WFHS Fall Seminar 2025

Please join us Wednesday, September 24th at Bubolz Nature Preserve in Appleton, WI for the WFHS fall conference.

For additional details, please visit out event webpage at: http://www.wisconsinfederatedhs.org/2025fallseminar.html

Info: Learn more about how to perform active population management in your shelter, utilizing pathway planning and population rounds to minimize unnecessary waiting times, right size your length of stay and operate within your capacity for care.

Info: Cats outnumber dogs as the number 1 animal dying in shelters. Why? Outdated ordinances and policies often lump cats in with dog provisions when they are different species. Learn how to lobby for effective cat policies and find out what constitutes a good cat ordinance. You will learn how to change your community's ordinance, reduce nuisance complaints, save tax dollars and cats lives.

Info: According to the Veterinary Care Accessibility Score Map, 47% of Wisconsin counties have nearly inaccessible or difficult access to veterinary care. In some cases, only one veterinary clinic serves the entire county. This inaccessibility has led to a crisis in Wisconsin shelters. The community’s lack of access to veterinary care is a contributing factor to rising shelter intake. Long lengths of stay, slow adoption rates, and disease outbreaks have compounded the shelter crisis.
Through NTSI’s work in Wisconsin, we’ve had a front seat view of the hardships shelters face daily trying to locate and access affordable spay/neuter for adoptable animals and community cats. Oftentimes in rural communities, shelter employees transport animals in their personal vehicles to a costly offsite facility. This significantly cuts into productivity and animal care, while also increasing costs for the shelter.
During this session, we will review the latest data submitted by shelters in Wisconsin regard

Info: Rabbits are one of the most frequently overlooked species in animal shelters, particularly when it comes to housing and environmental needs. This session introduces the ASV Guidelines for Humane Rabbit Housing in Animal Shelters- the first document of its kind in North America to offer comprehensive, species-specific recommendations for rabbits in shelter settings. Dr. Schumacher will highlight key recommendations, the evidence behind them, and practical strategies for implementation in a range of shelter environments. These guidelines are intended to offer the same kind of practical value as the ASV’s widely used Guidelines for Standards of Care in Animal Shelters and Spay/Neuter Guidelines—supporting shelters in providing thoughtful, humane care for all animals, including rabbits!

Info: Join Humane World for Animals (formerly the Humane Society of the United States) to learn about Adopters Welcome, a framework rooted in conversation-based adoptions. Attendees will learn about common barriers to adoption and how they affect potential adopters. We'll discuss how to support staff and volunteers so they can shift from a rigid application process to one that creates long-term relationships with adopters. Lastly, we'll talk about the importance of data collection to inform program success.

Host or Publisher WFHS Admin