The UW Northern Tier Shelter Fellowship Program was created to provide shelter leadership staff with additional training to help them deliver life-saving knowledge and services to our nation’s communities and animals in need of care. This program is modeled after the highly successful Maddie’s UW/UCD Shelter Medicine Veterinary Fellowship for shelter veterinarians. Up to two staff in leadership roles per shelter are invited to participate.
The UW Northern Tier Shelter Fellowship provides unique opportunities for shelters in Alaska, Washington, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, and Wisconsin to learn via interaction with the University of Wisconsin Shelter Medicine Program team and a variety of animal shelters from the Northern Tier region. In addition, fellows may have opportunities to interact with other academic and clinical programs, including other university shelter medicine programs as well as national animal welfare organizations.
The fellows put their new skills to work in their own shelter, directly benefiting shelter animals and communities. Additionally, the Shelter Medicine Program benefits from the infusion of practical experience brought by the Shelter Fellows. Many fellows continue on with the program as alums and mentors while working in or with shelters for years to come, greatly magnifying the impact of this investment in their training.
Keep on eye on our website News Updates and Facebook page where we will announce when we are accepting applications for the upcoming fellowship year. The 2026-27 fellowship year will start in spring 2026, and the application process will open in winter. Applicants must be leadership staff working in shelters in Alaska, Washington, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, or Wisconsin. One application per shelter accepted, with up to 2 staff participating. Recommended staff are shelter directors or managers along with another key staff member. Shelters will be selected but individuals participating should be listed on the application with one applicant as the primary fellow.
2025-2026 Northern Tier Fellowship Shelters
Everett Animal Shelter
Everett Animal Shelter is an open-admission shelter in Everett, Washington. They serve approximately 5,000 animals each year.
Homeward Animal Shelter
Homeward Animal Shelter is a local and community-funded, non-profit animal shelter in Fargo, North Dakota. Their mission is: “Rescue. Shelter. Prote
ct. Rehome.” Homeward provides a second chance at happiness to lost, abandoned, and owner-surrendered animals and educates the community on the proper, loving, and kind treatment of animals. Homeward Animal Shelter is committed to preventing animal overpopulation and spays/neuters all animals 6 months or older before adoption. Since its inception in 1966, Homeward Animal Shelter has placed over 42,000 animals in lifelong homes.
Tasha Haug has been the Executive Director of Homeward Animal Shelter since 2020. Although she doesn’t have any formal training in animal care, she has had a lifelong love of animals and grew up with cats, dogs, gerbils, chickens and goats. She learned early on about the importance of rescuing homeless animals and spaying/neutering them. Tasha has had “on the job training” in the specific care of animals in a shelter setting and appreciates the wonderful learning opportunity she has through the Northern Tier Fellowship Program.
Humane Animal Welfare Society
The Humane Animal Welfare Society (HAWS) is located in Waukesha, Wisconsin. HAWS is an open-admission, no-kill shelter dedicated to strengthening the relationship between animals and humans through adoptions and education – making a more compassionate community possible. Their mission is to lead the community in animal welfare and assure sanctuary for animals in need. To that end, they envision a community where all animals are treated with compassion, dignity and respect. Each year HAWS supports more than 11,000 animals and educates more than 12,000 youth and adults.
Maggie Tate Techtmann joined HAWS in 2018 as Director of Organizational Development. In 2024, Maggie transitioned to the role of Executive Director. Maggie is passionate about collaborative leadership within the shelter system and knows together we can accomplish so much. Maggie brings a background of social services and nonprofit management to the animal welfare space and works to bridge divides that can naturally present as barriers when working with animals and humans. Maggie is particularly proud of the team at HAWS and their dedicated work to supporting pets and people in our communities and forward focus approach to animal welfare. In her spare time, Maggie enjoys hiking with her family and hound dog or taking in the incredible arts scene in Wisconsin.
MCPAWS Regional Animal Shelter
MCPAWS Regional Animal Shelter is based in the beautiful mountain town of McCall, Idaho. They serve the west central mountains of Idaho, and are the only rescue in a 50 mile radius, making the geographic area they serve quite large. In 2024 they helped 107 dogs and 285 cats find their new forever homes, facilitated 117 strays return home, conducted 145 low cost spay/neuter services and provided emergency boarding to their community for those that are in need of somewhere to house their animals for a short time. In addition to the shelter, MCPAWS also operates a Thrift Store, where 50% of their annual cat adoptions happen, as well as a Veterinary Hospital that not only supports their shelter animals but also provides services to their surrounding communities.
Cortney works at MCPAWS Regional Animal Shelter and moved to McCall for her love of skiing, rafting, and all things outdoors. Though she is newer to the field of animal welfare, starting last May, she has always been connected to animals in one way or another—including working at a dude ranch in college that also functioned as a horse rescue as well as her Grandmother working for Best Friends for many years while she was growing up. Because of this background, Cortney is ecstatic about the opportunity that the Northern Tier Fellowship Program provides – allowing for education, outreach, and a community of peers to continue improving shelter operations. Cortney has deep roots in the communities she lives and that is what led her to her role of Executive Director. She has two rescue dogs that are highlights in her life.
Oconto Area Humane Society
Oconto Area Humane Society (OAHS) is a small but mighty animal shelter located in Oconto, Wisconsin. OAHS was founded in 2003 and provides protection, care, and housing for companion animals. OAHS serves its northeastern Wisconsin community through quality care, educational programs, and animal welfare services for pets and people.
Lexi Woodworth has been the Shelter Director at the Oconto Area Humane Society since August 2015. She began working at the shelter while going to college in 2011 and upon graduation knew her time with OAHS was not done. Lexi strives to help both people and animals. She is very excited for the opportunity to be a part of this fellowship. She believes this opportunity will continue to propel her to help OAHS and the animal welfare community as a whole. When Lexi isn’t working you will find her at home with her family and pets (feathered and furry), reading, puzzling, or wandering around in nature.
South Wood County Humane Society
The South Wood County Humane Society in Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin, got its start in the early 1970s and currently serves approximately 1,000 animals each year. SWCHS promotes a stronger bond between people and pets through education and community outreach. They provide safe housing and any needed medical care to animals at the shelter, which can number from 60 pets during the winter to 150 in the summer. They also promote the spay/neuter of animals to help reduce pet over-population. SWCHS’s strong adoption programs ensure that furry companions have the opportunity to live in a loving home. Their current “work in progress” is adding a surgical suite to their shelter.
Valdez Animal Shelter
Valdez Animal Care and Control in Alaska consists of the Valdez Animal Shelter and animal control. The shelter is a municipal shelter with an average intake of 200+ animals. They routinely take animals from an area the size of Ohio. They have three full-time staff members and three part-time employees.
Mike Clupper is the Chief Animal Control Officer for the City of Valdez, Alaska, which means he is not only animal control, but also oversees the shelter. He moved to Valdez in 2020 during the height of COVID. He moved from Whitestown, Indiana, a suburb of Indianapolis, after retiring from the Speedway Police Department. He lives with his wife, three sons, four dogs, two cats, two parakeets and an African Gray parrot. The thing he loves the most about where he lives is the amazing scenery. No matter where you look, in Valdez there are snow capped mountains and they come down into your backyard with waterfalls running down them. His favorite part of being an animal control officer in Valdez is dealing with all the different types of animals from dogs and cats to bears and bald eagles.
Alissa Schaeffer is the Shelter Manager for Valdez Animal Care and Control; in this position she oversees all day-to-day operations at the shelter. She was born and raised in Tacoma, Washington. She moved to Valdez, Alaska, in September of 2013. She married her husband and gained two daughters and now has a couple grandchildren. She currently enjoys her time in the great outdoors (fishing and camping) with her husband, and their 2 dogs Xena & Zeus (both former shelter pups). At home she also has 4 cats Dolly, Socks, Garfield and Odie, and 1 Columbian Red-Tailed Boa. Alissa has been involved in the animal sheltering world since she was 7 years old, volunteering at her local shelter. When she moved to Valdez the animal shelter was hiring for a shelter attendant/admin position and she was hired. She worked in this position for 10 years before transitioning to the position of Shelter manager in November of 2024.
Previous NT fellowship shelters:
2024-2025 Northern Tier Fellowship Shelters
Flathead County Animal Shelter
Iowa County Humane Society
Shawano County Humane Society
Tobacco Valley Animal Shelter
2023 Northern Tier Fellowship Shelters
Humane Society for Tacoma and Pierce County
Humane Society of Jefferson County
Humane Society of the Lakes
Mat-Su Borough Animal Care and Regulation
Missoula City-County Animal Control
Stafford Animal Shelter
Yellowstone Valley Animal Shelter
2022 Northern Tier Fellowship Shelters
Butte Silver Bow Animal Shelter
Driftless Humane Society
Fairbanks North Star Borough Animal Control
Heart of the Valley Animal Shelter
Lewis Clark Animal Shelter
Seattle Humane
Washington County Humane Society
2020-2021 Northern Tier Fellowship Shelters
Adams County Humane Society
Alaska SPCA Adoption Center
Humane Society of Southern Wisconsin
Idaho Falls Animal Shelter
Mountain Humane
Snake River Animal Shelter
Whitman County Humane Society
2019-2020 Northern Tier Fellowship Shelters
Auburn Valley Humane Society
Blue Mountain Humane Society
Homeward Pet Adoption Center
Idaho Humane Society
Mountain Humane
Watertown Humane Society
Wisconsin Humane Society
2018-2019 Northern Tier Fellowship Shelters
Flathead County Animal Shelter
Humane Society of Western Montana
Regional Animal Services of King County
Seattle Humane
Stafford Animal Shelter