Compassionate Communication: Supporting People and Pets Through Human-Centered Language
[embedded content] Have you ever been scrolling through social media and read through a post calling someone a “horrible pet owner” or worse during a time of need or crisis? The answer is probably yes; we’ve all seen this, and perhaps we’ve even used harmful language ourselves not knowing the full story. The words we use have an impact and can push away the people who need support so we’d like to take the time to evaluate how we can have more compassionate communication. In this presentation, Shannon Glenn,...
People, Pets, and Purpose: Mark Castaneda Lived on the Street With His Dog
[embedded content] These days, Mark Castenada and his dog Jelly Bean share a home in California, where Mark is studying space sciences at the University of the Pacific. Mark has interned with NASA—yes that NASA—and also advocates for bringing healthcare services to communities in need, through his work with CommonSpirit Health. Mark brings a very personal passion, and understanding, to this part of his life. It was only a couple of years ago, that he and Jelly Bean were themselves unhoused, living on the street, and looking...
Learn how to become more community-centric with these free courses on Maddie’s University
Is your animal organization working to become more community-centric and need a little help? Maddie’s® University now offers Human Animal Support Services (HASS) curriculum, covering the most important concepts of the community-centric model. From lost pet reunification, pet support services, intake to placement, and creating a foster-facing medical clinic, the curriculum starts with a brief introduction to the HASS model and then dives into each element. It’s free to enroll and you can take the courses at your own pace....
How I Lost My Cat, and Found My Community (and Found My Cat)
Chappy got out of the house. It was a freak accident, on a Sunday morning in February. The wind blew the door open, while my husband Ray brought an Instacart order in from the front stoop. The noise scared our cat, our shy, happy, spoiled, fluffy, black-and-white prince, and he jumped through the open door. Chappy, who hadn’t spent a moment outdoors since he was picked up by a cat rescue group as a baby kitten, and hadn’t shown the slightest inclination to make a break for it in the six years we’d had him, tried...
It’s Raining Cats and Kittens: How to Save More Feline Lives This Kitten Season
[embedded content] It’s raining cats and…kittens. Kitten season is upon us and feline lifesaving is front of mind. We’ve convened a panel of experts to share their best kitten season tips, tools, and tricks to help you save lives this year—and prevent a seasonal population boom in years to come. Our Q&A-style panel includes Peter Wolf, Senior Strategist for Shelter and Community Research at Best Friends Animal Society; Monica Tarant, Chief Innovation Officer: Feline Lifesaving at Cincinnati Animal CARE with the...
Get Inspired With 5 Must-See Webinars!
We’ve been offering webinars galore in 2023. They’re on so many of the critical topics relating to the work at hand of keeping families together, and pets alive, while focusing on the humans who are at the very heart of animal welfare. Here are five you don’t want to miss—and stay tuned for more, more, more! We’ve got some incredible, super inspiring, and very actionable webinars planned for the coming months. Crisis Sheltering for Pets: Keeping People and Pets Together There are times when someone...
People, Pets, and Purpose: Derrick Garrett, Founder of Zoundz Music For Pets
[embedded content] Pets get stressed at the vet. They get upset in the car. Being home alone isn’t always a picnic. And of course animal shelters can be one of the most stressful environments for pets, with the noise, smells, and constant activity—and the stress can lead to behavior that makes it harder for pets to get adopted, and can even put their lives at risk. Enter Derrick Garrett. Derrick is a successful music producer and engineer who’s worked with Bobby Brown, the Spin Doctors, Chantay Savage, K-Ci & JoJo, and...
Crisis Sheltering for Pets: Keeping People and Pets Together
[embedded content] There are times when someone can’t take care of their pet on a temporary basis, because of a medical emergency, loss of housing, or another short-term crisis. The traditional sheltering response is to permanently separate the pet from their owner, but more and more organizations are providing crisis sheltering instead—boarding the pet at the shelter, or placing them in a foster home, for a limited amount of time. How does crisis sheltering work, and how can you get started? We’ve gathered experts from...
Letter From Vincent: A Dispatch From the Director of HASS
I’ve been thinking a lot about people. About the people we work with, and the people in the communities we serve. We don’t always talk about people in animal welfare, but we should, because we’ve discovered at HASS that you can’t aid in animal welfare without coming to the aid of people—or without people helping you. This week, I am joining more than 2,500 of my friends and colleagues at HSUS Animal Care Expo in New Orleans. I’ve known many of these committed animal welfare professionals for two and a...
Supporting Both Ends of the Leash: What Community Support Looks Like in a HASS Pilot Shelter
[embedded content] We know that people and pets need support to stay together through challenging times—but how can you identify the support your community needs and how your organization can facilitate it? That’s what this webinar is all about! Amanda Gatten, KC Pet Project’s Director of Community Programs, will share what a comprehensive, flexible, effective community support program looks like at a HASS pilot shelter, with ideas and tips for other organizations to steal. We will also hear from Eliza Torres, Education and...
