Colorado Animal Welfare Conference Session

Zoie Keast serves as the director of shelter operations for the Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region in Colorado Springs. With over 13 years of experience in shelter operations, she has dedicated her career to high-volume, open-admission shelters with animal control contracts. A Certified Animal Welfare Administrator, Keast is also a certified professional dog trainer, bringing extensive expertise in animal behavior. She has worked with private clients and has played a pivotal role in developing and managing behavior and evaluation programs for shelter populations of up to 30,000 animals annually.

Michael Kisley, PhD, is a professor of psychology with over 20 years of experience, during which he has received awards for both research and teaching excellence. Dr. Kisley has conducted research utilizing neuroscience methods to study both human and non-human animals, as well as extensive work utilizing self-report surveys and advanced statistical methodologies. The core of his current research program focuses on laypeople’s beliefs about emotions, including beliefs about the emotional experiences and capacities of animals, including pets. Dr. Kisley has authored or co-authored over 40 scientific papers published in peer-reviewed journals and has presented his work to diverse audiences, including professional scientific conferences, university symposia, and community settings. He also teaches university courses in biopsychology, neuroscience, and animal psychology.