Join us at the Maine Humane Annual Conference on Wednesday, October 14th 2026! We’ll be at the Black Bear Inn in Orono, for a day of learning, networking and connecting!
With two content tracks, breakfast, lunch, exhibitors and more, this is a day you don’t want to miss!
Click here to see the agenda and to get your tickets.
Click Here To Book in our Room Block at the Black Bear Inn– 2 Queen Beds for $159.
Group Name: Humane Society
Group Number: YZ65H2
Dog Friendly Rooms Available: $25 Fee
Maine Humane thanks our conference sponsors- They help make this event possible!
Best Friends Animal Society is a leading animal welfare organization dedicated to saving the lives of dogs and cats in America’s shelters. Founded in 1984 and headquartered in Kanab, Utah—home to the nation’s largest no-kill sanctuary—Best Friends operates lifesaving facilities and programs nationwide in partnership with more than 6,000 shelters and rescue organizations.
At Best Friends, we have always firmly believed that collaboration with local pet shelters and animal rescue organizations, the people who know their communities best, is key to saving the lives of cats and dogs in America’s shelters. Central to this work is the Best Friends Network, a nationwide community of public and private shelters, rescue groups, and spay/neuter organizations across all 50 states. Built on the belief that local partners know their communities best, the network focuses on collaboration, information-sharing, and proven lifesaving strategies Our partners support each other and inspire their communities to increase lifesaving across the country. Simply put, when we work together, we save more lives.
“At MetLife Pet Insurance, we believe every pet deserves access to quality care. Our Animal Welfare team partners closely with shelters and rescues to support adoptions and help pets find loving homes. Through educational resources, shelter support programs, and pet insurance safety nets, we are committed to making a meaningful difference in the lives of pets and the people who love them.”
Maine Friends Sponsors
Humane Innovations
Laurie Lawless Shelter Behavior Integrations
Jessica E.
Exhibitors
Doobert
Elmina B. Sewall Foundation
ME Chinchilla Shelter
Track 1
8:30 AM – 9:30 AM- Registration
9:30 AM – 10:00 AM- Welcome- The Power of Collaboration with Katie Hansberry & Katie Lisnik
10:00 AM – 11:00 AM- Taking Our MEDs: Reconnecting with Joy in Animal Welfare Work with Jessica Dolce
Empathy is our superpower in animal welfare. It helps us connect deeply with animals, support people through difficult situations, and make a difference every day. But while we often focus on the challenges that come with caring so much, we rarely talk about empathy’s other side: joyful connection. In this session, we’ll explore how intentionally taking our MEDs (Moments of Empathic Delight) can help us reconnect with what we love about this work, strengthen resilience, and tap into joy as a source of sustainability for ourselves, our teams, and the animals in our care.
11:00 AM – 11:15 AM- Vendor Break
11:15 AM – 12:15 PM- Mutt Mentors: A Volunteer-Based Approach to Supporting Long-Stay Shelter Dogs with Olivia Whitton
Shelters across the country are struggling with length of stay for larger dogs. With longer lengths of stay come challenges such as shelter deterioration and an increase in unwanted behaviors. The Animal Refuge League of Greater Portland (ARLGP) is tackling these challenges with an innovative program called Mutt Mentors. This program leverages engaged, motivated volunteers with exceptional dog handling skills by pairing them with long-stay (often large) dogs to work with until the dog is adopted. In the three years since the program’s implementation, 11 Mutt Mentors have worked with almost 100 dogs. As a result, the organization has seen an increase in live outcomes for these larger, long-stay dogs, and in many cases, these dogs are getting adopted more quickly. In this workshop, attendees will understand how ARLGP has leveraged its highly skilled volunteers and learn how they can build and propose a similar program to their shelter’s decision-makers.
12:15 PM – 1:30 PM- Networking Lunch with Roundtable Discussions
1:30 PM – 2:30 PM- Elevating Client Service in Animal Welfare: Why People Skills Matter with Erica Chandler
Everyone who enters animal welfare shares a common truth: a deep love for animals. But in today’s work, that alone isn’t enough. True impact requires an equally strong commitment to the people in our communities who care for the animals as well. This session explores how strengthening your people skills can expand lifesaving within your organization through building trust, communication, and compassionate client service. Attendees will leave with practical and creative strategies that use client centered approaches to better support their community and increase lifesaving.
2:30 PM – 2:45 PM- Vendor Break
2:45 PM – 3:45 PM- Bad Cat Bootcamp: Pathways for Even the Most Formidable Felines with Michael Keiley and Corinne Bourgoin
If you are struggling with surrender inquiries and outcome options for cats with challenging behaviors, you’re not alone. Limited socialization, histories of aggression, shelter related stress, or litter box issues can make finding live release options difficult. Understanding stressors in their current home can unlock access to options where they are more likely to be successful in the future. In this session we’ll discuss thoughtful questions to ask prior to intake, alternative placements, and creative ways to market, matchmake, and counsel adopters for success.
3:45 PM – 4:15 PM- Wrap-up & Giveaways
Track 2
8:30 AM – 9:30 AM- Registration
9:30 AM – 10:00 AM- Welcome- The Power of Collaboration with Katie Hansberry & Katie Lisnik
10:00 AM – 11:00 AM- Taking Our MEDs: Reconnecting with Joy in Animal Welfare Work with Jessica Dolce
Empathy is our superpower in animal welfare. It helps us connect deeply with animals, support people through difficult situations, and make a difference every day. But while we often focus on the challenges that come with caring so much, we rarely talk about empathy’s other side: joyful connection. In this session, we’ll explore how intentionally taking our MEDs (Moments of Empathic Delight) can help us reconnect with what we love about this work, strengthen resilience, and tap into joy as a source of sustainability for ourselves, our teams, and the animals in our care.
11:00 AM – 11:15 AM- Vendor Break
11:15 AM – 12:15 PM- Legacy vs. Logic: Rethinking our traditional animal services model to meet the needs of our communities with Audrey Lodato
Why do we do what we do? In animal services, the answer very often lies in history we’ve forgotten. This session explores how the roots of the humane movement created policies and processes we still use today, even when they no longer serve us. We will take a look at the origins of the movement and how they continue to influence our work, and then take time to imagine what animal services would look like if we started from scratch today.
12:15 PM – 1:30 PM- Networking Lunch with Roundtable Discussions
1:30 PM – 2:30 PM- Behavior Pathway Planning: Consistent and Compassionate Decision-Making with Brittany Linkenheimer
Every shelter makes decisions about animal behavior, welfare, risk, and outcomes—regardless of whether it has dedicated behavior staff. This session explores a practical framework for Behavior Pathway Planning that supports more consistent, transparent, and humane decision-making from intake through outcome. Participants will learn strategies for creating a shared language around behavior, assessing welfare and risk, considering adoptability and capacity for care, and navigating common decision-making challenges. Designed for shelters of all sizes and resource levels, this session provides actionable tools to strengthen communication, improve consistency, and support better outcomes for animals and the people who care for them. Learning Objectives Describe the key components of a Behavior Pathway Planning framework and their role in shelter decision-making. Identify practical tools for evaluating behavior, welfare, risk, and capacity for care. Recognize common challenges
2:30 PM – 2:45 PM– Vendor Break
2:45 PM – 3:45 PM- Pathways and Placements in a Challenging Time with Jess T., Dr. Hurwitz, Dani B., Brittany L.
Join us as a panel of your peers from across the state digs into a timely exploration of our ethical obligations to our community and the animals we care for. Behavioral euthanasia, shelter capacity, and the addressing of community needs are hot-button topics, but ones that we need to discuss and frame in the overall context of our work. Bring your questions and thoughts for a robust discussion.
3:45 PM – 4:15 PM– Wrap Up & Giveaways
