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UF Health University of Florida
Shelter Medicine Program College of Veterinary Medicine
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Education Overview

Phase 1: The Foundational Course

The Shelter Consultation Mentorship Program is conducted in two phases. Training begins with the Foundational Course, in which mentees complete an online self-study program, required readings, and the Fear Free Shelter Program.

By the end of the of this self-study course, you will have a fundamental knowledge of the following key topics:

  • Introduction to animal welfare consultations
  • Key research before on-site visit
  • Community programs and the link to shelter success
  • Community cat management programs
  • Intake policies and managed admissions
  • Population management
  • Live outcome programs
  • On-site consultation overview
  • Community messaging
  • Recommendations and reports
  • Follow-up post consultation
  • The Fear Free Shelter Program

After completing this Foundational Course, if you believe you are a good candidate, you may apply for our Phase 2: Advanced Course, where you can participate in an on-site shelter consultation.

There are 4 parts to the Foundational Course:

Part 1:  Complete

  • Online courses to fulfill the requirements of the Foundational Course (7.5 hours).
  • We included Additional Resources you are welcome to review if you have the time or would like more information. These are not required.

Part 2:  Watch

  • Videos (online) you’ll need to watch to fulfill the requirements of the Foundational Course (14 min).

Part 3:  Read

  • The Best Practice Playbook for Animal Shelters along with some downloadable documents and guides to fulfill the requirements of the Foundational Course.

Part 4: Research

  • Research a shelter by reviewing their website, Facebook page, and online news reports. You’ll also review local municipal code(s) and state statutes regarding the regulatory environment in which the shelter operates.

Foundational Course Curriculum

1. Complete

  • Shelter Consultation Mentorship Course  (2.5 hours, free)
    • Note that Maddie’s University works most optimally in the Chrome browser. Please contact Maddie’s University support if you encounter any issues with accessing or completing your learning.   
      • This course has been approved for 2.5 hours of continuing education (CE) credit until 02/20/2026 in jurisdictions that recognize RACE approval.
      • This course has been approved for 2.5 Certified Animal Welfare Administrator (CAWA) CE credits by The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement and by National Animal Care and Control Association (NACA).
  • Fear Free Shelters Program (4 modules, 45 minutes per module, 3 hours total, free)
    • The goal of this program is to improve the experiences of animals by educating shelter, rescue, and animal welfare employees and volunteers about their emotional needs. The program will empower you to apply key strategies and techniques designed to reduce the negative emotional states that are commonly experienced by shelter and rescue animals—including fear, anxiety, stress (FAS), and frustration—and increase their enrichment opportunities. This program is suitable for every individual involved in the care and oversight of shelter and rescue animals.
      • Completion of the Fear Free Shelters Program will earn 5 credits of RACE-approved CEs
  • Cat Superhighway (45 minutes, free)
    • This course equips animal shelter professionals with the tools to implement or enhance pathway planning for cats and kittens, streamlining their journey to the best possible outcome. It presents research-backed strategies to reduce length of stay, decrease intake and ensure positive outcomes for all cats. The superhighway model enhances community cat programs and increases lifesaving capabilities, but also includes flexible “offramps” for unique cases, ensuring that every cat—whether a friendly community cat or a litter of neonates—receives the most appropriate care. Participants will learn to confidently navigate challenging decisions with ease, using this model to efficiently manage every cat’s pathway to the best available outcome. 
      • This course is approved for 1.0 hours of credit from the Registry of Approved Continuing Education (RACE) program of the American Association of Veterinary State Boards (AAVSB) through 9/2/27.

2. Watch

  • Big Dog Master Class: Big Dogs – The Tough Stuff (2 sessions; 65 min total)
    • Behavioral decline, often caused by the stress of shelter confinement, leads to sheltered dogs being slated for euthanasia when no immediate outcome options are available. These factors can lead to shelter workers and volunteers feeling helpless and demoralized like there is just no answer. Luckily, there are things you can do to save big dogs, even in the hardest of circumstances.
      • Session 1: Managing Big Dog Space Crises with Clare Callison (27 min)
      • Session 2: Lifesaving Protocol for At-Risk Dogs with Kristen Hassen (36 min)
        • This course has been approved for 1 hour of CE credit in jurisdictions that recognize RACE approval through 03/05/26.
        • This course has been approved for 1 Certified Animal Welfare Administrator (CAWA) continuing education (CE) credit by The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement and for 1 National Animal Care and Control Association (NACA) continuing education (CE) credit.
  • Community-Centric Model of Animal Services (4 min, free) 
          • A short explanation of the evolving role of animal shelters, the emerging importance of safety net programs, and help keeping people and pets together.
  • The Lifesaving Impact of Community Cat Diversion (10 min, free)
    • A quick overview by Cameron Moore presents the benefits and common myths of return to field/community cat programs.

3. Read

4. Research a Shelter

  • Research a shelter by reviewing their website, Facebook page, and online news reports. You can set up Google alerts to be notified when news about the shelter occurs.
  • Review local municipal code(s) and state statutes regarding the regulatory environment in which the shelter operates. Some shelters serve multiple jurisdictions that may have different requirements. Reflect on how the laws facilitate or hinder the shelter best practices. Finding the relevant laws can be a challenge, and not all laws are necessarily indexed in prominent directories.

Additional Resources

Not required, but recommended if you have time and like what you’ve learned so far:

Image of dog standing between someone's legs with the course title and program sponsor logos Big Dog Master Class (full, on-demand courses, 7 remaining modules, free)

All 7 modules have been approved for 1 hour of CE credit each in jurisdictions that recognize RACE approval through 03/05/26, and have been approved for 1 Certified Animal Welfare Administrator (CAWA) continuing education (CE) credit each by The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement, and for 1 National Animal Care and Control Association (NACA) continuing education (CE) credit each.

If you’d rather choose individual courses, the links are below:

Four Rights logoThe Four Rights of Animal Sheltering (full, on-demand course, 5 modules, free)

  • The Future is Four – Overview of the 4 Rights of Animal Sheltering (48 min, free)
    • Within the Four Rights, every element works in concert to support one another: animals and people are treated as individuals, empowering shelter staff to make the best decisions for everyone; community safety net services are in place and flourishing; and humane care within the shelter is provided, with appropriate outcomes for the animals that do come in, allowing shelters to deliver the Right Care, in the Right Place, at the Right Time, and to the Right Outcome.
    • This course has been approved for 1 National Animal Care and Control Association (NACA) continuing education (CE) credit, and for 1 Certified Animal Welfare Administrator (CAWA) continuing education (CE) credit by The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement, and for 1 hour of CE credit in jurisdictions that recognize RACE approval through 05/24/26.
  • The Future is Four: Dive Into the 4 Rights – The Right Care in the Right Place at the Right Time to the Right Outcome (Series, 4 hours, free)
    • This short, self-paced course has been approved for 1.0 Certified Animal Welfare Administrator (CAWA) continuing education credits by The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement and by National Animal Care and Control Association. This program has also been RACE approved for 4.0 hours of continuing education credit in jurisdictions that recognize RACE approval through 4/7/27. 
      • The Right Place (55 min)
      • The Right Time (58 min)
      • The Right Care (52 min)
      • The Right Outcome (54 min)

Thanks to the generosity of Maddie’s Fund, the Maddie’s Million Pet Challenge is offering skilled animal welfare professionals the opportunity for self-study and immersive on-site experience with a consultation team, free of charge.