A list of recorded webinars is available at Resources > Webinars & Courses

If you would like to be considered for the Winter 2026 Shelter Care Specialist Certificate Program session beginning January 5, 2026, please complete the application by December 5, 2025. We have had a great deal of interest in this program since it was first offered to applicants in October 2024. We do have to limit enrollments so that we can provide appropriate coaching to our learners.

Due to these program enrollment limitations, applications are reviewed for each session based on each session’s group/cohort goals.

Winter 2026 Session Cohort Priorities:

• Shelter Type: Public or Private Shelter with Stray Intake Contracts (NOTE: We may be able to accept applicants from some fully private shelters — no stray intakes — but much of the content will be more relevant to shelters that do take in strays).
• Shelter Intakes: Shelters must take in both dogs and cats.
• Shelter Size: This group will prioritize medium to larger shelters (typically 4,000 intakes/year or more) but will also consider smaller shelters as space is available.

NOTE: If your shelter does not meet these criteria, you may still apply, but please be aware that your application may be saved for a future cohort with priorities that better match your situation. In addition, if you are not currently working in a shelter or are not accepted into the next cohort, be sure to check out our online, self-paced, on-demand offerings.

Thanks to the generosity of Maddie’s Fund^®, the Maddie’s^® Million Pet Challenge Shelter Learniverse is currently offering this unique program completely free of charge.

We’re excited to announce a new opportunity where we’ve expanded our team and focus to include combined shelter and community veterinary services consultations for dogs and cats. Is your community ready to implement sustainable veterinary services and increase access to care? Is your shelter ready to take your lifesaving to the next level? Thanks to the generosity of Maddie’s Fund^®, the Maddie’s^® Million Pet Challenge is offering this unique combination consultation completely free of charge to create sustainable animal welfare systems in communities across the US!

Are you ready to open a veterinary clinic with a focus on increasing access to care or take your existing clinic to the next level but not exactly sure where to start? You bring the desire, we’ll bring the team of experts! Thanks to the generosity of Maddie’s Fund^®, the Maddie’s^® Million Pet Challenge is offering organizations opening access to care veterinary clinics an array of opportunities, including a full consultation led by experts completely free of charge. Priority is being given to organizations that can also participate in the Sheltering portion of the Challenge with Team Shelter USA, although standalone consultations are also available.

Is your shelter looking to improve operations and boost lifesaving, but not sure how to get started? If you’re ready to address issues around intake policies, housing/enrichment, community cat program management, budgeting, access to spay/neuter and veterinary care, and more, then a Comprehensive Shelter Consultation is right for you! Thanks to the generosity of Maddie’s Fund^®, the Maddie’s^® Million Pet Challenge is offering Comprehensive Shelter Consultations, which provide expertise and make recommendations in the areas of facility design, intake policies, housing/enrichment, population management, community cat programs, public policy and enforcement programs, budgeting, management of employees and volunteers, access to focused spay/neuter and subsidized veterinary care, and physical and behavioral wellness. Comprehensive Shelter Consultations are led by experts with decades of combined experience and are completely free of charge.

Are you ready for your organization to make changes, but you aren’t sure how to get started? Could you use an expert to help you analyze and prioritize your issues? Could you use support in implementing new approaches? Then a Focused Consultation is tailored just for you! Thanks to the generosity of Maddie’s Fund^®, the Maddie’s^® Million Pet Challenge is offering Focused Shelter Consultations tailored for the priorities and opportunities identified by the participating animal shelters. Focused Shelter Consultations are led by experts with decades of combined experience and are completely free of charge.

Are you ready to increase your observation skills, research capability, knowledge of shelter operations guidelines, communication skills, animal data interpretation, and analysis of shelter systems to help make shelters more efficient, safer, and better at helping animals and their people? You bring the motivation and we’ll bring an immersive training experience! 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 onsite experience with a consultation team, free of charge.

Go to Resources > Webinars & Courses to view available courses