About Us

Learning that strengthens teams, improves care, and fits real shelter life.

The Shelter Learniverse, created by the Koret Shelter Medicine Program at UC Davis, and supported by Maddie's Fund® as part of the Maddie's® Million Pet Challenge, connects real-world sheltering with practical, research-based training in current industry best practices. Our mission is simple: empower every shelter team to deliver the Right Care, in the Right Place, at the Right Time, to the Right Outcome —while staying within their Capacity for Care so both people and animals can thrive.

About the KSMP Shelter Learniverse

The Koret Shelter Medicine Program (KSMP) envisions a future where every shelter team member has the training, confidence, and support to provide the care animals need—when and where it’s needed most, while keeping their organization within its Capacity for Care so both people and animals can thrive.

The Shelter Learniverse online learning platform makes that vision possible by delivering high-quality, practical education that fits real shelter life. Each course and certification program helps teams strengthen skills in animal care, medical support, behavior, and operations—advancing both animal welfare and staff well-being.

Access to Care

By expanding knowledge and capability across shelter teams, KSMP and Maddie’s Fund® work together to close Access to Care gaps for shelters and communities. Through the Shelter Learniverse, we’re building a future where every shelter has the resources to provide the Right Care, in the Right Place, at the Right Time—leading to the Right Outcome for every animal.

Generously Funded by Maddie’s Fund®

The Shelter Learniverse is generously supported by Maddie’s Fund®, the driving force behind the Maddie’s® Million Pet Challenge—#ThanksToMaddie.

Meet the Shelter Learniverse Team

Behind every Shelter Learniverse course is a team of passionate educators, veterinarians, and creators dedicated to supporting shelters everywhere. Together, we combine expertise in shelter medicine, behavior, operations, and learning design to deliver training that strengthens teams, improves care, and fits real shelter life.

Jump to a team member:

Dr. Cindi Delany Chrissy Teuscher, R.V.T. Miranda Will, B.S., M.A. Sarah Reiwitch, B.S. Natalie Valencia, B.S., M.S.

Dr. Cindi Delany, DVM, KPA-CTP, FFCP

Director of Online Learning

Dr. Cindi Delany leads online learning for the UC Davis KSMP, blending shelter medicine expertise with operations and instructional design to build practical, scalable training that improves outcomes for animals and supports the teams who care for them.

Dr. Cindi Delany, DVM, KPA-CTP, FFCP, is the Director of Online Learning for the UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program (KSMP). With over two decades of experience, she has dedicated her career to improving animal welfare through education, systems thinking, and operational excellence.

Dr. Delany’s journey began as the first Shelter Veterinarian at Sacramento County Animal Care and Regulation, a high-volume municipal shelter. That experience prepared her to help build the UC Davis Shelter Medicine Program from its early days. She quickly became a leader in shelter operations and population management, including the design of shelter animal behavior programs, infectious disease management, population health and flow, staff training, high-quality high-volume spay/neuter, and live-release program implementation.

At KSMP she leads development of the Shelter Learniverse—an online learning platform that supports shelters through practical, scalable training. Her expertise includes operations, population management, behavioral health, data collection and analysis, and maximizing operational efficiencies.

She also contributes to the Shelter Medicine Solutions digital hub, which provides essential information and best practices for animal shelters and the dedicated teams that run them.

Beyond her program work, Dr. Delany is a Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner (KPA-CTP) and a Fear Free Certified Professional (FFCP). She is passionate about building better systems and continues to develop tools and software to advance animal welfare.

Chrissy Teuscher, R.V.T.

Online Learning Programs Manager

Chrissy Teuscher was introduced to Shelter Medicine practices in 2011 while caring for the school’s colony animals at Carrington College. Soon after, she began working in municipal shelters where she discovered her passion for animal welfare and Shelter Medicine, shaping the focus of her studies and career.

In the summer of 2012, while still a student, she was hired as an Animal Care Attendant. She graduated in 2013 with an A.S. in Veterinary Technology and obtained her Registered Veterinary Technician (RVT) license in December 2013.

Since then, Chrissy has worked in a variety of roles—including Animal Care Attendant, RVT, and Supervisor—gaining extensive, hands-on experience in shelter care, fostering, training, and mentoring of teams and volunteers.

She’s excited to apply her real-world knowledge and skills to help the Shelter Medicine field continue to improve.

Miranda Will, B.S., M.A.

Learning Coordinator

Miranda Will joined the Koret Shelter Medicine Program as a Learning Coordinator in 2024. She brings seven years of classroom experience designing and teaching Agricultural & Environmental Education and Science courses—including Ag Biology, Ag Leadership, Animal Science, Animal Anatomy, and Veterinary Science.

Her passion for animal welfare extends beyond the classroom; she has participated in shelter and rescue work, and she now brings that real-world context to her support of Learniverse learners and courses.

Miranda holds a B.S. in Agricultural & Environmental Education and an M.A. in Education from UC Davis, along with a Single Subject Teaching Credential. She lives in the Sacramento area with her husband, their dog Oliver, and two cats, Zia and Lyra.

Sarah Reiwitch, B.S.

Instructional Designer

Sarah Reiwitch joined the KSMP in May 2023 as an Instructional Designer, blending expertise in online learning design with a commitment to animal welfare.

Her background spans biotech, research, web, and learning design—working with organizations such as the Exploratorium, San Francisco Ballet, the learning-science startup Smart Sparrow, and UC Berkeley—where she helped create engaging, learner-centered experiences.

Outside of work, Sarah is a songwriter, musician, and dancer.

Natalie Valencia, B.S., M.S.

Learning Coordinator

Natalie Valencia joined the KSMP as a Learning Coordinator in May 2025 after eight years teaching high-school agriculture—bringing strong education and community-building skills to the Learniverse.

She helps plan and coordinate online learning, build learning communities, and serve as a point person for Learniverse learners.

Natalie holds a B.S. and M.S. in Agricultural Education and a Single Subject Teaching Credential from Chico State. Outside of work, she enjoys being active, puzzles, and time with her four dogs.

Contact the Shelter Learniverse Team

Maddie’s Million Pet Challenge (MMPC)

The Maddie’s® Million Pet Challenge (MMPC), made possible through the generosity of Maddie’s Fund®, continues a legacy of collaboration and compassion that began with the Million Cat Challenge.

That groundbreaking initiative helped shelters save over three million cats by reimagining what’s possible through teamwork, innovation, and care grounded in empathy.

Today, MMPC brings that same spirit to all shelter animals—uniting leading shelter medicine and welfare teams to help shelters operate more effectively, sustainably, and humanely.

Learn More

UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program Team Members

The KSMP team advances compassionate, practical sheltering—helping organizations operate within their Capacity for Care, prevent disease, support behavioral health, and improve outcomes for animals and people.

Click a team member to open their full bio here or on sheltermedicine.com.

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About the Shelter Learniverse and KSMP