Whether you're looking to start a foster program at your shelter or give a boost to an already-existing foster program, Maddie's Fund has a webcast series for you! We're going all-in on foster care, including programs that have worked to get more dogs and cats adopted in communities across the country. You'll have the chance to learn from your peers in other organizations, get your questions answered, and start saving more lives. View the complete series here, and sign up today!
Foster care covers a lot of territory - including the territory a dog explores when out for a walk!
Foster field trips can bring volunteers into the foster program who aren't ready or currently able to foster long-term. They provide a great benefit in stress-reduction for the dogs and will continue to benefit those dogs in different ways after the dogs return to the shelter after their field trip. They also bring the pets and awareness of the organization out into the community, so that more people may become involved as adopters, donors, volunteers, and supporters.
In this presentation, Kelly Duer, Maddie's® Foster Care Specialist and Foster Expansion Coordinator, shares how getting pets out of the shelter for even a few hours can create benefits for the pet, the community, and the adoption organization. Her presentation will cover:
An overview of Louisville Metro Animal Services' program and its growth
Logistics and data for Austin Animal Center's program
Logistics and data from Animal Ark Rescue's program
How adoptions can be more successful because the organization receives feedback on dogs' behavior outside its doors, and adopters have more information about a pet
How to use a foster field trip program to build better community relationships
How to tailor program logistics to your population and needs
Raising money for the program
Training volunteers to coordinate or assist with your program
Finding outing locations
Marketing the program
And more!
This course have/has been pre-approved for Certified Animal Welfare Administrator continuing education credits.
About Kelly Duer
Maddie's® Foster Care Specialist and Foster Expansion Coordinator
Kelly Duer is Maddie's® Foster Care Specialist and Foster Expansion Coordinator for a national study of foster care for medium and large dogs with long shelter stays. She also co-coordinates the Medium and Large Adult Dog Foster Apprenticeships, which bring shelter leaders from across the country together to learn how to implement foster programs for adult dogs.
Her work has been featured in many national publications, websites and networks, including Animal Sheltering magazine, the Huffington Post, Best Friends magazine, BarkPost, iheartdogs.com, HuffPost Live and Fox News. Kelly has presented at various conferences including the Best Friends National Conference, American Pets Alive! and HSUS Animal Care Expo.
