Behind the Scenes: Investing in Our People to Help Shelter Dogs Thrive
For dogs in an animal shelter, life is largely structured around routines that keep both animals and people safe. While those routines are essential, as routine and predictability have a place in reducing stress, they can limit opportunities for dogs to make choices. Providing dogs with agency, the ability to make decisions about their environment and social interactions, is also a crucial way we can support their behavioral health and overall welfare while they await a new home.
That philosophy was the focus of a recent four-day training at the Humane Society for Tacoma & Pierce County led by nationally recognized shelter behavior expert Laurie Lawless, CDBC, founder of Shelter Behavior Integrations.
The training supports a combination of our strategic priorities: equipping our people, both staff and volunteers, to do their best work while continually elevating our operations. When we invest in the people who care for animals every day, we bolster our ability to provide compassionate, evidence-based care and create better outcomes for every pet who comes through our doors.
Founded by Lawless in 2023, Shelter Behavior Integrations helps animal shelters build behavior-driven, welfare-centered programs that strengthen teams, improve daily operations, and create better outcomes for dogs. Laurie first visited Tacoma Humane in March to provide dog handling training, and this return visit focused on evaluating and refining our playgroup program to meet the unique needs of our shelter and the animals in our care.
“Playgroups are an essential part of sheltering because they improve the welfare of dogs while they’re in our care,” said Lawless. “They also help us learn more about each dog so we can make better adoption matches.”
Throughout the week, Laurie and assistant, Emma Starkweather, worked alongside staff and volunteers on everything from reading canine body language and managing playgroups to documenting behavioral observations and implementing welfare-centered handling practices. A central focus was ensuring every dog has choice and agency, allowing them to participate only if they’re comfortable and to opt out whenever they choose.
The training also reinforced the essential role volunteers play in Tacoma Humane’s mission.
“Tacoma has an amazing, tiny-but-mighty group of volunteers who have already seen the benefits of daily playgroups and are passionate about growing the program,” said Lawless. “By adding new roles to support playgroups, volunteers can begin learning at any experience level and build their skills over time.”
By creating more accessible volunteer pathways, we’re building a sustainable playgroup program that can grow alongside our shelter’s needs. Continued partnership between our animal services staff and volunteers will be key to expanding the program, and new entry-level volunteer roles will create even more opportunities for community members to make a meaningful difference in the lives of shelter dogs.
“Our goal this week wasn’t just to improve our understanding and application of dog behavior during playgroups,” Lawless said. “It was also to identify ways Tacoma Humane can systematically incorporate playgroups into daily operations so more groups can happen each week and more dogs can spend time out of their kennels socializing, exploring, and simply having fun.”
Animal welfare is constantly evolving, and so are we. By continuing to learn from leaders in the field, investing in our staff and volunteers, and adapting our practices as new research emerges, we’re ensuring the dogs in our care benefit from the very best our profession has to offer.
If you’re passionate about making a difference for animals, we’d love to have you join our team. Whether you’re interested in volunteering or pursuing a career at Tacoma Humane, you’ll play an important role in helping shelter pets feel safe, supported, and one step closer to a brighter future. Explore our current volunteer opportunities and careers.
