Uploaded February 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 day ago
Managing the Unknown: Uncertainty, Behavior, and Better Outcomes in Animal Welfare
Our speaker is Lawrence Minnis, Graduate Student, George Mason University.
Animal welfare organizations operate under constant uncertainty. Funding needs, staff and time limitations, adoption pressures, and the nonstop demands of animal care all shape how decisions get made. Uncertainty isn’t just a challenge; it’s the system that drives behavior across organizations, adopters, and communities.
This conversation looks at how uncertainty shows up in animal welfare and how it influences the choices organizations make. We’ll explore the critical uncertainties AWOs face, how common responses are shaped by resource constraints and values-driven decision-making, and where those responses may unintentionally work against desired outcomes. We’ll also examine uncertainty from the adopter’s perspective, where decisions hinge on comfort level and predictability rather than simply having more information.
This session invites audience members to step back and have more deliberate conversations about the uncertainties they’re managing, their tolerance for uncertainty and change, and where small, intentional shifts could lead to better outcomes for animals, organizations, and the communities they serve.
Key Takeaways:
How uncertainty shapes behavior — and how small shifts in how we respond to uncertainty can unlock better outcomes
How uncertainty for AWOs is systemic and environmental, not event-driven
How uncertainty is the overarching umbrella under which pet seekers operate
Related links:
Lawrence’s Master’s thesis, “Criteria Influencing Potential Canine Adopters' Decision During a Shelter or Adoption Event Visit” is available here:
https://mars.gmu.edu/items/696d57c0-97cb-4c4d-ae28-c361ff09cc53
Lawrence’s past Community Conversations:
forum.maddiesfund.org/discussion/community-conversations-91123-top-dog-adoption-decision-making-factors
forum.maddiesfund.org/discussion/community-conversations-2524-paws-for-inclusion-exploring-disability-diversity-in-animal-welfare
Here’s Lawrence’s post about his research on Maddie’s Pet Forum: forum.maddiesfund.org/discussion/ongoing-dog-adoption-decision-making-research
To comment or ask more questions about this meeting, please visit https://maddies.fund/communityconversations2926
About Community Conversations, hosted by Maddie’s Fund: When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in early 2020, animal sheltering transformed overnight. Foster-based sheltering, home-based employees and volunteers, along with collaboration galvanized our communities. The pandemic, along with social injustice, has motivated our industry to look at how we partner with our communities and confront our own biases. Shelter and rescue staff across the country began talking on a weekly basis, offering support and innovative ideas to do things differently. To learn more about these calls, visit forum.maddiesfund.org/communityconversations
Chapters:
00:00 Welcome, Question of the Day
03:52 January Grant Winners
06:27 Presentation
Managing the Unknown: Uncertainty, Behavior, and Better Outcomes in Animal Welfare
Our speaker is Lawrence Minnis, Graduate Student, George Mason University.
Animal welfare organizations operate under constant uncertainty. Funding needs, staff and time limitations, adoption pressures, and the nonstop demands of animal care all shape how decisions get made. Uncertainty isn’t just a challenge; it’s the system that drives behavior across organizations, adopters, and communities.
This conversation looks at how uncertainty shows up in animal welfare and how it influences the choices organizations make. We’ll explore the critical uncertainties AWOs face, how common responses are shaped by resource constraints and values-driven decision-making, and where those responses may unintentionally work against desired outcomes. We’ll also examine uncertainty from the adopter’s perspective, where decisions hinge on comfort level and predictability rather than simply having more information.
This session invites audience members to step back and have more deliberate conversations about the uncertainties they’re managing, their tolerance for uncertainty and change, and where small, intentional shifts could lead to better outcomes for animals, organizations, and the communities they serve.
Key Takeaways:
How uncertainty shapes behavior — and how small shifts in how we respond to uncertainty can unlock better outcomes
How uncertainty for AWOs is systemic and environmental, not event-driven
How uncertainty is the overarching umbrella under which pet seekers operate
Related links:
Lawrence’s Master’s thesis, “Criteria Influencing Potential Canine Adopters' Decision During a Shelter or Adoption Event Visit” is available here:
https://mars.gmu.edu/items/696d57c0-97cb-4c4d-ae28-c361ff09cc53
Lawrence’s past Community Conversations:
forum.maddiesfund.org/discussion/community-conversations-91123-top-dog-adoption-decision-making-factors
forum.maddiesfund.org/discussion/community-conversations-2524-paws-for-inclusion-exploring-disability-diversity-in-animal-welfare
Here’s Lawrence’s post about his research on Maddie’s Pet Forum: forum.maddiesfund.org/discussion/ongoing-dog-adoption-decision-making-research
To comment or ask more questions about this meeting, please visit https://maddies.fund/communityconversations2926
About Community Conversations, hosted by Maddie’s Fund: When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in early 2020, animal sheltering transformed overnight. Foster-based sheltering, home-based employees and volunteers, along with collaboration galvanized our communities. The pandemic, along with social injustice, has motivated our industry to look at how we partner with our communities and confront our own biases. Shelter and rescue staff across the country began talking on a weekly basis, offering support and innovative ideas to do things differently. To learn more about these calls, visit forum.maddiesfund.org/communityconversations
Chapters:
00:00 Welcome, Question of the Day
03:52 January Grant Winners
06:27 Presentation
