Animal Welfare Professionals

Updated 10/28/24 at 4:09 pm PT: Recording now available to watch on-demand!

If you missed the Community Conversation on Monday, 10/28/24 at 11am PT for "From‬‭ Policy‬‭ to‬‭ Practice:‬‭ Addressing‬‭ Gaps‬‭ in‬‭ Emotional‬‭ Support‬‭ Animal‬ ‭ Documentation‬‭ for‬‭ Vulnerable‬‭ Communities‬‭," a presentation by @Diana Cruz (she/ella) and @Zaira Bernal from HEART LA (Housing Equity & Advocacy Resource Team), you can watch it above now!

Join us for a critical discussion on the challenges individuals with disabilities face when obtaining documentation for Emotional Support Animals (ESAs). This presentation will explore the Fair Housing Act (FHA) and its protections, while highlighting real-world obstacles through case studies that illustrate medical professionals' hesitance due to liability concerns and the systemic lack of healthcare resources in low-income communities. We will also address the misinformation surrounding ESA roles and the barriers it creates.

Concluding with actionable solutions, we will share our organization's innovative strategies, including self-certification for disability benefit recipients in California, partnerships with healthcare providers, and training for caseworkers on issuing ESA documentation. This comprehensive approach aims to expand housing access for those needing ESAs, ensuring that legal protections are effectively applied in practice. Join us to contribute to this vital conversation and drive meaningful change!

Register for Community Conversations hosted via Zoom: https://maddies.fund/CommunityConvoRegistration2024

If you are unable to make it live on Monday, this thread will be updated with the recording and resources so you can watch and share whenever you'd like.  After you watch the recording on-demand or attend the call live, be sure to complete this new October 2024 entry form to enter to win up to a $5,000 grant: https://www.maddiesfund.org/weekly-community-conversations-oct24-giveaway.htm

#AccesstoCare
#CommunityPartnerships*
#LawsandPublicPolicy
#PetSupportServices*

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Maddie's Pet Forum Admin
Maddie's Fund
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Thanks to the 146+ people and paws who joined us on today's Community Conversations call! The recording is now available to watch on-demand. Below you'll find a recap of today's call and the resources shared. 

Call Recap

• Welcome from hosts 
  
  • @Christina Lee, Founder and Principal, Stella Firma Strategies
  • @José Ocaño (he/him/el) Founder and CEO, Hatching
    
    

• Question of the Day: Do you have anybody in your community who has been affected by housing issues due to an animal in the home?
  • "Yes" - Debbie Loveland
  • "Yes! breed specific evictions." - Lisa Pearce
  • "Yes, raising the pet monthly fee when they went to renew" - Kate Marshall
  • "Absolutely. - Panhandle of FL" - Alysia Martinez
  • "Yes, Veterans, that are ESA and now having issues.  We help retrain to keep them in their home." -  Valerie Pullara Sol Dog Lodge
  • "My own sister currently having troubles and she is an RVT with a dog and two cats just trying to move apartments in the LA area. Lots of deposit money and pet limits." - Jennifer Bennett
  • "The Franklin Animal Shelter frequently sees a spike in surrendered animals around the first of the month due to leases rolling over and tenants moving from properties that allow animals to new ones with animal restrictions. It is heartbreaking!" - Jennifer Ach
  • "Yes, breed restrictions and increase of extra rent for pets." - Stephen Knight, Dogs Matter
  • "Yes, most of our clients at PAW Team are attempting to access housing but have found that access vaccines is a huge barrier." - Nicole Perkins
  • "See it daily in Orlando" - Valerie Moser
  • "We are in a big military area, huge breed issues." - Alysia Martinez
  • "Some HOAs in Charleston are owned by out of state investors who require DNA tests for breed and poop!" - Lisa Pearce
  • "Our shelter receives calls daily with people in this situation" - Shelley Joaquin
  • "Richmond VA - definitely see it" - Zan Lowell
  • "Fairfax, VA Pet Resource Center Manager - one of our top reasons for surrender is housing related" - Lauren Krzywicki 
    
    

National Updates

• • Camp Maddie: Pet-Inclusive Housing Edition is coming on November 13! A free virtual half-day event on Wednesday, November 13th from 9AM-1PM PT / 12PM-4PM ET.
    At Camp Maddie: Pet-Inclusive Housing Edition, we will cover a variety of topics related to pet housing in presentations, videos and question and answer sessions.
    Register: https://maddies.fund/CampMaddieHousingRegistration
    Agenda, speakers info: https://forum.maddiesfund.org/campmaddiepetinclusivehousing
    Topics include: 
    • Understanding human homelessness response systems for better animal welfare advocacy and program design
    • Dog-inclusive housing
    • Legal protections for tenants with pets and the eviction process
    • Engaging rental housing providers with pet-inclusive approaches and pet owners with information they need to access pet-inclusive rental housing
  • In celebration of Maddie's Fund 30th anniversary, Maddie's Fund and Cuddly have partnered to provide $1,000 in prizes monthly, for engaging on a special anniversary-related post on Maddie's Pet Forum. This October, simply comment on this thread telling us who has inspired your work and you'll be entered to win a $1,000 Cuddly prize pack: https://maddies.fund/30YearsGiveawayOctober2024
  • Maddie's Pet Forum Monthly Giveaway: Maddie's Fund® is giving away a $3,000 grant each month to one lucky Maddie's® Pet Forum member. You'll automatically be entered to win each month when you start a new discussion, reply to a new post. More info: https://maddies.fund/mpfmonthlygiveaway
  • Maddie's Fund Monthly Giveaways!  Enter here for a chance to win CA$H: 
    https://www.maddiesfund.org/weekly-community-conversations-oct24-giveaway.htm  
    Open to all who are watching live or on-demand! Be sure to enter each week you attend!
    
    

• Presentation: From‬‭ Policy‬‭ to‬‭ Practice - ‬‭ Addressing‬‭ Gaps‬‭ in‬‭ Emotional‬‭ Support‬‭ Animal‬ ‭ Documentation‬‭ for‬‭ Vulnerable‬‭ Communities‬‭ 
  
  • Speakers
    • @Diana Cruz (she/ella), Program Director, HEART LA 
    • Zaira Bernal, Paralegal, HEART LA
  • Key Takeaways:
    • Despite the protections offered by the Fair Housing Act, individuals with disabilities face significant real-world challenges in obtaining ESA documentation, particularly due to misinformation, healthcare barriers, and professionals' liability concerns. These obstacles disproportionately affect low-income and marginalized communities, further complicating their access to necessary accommodations. We have developed practical strategies to overcome access to care challenges, such as facilitating self-certification for individuals on disability benefits and directly engaging with healthcare providers. These efforts aim to streamline the process and ensure that legal protections for ESA accommodations are accessible and effective for vulnerable populations.
    • Overview of Fair Housing Act Protections
    • Understanding ESA Documentation Challenges

    • Practical Solutions to Overcoming Housing Barriers with Assistance Animals

  • Related Links and Resources:
    • HEART LA – Meet the Team
      https://www.heartla.org/meet-the-team
    • 
    • Emotional Support Animals of Texas 
      https://emotionalsupportanimalsoftexas.com/

• Highlights from the Chat

• • "FHA is federal." - Shelly Volsche
  • "My vision-impaired friends who rely on trained service dogs have HAD to educate themselves about their housing and access rights and become their own forceful advocates because they still encounter misunderstandings, so thanks for addressing this topic." - Diane Donovan
  • "ADA only applies to service dogs who "perform a task" for the handler. https://www.ada.gov/resources/service-animals-2010-requirements/" - Shelly Volsche
  • "What about dogs trained for epilepsy?" - Anita Selby
  • "Yes. They are trained to alert to an oncoming seizure and often, to find help or offer compression therapy to keep the handler safe." - Shelly Volsche
  • "I am an LMSW Social Worker. I am always happy to do a letter for people in need. Virtual telehealth assessments can be done. I think it's so wrong to make it hard for these clients." - Debra Hoffmann
  • "In Texas, we refer folks to Dr. Tesh with the wording that, if the client deems themselves eligible: https://emotionalsupportanimalsoftexas.com/
     Most clients/civilians are often confused/overwhelmed with the system and processes" - Lucy Fernandez
  • "Anyone have a doctor to refer to in Southern IL?" - Alisha Vianello
  • "Thank you for this program." - Cheryl Haggard
  • "The Fair Housing Act is a Federal Act, so it applies to the whole country." - Christina Lee
  • "The only thing that the speakers mentioned that was specific to CA was that people in CA can self-certify." - Christina Lee
  • "If you are receiving disability benefits from the state of CA, you can self-certify." - Christina Lee
  • "My first meeting and a little late but it was great information." - Cheryl Haggard
  • "What an important topic - your presentation was presented in a clear and concise manner.  thank you!" - Beth Porter, Matchdog Rescue
  • "Greetings, I live in Boise, Idaho and we are seeing a huge increase in breed discrimination and landlords are asking hundreds for pet deposit and no refund. Can a licensed social worker/therapist write this ESA letter? Also, please define who a health provider is and can a director of a shelter write this ESA? Thank you!" - Christina Veloz
  • "Check with Nicole Lang at Boise State. She is a certified veterinary social worker, and I believe it's possible in specific cases." - Shelly Volsche
  • "I'm guessing the apartment building/complex must allow animals in the first place.  And even if they do, some apartments/complexes place restrictions on size/weight limit/number of animals." - Debra DeVries
  • "Thank you for joining us today and thank you to our hosts and speakers!!" - Irene Chansawang
  • "Thank you all for your work caring for the vulnerable. I've had social workers complete an ESA doc and it worked!" - Christina Veloz
  • "Thank you for caring for both ends of the leash! Solutions of allies for good." - Lisa Pearce
  • "Thanks so much for this invaluable info!" - Lucy Fernandez
  • "Thank you. the links are going to be helpful to have as the resource." - Michelle Russillo
  • "Really appreciate this!" - Aleisha Swartz
  • "Thank you, great info!" - Carrie Hecht
  • "I believe you have accomplished the goal of making us aware of "one more tool" to use for both people and animals!  Excellent presentation!" - Debra DeVries
  • "This was wonderful, thank you." - Yvonne Haddox
  • "Thank you for all the resources and info!" - Brittany Szalkiewicz 
  • "Our rescue is able to give those families that say they are being forced to surrender their pet due to landlord demands even if it is an ESA." - Julie Thom

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Sheila Kouhkan
Senior Education Specialist
Maddie's Fund
CA
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Unanswered question from the chat: 

"My question is how can you separate the good from the bad with ESA? For me, where I live, it is better to have demands with it, like spay neuter, wellness check on the animals, once knowledge of ESA protection and how easy it is to obtain one became popular it is now protecting the bad owners too, any advice on this?" - @Latonya Sassee Walker

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Maddie's Pet Forum Admin
Maddie's Fund
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Thank you for your thoughtful question, Latonya. In our experience working with tenants and individuals who have Emotional Support Animals (ESAs), we often find that people are genuinely trying to do their best both for their animals and for themselves. Especially after the pandemic, many in our community are dealing with serious mental and emotional health challenges, and ESAs play a critical role in their well-being. Our work focuses on supporting those who need our assistance, while also promoting responsible ownership.

We always encourage our clients to follow local laws, including spay/neuter, licensing requirements, and animal limits, which are in place for both LA City and County. This is why we collaborate closely with local animal welfare organizations-so that individuals with ESAs have the resources and knowledge to be responsible pet owners. Our goal is to ensure that people and their pets can thrive together in a way that benefits the whole community.

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Zaira Bernal
Paralegal
HOUSING EQUALITY & ADVOCACY RESOURCE TEAM
CA
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Original Message:
Sent: 10-28-2024 07:00 PM
From: Maddie's Pet Forum Admin
Subject: Community Conversations - 10/28/24 - From‬‭ Policy‬‭ to‬‭ Practice:‬‭ Addressing‬‭ Gaps‬‭ in‬‭ Emotional‬‭ Support‬‭ Animal‬ ‭ Documentation‬‭ for‬‭ Vulnerable‬‭ Communities‬‭

Unanswered question from the chat: 

"My question is how can you separate the good from the bad with ESA? For me, where I live, it is better to have demands with it, like spay neuter, wellness check on the animals, once knowledge of ESA protection and how easy it is to obtain one became popular it is now protecting the bad owners too, any advice on this?" - @Latonya Sassee Walker

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Maddie's Pet Forum Admin
Maddie's Fund
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Unanswered question from the chat: 

"Where do I find the template?" - @Nicole King

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Maddie's Pet Forum Admin
Maddie's Fund
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Please feel free to share the template I'm including below. You can also find more of our resources at https://www.heartla.org/resourcesforrenters. 

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Zaira Bernal
Paralegal
HOUSING EQUALITY & ADVOCACY RESOURCE TEAM
CA
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Original Message:
Sent: 10-28-2024 07:01 PM
From: Maddie's Pet Forum Admin
Subject: Community Conversations - 10/28/24 - From‬‭ Policy‬‭ to‬‭ Practice:‬‭ Addressing‬‭ Gaps‬‭ in‬‭ Emotional‬‭ Support‬‭ Animal‬ ‭ Documentation‬‭ for‬‭ Vulnerable‬‭ Communities‬‭

Unanswered question from the chat: 

"Where do I find the template?" - @Nicole King

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Maddie's Pet Forum Admin
Maddie's Fund
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