What if reactivity in shelter dogs isn’t something to “fix,” but something to better understand and respond to?

Join us for a special Lawless Off Leash webinar, “Reactive Dog Strategies for the Shelter Environment,” featuring Tom Candy, Jessica Wheatcraft, and hosted by Laurie Lawless of Shelter Behavior Integrations.

📅 Sunday, April 26, 2026 at 6:00 PM EST via Zoom

This unique panel-style conversation brings together three experienced voices in shelter behavior to share their favorite, most effective strategies for working with reactive dogs in real-world shelter settings.

Drawing from their combined experience across organizations, roles, and case types, Tom, Jessica, and Laurie will explore what actually helps dogs who are struggling and how shelters can respond in ways that improve both welfare and outcomes.

Topics include:
🐾 Practical strategies for working with reactive dogs in a shelter environment
🐾 How to interpret and respond to reactivity through a behavior and welfare lens
🐾 Common challenges shelters face and how to work through them with limited resources
🐾 What’s working right now across different shelters and behavior programs
🐾 How to support staff working with behaviorally complex dogs

Whether you’re managing dogs with barrier reactivity, handling challenges, or just trying to reduce stress and improve outcomes, this session will give you practical ideas you can start using right away.

If you can’t make it or just want to listen to your favorite insight again - replays will be available for purchase just a few days later 🐶

About Tom and Jessica:

Tom Candy is a Certified Clinical Animal Behaviorist and founder of Simplifying Shelter Behaviour. He supports shelters globally with practical, welfare-centered behavior strategies and is known for making complex concepts accessible and actionable.

Jessica Wheatcraft is a leader in shelter behavior and operations, bringing extensive experience in implementing behavior programs that improve outcomes for dogs and teams alike. Her work focuses on practical application, staff support, and scalable solutions.

Together with Laurie Lawless, this conversation brings a collaborative, real-world perspective to one of the most common — and challenging — issues in sheltering today.

With Special Guest: Stephanie Mathers

How can shelters leverage grants for behavior program funding?

Join us for the next Lawless Off Leash webinar, “Finding and Applying for Grants for Your Shelter Behavior Programs,” featuring Stephanie Mathers of Grants 4 Animals LLC and hosted by Laurie Lawless of Shelter Behavior Integrations.

📅 Monday, May 11, 2026 at 6:00 PM EST via Zoom

In this session, Stephanie and Laurie will break down how shelters can realistically approach grant funding, from where to look, to how to apply, to what makes an application stand out. Inspired by their conversation at Animal Care Expo, this webinar is designed to make the grant process feel more accessible, strategic, and doable for busy shelter teams.

Topics include:
🐾 Where to find grant opportunities for shelter behavior and enrichment programs
🐾 How to determine if your organization is ready to apply
🐾 What makes a strong, competitive grant application
🐾 Common mistakes shelters make when applying for funding and how to avoid them
🐾 How to align your behavior program goals with funder priorities

Whether you’re brand new to grants or looking to improve your success rate, this session will give you practical guidance to help you secure funding and expand what’s possible for your dogs and your team.

If you can’t make it or just want to listen to your favorite insight again - replays will be available for purchase just a few days later 🐶

About Stephanie Mathers:

Stephanie Mathers is the founder of Grants 4 Animals LLC and has dedicated her career to helping animal welfare organizations secure funding to support their work. Since launching her business, she has been involved in earning, managing, and reporting on over $5.8 million in funding for animal-related nonprofits.

Stephanie’s journey in animal welfare began in 2002 after adopting her first cat, which led to involvement in rescue work, TNR efforts, and volunteer roles ranging from animal care to board membership. Alongside her work in animal welfare, she built a 20-year career in education, serving as a teacher, principal, curriculum director, and policy writer, while also writing grants for schools and nonprofits.

Today, Stephanie works with a select group of clients while also offering online courses and consulting to help more organizations access funding. Her approach blends the technical side of grant writing with a deep commitment to improving the lives of animals through sustainable support for the organizations that serve them.