2026 Badger State Conference
Wisconsin Federated Humane Societies is excited to bring a very special Badger State Conference to Central Wisconsin in 2026!
Please join us Wednesday, September 23rd and Thursday September 24th at Cedar Creek Hotel and Conference Center in Rothschild, WI for an exciting two days of inspirational presentations, professional networking, informative vendors, prizes and great learning opportunities! This year's event will feature educational presentations led by nationally recognized animal welfare experts sharing what they have learned and done over time to improve the lives of shelter animals and the professionals who care for them. Registrants also eligible to receive CE credits for attending event.
Please join us Wednesday, September 23rd and Thursday September 24th at Cedar Creek Hotel and Conference Center in Rothschild, WI for an exciting two days of inspirational presentations, professional networking, informative vendors, prizes and great learning opportunities! This year's event will feature educational presentations led by nationally recognized animal welfare experts sharing what they have learned and done over time to improve the lives of shelter animals and the professionals who care for them. Registrants also eligible to receive CE credits for attending event.
Conference Details
Event Date: Wednesday, September 23 and Thursday, September 24, 2026
Event Location:
Cedar Creek Hotel and Conference Center
1100 Imperial Ave
Rothschild, WI 54474
Event Location:
Cedar Creek Hotel and Conference Center
1100 Imperial Ave
Rothschild, WI 54474
Featured Presentations
Big Dogs, Big Data: Driving Large Interest and Adoptions
April Huntsman
Millions of potential adopters turn to online platforms each month, seeking their perfect companion. But what truly drives their decisions when it comes to large dogs? In this data-driven session, we'll go beyond assumptions to dive deep into the world of large dog adoption. We'll share trends in supply and demand, and uncover the critical impact of factors like photo quality, showcased personality traits, adoption fees, and strategic marketing on adoption interest. Learn the secrets to crafting captivating dog profiles that truly resonate with potential adopters. We'll also reveal groundbreaking insights from recent research on the real reasons why people search by breed – and it's far less about aesthetics than you might imagine. Discover the fascinating interplay between breed preference and other specific traits, and gain actionable strategies for shelters and rescues to navigate these perceptions effectively. By understanding the true preferences of potential adopters and implementing these data-backed strategies, you can dramatically increase the visibility of large-breed dogs and find them loving, forever homes.
April Huntsman
Millions of potential adopters turn to online platforms each month, seeking their perfect companion. But what truly drives their decisions when it comes to large dogs? In this data-driven session, we'll go beyond assumptions to dive deep into the world of large dog adoption. We'll share trends in supply and demand, and uncover the critical impact of factors like photo quality, showcased personality traits, adoption fees, and strategic marketing on adoption interest. Learn the secrets to crafting captivating dog profiles that truly resonate with potential adopters. We'll also reveal groundbreaking insights from recent research on the real reasons why people search by breed – and it's far less about aesthetics than you might imagine. Discover the fascinating interplay between breed preference and other specific traits, and gain actionable strategies for shelters and rescues to navigate these perceptions effectively. By understanding the true preferences of potential adopters and implementing these data-backed strategies, you can dramatically increase the visibility of large-breed dogs and find them loving, forever homes.
Supported Self Rehoming: the past, the present, the future
April Huntsman
What if you could predict which pets would succeed in a new home before they ever entered your doors? Since 2017, Rehome by Adopt a Pet has been tracking the journey of pets staying out of the shelter system—and we’re ready to share the results. This session breaks down the "anatomy of a rehome," using nine years of granular data to explore:
Owner Stamina: How long are owners truly willing to wait for the right match?
Success Metrics: Which pets find homes fastest and what factors drive a successful transition?
Intake Reduction: How to turn these insights into a "Supported Self-Rehoming" program that works immediately.
Move beyond guesswork and leave with a data-backed blueprint to empower owners, reduce intake, and save more lives.
April Huntsman
What if you could predict which pets would succeed in a new home before they ever entered your doors? Since 2017, Rehome by Adopt a Pet has been tracking the journey of pets staying out of the shelter system—and we’re ready to share the results. This session breaks down the "anatomy of a rehome," using nine years of granular data to explore:
Owner Stamina: How long are owners truly willing to wait for the right match?
Success Metrics: Which pets find homes fastest and what factors drive a successful transition?
Intake Reduction: How to turn these insights into a "Supported Self-Rehoming" program that works immediately.
Move beyond guesswork and leave with a data-backed blueprint to empower owners, reduce intake, and save more lives.
Getting 'em Home: From Overlooked to Out the Door!
Kelly Duer
Finnegan Dowling
With every shelter stuffed to bursting, long stay pets are often the most at risk. Not only because of space crunches but also due to the effects being kenneled has on their bodies and behavior. Organizations across the country are utilizing innovative foster care programs, proactive marketing strategies and more to target pets with long shelter stays and get them into permanent homes faster. In this presentation, you’ll learn techniques you can use right now to get your most difficult-to-place pets adopted, including the winning plans from Virginia shelters that have had great success with this specific population.
Learning Objectives:
Kelly Duer
Finnegan Dowling
With every shelter stuffed to bursting, long stay pets are often the most at risk. Not only because of space crunches but also due to the effects being kenneled has on their bodies and behavior. Organizations across the country are utilizing innovative foster care programs, proactive marketing strategies and more to target pets with long shelter stays and get them into permanent homes faster. In this presentation, you’ll learn techniques you can use right now to get your most difficult-to-place pets adopted, including the winning plans from Virginia shelters that have had great success with this specific population.
Learning Objectives:
- Participants will learn the easy things their organizations can do to make it more likely that pets will be adopted quickly
- Participants will learn successful strategies organizations have used to find adopters for pets with long shelter stays and some of the most difficult-to-place pets, including pets who have complicated medical needs or those whose behavioral needs limit their pool of potential adopters (no cats, no kids, etc.)
- Participants will learn how to keep marketing and adoption counseling separate while being completely transparent with potential adopters
- Participants will be challenged to find more creative ways to talk about and market their animals.
The Human Side of Fostering: Turning Interest into Impact
Kelly Duer
In this lively session, we’re digging into the people side of foster programs—because getting animals into homes starts with bringing more humans on board! We’ll tackle the questions everyone’s asking: How do you get more folks through the door? And how do you keep them coming back for more tail wags and happy endings? With a mix of surprising research, real-world examples, and interactive moments, you'll walk away with fresh ideas to make your program more welcoming, inclusive, and downright irresistible.
Kelly Duer
In this lively session, we’re digging into the people side of foster programs—because getting animals into homes starts with bringing more humans on board! We’ll tackle the questions everyone’s asking: How do you get more folks through the door? And how do you keep them coming back for more tail wags and happy endings? With a mix of surprising research, real-world examples, and interactive moments, you'll walk away with fresh ideas to make your program more welcoming, inclusive, and downright irresistible.
Tame the Tension: Talking through the Hard Stuff
Betsy McFarland, CAWA, CVA
Working in animal welfare is rewarding, but it can also be emotionally taxing, filled with endless highs and lows. Most of us are pretty good at learning the practical and professional skills needed to work in this field and deal with its challenges. Many of us, however, continue to struggle with incorporating those harder-to-define but equally important skills that help us acknowledge and work through our emotions in healthy ways. This session will highlight the concept of courageous conversations, with the goal of providing animal welfare staff and volunteers with the tools they need to navigate an emotionally complex working environment.
Betsy McFarland, CAWA, CVA
Working in animal welfare is rewarding, but it can also be emotionally taxing, filled with endless highs and lows. Most of us are pretty good at learning the practical and professional skills needed to work in this field and deal with its challenges. Many of us, however, continue to struggle with incorporating those harder-to-define but equally important skills that help us acknowledge and work through our emotions in healthy ways. This session will highlight the concept of courageous conversations, with the goal of providing animal welfare staff and volunteers with the tools they need to navigate an emotionally complex working environment.
No More Hissing & Growling: Navigating Difficult Volunteer Dynamics
Betsy McFarland, CAWA, CVA
Leading volunteers is deeply rewarding, but when challenges arise, even experienced leaders can feel stuck or unsure how to respond. Difficult volunteer situations rarely come out of nowhere; they are often rooted in unclear expectations, misalignment, burnout, or unmet needs. This practical, interactive workshop helps participants recognize early warning signs of volunteer challenges and respond with confidence and clarity. Participants will explore common root causes of difficult volunteer behavior, strategies for preventing problems before they escalate, and when—and how—to step in when issues do arise. Using real-world scenarios, the session introduces tools for addressing concerns directly and respectfully that protect both relationships and mission. Whether you’re new to engaging volunteers or navigating long-standing dynamics, this session will strengthen your ability to handle any situation with empathy, professionalism, and grace.
Betsy McFarland, CAWA, CVA
Leading volunteers is deeply rewarding, but when challenges arise, even experienced leaders can feel stuck or unsure how to respond. Difficult volunteer situations rarely come out of nowhere; they are often rooted in unclear expectations, misalignment, burnout, or unmet needs. This practical, interactive workshop helps participants recognize early warning signs of volunteer challenges and respond with confidence and clarity. Participants will explore common root causes of difficult volunteer behavior, strategies for preventing problems before they escalate, and when—and how—to step in when issues do arise. Using real-world scenarios, the session introduces tools for addressing concerns directly and respectfully that protect both relationships and mission. Whether you’re new to engaging volunteers or navigating long-standing dynamics, this session will strengthen your ability to handle any situation with empathy, professionalism, and grace.
Ringworm Management
Dr. Becky Stuntebeck, DVM
Ringworm in the shelter has a reputation that's a lot worse than the reality. In this highly interactive session, Dr. Becky Stuntebeck of Paws to Elevate Shelter Consultation Services will set the record straight and give you tools that make ringworm management a little bit easier. Attendees will vote on which topics to dig into, so the conversation goes where you need it to go. Come ready to ask questions, bust some myths, and gain renewed confidence in your ability to contain infections and provide the best care possible to infected animals.
Dr. Becky Stuntebeck, DVM
Ringworm in the shelter has a reputation that's a lot worse than the reality. In this highly interactive session, Dr. Becky Stuntebeck of Paws to Elevate Shelter Consultation Services will set the record straight and give you tools that make ringworm management a little bit easier. Attendees will vote on which topics to dig into, so the conversation goes where you need it to go. Come ready to ask questions, bust some myths, and gain renewed confidence in your ability to contain infections and provide the best care possible to infected animals.
NEW! Shelter's Choice!
Dr. Erica Schumacher, DVM
We’re giving you a say in this year’s event. Help us decide which topic will be featured during our Shelter’s Choice Session by voting for the one that interests you most. Your feedback helps us make sure the conference content is meaningful and relevant. Voting closes March 24, 2026.
Dr. Erica Schumacher, DVM
We’re giving you a say in this year’s event. Help us decide which topic will be featured during our Shelter’s Choice Session by voting for the one that interests you most. Your feedback helps us make sure the conference content is meaningful and relevant. Voting closes March 24, 2026.
Featured Speakers
April Huntsman, CAWA, has spent 25 years making a difference for animals at organizations such as Maricopa County Animal Care & Control, Salt Lake County Animal Services, and Michelson Found Animals. Now, at Adopt a Pet, she's a master at using technology and sharing insights to make adoptions smoother and help more pets find homes. She's deeply passionate about helping animals through smart, modern approaches. You'll find her in Southern Utah, enjoying life with her beloved feisty senior Chihuahuas.
Dr. Erica Schumacher, DVM (she/her) discovered her passion for shelter medicine in 2003 at Dane County Humane Society (DCHS) in Madison, Wisconsin, initially as a certified veterinary technician. After earning her DVM at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, she combined her love for shelter medicine and wildlife during a Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine internship. Her career led her to diverse locations like Arizona, Alaska, and Africa. Returning to DCHS, she served as Chief Shelter Veterinarian for seven years before joining the UW Shelter Medicine Program as an Outreach Veterinarian 2018. She enjoys using her clinical background in shelter medicine as well as her love of teaching to help shelters reach their lifesaving potential.
Kelly Duerr works as a Senior Specialist for Maddie's Fund with a focus is on helping shelters and rescue organizations keep people and pets together and maximize pet welfare through the implementation of robust foster care programs. Her role includes creating and providing training for organizations and their foster coordinators, writing, assisting with research on foster care and consulting with shelters. Her work with foster care and marketing has been featured in many national publications, websites and networks, including Animal Sheltering magazine, the Huffington Post, Best Friends magazine, BarkPost, Catster Magazine, iheartdogs.com and HuffPost Live.
Finnegan Dowling is Mutual Rescue’s Senior Manager of Shelter Engagement. She has been in animal welfare for more than 30 years and has worked in shelters in Washington, Colorado, California, and Nicaragua. Prior to working for Mutual Rescue, she was the social-media manager for Humane Society Silicon Valley where her work was honored with Shorty and Communicator Awards. Finnegan’s writing has been published in The Bark, Bay Woof, and Huffington Post. She is also the author of the Mutual Rescue Doggy Day Out Toolkit and has helped shelters across the country start day foster programs. She has spoken at Best Friends, Virginia Federation of Humane Societies, New Mexico Humane Conference and many others. She lives in coastal Texas with an opinionated dog and her husband.
Betsy McFarland, CAWA, CVA, is a strategist, facilitator, and problem-solver who has forged a unique professional niche focused on empowering staff and volunteers committed to tackling challenging societal issues. Betsy brings 25 years of experience in animal protection, including serving as vice president of The Humane Society of the United States’ (now Humane World for Animals) companion animals section and has provided direct assistance to hundreds of animal shelters, humane organizations, and other agencies around the world. Passionate about engaging the community, Betsy also has extensive experience in engaging and growing volunteers within organizations large and small. She holds a degree in psychology from George Mason University and holds Executive Certificates in Facilitation as well as Organizational Consulting and Change Leadership through Georgetown University’s Institute for Transformational Leadership.
Renée Dunaway, CPDT-KA, strives to empower shelter professionals to improve behavioral care for cats and dogs. They consult with shelter leaders, coach staff on working with animals, and build practical training programs. Renée has led the creation of courses on ASPCA Learn that have had over 20,000 enrollments. They have served as a behavior specialist in several ASPCA programs including the founding team of the Behavioral Rehabilitation Center. Renee brings over 14 years of shelter behavior and 20 years of marketing, design, and operations to their role. Renée’s favorite part of work is collaborating with shelter pros and recognizing their creativity, commitment, and achievements.
Dr. Becky Stuntebeck, DVM, is a boarded shelter medicine and facility design veterinarian. In August of 2025 she began providing a range of consultation services to animal shelters, veterinary clinics, and other service providers through her own company, Paws To Elevate. She was fortunate to have the opportunity to collaborate with Dr. Jill Pable to support the development of design guidance for emergency co-sheltering facilities which was released in January 2026.
Prior to starting Paws To Elevate Dr Stuntebeck worked with the UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program. She obtained her DVM degree at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine in 2013. She completed a shelter medicine internship at Dane County Humane Society via the KSMP team in 2014 and a shelter medicine residency with the UW Shelter Medicine Program in 2018, achieving board certification through the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners that Fall.
Becky has also worked as a shelter veterinarian at two private shelters in Wisconsin where she lives with her human and companion animal family. In addition to facility design her interests include shelter data, proactive population management, infectious disease prevention in shelters, and building relationships with folks across the sheltering field. Outside of work she enjoys petting kittens, getting outside, and reading.
Prior to starting Paws To Elevate Dr Stuntebeck worked with the UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program. She obtained her DVM degree at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine in 2013. She completed a shelter medicine internship at Dane County Humane Society via the KSMP team in 2014 and a shelter medicine residency with the UW Shelter Medicine Program in 2018, achieving board certification through the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners that Fall.
Becky has also worked as a shelter veterinarian at two private shelters in Wisconsin where she lives with her human and companion animal family. In addition to facility design her interests include shelter data, proactive population management, infectious disease prevention in shelters, and building relationships with folks across the sheltering field. Outside of work she enjoys petting kittens, getting outside, and reading.
Scholarships Available
WFHS is committed to offering Conference scholarship funding to applicants who are eager to learn and whose organization would be financially challenged to pay the registration fee.
Continuing Education (CE) Credits
Registrants will be eligible to receive CE credits for attending the 2026 Badger State Conference. Stay tuned for additional details!
Hotel Information
To book a hotel room, please call at Cedar Creek Hotel and Conference Center at (715) 355-6858 and let them know you are with the Wisconsin Federated Humane Societies block.
Sponsorship Information
Click here to view available sponsorship opportunities.
To submit sponsorship interest, please complete this form and email to Jessica Pinkos.
To submit sponsorship interest, please complete this form and email to Jessica Pinkos.
Thank you to our Event Sponsors
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