The Open Arms Challenge begins next month on April 1st! Whether you’re participating in the Challenge or not (registration has closed) we’re highlighting a few resources that will help make adoptions more welcoming and inclusive for your community.

• Adopters Welcome: The Mind-Body Connection by Humane Society of the United States is an informative blog post that explains how organizations and individuals can lay the groundwork for an open adoptions approach. “Trauma and chronic stress inhibit rational thought, until the survival brain senses safety. That’s why top-down training for open adoptions isn’t enough. We need to work with the body too,” said Jessica Dolce, MS, Certified compassion fatigue educator. “Fortunately, there are things we can do, as organizations and individuals, to combat stress, address trauma and strengthen our ability to make adopters feel welcome.”
• Overcoming Adoption Barriers: Where Marketing Meets Policy is a previously recorded webinar featuring Clare Callison, Maddie’s^® Director of National Pet Supply and Demand, and Caitlin Quinn, former Director of Operations at HeARTs Speak. The intersection of marketing and adoption policies is where the magic happens for reducing barriers to adoption. The role of marketing is to help define our programs for the community, communicate how to use our services, and advertise how people can get involved. But great marketing alone can’t increase adoptions if the experience of adopting isn’t supported by good customer service, open adoption policies, and solution-driven programs.
• Are We Looking For Reasons Not to Adopt? is a powerful 2 minute video from Companions and Animals For Reform and Equity (CARE). CARE believes in the inherent goodness and dignity of all people — ex-offenders, people without homes, seniors, renters, families with small children, and people of color. To that end, CARE’s mission is to bring diverse voices to the Animal Welfare industry while also advocating for a more inclusive path to pet adoption.

Want more inspiration? Check out the rest of the Open Arms Challenge resources, and find even more on Maddie’s^® Pet Forum!