Sheltering Boot Camp (SBC)
Course Description
Working at an animal sheltering organization requires a blend of animal handling skills, compassion and animal knowledge balanced with the ability to communicate effectively and proactively with the public. This workshop deals with the practical and daily skills needed to do your job well in an animal sheltering setting. This workshop has a pre-reading assignment and provides a working “lab” on day two for practice of the skills learned during the first session day. A written examination will be given at the end of the workshop.
Course Objectives
Focusing on animal care, housing best practices and customer service concerns, Sheltering Boot Camp is designed for those new to the animal welfare industry and those wanting to ensure that their shelters meet current standards of care.
By the end of the workshop participants will have a practical knowledge of:
- Making sense of today’s animal welfare
- Sanitation and disease control
- Vaccination protocols and veterinary medicine
- Special considerations for cats and cat housing
- Stress reduction for dogs and cats in an animal shelter setting
- Safety practices for the animal welfare professional
- Creation of a customer service friendly organization
- Increasing placement success rates
Schedule
Where: The location of onsite workshops will be determined by the host agency.
When: This is a two-day workshop held between the hours of:
8:30am to 5:00pm (Day 1)
8:30am to 5:00pm (Day 2)
Check in begins at 8:00am (Day 1)
* Note: Participants will be given an hour for lunch
Registration & Fees
Cost Options: The Host Agency can choose from one of the three cost options, below. Rates are specific to each workshop topic and length of the workshop
- Hosting Agency Flat Rate/No Student Registration Fee: The Hosting Agency pays a flat rate to cover the cost of the workshop; individual students do not pay HSU. The cost of each workshop varies according to the requirements of each workshop and your location. For specifics, please inquire with hsuonline@humanesocietyuniversity.org.
- Low Cost Student Registration Fee/Back-up Hosting Agency Matching: The student registration fee is set at a low rate determined by the hosting agency (i.e. $25). The hosting agency would match the difference between the low student rate and the normal registration fee. An invoice will be sent to the hosting agency following the completion of the class.
- Student Registration Fees only/No Hosting Flat Rate: HSU sets the registration fees based on our average class size of 35 students. Workshop fees vary in order to cover costs of instructor travel and materials. In general, our standard student rates are:
Workshop Rate:
| Length of the Workshop | Individual Participant Fee | Host Agency Flat Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Two-day workshops: | $145 | $3,200 |
Registration deadline is two weeks before the start date of the workshop.
Cancellation fee is 25% of the registration fee.
No refunds will be given after the two-week time period.
HSU reserves the right to cancel this workshop due to low enrollment or in the case of a major animal disaster response.
Accommodations
Recommendations for accommodations will be made by the host agency and will be posted on the specific webpage for each workshop.
Instructors
All of our instructors are subject - matter experts with 10 or more years of experience in their field of instruction.
Required Materials
Workshop materials will be provided by HSU and sent to the host agency within 7-10 business days prior to the start of the workshop.