Animal Welfare Professionals

Updated 5/19/25 at 2:19 pm - Recording now available to watch on-demand!

Please note: All views expressed on these calls are not necessarily endorsed by Maddie’s Fund.

We hope to see you on the next Community Conversation on Monday, 5/19/25 at 11am PT for a panel discussion on "Hiring from Within the Community." 

Panelists include:

• Elsa Ramos, Friends of Oakland Animal Services
• Melissa Gomez, San Francisco SPCA
• Nadia Oseguera-Ramon, UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program
  
  

 Animal well-being organizations are here to serve our community. And who else knows the community better than those who live in it? During this panel discussion, we will hear from animal well-being professionals who work and live within their community and come from non-animal related backgrounds. Listen in to learn about inclusive and culturally responsive hiring practices that will strengthen your own organization by pulling in employees who reflect your community.

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

Make sure you are using the latest version of Zoom when you join us!

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 May 2025 entry form to enter for a chance to win up to a $5,000 grant.

#CommunityPartnerships*
#OrganizationalManagement
#PeopleManagement(includingVolunteerIntegration)

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Maddie's Pet Forum Admin
Maddie's Fund
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Thanks to the 144+ people and paws that joined us on today's Community Conversations call! The recording is now available to watch on-demand. 

Below you'll find a recap of the agenda, resources and highlights from the chat. Be sure to complete this grant giveaway form after attending live or watching the recording to enter to win up to a $5,000 grant: https://www.maddiesfund.org/weekly-community-conversations-may25-giveaway.htm

Call Recap

• Welcome from Hosts
  • @Christina Lee, Founder and Principal, StellaFirma Strategies
  • @Nadia Oseguera-Ramon, California Program Manager, California for All Animals, UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program 

• National Updates
  • From Kristen Petrie at the Community Cats Podcast: Join us for a two-day virtual conference with Community Cats Podcast and The National Kitten Coalition, where experts share practical, life-saving strategies for raising healthy kittens and building stronger kitten programs-just $75 with full access to all content! Hope to see you there! Register for the online kitten conference here. 
  • From Elkie Wills at HASS: Join our lost pet prevention webinar on June 12 at 2 pm ET. Register via Zoom here. 
  • Maddie's Fund Monthly Giveaways!  Enter here for a chance to win CA$H: Open to all who are watching live or on-demand! Be sure to enter each week you attend!
  • 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.   Learn more on the discussion thread here.
  • 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 May, we're celebrating Maddie's legacy together on Maddie's Pet Forum by honoring the pets who've inspired us to do more. Simply comment on this discussion thread and you'll be entered to win a $1,000 Cuddly prize pack. 
    
    
• Today's Presentation:  Hiring from Within the Community
  • Panelists:
    • Elsa Ramos, Friends of Oakland Animal Services
    • Melissa Gomez, San Francisco SPCA
    • Nadia Oseguera-Ramon, UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program
  • Resources: 
    • From Elsa Ramos: Patitas y Palabras is a team of Spanish translators who have experience working in animal welfare so they understand the nuances of translating in this field. 
  • Key Takeaways:
    • From Nadia Oseguera-Ramón
      • Examples of the immediate impact of hiring from within your community will be provided
      • Breakdown of what valuing "lived experience" looks like in practice
      • Breakdown of racial equity practices in the hiring process
    • From Melissa Gómez:
      • Acknowledge the lack of diversity, especially among Black and Brown communities, in animal welfare.
      • Implementing fair and equitable hiring practices.

      • How to identify and engage community members who may be interested in animal welfare.

• Highlights from the Chat
  • "We just bought a bus for our organization which will allow us to do mobile adoption events. So far we have been partnering with community pet events and pet stores but I never thought of going to flea markets, community centers, and church events to do adoptions and education. Thank you!" - Amanda Press
  • "Lindy (and all)- I'm with the East Bay SPCA. We do spay/neuters for $60. People can apply here, we have Spanish and English applications: https://eastbayspca.org/resources/pet-care-financial-assistance" - Brita Loeb
  • "One of the things we do at our free vaccine clinics, we tried to involve the community. We invited families to come in and observe how we do services when the situation permits it. My coworker and I understand that we are role models  in our community, and that children and youth can be impacted by our interactions with them. The more positive interaction we get to have, the more chances we get to influence their interest for animal welfare." - Jorge Delgado
  • "Children as translators resonates Nadia. Thank you for speaking on that. So much responsibility burdened on the child." - Ivy Ruiz
  • "I think that every start from the community. Sometimes, it takes a few number of people to make big impact. I can assure that in a city of 80,000, we can find 20 folks willing to go above and beyond. Sometimes ,we got to build resources from within our community. Neighbors helping neighbors." - Jorge Delgado
  • "Great stuff!  I appreciate you and your contributions to the industry. Have to head out. See you soon." - Chris Fitzgerald
  • "Really insightful and much-needed conversation. Great panel. Thank you!" - Jenn Corsun

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Sheila Kouhkan
Senior Education Specialist
Maddie's Fund
CA
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I really appreciate this conversation about hiring within the community and not limiting ourselves to only those with animal expertise. I can absolutely see how someone without an animal background can offer a fresh perspective-and that can be such a gift! Many of the business and marketing courses I've taken have come from sectors entirely unrelated to animal care, yet they've played a huge role in helping me build a strong, sustainable foundation for my mission.

Bookkeeping, web design, creative direction, and social media marketing are all essential parts of growing a service-based business like ours-and they don't necessarily require a deep knowledge of animals to be done well. What they do require is someone who understands the heart of the mission and is passionate about helping it thrive. Sometimes the best teammates are the ones who bring complementary strengths that allow us to focus more on the healing and connection side of the work.

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Diana Kelley
Executive Director
Healing Horse Touch Company
https://HealingHorseTouch.com
KennethMNUnited States
Discover Healing, Connection, and Renewal through Horses.
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