The Shelter Care Specialist (SCS) Certification—by UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine—helps frontline staff build shared standards, reduce stress, and keep animals moving forward.
Practical Lessons • Feedback • Built for Busy Schedules • Recognized Credential
The Shelter Care Specialist program gives your team a shared, modern way of doing everyday shelter work. Courses focus on safe, low-stress handling, sound medical and behavioral care, and practical systems that keep animals moving through your shelter instead of getting stuck.
You already give your best to the animals in your care. This program helps you do that work with more clarity, confidence, and support.
Click any item to see the full course overview. Use “Read More” for a quick summary.
Step into modern sheltering with confidence. Modern Sheltering Foundations builds the knowledge and perspective every shelter professional needs to thrive—equipping you to make better daily decisions, reduce stress for animals and staff, and set the stage for more successful outcomes.
Read MoreBuild calm, efficient, and effective care routines that work in the real world. Animal Care Foundations gives you practical tools for daily shelter operations—from intake to ongoing care and monitoring—helping animals stay healthier and your team work smarter.
Read MoreBring out the best in every animal. Behavior, Training, and Enrichment helps you understand what animals need to feel safe, learn, and thrive—so you can make every interaction a step toward calmer, happier, more adoptable pets.
Read MoreSee the bigger picture behind daily shelter work. Population Management helps you understand how your role shapes animal flow, capacity, and outcomes—so you can make small daily choices that keep animals moving safely through the system.
Read MoreExpand your medical knowledge and confidence. Advanced Medical Care helps you understand what’s happening behind the medicine—so you can recognize concerns early, take the right next steps, and keep animals on track even when veterinary teams are stretched thin.
Read MoreGain confidence in the clinic. Clinic Skills and Operations helps you build comfort and skill assisting with everyday medical tasks—from surgery prep and anesthesia support to patient care, recovery, and clinic flow—so animals get the care they need without delay.
Read MoreBuild strong welfare practices and smoother animal flow. Complete the two core courses plus the two welfare electives.
Read MoreGrow your hands-on medical confidence. Complete the two core courses plus the two medical electives.
Read MoreDeepen your Shelter Care Specialist skills by completing all six courses, with short applied activities that help you use what you learn on the job.
Read MoreAim higher. Complete all six courses, participate in mentorship, and complete an applied project that demonstrates real-world impact. (Open to any learner.)
Read More“This program has completely changed the way I approach animal care.”
“This program gave me hope that we can do better for animals.”
“I feel proud to be part of a program that’s changing sheltering.”
“Such a valuable program—it should be required for all shelter staff.”
“Exactly what our shelter needed—practical, encouraging, and professional.”
“It gave me tools to help our animals thrive, not just survive.”
“This has made me a stronger, more thoughtful animal care professional.”
“I feel more confident and capable in my role because of what I’ve learned here.”
“This course helped me feel capable instead of overwhelmed.”
“This course reminded me why I love working in sheltering.”
“This experience reignited my passion for animal welfare.”
“This course gave me a whole new perspective on animal welfare.”
“This course helped our whole team get on the same page.”
“It gave me the structure and clarity I needed to do my job better.”
“I learned so much that I can use immediately in the shelter.”
“This program really ties everything together in a way that makes sense.”
“It helped me understand how to be better for the animals and my team.”
“This course opened my eyes to how much impact small changes can make.”
“I would recommend this program to anyone who works with shelter animals.”
“The content was so relevant to my day-to-day work.”
“I love how practical and realistic everything was—it fits real shelter life.”
“The feedback and coaching helped me improve more than I expected.”
“I gained confidence to make decisions that help both animals and staff.”
“This course helped me connect the dots between compassion and efficiency.”
“Every lesson felt meaningful—I was never just checking boxes.”
“The material is clear, current, and actually applicable in our shelters.”
“I’ve already seen positive changes in how I handle animals and situations.”
“This course gave me tools I can share with coworkers right away.”
“It inspired me to keep learning and improving in my role.”
“The coaching was encouraging and specific—it really helped me grow.”
“I loved seeing how everything connects to outcomes for the animals.”
“I wish everyone in sheltering could take this program.”
“It was motivating to see how much positive change is possible.”
“I now understand the why behind so many shelter practices.”
“It changed the way I look at animal behavior in the shelter.”
“The examples were so real—it made it easy to relate.”
“I appreciated that the lessons acknowledged real-life shelter constraints.”
“This course was the perfect mix of science, compassion, and practicality.”
“Everything felt relevant—it made me think differently about daily care.”
“The course helped me grow professionally and personally.”
“The examples were realistic and helpful for shelter work.”
“It helped me improve my handling and care of animals.”
“The material made sense and built my confidence.”
“Very relevant content that will help me every day.”
“I learned practical skills I can use right away.”
“The course made me think differently about animal care.”
“This program was eye-opening and motivating.”
“It gave me so many ideas to bring back to my team.”
“The lessons were powerful and inspiring.”
“Everything about this program felt supportive and positive.”
“It gave me a deeper understanding of how my work matters.”
“This training should be part of every shelter onboarding.”
“It was great to see that others face the same challenges.”
“The content was extremely well thought out and impactful.”
“I appreciated the emphasis on teamwork and communication.”
“The course helped me understand why consistency matters.”
“It reminded me that every small action makes a difference.”
Running a shelter today means navigating staff shortages, limited veterinary availability, and rising expectations from your community. The SCS Certification Program helps you develop a team that is skilled, consistent, and able to share the workload appropriately—so essential tasks don’t fall on just one or two people.
What this program strengthens in your organization:
Built to work in busy shelters: Each 6-week course averages 2–3 hours per week, and live meetings are limited and recorded—so staff can participate without disrupting daily operations.
Tuition-free: Made possible through support from Maddie’s Fund® and the Maddie’s Million Pet Challenge.
When frontline staff have structure, skills, and support, everything gets better—for the animals, the people, and your shelter as a whole. The Shelter Care Specialist Certification Program is helping shelters across the country build confident, consistent teams without adding more pressure to already stretched veterinarians and leaders.
Stay in the loop about upcoming SCS cohorts, new resources, and learning opportunities designed for real-world sheltering—not textbook shelters that don’t exist.
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