Mississippi and Alabama. 3% of SPR's dogs were local MA dogs (abandoned, stray, owner surrenders.) Since 2019, post Covid, our intake ratio has continually shifted to where now our local intake is upwards of 40%. To that end, we have had to adjust the dogs coming from our southern partners to just 60% of our total intake.

Thanks to our speakers, @Amanda Foster and @Jenifer Reed, and everyone who joined us today! We would love to hear from you in response to today's reflection question: 

What's something you have wanted to try at your organization but have been too hesitant/scared/apprehensive to implement?

We hope to see you on the next Maddie's Community Conversation on Monday, August 18, 2025 at 11am PT / 2pm ET  for a presentation on "The Real Reasons Pets Enter Shelters and How to Change the Story" with @Amanda Foster, Director of Programs, and @Jenifer Reed, Senior Education and Program Specialist, at HASS. 

Shelters often take in pets because of complex human challenges, rarely just a single reason. In this condensed session, you'll discover key insights from the Human Animal Support Services (HASS) Intake Triage Project, which replaces transactional intake with a triage-based approach to uncover the full story behind owner surrenders and found pets. Learn how shelters used conversational intake to gather richer, more actionable data, spot trends unique to their communities, and design targeted resources that keep pets with their families. We'll share common themes and proven strategies for addressing financial and housing barriers, resolving behavior concerns, empowering finders to reunite lost pets, and building effective finder-to-foster programs.

Don't forget! $10,000 in grants each month! 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 giveaway drawing entry forms that will be shared in the chat during the calls.

Register for Community Conversations hosted via Zoom: https://maddies.fund/CommunityConversationsRegistration2025
If you have not re-registered for the new season, please do so today. 

🧠 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, @Amanda Foster and @Jenifer Reed, and everyone who joined us today! We would love to hear from you in response to today's reflection question: 

What's something you have wanted to try at your organization but have been too hesitant/scared/apprehensive to implement?

We hope to see you on the next Maddie's Community Conversation on Monday, August 18, 2025 at 11am PT / 2pm ET  for a presentation on "The Real Reasons Pets Enter Shelters and How to Change the Story" with @Amanda Foster, Director of Programs, and @Jenifer Reed, Senior Education and Program Specialist, at HASS. 

Shelters often take in pets because of complex human challenges, rarely just a single reason. In this condensed session, you'll discover key insights from the Human Animal Support Services (HASS) Intake Triage Project, which replaces transactional intake with a triage-based approach to uncover the full story behind owner surrenders and found pets. Learn how shelters used conversational intake to gather richer, more actionable data, spot trends unique to their communities, and design targeted resources that keep pets with their families. We'll share common themes and proven strategies for addressing financial and housing barriers, resolving behavior concerns, empowering finders to reunite lost pets, and building effective finder-to-foster programs.

Don't forget! $10,000 in grants each month! 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 giveaway drawing entry forms that will be shared in the chat during the calls.

Register for Community Conversations hosted via Zoom: https://maddies.fund/CommunityConversationsRegistration2025
If you have not re-registered for the new season, please do so today. 

🧠 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 know the idea of a spay/neuter program has been tossed around a few times in the years I've been with the rescue. I don't know that we're "scared" necessarily but a lot of folks in this community know it's a lot of work to keep the non-profit rescue going sometimes. I think having dedicated members to support the program is really required as well so understanding who within the rescue is reliable and can be consistent with upkeep of whatever the program or "thing" is will also be very important.

Thanks to our speakers, @Amanda Foster and @Jenifer Reed, and everyone who joined us today! We would love to hear from you in response to today's reflection question: 

What's something you have wanted to try at your organization but have been too hesitant/scared/apprehensive to implement?

We hope to see you on the next Maddie's Community Conversation on Monday, August 18, 2025 at 11am PT / 2pm ET  for a presentation on "The Real Reasons Pets Enter Shelters and How to Change the Story" with @Amanda Foster, Director of Programs, and @Jenifer Reed, Senior Education and Program Specialist, at HASS. 

Shelters often take in pets because of complex human challenges, rarely just a single reason. In this condensed session, you'll discover key insights from the Human Animal Support Services (HASS) Intake Triage Project, which replaces transactional intake with a triage-based approach to uncover the full story behind owner surrenders and found pets. Learn how shelters used conversational intake to gather richer, more actionable data, spot trends unique to their communities, and design targeted resources that keep pets with their families. We'll share common themes and proven strategies for addressing financial and housing barriers, resolving behavior concerns, empowering finders to reunite lost pets, and building effective finder-to-foster programs.

Don't forget! $10,000 in grants each month! 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 giveaway drawing entry forms that will be shared in the chat during the calls.

Register for Community Conversations hosted via Zoom: https://maddies.fund/CommunityConversationsRegistration2025
If you have not re-registered for the new season, please do so today. 

🧠 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, August 18, 2025 at 11am PT / 2pm ET  for a presentation on "The Real Reasons Pets Enter Shelters and How to Change the Story" with @Amanda Foster, Director of Programs, and @Jenifer Reed, Senior Education and Program Specialist, at HASS. 

Shelters often take in pets because of complex human challenges, rarely just a single reason. In this condensed session, you'll discover key insights from the Human Animal Support Services (HASS) Intake Triage Project, which replaces transactional intake with a triage-based approach to uncover the full story behind owner surrenders and found pets. Learn how shelters used conversational intake to gather richer, more actionable data, spot trends unique to their communities, and design targeted resources that keep pets with their families. We'll share common themes and proven strategies for addressing financial and housing barriers, resolving behavior concerns, empowering finders to reunite lost pets, and building effective finder-to-foster programs.

Don't forget! $10,000 in grants each month! 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 giveaway drawing entry forms that will be shared in the chat during the calls.

Register for Community Conversations hosted via Zoom: https://maddies.fund/CommunityConversationsRegistration2025
If you have not re-registered for the new season, please do so today. 

🧠 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! 

Unanswered question from the chat: 

"Unfortunately, there are people who keep taking in then surrendering animals. I have a neighbor like this. How do we handle someone like that?" - @Wanda Miller

We hope to see you on the next Maddie's Community Conversation on Monday, August 18, 2025 at 11am PT / 2pm ET  for a presentation on "The Real Reasons Pets Enter Shelters and How to Change the Story" with @Amanda Foster, Director of Programs, and @Jenifer Reed, Senior Education and Program Specialist, at HASS. 

Shelters often take in pets because of complex human challenges, rarely just a single reason. In this condensed session, you'll discover key insights from the Human Animal Support Services (HASS) Intake Triage Project, which replaces transactional intake with a triage-based approach to uncover the full story behind owner surrenders and found pets. Learn how shelters used conversational intake to gather richer, more actionable data, spot trends unique to their communities, and design targeted resources that keep pets with their families. We'll share common themes and proven strategies for addressing financial and housing barriers, resolving behavior concerns, empowering finders to reunite lost pets, and building effective finder-to-foster programs.

Don't forget! $10,000 in grants each month! 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 giveaway drawing entry forms that will be shared in the chat during the calls.

Register for Community Conversations hosted via Zoom: https://maddies.fund/CommunityConversationsRegistration2025
If you have not re-registered for the new season, please do so today. 

🧠 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! 

Unanswered question from the chat: 

"Unfortunately, there are people who keep taking in then surrendering animals. I have a neighbor like this. How do we handle someone like that?" - @Wanda Miller

We hope to see you on the next Maddie's Community Conversation on Monday, August 18, 2025 at 11am PT / 2pm ET  for a presentation on "The Real Reasons Pets Enter Shelters and How to Change the Story" with @Amanda Foster, Director of Programs, and @Jenifer Reed, Senior Education and Program Specialist, at HASS. 

Shelters often take in pets because of complex human challenges, rarely just a single reason. In this condensed session, you'll discover key insights from the Human Animal Support Services (HASS) Intake Triage Project, which replaces transactional intake with a triage-based approach to uncover the full story behind owner surrenders and found pets. Learn how shelters used conversational intake to gather richer, more actionable data, spot trends unique to their communities, and design targeted resources that keep pets with their families. We'll share common themes and proven strategies for addressing financial and housing barriers, resolving behavior concerns, empowering finders to reunite lost pets, and building effective finder-to-foster programs.

Don't forget! $10,000 in grants each month! 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 giveaway drawing entry forms that will be shared in the chat during the calls.

Register for Community Conversations hosted via Zoom: https://maddies.fund/CommunityConversationsRegistration2025
If you have not re-registered for the new season, please do so today. 

🧠 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 have the same issue!  Our shelters are so full, community members who should not take in stray dogs/cats take them in and then cannot help them/keep them!  We are constantly struggling with community homeless pets.  We wish there was an in between and/or that we had resources to help more than offer food/crate/vet care.  I supposed this is a sign of the times! 

Unanswered question from the chat: 

"Unfortunately, there are people who keep taking in then surrendering animals. I have a neighbor like this. How do we handle someone like that?" - @Wanda Miller

We hope to see you on the next Maddie's Community Conversation on Monday, August 18, 2025 at 11am PT / 2pm ET  for a presentation on "The Real Reasons Pets Enter Shelters and How to Change the Story" with @Amanda Foster, Director of Programs, and @Jenifer Reed, Senior Education and Program Specialist, at HASS. 

Shelters often take in pets because of complex human challenges, rarely just a single reason. In this condensed session, you'll discover key insights from the Human Animal Support Services (HASS) Intake Triage Project, which replaces transactional intake with a triage-based approach to uncover the full story behind owner surrenders and found pets. Learn how shelters used conversational intake to gather richer, more actionable data, spot trends unique to their communities, and design targeted resources that keep pets with their families. We'll share common themes and proven strategies for addressing financial and housing barriers, resolving behavior concerns, empowering finders to reunite lost pets, and building effective finder-to-foster programs.

Don't forget! $10,000 in grants each month! 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 giveaway drawing entry forms that will be shared in the chat during the calls.

Register for Community Conversations hosted via Zoom: https://maddies.fund/CommunityConversationsRegistration2025
If you have not re-registered for the new season, please do so today. 

🧠 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, August 18, 2025 at 11am PT / 2pm ET  for a presentation on "The Real Reasons Pets Enter Shelters and How to Change the Story" with @Amanda Foster, Director of Programs, and @Jenifer Reed, Senior Education and Program Specialist, at HASS. 

Shelters often take in pets because of complex human challenges, rarely just a single reason. In this condensed session, you'll discover key insights from the Human Animal Support Services (HASS) Intake Triage Project, which replaces transactional intake with a triage-based approach to uncover the full story behind owner surrenders and found pets. Learn how shelters used conversational intake to gather richer, more actionable data, spot trends unique to their communities, and design targeted resources that keep pets with their families. We'll share common themes and proven strategies for addressing financial and housing barriers, resolving behavior concerns, empowering finders to reunite lost pets, and building effective finder-to-foster programs.

Don't forget! $10,000 in grants each month! 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 giveaway drawing entry forms that will be shared in the chat during the calls.

Register for Community Conversations hosted via Zoom: https://maddies.fund/CommunityConversationsRegistration2025
If you have not re-registered for the new season, please do so today. 

🧠 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! 

Unanswered question from the chat: 

"Curious question - What are animals (pets) considered in your states? In SC they are property and therefore protected under the 4th Amendment." - @David Jorgensen

We hope to see you on the next Maddie's Community Conversation on Monday, August 18, 2025 at 11am PT / 2pm ET  for a presentation on "The Real Reasons Pets Enter Shelters and How to Change the Story" with @Amanda Foster, Director of Programs, and @Jenifer Reed, Senior Education and Program Specialist, at HASS. 

Shelters often take in pets because of complex human challenges, rarely just a single reason. In this condensed session, you'll discover key insights from the Human Animal Support Services (HASS) Intake Triage Project, which replaces transactional intake with a triage-based approach to uncover the full story behind owner surrenders and found pets. Learn how shelters used conversational intake to gather richer, more actionable data, spot trends unique to their communities, and design targeted resources that keep pets with their families. We'll share common themes and proven strategies for addressing financial and housing barriers, resolving behavior concerns, empowering finders to reunite lost pets, and building effective finder-to-foster programs.

Don't forget! $10,000 in grants each month! 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 giveaway drawing entry forms that will be shared in the chat during the calls.

Register for Community Conversations hosted via Zoom: https://maddies.fund/CommunityConversationsRegistration2025
If you have not re-registered for the new season, please do so today. 

🧠 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! 

Unanswered question from the chat: 

"Curious question - What are animals (pets) considered in your states? In SC they are property and therefore protected under the 4th Amendment." - @David Jorgensen

We hope to see you on the next Maddie's Community Conversation on Monday, August 18, 2025 at 11am PT / 2pm ET  for a presentation on "The Real Reasons Pets Enter Shelters and How to Change the Story" with @Amanda Foster, Director of Programs, and @Jenifer Reed, Senior Education and Program Specialist, at HASS. 

Shelters often take in pets because of complex human challenges, rarely just a single reason. In this condensed session, you'll discover key insights from the Human Animal Support Services (HASS) Intake Triage Project, which replaces transactional intake with a triage-based approach to uncover the full story behind owner surrenders and found pets. Learn how shelters used conversational intake to gather richer, more actionable data, spot trends unique to their communities, and design targeted resources that keep pets with their families. We'll share common themes and proven strategies for addressing financial and housing barriers, resolving behavior concerns, empowering finders to reunite lost pets, and building effective finder-to-foster programs.

Don't forget! $10,000 in grants each month! 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 giveaway drawing entry forms that will be shared in the chat during the calls.

Register for Community Conversations hosted via Zoom: https://maddies.fund/CommunityConversationsRegistration2025
If you have not re-registered for the new season, please do so today. 

🧠 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! 

In MN they are considered property as well. 

Unanswered question from the chat: 

"Curious question - What are animals (pets) considered in your states? In SC they are property and therefore protected under the 4th Amendment." - @David Jorgensen

We hope to see you on the next Maddie's Community Conversation on Monday, August 18, 2025 at 11am PT / 2pm ET  for a presentation on "The Real Reasons Pets Enter Shelters and How to Change the Story" with @Amanda Foster, Director of Programs, and @Jenifer Reed, Senior Education and Program Specialist, at HASS. 

Shelters often take in pets because of complex human challenges, rarely just a single reason. In this condensed session, you'll discover key insights from the Human Animal Support Services (HASS) Intake Triage Project, which replaces transactional intake with a triage-based approach to uncover the full story behind owner surrenders and found pets. Learn how shelters used conversational intake to gather richer, more actionable data, spot trends unique to their communities, and design targeted resources that keep pets with their families. We'll share common themes and proven strategies for addressing financial and housing barriers, resolving behavior concerns, empowering finders to reunite lost pets, and building effective finder-to-foster programs.

Don't forget! $10,000 in grants each month! 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 giveaway drawing entry forms that will be shared in the chat during the calls.

Register for Community Conversations hosted via Zoom: https://maddies.fund/CommunityConversationsRegistration2025
If you have not re-registered for the new season, please do so today. 

🧠 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, August 18, 2025 at 11am PT / 2pm ET  for a presentation on "The Real Reasons Pets Enter Shelters and How to Change the Story" with @Amanda Foster, Director of Programs, and @Jenifer Reed, Senior Education and Program Specialist, at HASS. 

Shelters often take in pets because of complex human challenges, rarely just a single reason. In this condensed session, you'll discover key insights from the Human Animal Support Services (HASS) Intake Triage Project, which replaces transactional intake with a triage-based approach to uncover the full story behind owner surrenders and found pets. Learn how shelters used conversational intake to gather richer, more actionable data, spot trends unique to their communities, and design targeted resources that keep pets with their families. We'll share common themes and proven strategies for addressing financial and housing barriers, resolving behavior concerns, empowering finders to reunite lost pets, and building effective finder-to-foster programs.

Don't forget! $10,000 in grants each month! 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 giveaway drawing entry forms that will be shared in the chat during the calls.

Register for Community Conversations hosted via Zoom: https://maddies.fund/CommunityConversationsRegistration2025
If you have not re-registered for the new season, please do so today. 

🧠 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! 

Unanswered question from the chat:

"Are there any resources nationwide for veterinary assistance?  All the groups we've found for our pet guardians through the pet help websites that have nationwide groups only give around $100-$200 per person per issue." - @Kristin Moro

We hope to see you on the next Maddie's Community Conversation on Monday, August 18, 2025 at 11am PT / 2pm ET  for a presentation on "The Real Reasons Pets Enter Shelters and How to Change the Story" with @Amanda Foster, Director of Programs, and @Jenifer Reed, Senior Education and Program Specialist, at HASS. 

Shelters often take in pets because of complex human challenges, rarely just a single reason. In this condensed session, you'll discover key insights from the Human Animal Support Services (HASS) Intake Triage Project, which replaces transactional intake with a triage-based approach to uncover the full story behind owner surrenders and found pets. Learn how shelters used conversational intake to gather richer, more actionable data, spot trends unique to their communities, and design targeted resources that keep pets with their families. We'll share common themes and proven strategies for addressing financial and housing barriers, resolving behavior concerns, empowering finders to reunite lost pets, and building effective finder-to-foster programs.

Don't forget! $10,000 in grants each month! 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 giveaway drawing entry forms that will be shared in the chat during the calls.

Register for Community Conversations hosted via Zoom: https://maddies.fund/CommunityConversationsRegistration2025
If you have not re-registered for the new season, please do so today. 

🧠 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! 

Hi Kristin, 

Great question! Here are a few resources to check out:

Pet Support Services Providing Financial Support for Pet Medical Emergencies - HASS Toolkit

• See the "Payment Resources for Private Veterinarians" section.

Here's a list of a few organizations that provide funding for medical care. Note: HASS does not have any direct experience with these organizations.

• https://redrover.org/relief/urgent-care-grants/

• https://www.thepetfund.com/

• https://www.browndogfoundation.org/

• https://www.paws4acure.org/askforhelp.php

If you're interested in seeking funding for a new program that will enable you to provide direct support, see the HASS Philanthropy Toolkit for Development and Fundraising. 

I hope this is helpful! 

Best, 

Jen

Unanswered question from the chat:

"Are there any resources nationwide for veterinary assistance?  All the groups we've found for our pet guardians through the pet help websites that have nationwide groups only give around $100-$200 per person per issue." - @Kristin Moro

We hope to see you on the next Maddie's Community Conversation on Monday, August 18, 2025 at 11am PT / 2pm ET  for a presentation on "The Real Reasons Pets Enter Shelters and How to Change the Story" with @Amanda Foster, Director of Programs, and @Jenifer Reed, Senior Education and Program Specialist, at HASS. 

Shelters often take in pets because of complex human challenges, rarely just a single reason. In this condensed session, you'll discover key insights from the Human Animal Support Services (HASS) Intake Triage Project, which replaces transactional intake with a triage-based approach to uncover the full story behind owner surrenders and found pets. Learn how shelters used conversational intake to gather richer, more actionable data, spot trends unique to their communities, and design targeted resources that keep pets with their families. We'll share common themes and proven strategies for addressing financial and housing barriers, resolving behavior concerns, empowering finders to reunite lost pets, and building effective finder-to-foster programs.

Don't forget! $10,000 in grants each month! 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 giveaway drawing entry forms that will be shared in the chat during the calls.

Register for Community Conversations hosted via Zoom: https://maddies.fund/CommunityConversationsRegistration2025
If you have not re-registered for the new season, please do so today. 

🧠 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! 

Hi, 

Our foundation is national and assists families with emergency veterinary costs. Our team is composed of veterinary nurses and financial professionals. Our programs can be found on our website. We are currently working on a rescue/shelter specific program that we are projecting for end of year. If you'd like to email me I'd be happy to talk more and see if we can be of resource to your organization. 

• www.theanimalsfoundation.com
• allabouttheanimalsfoundation@gmail.com

Hi Kristin, 

Great question! Here are a few resources to check out:

Pet Support Services Providing Financial Support for Pet Medical Emergencies - HASS Toolkit

• See the "Payment Resources for Private Veterinarians" section.

Here's a list of a few organizations that provide funding for medical care. Note: HASS does not have any direct experience with these organizations.

• https://redrover.org/relief/urgent-care-grants/

• https://www.thepetfund.com/

• https://www.browndogfoundation.org/

• https://www.paws4acure.org/askforhelp.php

If you're interested in seeking funding for a new program that will enable you to provide direct support, see the HASS Philanthropy Toolkit for Development and Fundraising. 

I hope this is helpful! 

Best, 

Jen

Unanswered question from the chat:

"Are there any resources nationwide for veterinary assistance?  All the groups we've found for our pet guardians through the pet help websites that have nationwide groups only give around $100-$200 per person per issue." - @Kristin Moro

We hope to see you on the next Maddie's Community Conversation on Monday, August 18, 2025 at 11am PT / 2pm ET  for a presentation on "The Real Reasons Pets Enter Shelters and How to Change the Story" with @Amanda Foster, Director of Programs, and @Jenifer Reed, Senior Education and Program Specialist, at HASS. 

Shelters often take in pets because of complex human challenges, rarely just a single reason. In this condensed session, you'll discover key insights from the Human Animal Support Services (HASS) Intake Triage Project, which replaces transactional intake with a triage-based approach to uncover the full story behind owner surrenders and found pets. Learn how shelters used conversational intake to gather richer, more actionable data, spot trends unique to their communities, and design targeted resources that keep pets with their families. We'll share common themes and proven strategies for addressing financial and housing barriers, resolving behavior concerns, empowering finders to reunite lost pets, and building effective finder-to-foster programs.

Don't forget! $10,000 in grants each month! 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 giveaway drawing entry forms that will be shared in the chat during the calls.

Register for Community Conversations hosted via Zoom: https://maddies.fund/CommunityConversationsRegistration2025
If you have not re-registered for the new season, please do so today. 

🧠 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! 

Hi Kristin, 

Great question! Here are a few resources to check out:

Pet Support Services Providing Financial Support for Pet Medical Emergencies - HASS Toolkit

• See the "Payment Resources for Private Veterinarians" section.

Here's a list of a few organizations that provide funding for medical care. Note: HASS does not have any direct experience with these organizations.

• https://redrover.org/relief/urgent-care-grants/

• https://www.thepetfund.com/

• https://www.browndogfoundation.org/

• https://www.paws4acure.org/askforhelp.php

If you're interested in seeking funding for a new program that will enable you to provide direct support, see the HASS Philanthropy Toolkit for Development and Fundraising. 

I hope this is helpful! 

Best, 

Jen

Unanswered question from the chat:

"Are there any resources nationwide for veterinary assistance?  All the groups we've found for our pet guardians through the pet help websites that have nationwide groups only give around $100-$200 per person per issue." - @Kristin Moro

We hope to see you on the next Maddie's Community Conversation on Monday, August 18, 2025 at 11am PT / 2pm ET  for a presentation on "The Real Reasons Pets Enter Shelters and How to Change the Story" with @Amanda Foster, Director of Programs, and @Jenifer Reed, Senior Education and Program Specialist, at HASS. 

Shelters often take in pets because of complex human challenges, rarely just a single reason. In this condensed session, you'll discover key insights from the Human Animal Support Services (HASS) Intake Triage Project, which replaces transactional intake with a triage-based approach to uncover the full story behind owner surrenders and found pets. Learn how shelters used conversational intake to gather richer, more actionable data, spot trends unique to their communities, and design targeted resources that keep pets with their families. We'll share common themes and proven strategies for addressing financial and housing barriers, resolving behavior concerns, empowering finders to reunite lost pets, and building effective finder-to-foster programs.

Don't forget! $10,000 in grants each month! 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 giveaway drawing entry forms that will be shared in the chat during the calls.

Register for Community Conversations hosted via Zoom: https://maddies.fund/CommunityConversationsRegistration2025
If you have not re-registered for the new season, please do so today. 

🧠 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, August 18, 2025 at 11am PT / 2pm ET  for a presentation on "The Real Reasons Pets Enter Shelters and How to Change the Story" with @Amanda Foster, Director of Programs, and @Jenifer Reed, Senior Education and Program Specialist, at HASS. 

Shelters often take in pets because of complex human challenges, rarely just a single reason. In this condensed session, you'll discover key insights from the Human Animal Support Services (HASS) Intake Triage Project, which replaces transactional intake with a triage-based approach to uncover the full story behind owner surrenders and found pets. Learn how shelters used conversational intake to gather richer, more actionable data, spot trends unique to their communities, and design targeted resources that keep pets with their families. We'll share common themes and proven strategies for addressing financial and housing barriers, resolving behavior concerns, empowering finders to reunite lost pets, and building effective finder-to-foster programs.

Don't forget! $10,000 in grants each month! 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 giveaway drawing entry forms that will be shared in the chat during the calls.

Register for Community Conversations hosted via Zoom: https://maddies.fund/CommunityConversationsRegistration2025
If you have not re-registered for the new season, please do so today. 

🧠 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! 

Unanswered question from the chat: 

"Are there any programs focusing on owners/landlords and pets to help pet parents retain their pets or move with them?" - @Debra Schafer

We hope to see you on the next Maddie's Community Conversation on Monday, August 18, 2025 at 11am PT / 2pm ET  for a presentation on "The Real Reasons Pets Enter Shelters and How to Change the Story" with @Amanda Foster, Director of Programs, and @Jenifer Reed, Senior Education and Program Specialist, at HASS. 

Shelters often take in pets because of complex human challenges, rarely just a single reason. In this condensed session, you'll discover key insights from the Human Animal Support Services (HASS) Intake Triage Project, which replaces transactional intake with a triage-based approach to uncover the full story behind owner surrenders and found pets. Learn how shelters used conversational intake to gather richer, more actionable data, spot trends unique to their communities, and design targeted resources that keep pets with their families. We'll share common themes and proven strategies for addressing financial and housing barriers, resolving behavior concerns, empowering finders to reunite lost pets, and building effective finder-to-foster programs.

Don't forget! $10,000 in grants each month! 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 giveaway drawing entry forms that will be shared in the chat during the calls.

Register for Community Conversations hosted via Zoom: https://maddies.fund/CommunityConversationsRegistration2025
If you have not re-registered for the new season, please do so today. 

🧠 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 8/18/25 at 1:39 pm - Recording now available to watch on-demand!

We hope to see you on the next Maddie's Community Conversation on Monday, August 18, 2025 at 11am PT / 2pm ET  for a presentation on "The Real Reasons Pets Enter Shelters and How to Change the Story" with @Amanda Foster, Director of Programs, and @Jenifer Reed, Senior Education and Program Specialist, at HASS. 

Shelters often take in pets because of complex human challenges, rarely just a single reason. In this condensed session, you'll discover key insights from the Human Animal Support Services (HASS) Intake Triage Project, which replaces transactional intake with a triage-based approach to uncover the full story behind owner surrenders and found pets. Learn how shelters used conversational intake to gather richer, more actionable data, spot trends unique to their communities, and design targeted resources that keep pets with their families. We'll share common themes and proven strategies for addressing financial and housing barriers, resolving behavior concerns, empowering finders to reunite lost pets, and building effective finder-to-foster programs.

Don't forget! $10,000 in grants each month! 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 giveaway drawing entry forms that will be shared in the chat during the calls.

Register for Community Conversations hosted via Zoom: https://maddies.fund/CommunityConversationsRegistration2025
If you have not re-registered for the new season, please do so today. 

🧠 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! 

#EducationandTraining

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

Updated 8/18/25 at 1:39 pm - Recording now available to watch on-demand!

We hope to see you on the next Maddie's Community Conversation on Monday, August 18, 2025 at 11am PT / 2pm ET  for a presentation on "The Real Reasons Pets Enter Shelters and How to Change the Story" with @Amanda Foster, Director of Programs, and @Jenifer Reed, Senior Education and Program Specialist, at HASS. 

Shelters often take in pets because of complex human challenges, rarely just a single reason. In this condensed session, you'll discover key insights from the Human Animal Support Services (HASS) Intake Triage Project, which replaces transactional intake with a triage-based approach to uncover the full story behind owner surrenders and found pets. Learn how shelters used conversational intake to gather richer, more actionable data, spot trends unique to their communities, and design targeted resources that keep pets with their families. We'll share common themes and proven strategies for addressing financial and housing barriers, resolving behavior concerns, empowering finders to reunite lost pets, and building effective finder-to-foster programs.

Don't forget! $10,000 in grants each month! 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 giveaway drawing entry forms that will be shared in the chat during the calls.

Register for Community Conversations hosted via Zoom: https://maddies.fund/CommunityConversationsRegistration2025
If you have not re-registered for the new season, please do so today. 

🧠 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! 

#EducationandTraining

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

I loved the presentation yesterday. Owner surrender is a very difficult topic and many people will not feel comfortable discussing their needs or reasons for surrender. I am attaching a sheet with tips for staff and a second with information for clients who need to surrender. Unfortunately, even when providing assistance some people will not be able to keep their pets and it is important to handle those conversations with care.  Having to surrender an animal can cause significant trauma and we must commit to not re-traumatizing people when they seek assistance. Thanks for a very informative presentation!

------------------------------
Shoshana Mostoller
Chesapeake Humane Society

Original Message:
Sent: 08-14-2025 10:30 AM
From: Sheila Kouhkan
Subject: Community Conversations - 08/18/2025 - The Real Reasons Pets Enter Shelters and How to Change the Story

Updated 8/18/25 at 1:39 pm - Recording now available to watch on-demand!

We hope to see you on the next Maddie's Community Conversation on Monday, August 18, 2025 at 11am PT / 2pm ET  for a presentation on "The Real Reasons Pets Enter Shelters and How to Change the Story" with @Amanda Foster, Director of Programs, and @Jenifer Reed, Senior Education and Program Specialist, at HASS. 

Shelters often take in pets because of complex human challenges, rarely just a single reason. In this condensed session, you'll discover key insights from the Human Animal Support Services (HASS) Intake Triage Project, which replaces transactional intake with a triage-based approach to uncover the full story behind owner surrenders and found pets. Learn how shelters used conversational intake to gather richer, more actionable data, spot trends unique to their communities, and design targeted resources that keep pets with their families. We'll share common themes and proven strategies for addressing financial and housing barriers, resolving behavior concerns, empowering finders to reunite lost pets, and building effective finder-to-foster programs.

Don't forget! $10,000 in grants each month! 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 giveaway drawing entry forms that will be shared in the chat during the calls.

Register for Community Conversations hosted via Zoom: https://maddies.fund/CommunityConversationsRegistration2025
If you have not re-registered for the new season, please do so today. 

🧠 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! 

#EducationandTraining

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

Updated 8/18/25 at 1:39 pm - Recording now available to watch on-demand!

We hope to see you on the next Maddie's Community Conversation on Monday, August 18, 2025 at 11am PT / 2pm ET  for a presentation on "The Real Reasons Pets Enter Shelters and How to Change the Story" with @Amanda Foster, Director of Programs, and @Jenifer Reed, Senior Education and Program Specialist, at HASS. 

Shelters often take in pets because of complex human challenges, rarely just a single reason. In this condensed session, you'll discover key insights from the Human Animal Support Services (HASS) Intake Triage Project, which replaces transactional intake with a triage-based approach to uncover the full story behind owner surrenders and found pets. Learn how shelters used conversational intake to gather richer, more actionable data, spot trends unique to their communities, and design targeted resources that keep pets with their families. We'll share common themes and proven strategies for addressing financial and housing barriers, resolving behavior concerns, empowering finders to reunite lost pets, and building effective finder-to-foster programs.

Don't forget! $10,000 in grants each month! 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 giveaway drawing entry forms that will be shared in the chat during the calls.

Register for Community Conversations hosted via Zoom: https://maddies.fund/CommunityConversationsRegistration2025
If you have not re-registered for the new season, please do so today. 

🧠 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! 

#EducationandTraining

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

Hi again, everyone! 

Thanks to all those who attended and are participating in the great discussion! I also wanted to share with you all the HASS toolkit for Trauma-Informed Care Training. This approach helps facilitate safe, nonjudgmental communication and trust, and reduces the potential for re-traumatization for both organizational staff and the public they serve. Hopefully, this resource is helpful for you and your organization as you move to a conversational approach at the time of support requests and intake.

All the best, 

Jen

Updated 8/18/25 at 1:39 pm - Recording now available to watch on-demand!

We hope to see you on the next Maddie's Community Conversation on Monday, August 18, 2025 at 11am PT / 2pm ET  for a presentation on "The Real Reasons Pets Enter Shelters and How to Change the Story" with @Amanda Foster, Director of Programs, and @Jenifer Reed, Senior Education and Program Specialist, at HASS. 

Shelters often take in pets because of complex human challenges, rarely just a single reason. In this condensed session, you'll discover key insights from the Human Animal Support Services (HASS) Intake Triage Project, which replaces transactional intake with a triage-based approach to uncover the full story behind owner surrenders and found pets. Learn how shelters used conversational intake to gather richer, more actionable data, spot trends unique to their communities, and design targeted resources that keep pets with their families. We'll share common themes and proven strategies for addressing financial and housing barriers, resolving behavior concerns, empowering finders to reunite lost pets, and building effective finder-to-foster programs.

Don't forget! $10,000 in grants each month! 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 giveaway drawing entry forms that will be shared in the chat during the calls.

Register for Community Conversations hosted via Zoom: https://maddies.fund/CommunityConversationsRegistration2025
If you have not re-registered for the new season, please do so today. 

🧠 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! 

#EducationandTraining

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

Updated 8/18/25 at 1:39 pm - Recording now available to watch 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, August 18, 2025 at 11am PT / 2pm ET  for a presentation on "The Real Reasons Pets Enter Shelters and How to Change the Story" with @Amanda Foster, Director of Programs, and @Jenifer Reed, Senior Education and Program Specialist, at HASS. 

Shelters often take in pets because of complex human challenges, rarely just a single reason. In this condensed session, you'll discover key insights from the Human Animal Support Services (HASS) Intake Triage Project, which replaces transactional intake with a triage-based approach to uncover the full story behind owner surrenders and found pets. Learn how shelters used conversational intake to gather richer, more actionable data, spot trends unique to their communities, and design targeted resources that keep pets with their families. We'll share common themes and proven strategies for addressing financial and housing barriers, resolving behavior concerns, empowering finders to reunite lost pets, and building effective finder-to-foster programs.

Don't forget! $10,000 in grants each month! 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 giveaway drawing entry forms that will be shared in the chat during the calls.

Register for Community Conversations hosted via Zoom: https://maddies.fund/CommunityConversationsRegistration2025
If you have not re-registered for the new season, please do so today. 

🧠 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! 

#EducationandTraining

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

I missed the Community Conversation on 8/18 so thank you so much for posting the recording.

I'd love to see more discussions around strategies to keep dogs in homes and to educate new dog fosters/owners to help avoid them to give up on their pups and provide resources. I am the secretary of LARPBO, Los Angeles Responsible Pit Bull Owners in Los Angeles. We provide low-cost dog (and human!) training, free pack walks, etc all around Los Angeles. Many of us on the leadership team and in our membership are also volunteers at Animal Shelters and Rescues in the LA area and we witness day after day that people return the dogs they just adopted, not giving them proper time to acclimate nor learning basic dog training skills so we came up with SRIP (Shelter and Rescue Intervention Program). We award scholarships to recent fosters and adopters from LA-based shelters and rescues to attend free LARPBO training classes. Just this year, we have awarded over 80 of these scholarships. Our goal is to provide recent fosters & adopters with the skills and resources to keep dogs in their homes and we think it's pretty successful. I myself am the best example.
While the SRIP program didn't exist when I fostered my dog Agnes (yup, foster fail here :-)), I was fortunate enough to learn about LARPBO early on. By attending the low-cost classes and becoming a member of the LARPBO family, we learned that we weren't alone in the struggle with a reactive dog.  Agnes and we learned so much that Agnes eventually became a Canine Good Citizen and we became Pitbull/dog advocates.

I wish there were more free training & resources for recent fosters/adopters that would help keep dogs in homes by teaching the humans skills and dog know-how before they give up too soon. If anyone knows about other ideas or similar programs, I'd love to hear about them.

Michaela
Secretary, LARPBO (Los Angeles Responsible Pit Bull Owners)

------------------------------
Michaela Ullmann
Secretary, Larpbo
Larpbo - Los Angeles Responsible Pitbull Owners
CA

Original Message:
Sent: 08-14-2025 10:30 AM
From: Sheila Kouhkan
Subject: Community Conversations - 08/18/2025 - The Real Reasons Pets Enter Shelters and How to Change the Story

Updated 8/18/25 at 1:39 pm - Recording now available to watch 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, August 18, 2025 at 11am PT / 2pm ET  for a presentation on "The Real Reasons Pets Enter Shelters and How to Change the Story" with @Amanda Foster, Director of Programs, and @Jenifer Reed, Senior Education and Program Specialist, at HASS. 

Shelters often take in pets because of complex human challenges, rarely just a single reason. In this condensed session, you'll discover key insights from the Human Animal Support Services (HASS) Intake Triage Project, which replaces transactional intake with a triage-based approach to uncover the full story behind owner surrenders and found pets. Learn how shelters used conversational intake to gather richer, more actionable data, spot trends unique to their communities, and design targeted resources that keep pets with their families. We'll share common themes and proven strategies for addressing financial and housing barriers, resolving behavior concerns, empowering finders to reunite lost pets, and building effective finder-to-foster programs.

Don't forget! $10,000 in grants each month! 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 giveaway drawing entry forms that will be shared in the chat during the calls.

Register for Community Conversations hosted via Zoom: https://maddies.fund/CommunityConversationsRegistration2025
If you have not re-registered for the new season, please do so today. 

🧠 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! 

#EducationandTraining

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

Hi Michaela, 

What a fantastic program--thanks for sharing! 

Here are a couple of self-paced courses on Maddie's University that may meet your needs for supporting new fosters and adopters. 

• Bringing a New Dog Home
• Helping a New Dog Adjust

All the best, 

Jen

I missed the Community Conversation on 8/18 so thank you so much for posting the recording.

I'd love to see more discussions around strategies to keep dogs in homes and to educate new dog fosters/owners to help avoid them to give up on their pups and provide resources. I am the secretary of LARPBO, Los Angeles Responsible Pit Bull Owners in Los Angeles. We provide low-cost dog (and human!) training, free pack walks, etc all around Los Angeles. Many of us on the leadership team and in our membership are also volunteers at Animal Shelters and Rescues in the LA area and we witness day after day that people return the dogs they just adopted, not giving them proper time to acclimate nor learning basic dog training skills so we came up with SRIP (Shelter and Rescue Intervention Program). We award scholarships to recent fosters and adopters from LA-based shelters and rescues to attend free LARPBO training classes. Just this year, we have awarded over 80 of these scholarships. Our goal is to provide recent fosters & adopters with the skills and resources to keep dogs in their homes and we think it's pretty successful. I myself am the best example.
While the SRIP program didn't exist when I fostered my dog Agnes (yup, foster fail here :-)), I was fortunate enough to learn about LARPBO early on. By attending the low-cost classes and becoming a member of the LARPBO family, we learned that we weren't alone in the struggle with a reactive dog.  Agnes and we learned so much that Agnes eventually became a Canine Good Citizen and we became Pitbull/dog advocates.

I wish there were more free training & resources for recent fosters/adopters that would help keep dogs in homes by teaching the humans skills and dog know-how before they give up too soon. If anyone knows about other ideas or similar programs, I'd love to hear about them.

Michaela
Secretary, LARPBO (Los Angeles Responsible Pit Bull Owners)

------------------------------
Michaela Ullmann
Secretary, Larpbo
Larpbo - Los Angeles Responsible Pitbull Owners
CA

Original Message:
Sent: 08-14-2025 10:30 AM
From: Sheila Kouhkan
Subject: Community Conversations - 08/18/2025 - The Real Reasons Pets Enter Shelters and How to Change the Story

Updated 8/18/25 at 1:39 pm - Recording now available to watch 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, August 18, 2025 at 11am PT / 2pm ET  for a presentation on "The Real Reasons Pets Enter Shelters and How to Change the Story" with @Amanda Foster, Director of Programs, and @Jenifer Reed, Senior Education and Program Specialist, at HASS. 

Shelters often take in pets because of complex human challenges, rarely just a single reason. In this condensed session, you'll discover key insights from the Human Animal Support Services (HASS) Intake Triage Project, which replaces transactional intake with a triage-based approach to uncover the full story behind owner surrenders and found pets. Learn how shelters used conversational intake to gather richer, more actionable data, spot trends unique to their communities, and design targeted resources that keep pets with their families. We'll share common themes and proven strategies for addressing financial and housing barriers, resolving behavior concerns, empowering finders to reunite lost pets, and building effective finder-to-foster programs.

Don't forget! $10,000 in grants each month! 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 giveaway drawing entry forms that will be shared in the chat during the calls.

Register for Community Conversations hosted via Zoom: https://maddies.fund/CommunityConversationsRegistration2025
If you have not re-registered for the new season, please do so today. 

🧠 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! 

#EducationandTraining

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

Updated 8/18/25 at 1:39 pm - Recording now available to watch 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, August 18, 2025 at 11am PT / 2pm ET  for a presentation on "The Real Reasons Pets Enter Shelters and How to Change the Story" with @Amanda Foster, Director of Programs, and @Jenifer Reed, Senior Education and Program Specialist, at HASS. 

Shelters often take in pets because of complex human challenges, rarely just a single reason. In this condensed session, you'll discover key insights from the Human Animal Support Services (HASS) Intake Triage Project, which replaces transactional intake with a triage-based approach to uncover the full story behind owner surrenders and found pets. Learn how shelters used conversational intake to gather richer, more actionable data, spot trends unique to their communities, and design targeted resources that keep pets with their families. We'll share common themes and proven strategies for addressing financial and housing barriers, resolving behavior concerns, empowering finders to reunite lost pets, and building effective finder-to-foster programs.

Don't forget! $10,000 in grants each month! 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 giveaway drawing entry forms that will be shared in the chat during the calls.

Register for Community Conversations hosted via Zoom: https://maddies.fund/CommunityConversationsRegistration2025
If you have not re-registered for the new season, please do so today. 

🧠 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! 

#EducationandTraining

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

Updated 8/18/25 at 1:39 pm - Recording now available to watch 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, August 18, 2025 at 11am PT / 2pm ET  for a presentation on "The Real Reasons Pets Enter Shelters and How to Change the Story" with @Amanda Foster, Director of Programs, and @Jenifer Reed, Senior Education and Program Specialist, at HASS. 

Shelters often take in pets because of complex human challenges, rarely just a single reason. In this condensed session, you'll discover key insights from the Human Animal Support Services (HASS) Intake Triage Project, which replaces transactional intake with a triage-based approach to uncover the full story behind owner surrenders and found pets. Learn how shelters used conversational intake to gather richer, more actionable data, spot trends unique to their communities, and design targeted resources that keep pets with their families. We'll share common themes and proven strategies for addressing financial and housing barriers, resolving behavior concerns, empowering finders to reunite lost pets, and building effective finder-to-foster programs.

Don't forget! $10,000 in grants each month! 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 giveaway drawing entry forms that will be shared in the chat during the calls.

Register for Community Conversations hosted via Zoom: https://maddies.fund/CommunityConversationsRegistration2025
If you have not re-registered for the new season, please do so today. 

🧠 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! 

#EducationandTraining

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

Updated 8/18/25 at 1:39 pm - Recording now available to watch 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, August 18, 2025 at 11am PT / 2pm ET  for a presentation on "The Real Reasons Pets Enter Shelters and How to Change the Story" with @Amanda Foster, Director of Programs, and @Jenifer Reed, Senior Education and Program Specialist, at HASS. 

Shelters often take in pets because of complex human challenges, rarely just a single reason. In this condensed session, you'll discover key insights from the Human Animal Support Services (HASS) Intake Triage Project, which replaces transactional intake with a triage-based approach to uncover the full story behind owner surrenders and found pets. Learn how shelters used conversational intake to gather richer, more actionable data, spot trends unique to their communities, and design targeted resources that keep pets with their families. We'll share common themes and proven strategies for addressing financial and housing barriers, resolving behavior concerns, empowering finders to reunite lost pets, and building effective finder-to-foster programs.

Don't forget! $10,000 in grants each month! 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 giveaway drawing entry forms that will be shared in the chat during the calls.

Register for Community Conversations hosted via Zoom: https://maddies.fund/CommunityConversationsRegistration2025
If you have not re-registered for the new season, please do so today. 

🧠 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! 

#EducationandTraining

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