Animal Welfare Professionals

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  • 1.  Assessing needs of Spanish-speaking communities?

    Posted 12-20-2021 07:54 AM
    Hi folks! Who is running programs/projects to identify the needs of the Spanish-speaking community in your area?

    We're looking to take this on here in Austin (access to behavior resources in Spanish is extremely limited), but I'd like to talk to others about what they've done and what they've learned.
    #AccesstoCare
    #Diversity,Equity,InclusionandJustice

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    Miranda Hitchcock, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA
    Every Dog Behavior and Training
    miranda@everydogaustin.org
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  • 2.  RE: Assessing needs of Spanish-speaking communities?

    Posted 01-05-2022 12:11 PM
    Hello! We just got a grant from Petsmart to do a survey in some of Phoenix's Latinx communities (along with some free vaccine & microchip clinics). It's a whole year long project that we just started last month but it's all about barrier to access to vet care. I don't have any insight or tips to add yet but I definitely want to follow along with this thread and see how things are going for other people doing similar things.

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    Sara Purser
    Arizona Animal Welfare League
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  • 3.  RE: Assessing needs of Spanish-speaking communities?

    Posted 09-22-2023 02:15 PM

    Hi Sara! How did your initiative turn out? Do you have any insights you could share? Thanks!



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    Rachel Watsky
    VP
    Feral Freedom, Northern California
    OR
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  • 4.  RE: Assessing needs of Spanish-speaking communities?

    Posted 01-13-2022 07:49 AM
    This is great to hear that there is work being put behind DEI initatives. I'd like to hear some examples too as I'm hoping to add Spanish language options to our website.

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    Kat Benson
    Animal Protection Society of Durham
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  • 5.  RE: Assessing needs of Spanish-speaking communities?

    This message was posted by a user wishing to remain anonymous
    Posted 10-02-2023 10:52 AM
    This message was posted by a user wishing to remain anonymous

    You do the same thing you do for any other community: talk to them. Do community outreach. If you don't have Spanish-speaking staff or at least people who are willing to learn a few basic Spanish phrases, that's a problem that needs to be fixed ASAP.  The Latino community's needs are the same as any other group of pet owning people: affordable, available, accessible pet resources.

    And remember that just because they speak Spanish, it does not mean they don't also speak English. Most Spanish-speakers do know some English, or someone in their family does.




  • 6.  RE: Assessing needs of Spanish-speaking communities?

    Posted 10-16-2023 08:11 AM

    Hey there!

    We're agreed that the goal is always to talk to people to gauge their needs- that's why I'm specifically asking for folks' outreach strategies and ways they've engaged with their community. We have native Spanish speakers on our team and are looking at a comprehensive engagement program to ensure that we're providing the resources folks actively want and need. 

    While the general needs of most pet people include access to resources, the specific resources they need are absolutely different depending on a variety of factors- which is why we don't want to assume what different groups of people want without thoroughly working with them. 

    In our community, there's a significant population of people who speak Spanish and either limited or no English (coming directly from self reports on the census, as well as the experience of native Spanish speakers who work within the animal community in Austin). We want to ensure that their voices are heard, and that we're responsive to their needs. For example, we traditionally rely on email as a main form of communication- yet many Spanish speakers in our community have indicated that (within the Mexican American community, at least) phone is a much preferred method. So it's important for us to ask questions and get to know community members who can advise us on how best to support each of the communities here.

    That's why I'm asking about outreach strategies and what people have found to be most effective for reaching folks and gathering their input.



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    Miranda Hitchcock
    MS Applied Animal Behavior, CDBC, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA, Fear Free Certified
    Executive Director
    Every Dog Behavior and Training
    Austin, TX
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