Center for Veterinary Social Work

Upcoming Webinar! AAI Series: Interest or Appeasement? 🐕 Webinar | How Can We Honestly Determine If Our Therapy Dogs Are Truly Interested — or Merely Acting Out of Appeasement During AAT?
Presented by Gina Caldwell
📅 July 9 | 1:00–2:00 PM MDT

Are they doing it because they love it — or because they love us?
Therapy dogs are family first. They love us unconditionally, and they often show that love by appeasing us. So when they participate in animal-assisted therapy, are they doing it because they enjoy it, because we enjoy it — or just to make us happy?

This session sits with the uncomfortable question at the heart of ethical AAT practice: how do we tell genuine engagement from appeasement, and what do we owe our dogs when the answer isn't clear? 🐾

👉 Sign up here: https://www.human-animal-interaction.org/events/animal-assisted-interventions-webinar-series-2-2026-01-08-2026-02-12-2026-03-12-2026-04-09-2026-05-14-2026-06-11-2026-07-09/

Upcoming 🦮 Webinar | Assistance Dog Loss and Interdisciplinary Support

📅 June 18 | 10:00–11:30 AM MDT

When an assistance dog dies, the loss isn't only emotional.
For people with disabilities, an assistance dog is a partner in independence — woven into daily routines, social connections, and the rhythm of a life that works. When that partnership ends, grief is layered with functional disruption and, often, with the kind of disenfranchised grief that goes unrecognized by the people around them.

This workshop equips ancillary providers — social workers, mental health professionals, healthcare practitioners — and veterinary professionals to collaborate on compassionate, informed support.

Attendees will leave with concrete strategies: validating grief, assessing functional impacts, connecting clients to peer support, and guiding considerations around a successor dog. Resources from the International Association of Assistance Dog Partners (IAADP) will be shared. 💙

👉 Sign up here: https://www.human-animal-interaction.org/events/assistance-dog-loss-and-interdisciplinary-support/

We had a great time at this last year and look forward to attending in 2026!

We just locked in October 24, 2026.

Tails on Trails returns to Baker Creek Preserve for another morning of hiking, music, coffee, connection, and community—all to help save pets through the Nomar & Mia Compassion Fund.

More details coming soon. For now, save the date and start counting down with us. 🐾🍂

When a therapy dog retires or passes away, the loss can ripple through a practice, classroom, clinic, or program.

For professionals in animal-assisted interventions, these transitions can affect your daily work, your students or clients, and your own well-being.

Join AAAIP on May 26 at 12 p.m. ET / 9 a.m. PT for Navigating Therapy Animal Loss: New Research, Grief, and Professional Readiness with Dr. Lori Kogan.

This webinar will share findings from new research on how therapy dog handlers experience retirement and loss of their therapy dog, with practical guidance for supporting grief, preparing students or clients for change, and planning responsibly for retirement and end-of-life decisions.

Free for AAAIP Members or $29 for non-members.
Save your spot at the webinar today: https://utm.guru/uoZa3

🚨 The agenda is officially LIVE! 🚨

Join us in Toronto for the 9th IAVSW Summit, October 14–16, 2026
Connect with veterinary social workers, veterinary professionals, students, and advocates from across the field for meaningful conversations, innovative learning, and community-centered collaboration.

We’re also excited to welcome keynote speaker Dr. Michelle Lem 🎤

A huge thank you to our sponsor, OVC Pet Trust , for supporting this year’s Summit 💙

📍 Toronto, Canada
📅 October 14–16, 2026
🔗 View the full agenda: IAVSW.org/summit

We have 15 MSSW + Veterinary Social Work Certificate students graduating today! We're so happy to welcome them to the veterinary social work community, and look forward to seeing what they do in the future! Congratulations, Class of 2026!

🎓 We're excited to celebrate our 2026 Grads today at our UTCSW Graduation Celebration!
For those not attending in person, you can watch the live stream of the event at 3pmET at the link below. Share with family and friends!

🔗 tiny.utk.edu/csw-celebration

Congratulations, Vols 🧡

🔔Live Conversation TODAY!🔔

Join AVC Circle on Tuesday, May 12th from 7:00pm - 8:00pm! Rachel Ide of Young-Williams Animal Center in Knoxville will share insights into community outreach efforts, access to veterinary resources, and the importance of keeping families and animals together during times of crisis. Her passion for animal welfare and collaborative problem-solving is inspiring. Her work reflects the growing importance of community-centered approaches in the animal welfare field.

Scan the QR code or click the link in our bio to RSVP! We hope to see you tonight!

📢 Call for Submissions! Submit your research to the Journal of Public Health Research Special Issue: "Companion Animals & Public Health," guest edited by VCU's Dr. Nancy R. Gee. We're looking for papers that highlight the interconnected health and wellbeing of humans and animals. 🐾

📅 Deadline: Sept 30, 2026
🔗 Guidelines: https://journals.sagepub.com/topic/collections-phj/002292/phj

Curious about a degree in social work? Join us for these May Info Sessions to learn more about our BSSW programs at UTCSW! 🍊
*Wednesday - in person at our Knoxville campus (2pm)
*Thursday - online zoom (6:30pm)

🔗 Register today: tiny.utk.edu/infosessions