Considerable efforts have been made to improve the outcomes for dogs arriving to animal shelters, resulting in substantial increases in the number of dogs adopted and returned to their owners as well as reductions in euthanasia. Over this time, the role of the animal shelter has changed as well, from one of temporary holding to longer lengths of stay as animals with more complex behavioral and medical needs are placed. Thus, we must also evolve the care that we provide to these dogs to adequately meet their welfare needs. This session will discuss how we can best assess welfare and promising measures found across the scientific literature that can help us better understand dogs’ experiences in the shelter. With these measures in mind, the presenter will describe recent research investigating the effects of housing and social interaction on shelter dog welfare. By identifying meaningful welfare measures, interventions intended to improve the lives of shelter-living dogs can be tested and, when impactful, implemented in animal shelters. Learning Objectives: Identify stressors in the shelter environment that may compromise canine welfare. Describe the difficulties inherent in measuring welfare. Explain the different physiological, cognitive, behavioral, and health measures that can be used to measure canine welfare in the shelter. Summarize how housing and interactions with other dogs may affect shelter dog welfare. Develop a plan about how you could measure the welfare of dogs in your animal shelter.

Sponsor:Pet Professional Guild
Speaker(s):Dr. Lisa Gunter

Contact: Sharon Nettles
 Email: membershipcoordinator@petprofessionalguild.com
 Phone: 731-300-6520
 Web: https://petprofessionalguild.com/event-4361915