Animal Farm Foundation

Reserve Your Spot

Language, Logistics, and Leadership

Professional Development Retreat  ·  July 15–17, 2026

The Free Retreat is Open Only to Animal Sheltering and Rescue Staff & Volunteers

1  ·  About You
2  ·  Your Sessions
3  ·  Submit

Step 1 of 3

About You

All fields marked * are required.

We will only contact you about this retreat.
Used for AFF-provided meals (Wednesday dinner, Thursday breakfast & lunch, Friday breakfast).

Step 2 of 3

Select Your Sessions

Check all sessions you plan to attend. AFF-provided meals are listed as their own options — select them if you'll be joining.

Wednesday

July 15, 2026
4:00 PM
Group Walking Tour
Introductions & orientation of the farm
5:00 PM
Words Matter: How Language Moves Dogs
Nikki Juchem — Director of National Programs, Animal Farm Foundation
6:00 PM
Dinner & Expectation Setting
What are we hoping to learn?
🍽 AFF-Provided Dinner Included

Thursday

July 16, 2026
8:30 AM
Foster Programs
Heather Smith — Furry Friends Humane
9:45 AM
Office Hours Enrichment
Emily Boesch — Shelter Manager, Animal Farm Foundation
What we can do with our Office Dog
11:00 AM
Spellbinding Strategies
Carrie Lalonde — Lifesaving Outcomes Strategist, Best Friends Animal Society
Mastering the art of volunteer engagement with mystical tactics (Training Center)
12:00 PM
Lunch
🍽 AFF-Provided Lunch
1:00 PM
Pathway Planning & Daily Rounds Workshop
Erica Chandler — Strategist, East Region, Best Friends Animal Society
2:15 PM
Legacy vs. Logic
Audrey Lodato — Senior Director of Regional Programs, Best Friends Animal Society
Rethinking a traditional animal services model
3:30 PM
AI for a More Efficient Sheltering Workshop
Nikki Juchem — Director of National Programs, Animal Farm Foundation
4:30 PM
Leadership Coaching
Melissa Treuman, Development and Communication Director at Bideawee

Friday

July 17, 2026
9:00 AM
NYCACC Foster Program
@the_yvesdropper
9:30 AM
Marketing 101
Chelsea Domaleski — Communications Manager, Animal Farm Foundation
10:00 AM
Pawstars Frisbee Field Demo
Fun with dogs in a yard · Erich Steffensen, Animal Farm Foundation
11:00 AM
Leadership Roundtables
Brainstorm & review expectations

Step 3 of 3

You're Almost Done

Review your selections above, then click the button below to complete your registration. A confirmation will be sent to your email address.

📧 A confirmation email will be sent to the address you provided.

Please fill in all required fields and try again.

✅

You're registered!

Thank you for signing up for the Language, Logistics, and Leadership Retreat. A confirmation has been sent to .

We look forward to welcoming you July 15–17 at Animal Farm Foundation.

Retreat Location

393 Pugsley Hill Rd
Amenia, NY 12501

Questions or Changes?

Contact our Retreat Coordinator:
taylor@animalfarmfoundation.org
845-868-7559

Need to change your plans after registering? Just reach out to Taylor — she'll take care of it.