Sharing Stories, Shaping the Future: A HASS Town Hall
[embedded content] Listen to this thought-provoking discussion where we delved into the past, present, and future of the Human Animal Support Services project. Hear from Vincent Medley, Maddie’s® Director of Human Animal Support Services; Spencer Conover, Assistant Director of Animal Services for Pasco County Animal Services; Kylie Ortega, HASS Programs Coordinator for Fresno Humane Animal Services; and Jorge Ortega, Director for Guilford County Animal Services about their insights into the evolution of HASS and the future of animal...
Where We Find Hope and a Call to Action in the (Pretty Dismal) 2022 Shelter Data
You probably didn’t need to see a comprehensive report to know that 2022 was a tough year in sheltering. But we do have the data, thanks to Shelter Animals Count. Here’s their newest report: Intake and Outcome Data Comparison for the Full Year, Q1-Q4 2022. The long and short of it is that by most metrics, 2022 was worse than 2021, but still significantly better than 2019. While encouraging you to read the whole report, some of the most important and salient data points and findings include: 2.7 percent more pets entered shelters...
The H in HASS: Q&A
[embedded content] When people experience a crisis, it often leads to being separated from the pets they love. The Human Animal Support Services project is a collective of animal welfare organizations working to create a system to better support pets and their people. In this live webinar, HASS leaders came together to continue the discussion of human services, animal services, and, overall, the “H” in HASS. Dr. Ellen Jefferson, President and CEO of Austin Pets Alive!; Vincent Medley, Maddie’s® Director of Human Animal...
Here’s How Your Shelter Can Get Help With Basically Anything, for Free
We are so excited to highlight more of the Human Animal Support Services team this year, including who they are, what they do, and how their work can help you save lives and keep people and pets together! For this very first installment, we’re speaking with National Shelter Support Director Jordana Moerbe—whose role is to work with any shelter in the country to “help them figure out what they need and how we help them.” Jordana with a dog who was in the kennel area of a shelter, where dogs weren’t...
Support more pets and people in your community with this toolkit
One of the main goals of Human Animal Support Services (HASS) is to help keep pets with their people, even during tough times. And since some of the most common reasons animals are surrendered to shelters include issues with housing, lack of access to affordable veterinary care, and the need for behavioral support, HASS has created a Pet Support Services Toolkit to help achieve this goal. Support may include, but is not limited to: telephone response and advice, medical support for owned pets, food and supplies, fence building and pet shelter...
6 Insights on the H in HASS. Please Join This Urgent Conversation
H is for Human. It’s the letter at the beginning of, and it’s the heart of, the Human Animal Support Services project. Human welfare and animal welfare are deeply intertwined. When people and pets are separated, it often comes down to human issues such as financial struggles, eviction, job loss, or health issues—even if in and out of animal welfare, this connection hasn’t always been front and center. It’s time we make them front and center. “If an animal is in a certain condition outside, the...
Top Insights from 2022 on the H in HASS
[embedded content] When people and pets are separated, it often comes down to human issues such as financial struggles, eviction, job loss, or health issues. In the Human Animal Support Services project and at Austin Pets Alive!, we are working to create an animal welfare system that helps solve these root problems and better supports pets and the people who love them. Listen to this webinar recording to learn about the insights we gained about people and pets in 2022. Dr. Ellen Jefferson, President and CEO of Austin Pets Alive!; Vincent...
People, Pets, and Purpose: Michigan Humane’s Matt Pepper
[embedded content] “The solutions are coming from the people we are serving.” Diaz Dixon “My job is to surround myself with people who are better than I am.” Matt Pepper We are thrilled to introduce HASS’s brand new interview series: People, Pets, and Purpose! Maddie’s® Advisor for External Affairs and Partnerships Diaz Dixon is in conversation with leaders in and out of animal welfare about building connections, finding solutions, and so much more. In this inaugural episode, Diaz talks with Matt...
New Year, New Opportunity to Use These 10 Tools and Resources!
Happy New Year! (Can we still say that, heading toward mid-month?) We’re taking this moment to re-introduce some of the multitude of tools and resources that we’ve got for you here at HASS. Here are ten you can put into action right now! Please browse and search the HASS website for even more, more, more. Because seriously, we’ve got a huge amount of pro resources, blogs, and webinars that can help you in your mission to keep families together and save animals’ lives. Pet Eviction Calculator Use our easy...
Animal Welfare Resolutions for 2023: Click Here for Inspiration!
Entering 2023, we asked you for your animal welfare resolutions—and you’ve inspired the heck out of us with your bold, compassionate, insightful, collaborative, deeply hopeful answers. You plan to get more lost pets back home, and find homes for more big dogs. You’re building a Memory Garden for hospice dogs and their families, and lobbying to make rescue pets the official state pet before the end of this year. You’re increasing access to vet care, and changing how we talk about pets whose owners can no longer keep...
