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Community Conversations - 6/16/2025 - The Impossible Dog Mom

  • 1.  Community Conversations - 6/16/2025 - The Impossible Dog Mom

    Posted 06-12-2025 12:28 PM

    Updated 6/16/25 at 2:44 pm - Recording now available!

    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, 6/16/25 at 11am PT for a presentation on "The Impossible Dog Mom" with Kassidi Jones, PhD, Founder of Ginger’s Naps LLC. 

    "The Impossible Dog Mom" combines storytelling, speculative fiction, and American history to explain the many hoops that generations of Black folks have had to jump through in order to have companion animals in the 21st century. The story begins with Kassidi and Ginger in 2020, but takes listeners back to low income Black and Brown neighborhoods in the 1990s, Southern states in the early 1800s, and coastal West Africa pre-1620. Through a series of cynoracial (from the Greek root "cyno," meaning "dog") vignettes, this presentation gives foundational background information to facilitate what community, allyship, and decolonization can look like in the animal welfare world today. 

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


    #Diversity,Equity,InclusionandJustice
    #EducationandTraining

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    Maddie's Pet Forum Admin
    Maddie's Fund
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  • 2.  RE: Community Conversations - 6/16/2025 - The Impossible Dog Mom

    Posted 06-16-2025 09:34 AM

    I'm getting a notification the the meeting ID is invalid?



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    Lys Carlson
    Community Animal Training Coordinator
    San Diego Humane Society
    CA
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  • 3.  RE: Community Conversations - 6/16/2025 - The Impossible Dog Mom

    Posted 06-16-2025 02:30 PM

    Hi everyone, I just wanted to check if anyone else is experiencing issues with the Zoom link or the meeting ID. I've double-checked, and I'm also getting an error saying it's invalid. Could someone from the team please confirm if the link has been updated or if there's a new meeting ID we should be using? Thanks in advance!



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    laura bairdd
    Office Clerck
    American Red Cross
    SC
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: Community Conversations - 6/16/2025 - The Impossible Dog Mom

    Posted 06-16-2025 06:08 PM

    Hi @laura bairdd and @Lys Carlson,

    We're so sorry you had issues with the Zoom link to join the meeting today. The Zoom meeting ID is 69 4198 3799 which has not changed.  

    Everyone has a unique link to join, so can you please send me your email confirmation with that join link?  Can you also email me with your e- addresses that you used to register for the meetings?  My address is gibson@maddiesfund..org

    You might also try re-registering at this link:  https://maddies.fund/CommunityConvo2024Registration

    We will get to the bottom of this issue so next week you will be able to join. Thank you for your patience!

    Alison






    ------------------------------
    Alison Gibson
    Media Projects Manager
    Maddie's Fund
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 5.  RE: Community Conversations - 6/16/2025 - The Impossible Dog Mom

    Posted 06-16-2025 05:45 PM

    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. 

    Call Recap

    • Welcome from Hosts
    • Question of the Day: What is the name of one organization near you that you feel is doing equitable work within the community?
      • "Chama Valley Humane Society!!!" - Janet Hawks
      • "NWA Community Cat Project in Prairie Grove, AR" - Nancy Cullins
      • "Joybound People and Pets, Walnut Creek, CA" - Pamela Rock
      • "Kitten Division! They provide low cost spay and neuter, as well as a shelter adoption out cats and dogs and veterinary and immunizations services. Our community heavily relies on them and they are always full!" - Laura Connors
      • "Finding Forever in Marion Illinois, they do low-cost cat spay/neuter and vaccines, they also do adoptions." - Nikki Timberlake
      • "K9 BB has a great logue (?) with various other agencies within the community." - Debra DeVries
      • "Sol Dog Lodge and Training Center! We provide dog boarding, training, and grooming for the general public. Those fee for service activities fund our operations so we can provide them at low or no cost to those who are in need of them but who cannot afford them. This includes supporting rescues and the local shelters." - Mary Flores
      • "Habitat for Humanity in Shiawassee County" - Alycia Norton
      • "Asian Americans Advancing Justice" - Irene Chansawang
      • "Legacy Foundation of Northwest Indiana" - Adriane Blaesing
      • "Dallas Eviction Advocacy Center" - Jordan Craig
      • "The City of Fort Collins has an Equity and Inclusion office that does amazing work in our community!" - Jenna Riedi
      • "Community Foundation for Middlesex County (CT)" - Janis Albert
      • "All About the Animals Foundation - we have a national reach that supports animals that are in need of immediate medical assistance and families who are financially constrained." - Maria Putnam
      • "https://www.chirla.org/" - Shonyae Johnson
      • "There is another nonprofit here called Chain Free Knoxville - that provides fences for dogs that are tied outside at no cost or judgement to the owner." - KaDee Andreasen
      • "Food Empowerment Project is also amazing! https://foodispower.org/" - Jenna Riedi
      • "Middlesex Community College Foundation (CT)" - Janis Albert
      • "A great resource in the Northeast! https://pawsitivepantry.org" - Kristen Petrie
      • "We (POPP Spay and Neuter Clinic) work with the No Nuts Club who helps pay for spays and neuters, for all and have sought out homeless individuals to help manage their pets' health too." - Carmen Ames
      • "The One Health Community is a public forum in collaboration with the University of Tennessee Program for Pet Health Equity and Maddie's Fund®, aimed at enhancing collaborative efforts across the full spectrum of care for individuals, their pets, and their environment." - T' Fisher
      • "Cross Winds helps homeless individuals. Hinderless 22 helps homeless Veteran's with housing and assistance animals. Home of El Roi helps single Mother's life-changing events keep their children with them while seeking help." - Kim Jackson
      • "Greenville County Animal Care and Union County Pregnancy Center. GCAC has been extremely helpful to us starting our Pet Resource Center. UCPC offers free resources and education to mothers (and any other guardians) to help children with their guardians and to make sure they have the things they need." - Hannah Blackwelder
      • "The Association is committed to helping animal welfare professionals foster diversity, equity, and inclusion in their organizations and communities. https://theaawa.org/dei/" - T' Fisher

    • National Updates
      • From Elkie Wills at HASS: HASS Social Services Roundtable Toolkit - Give Pets a Seat at the Social Services Table - http://bit.ly/3TrmM4Y
      • From Kristen Petrie at Community Cat Podcast: If you're trying to catch the last unfixed cat in your colony, a wily feral who won't go near a box trap (even for roasted chicken!), or a whole litter of kittens and their mom all at once-these tricky trapping situations and more can be solved with one tool: the drop trap. We've got a drop trap–specific certification workshop happening this Saturday June 21! If you'd like to join us, you can register here. 
      • From Shonyae Johnson at Operation Kindness: Texas Unites speaker proposals will open soon for our conference!! texasunites@operationkindness.org
      • 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 June, 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:  The Impossible Dog Mom
    • Highlights from the Chat
      • Kassidi asked attendees if they have pets and how did they get them: 
        • "Ranger and Icarus ~ the pet distribution system" - Diana Cruz
        • "I have a retired racing greyhound named Princess Leia, adopted from a local rescue group." - Kristen Petty
        • "Piper - foster fail bully, Terra - adopted, Sam and Jet were TNR Patrol medical needs that could not be returned to colony and Tom was abandoned by the previous owner of this house." - Laura Connors
        • "Starbuck the turtle (rescued from being euthanized). Navi the dog (adopted from local rescue. Kiki the cat (found abandoned in a grasslands)." - Jenna Riedi
        • "Angus, Oliver, Dynamo, 3 cats: 2 from San Francisco and one from Saginaw, MI" - Alycia Norton
        • "Fred and Samantha - we took them in after their human (our neighbor) passed away. ❤️" - Kelly Clardy
        • "Both rescued, Bandit and Annie.  Annie started as a foster after being hit by two cars and having many injuries and needed rehab." - Deanna Nash
        • "Milkshake Donuts- met while volunteering at the shelter." - Miguel Ruelas
        • "Luna, Foxy, Little, Cleo and Tango, all adopted from various locations." - Lori Minton
        • "Farley - She was with a local rescue 🙂" - Melissa Fitzgerald
        • "Harley(aka Lolo) from Abilene TX shelter!" - Susan Ballesteros
        • "Arlo - from an overwhelmed breeder we attempted to assist with spay/neuter; Birdie - adopted!" 
        • "Pickles, Jr. (PJ) was adopted from Oakland Animal Services after I submitted an application and visited with my mom." - Irene Chansawang
        • "Oliver - started off as a foster when I lost my last cat to cancer but wasn't ready to adopt again.  Oliver changed my mind within a few days and has been with me for years now." - Jan Steele
        • "Layla passed - 16 - breeder | Hamlin - 8ish - Dallas Animal Services." - Shonyae Johnson
        • "Oh, my favorite topic! My dog, Ziba, was my 33rd foster on March 3rd and 3 is my lucky number so I foster failed. Best decision ever." - Sheila Kouhkan
        • "We took in our cat (who is 19 now) after a family member dealing with a divorce had to rehome her. She has been with us for 14 years." - Leigh Saluzzi
        • "Zoey, Jazz, Gremlin, Pumpkin adoptions Earl Grey all adopted cats." - Nikki Timberlake
        • "Patty was living in my office, and I took her home. She then invited all the other cats in the neighbor hood to visit. I know have three staying at the hotel." - Nancy Cullins
        • "Ollie, Sullivan, Dill Pickles (foster fail) - adoptions; Maypearl - cat acquisition system." - Jordan Craig
        • "Momma Mia and Emily are both retired racers adopted through Arizona Heartfelt Hounds. I am a Board Member and Volunteer for that organization, so I hand-picked them off loads of retired racers coming to Tucson from various US tracks." - Mary Flores
        • "I have a GSD/Rottie mix who my son and I rescued in San Jose, CA.  He was at the Santa Clara County Animal Shelter.  I also have a rescue cat, from the same shelter named Sedona.  They are both about 11 years old." - Janet Hawks
        • "Kane and Mabel 2 pittie mix dogs and Cindy a tabby cat, all seniors and all from LA City shelters." - Christy Schilling
        • "Das Floofenstein (cat café), Sweet Caroline (adopted), Oogie (adopted), Beetlejuice (adopted), Noah (step dog that my wife got as a gift a decade ago)." - Lucy Fernandez
        • "Jenni, Boone, Harley, Prince, Clementine, Dobby, Kiwi, Thea...from mix of rescue and responsible breeder. Also have tortoise, bearded dragon, and fish." - Janis Albert
        • "Lacey, a rescue hound from the south…she came to the heat and now loves winter!" - Connie Merigo
        • "Greta Sprinkles and Rodney pirate prince! French Bulldogs surrendered with medical issues to Present Moment Rescue and are now our joyful family members." - Allie Coronis
        • "I have a service dog and his name is Chance. I was placed with him 2 years ago after I could walk again. Thank you, Valor Medical Service Dogs, for adopting him from a shelter as a puppy and training him to help me!" - T' Fisher
        • "I have Jyn (cat), Roz (kitten), Boy (dog), Rain (horse), along with 20 goats and many chickens. Jyn is the best Christmas gift ever from my parents, Roz was a kitten distribution system find, Boy has been with me since I was 15, and Rain was born on our farm almost 20 years ago 🙂" - Hannah Blackwelder
        • "My dog's name is Twist. I fostered her mom when she was pregnant. She was born in my home and when mom and siblings went back to the shelter, Twist became part of my family." - Shelley Joaquin
        • "Darby, Lucky, Gypsy, Riley... Rescues 🐾❤️" - Cheri Glass
        • "Gibbs and Pirate both pits ~ rescues. K9 India, Husband is a K9 Handler with DOD." - Melissa Uy
        • "My five dogs are all rescues!  I have a "Ginger" too!" - Debra DeVries
        • "I have an American Bulldog named Spud who just turned 12. I met him in California at an emergency vet I worked for that he was living at. He was surrendered twice previously and had severe aggression issues, along with weight/skin issues from stress. After training and a change in environment, he's much better! We moved back to the east coast, and he motivated me to start our charity. You can find him on our website - www.theanimalsfoundation.com" - Maria Putnam
        • "7 rescue cats" - Janette Martin
      • "What a beauty Ginger is Kassidi!" - Susan Ballesteros
      • "I am so frustrated that the term Pittie is used for at least four different breeds of dog. It just illustrates the ignorance around these amazing dogs." - Laura Connors
      • "https://www.animalfarmfoundation.org/all-dogs-are-individuals/ <-- learn more about dog genetics and how we often get it wrong here with Animal Farm Foundation" - Shonyae Johnson
      • "My first dog was given to me at age 8. She became my seizure-alert dog. Later in life, we had a puppy come up to our home. That puppy became our daughter's seizure-alert dog. We've had 2 rabbits, 2 squirrels, 3 ducks, a lot of cats, and several dogs over 30 years. We now have Pretzel, rescue, Oreo, who showed up one day, and Crystal Blue, owner-surrender.  Those 3 are registered therapy dogs. I was recently asked to keep a board-training dog, Ellie, a Malta-pooh. We are dog trainers who decided to open a rescue to help people keep their pets. We were doing this before the founding of the rescue." - Kim Jackson
      • "My daughter had a black pit bull named Koga for 15 yrs. We went thru a rough time finding a place for her to have him at Purdue. But we did. He was her life for a very long time. <3 We all miss him." - Janette Martin
      • "That picture is pure love!" - Alycia Norton
      • "Pretzel and Oreo are pit mixes but they don't look like pit bulls. It's funny when people are petting them while saying they don't like pit bull dogs. 😉" - Kim Jackson
      • "As a vet, I've been bitten by more small breeds than "Pitbull" type dogs. I hate breed restrictions." - Janis Albert
      • "I've had someone yell out of a car "is that a basenji??" at me and my American pitbull terrier mix 😅" - Jory Jolivet
      • "Many local laws re dogs are a result of owners who do not follow the law.  As a Parks & Rec staffer for the last 40 years, I cannot count the number of times I've talked to visitors who have their dog off leash.  They put the leash on when they see me coming, and then as I depart after expelling the reasons behind the leash law, etc., I see them in my rear-view mirror, taking the dog off the lease again.  It's like trying to remove sand from the desert - impossible!" - Janet Hawks
      • "I think this is a testament to not being able to police/ enforce/ fine our way out of these problems. It's time we think of new solutions!" - Shonyae Johnson
      • "Also, who gets a warning vs. who is fined?" - Allison Cardona
      • "Agreed!  We provided training for Park Ranger staff on dealing with dogs in general and how to stay safe.  This training included discussions of leash laws and breed misconceptions. But, Park Rangers are people, and they come with their preconceived ideas about which dogs are 'dangerous' and which are not." - Janet Hawks
      • "I don't have my glasses, but yes to the DMX & hiphop reference!" - Shonyae Johnson
      • "The Park Ranger has the ability to use their discretion regarding citing dogs off leash.  Because the P&R agencies are always underfunded, most dogs off leash are ignored.  Rangers are busy cleaning restrooms, picking up litter, traffic control, picnic reservations, special events, etc." - Janet Hawks
      • "I am in Africa, specifically in the Democratic Republic of Congo, North Kivu province, city of Goma, coordinator of an association for the protection of domestic animals, their health and management The environment " Frank Simon Paluku
      • " Prior to 1950s....Conquistadors and English colonizers were long using "war dogs" against us Indigenous/Nomadic peoples on this soil as well." - Mel Trueblood-Stimpson
      • "Yep, we have oral histories of being forced to put on certain components of regalia like feathers, jingles, etc... bigger, flashy, noisy items then forced to hit the dog so the dogs could be trained to break up any Indigenous/Nomadic ceremonies." - Mel Trueblood-Stimpson
      • "And the colonizers stole our own dogs we already had thousands of years of histories cohabitating with (mostly peacefully)." - Mel Trueblood-Stimpson
      • "This was a VERY interesting and educational presentation, and I really appreciate Kassidi presenting, and Maddie's Fund hosting.  Thank you so much!" - Janet Hawks
      • "HumanePro's Pets for Life toolkit has some good information on race and racism as it relates to lack of access to pet-related resources being a social justice issue: https://humanepro.org/sites/default/files/documents/HSUS_Community_Outreach_Toolkit_2023.pdf" - Amy Dixon
      • "A lot of people are asking what they can do to disrupt ICE raids in the animal sector yet some of those asking actively work for/with places that make their environment not only safe but worse, welcoming to policing. That's a problem. That is the first way in which your facility makes state sanctioned violence feel safe and comfortable in your space." - Mel Trueblood-Stimpson
      • "Phenomenal" - Franny Kent
      • "Beautiful presentation Dr. Jones!  Thank you!" - Mary Ippoliti-Smith
      • "I enjoyed this!" - LaTonya (Tonya) Smith
      • "Thank you, Kassidi - that was so thorough and well-researched." - Kristen Petty
      • "Thank you so much for sharing your work." - Franny Kent
      • "Wonderful and very educational about privilege." - Laura Connors
      • "Thank you, Kassidi!! I've been a fan of yours (and Ginger's) for a long time, so I really appreciate having this opportunity to hear you speak :)" - Jory Jolivet
      • "Blown away and inspired.... Thank you, Kassidi!" - Lucy Fernandez
      • "Thank you. Appreciate your research. Bringing up the conversation is a step forward. :)" - Janette Martin
      • "Thank you.  This was very eye-opening!" - Kim Jackson
      • "It's really frustrating when our oral histories aren't respected, either. Even though every single year our oral histories get written support. But when written records were PURPOSEFULLY destroyed by colonizers, you need to respect oral histories from historically colonized peoples." - Mel Trueblood-Stimpson
      • "What an amazing conversation!! What degree did you study to integrate this amazing data!" - Christina Veloz
      • "Willful ignorance and refusal of self-awareness/accountability is an uphill battle that happens one conversation at a time." - Lucy Fernandez
      • "We should all try to say yes to adoptions instead of no!" - Mary Ippoliti-Smith
      • "Happy Juneteenth reference" - Shonyae Johnson
      • "Please give Ginger a kiss from each attendee today!" - Jory Jolivet
      • "Thank you! Perspective was so interesting and grateful for our pets now in our lives." - Susan Ballesteros
      • "Thank you for your story today." - Jennifer Bennett



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    Sheila Kouhkan
    Senior Education Specialist
    Maddie's Fund
    CA
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  • 6.  RE: Community Conversations - 6/16/2025 - The Impossible Dog Mom

    Posted 06-16-2025 05:50 PM

    Unanswered question from the chat: 

    "These bully breeds make up 90% of the NYC shelter (ACC) and struggle to get placed… what is the solution?" - Kimberleigh Hannan



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    Maddie's Pet Forum Admin
    Maddie's Fund
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  • 7.  RE: Community Conversations - 6/16/2025 - The Impossible Dog Mom

    Posted 06-18-2025 12:03 AM

    Hi Kimberleigh! 

    Your question makes me think of a question that often comes up when I announce that I'm an abolitionist. People ask, "well what about x crime or y situation?" The best answer I've seen to that question comes from the last chapter of Angela Davis's book, Are Prisons Obsolete? She writes, "An abolitionist approach that seeks to answer questions such as these would require us to imagine a constellation of alternative strategies and institutions, with the ultimate aim of removing the prison from the social and ideological landscapes of our society. In other words, we would not be looking for prisonlike substitutes for the prison, such as house arrest safeguarded by electronic surveillance bracelets. Rather, positing decarceration as our overarching strategy, we would try to envision a continuum of alternatives to imprisonment-demilitarization of schools, revitalization of education at all levels, a health system that provides free physical and mental care to all, and a justice system based on reparation and reconciliation rather than retribution and vengeance" (107). Similarly, I think that there is no one solution to placing bully breeds. It will take a network of solutions, like advocating for and destigmatizing bully breeds, education and outreach to those who uphold negative beliefs about the breed, pushing for higher wages and lower costs of living, supporting programs that help people find housing, jobs, medical care, etc., lowering the barriers to entry to pet guardianship in any ways we can, and probably a lot more things than I could list right now off the top of my head. What do you think?



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    Kassidi Jones
    Founder
    Ginger's Naps LLC
    CT
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 8.  RE: Community Conversations - 6/16/2025 - The Impossible Dog Mom

    Posted 06-16-2025 05:50 PM

    Unanswered question from the chat: 

    "We have a new director that is lifting barriers to adoption and implementing a more conversational approach to take with potential adopters. I think it is amazing, but there has been major blowback on the 'lack of research done' for potential adopters. Do you have any tips for talking to the benefits of reducing these barriers and where the history of the barriers is coming from?" - @Alycia Norton



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    Maddie's Pet Forum Admin
    Maddie's Fund
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  • 9.  RE: Community Conversations - 6/16/2025 - The Impossible Dog Mom

    Posted 06-18-2025 12:03 AM

    Thanks for the question, Alycia! 

    It's really difficult to cover these massive topics in quick conversations, especially while people are in heightened emotional states (which is very frequently, in the animal welfare industry). I think offering people brief write ups in accessible language can help open people up to new ideas. It's what I've tried to do with many of my Instagram posts, and feel free to share what I've already written. But it may be worth putting together a one-pager, or even a zine (that's something I've always wanted to do!) that gives less-intimidating entry points to these complicated topics. You could even have an FAQ section since many of the criticisms of these kinds of initiatives tend to be the same. Kudos to your organization and your new director! If I can be helpful in any way, you can shoot me an email and info@gingers-naps.com.



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    Kassidi Jones
    Founder
    Ginger's Naps LLC
    CT
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 10.  RE: Community Conversations - 6/16/2025 - The Impossible Dog Mom

    Posted 06-22-2025 09:59 AM

    Those are great ideas, thank you! Especially since something written can be translated to multiple languages as well (which also helps reduce barriers) ;) 



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    Alycia Norton
    President
    PALS of PAWS in Saginaw County
    MI
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    Original Message


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