Animal Welfare Professionals

Updated 7/24/23 at 3pm PT: Recording now available to watch on-demand!

We hope to see you on Monday, July 24, 2023 at 11am PT for our next Community Conversations call for a panel discussion, "REDI for Change: Learning How Inclusivity Saves Lives."

Join Dr. @Alina Luna, Dean of the Circle of Learning and Leadership, and @Sheila Kouhkan, Chief Engagement Officer, from Companions and Animals for Reform and Equity (CARE) for a panel discussion with animal well-being leaders across the country. Panelists include Sophie Gamand, Pit Bull Flower Power artist and animal activist, @Mindi Callison, Bailing Out Benji Founder and Executive Director, @brad shear, Potter League for Animals Chief Executive Officer, and @Erika Pratte (She/Her), Partners for Pets Humane Society Director. Together, they will discuss their experiences with CARE's Racial Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion course and the positive impact their learnings have had on themselves, their organizations, and their lifesaving goals. Tune into this panel for an honest conversation that will open our hearts and minds about how the future of animal welfare is Human and Animal Well-Being.

Register here for our Monday Community Conversations Calls: maddies.fund/CommunityConversationsRegistration

Companions and Animals for Reform and Equity (CARE) is the recipient of a historic $6.5 Million grant from Maddie’s Fund^®. The grant will provide CARE with the funding to pilot a groundbreaking national program called Community Animal CARE, which will help support underserved people and their pets, overcrowded shelters, and chronically overwhelmed veterinarians. This is one of the largest grants awarded by the Foundation. “Maddie’s Fund believes in the transformational power in CARE’s holistic human and animal well-being mission,” said Mary Ippoliti-Smith, Executive Leadership Team, Maddie’s Fund. CARE is amplifying the work already being done, and transporting it to marginalized communities who will recast it into something all their own. We are honored to support what is truly an evolution in our field in order to help keep pets and people together.” Read the full press release here.

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 or attend the call live, be sure to complete this July entry form to enter to win a grant: https://www.maddiesfund.org/weekly-community-conversations-jul23-giveaway.htm

#Diversity,Equity,InclusionandJustice
#EducationandTraining

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Maddie's Pet Forum Admin
Maddie's Fund
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Thank you so much for this opportunity CARE and Maddie's Fund! I am very excited for the panel on Monday! 

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Mindi Callison
Bailing Out Benji
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Thank you Mindi! Thank you for participating on the panel and your continued support.

In addition if anyone else has questions we are happy to answer them.

Best Contacts:

Membership: Be a part of the Changemaker's Circle sheila@careawo.org

REDI: alina@careawo.org

Research: research@careawo.org

Thank you!

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Jennifer Evans
CARE
Baltimore MD
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Original Message:
Sent: 07-20-2023 12:30 PM
From: Mindi Callison
Subject: Community Conversations - 7/24/23 - REDI for Change: Learning How Inclusivity Saves Lives

Thank you so much for this opportunity CARE and Maddie's Fund! I am very excited for the panel on Monday! 

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Mindi Callison
Bailing Out Benji
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Thank you for this opportunity to share how impactful CARE and the REDI course have been to me personally, and to my work. I'd be happy to answer any question people might have about the course. 

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Sophie Gamand
Photographer, Artist, Advocate
Sophie Gamand
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Thanks to the 169 people who joined us on today's call! The recording is now available to watch and share. Below you'll find a recap of the agenda, resources shared and highlights from the chat. Be sure to complete this grant giveaway form when you watch live or catch the replay to enter to win a grant up to $5k: https://www.maddiesfund.org/weekly-community-conversations-jul23-giveaway.htm

Agenda

• Welcome from Hosts:
  • @Sheila Kouhkan, Community Engagement Officer, Companions and Animals for Reform and Equity (CARE), www.careawo.org
  • @Ed Jamison, Chief Executive Officer, Operation Kindness, www.operationkindness.org
    
    
• National Updates
  • The next HASS behavior job-alike meeting is this Thursday July 27 at 9 am PT/noon ET. Kym Iffert will be sharing part two of her volunteer series, talking about training volunteers about animal behavior. We'll also be hearing from Erika Davis who will be talking to us about behavior functionality in PetPoint. https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYrf-ytrzwqH9KGvJ5S3iuOCSFGLEFM5cJK#/registration
  • This month our resource drive on Maddie's Pet Forum is focused on pet friendly housing. The goal is to create a database of pet inclusive housing resources in an effort to help pet owners of all breeds and sizes stay together with their pets. If you have resources to share or are LOOKING for some, please share on this thread https://maddies.fund/petfriendlyhousingresourcedrive
  • Maddie's Fund Monthly $$ Giveaways: Open to all who are watching live or on-demand. Enter each week you attend. Fill in the contest entry form here: https://www.maddiesfund.org/weekly-community-conversations-jul23-giveaway.htm
  • Maddie's Pet Forum monthly give-away:  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://chewonthis.maddiesfund.org/2022/11/new-monthly-grant-opportunity/
    
    
• Panel Discussion: REDI for Change: Learning How Inclusivity Saves Lives
  • Guest Speakers:
    • Dr. Alina Luna, Chief of Learning, Companion Animals for Reform and Equity (CARE), www.careawo.org
    • Mindi Callison, Founder, Bailing Out Benji, https://bailingoutbenji.com/
      • 
    • Brad Shear, Executive Director, Potter League for Animals, https://potterleague.org/
      • 
      • 
    • Erika Pratte, Director, Partners for Pets Humane Society, https://www.partnersforpetsil.org/
      • 
    • Sophie Gamand, Artist and Creator of Pit Bull Flower Power, https://www.sophiegamand.com/
      • 
  • Related Links:
    • REDI report from Partners for Pets Humane Society https://petfinderfoundation.com/grant_report/il158-9/
    • Learn more about Community Animal Care https://careawo.org/cac/
    • Melody Seefeldt shared in the chat: @brad shear If you haven't already, real estate investors associations or bigger pockets are a couple ways to engage with landlords on the topic of pet ownership. https://nationalreia.org/
    • For any questions for CARE about
      • Research email research@careawo.org
      • Community Animal CARE rae@careawo.org
      • REDI redi@careawo.org
      • Membership sheila@careawo.org
    • Join the Changemakers Circle! https://careawo.org/thecircle/
    • Press Release: Companions and Animals for Reform and Equity Receive Historic 6.5 Million Grant to Help BIPOC Communities and their Pets https://www.einpresswire.com/article/644519088/companions-and-animals-for-reform-and-equity-receive-historic-6-5-million-grant-to-help-bipoc-communities-and-their-pets
    • Don't Forget to Save the Date for CARE's 2nd annual conference October 4-7th in Philly
  • Acronyms Used During Presentation:
    • CARE = Companions and Animals for Reform and Equity (careawo.org)
    • BIPOC = Black, Indigenous, People of Color
    • REDI = Racial Equity, Diversity, Inclusion
      
      
• Highlights from the Chat
  • "Sophia, your photographs are beautiful!" - David Kerpel
  • "Racial Equity is intentionally first (unlike traditional DEI efforts) because when you lead with racial equity, diversity, and inclusion will follow ❤️" - Sheila Kouhkan
  • "Yes to naming structural racism, this conversation is so necessary." - Allison Cardona
  • "The REDI course was excellent. #thankstoMaddie" - Claire Walton
  • "Important to remember. Shelters and Rescues can only 'afford' to do their work because of the grace of support and donors. People need the same grace and support with their pets. Anyone with a pet is running a micro shelter 🙂" - James Evans
  • "Love that! 'Observe your discomfort'" "Yesss - Language is so important. Language creates culture and community."- Sheila Kouhkan
  • "HI, I would love to hear about all the community programs that have been evolved since taking REDI. Let's connect rae@careawo.org." - Rachel Rae Williams
  • "There was an excellent Maddies' Conversation a few months back regarding evictions and renter's rights. Look for the recording in the Forum" - Lisa Pearce
    
    • "Yes! Here's the link to the recording! https://maddies.fund/communityconversations81522" - Charlotte Otero
    • "Thanks, Lisa! And next week's Community Conversation will feature Dianne Prado on "What's Housing Policy Got to Do With It"." - Irene Chansawang
  • "Who would have known a family pet would inspire this type of change? #thankstomaddie and the other Maddies out they yet to be discovered 🙂" - Johnny Jenkins
  • "I ran into a government program (don't remember the name) that required declawing cats. For people who know that is not a good thing, it can limit their options even if the qualify for the program." - Penny Leisch
  • "Sheila's community conversation recording: The Future of Animal Welfare: Positive Disruption Will Save More Lives https://maddies.fund/communityconversations2623" - Charlotte Otero
  • "Thank you all! I am sending this REDI link to our team today." - Lisa Pearce
  • "Systemic barriers  based on exclusionary practices have been the foundation of our country. Let's get to disrupting...." - Monica Wylie
  • "Absolutely Amazing Presentation!!!!  Thank you so much!!" - Mary Flores
  • "@erika pratte, do you still ask whether people rent or own? I would still seem prudent to make sure renters are familiar with the additional costs of getting a pet when you rent and make sure they've confirmed they can get a pet." - Melody Seefeldt
    • "We still ask that question because it is an indicator of how we may be able to help pre- and post-adoption." - Mary Flores
    • "We do not. We found that asking these questions wasn't really something that benefitted our organization, as the individuals applying to adopt have thought through the process of adding a pet to their home prior to completing the adoption." - Erika Pratte
    • "We do ask because we can help guide adoptions to which animals in our care might fit best for their home/apartment." - Susan Austin
    • "we do check landlords as we found that people say they can have a dog even if its not allowed noone will say anything.  We can't trust that and the dog ends up being returned." - geri golonka
    • "Instead you could write "if you're a renter, make sure you check the fees so you're not caught off guard" Sharing information vs Vetting is Huge." - Jennifer Evans
    • "Would a more appropriate question be: "Does your landlord (if applicable) allow for pets, if so under what conditions?"" - Brenda Trainor
  • "I was always surprised at how many people didn't know pets weren't allowed.... and ended up sheepishly returning the dog or cat because of they got home and had a problem." - April King
  • "We have found that many renters have not thought through the financial ramifications of pet ownership." - Doris Kempton
  • "Allowing pets has been a great way to assure long-term leasing by tenants." - Brenda Trainor
  • "Kids cause more damage than pets in homes." - Jennifer Evans
  • "inaccessible 'pet friendly' housing is a systemic issue that we cannot put on tenants to address, and we should not use that as a weapon against adopters" - Nadia Oseguera
  • "Ongoing adoption support is always good no matter the living situation. Renter, home owners, unhoused." - Rachel Rae Williams
  • "I can't thank Erika, Mindi, Sophie and Brad enough!!" - Alina Luna
  • "Thank you so much everyone! We are lifting the boat!" - Lisa Pearce
  • "Thank you for having this call!" - Suzanne D'Alonzo
  • "Great session." - Pollyanne McKillop

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Charlotte Otero
Community Strategist at Maddie's Fund
she/her
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This message was posted by a user wishing to remain anonymous

Unanswered question from the chat:

"How did you outline action items post-Redi for your organization? Who will implement and track progress? Is that guidance included in the REDI course?" - Lisa Pearce

Lisa, thank you for all of those questions. I can answer a few and I encourage you to email Dr. Alina Luna redi@careawo.org for any other questions.

The course is self paced. It includes lessons, images and videos. It is up to the leadership of your team or the individual to develop any tracking tools. We feel once you take the course, it will become easy to understand where your team or you as an individual can grow. In addition, after taking the course, you become a member of our Changemakers Circle which include monthly meetings to discuss ideas, challenges and successes. The next Silver level is more detailed and will be coming out soon. We look forward to hearing from you Lisa!

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Jennifer Evans
CARE
Baltimore MD
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Original Message:
Sent: 07-24-2023 03:29 PM
From: Anonymous Member
Subject: Community Conversations - 7/24/23 - REDI for Change: Learning How Inclusivity Saves Lives

This message was posted by a user wishing to remain anonymous

Unanswered question from the chat:

"How did you outline action items post-Redi for your organization? Who will implement and track progress? Is that guidance included in the REDI course?" - Lisa Pearce

I would add that our leadership team created action items for ourselves and for our organization: what could we do today, this week, this month, and beyond. The REDI training was wonderful but since all organizations are different, it would be very hard for anyone to give you a checklist for progress. It is on us to keep our own organizations accountable when it comes to change and progress :) 

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Mindi Callison
Bailing Out Benji
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Original Message:
Sent: 07-25-2023 06:44 AM
From: Jennifer Evans
Subject: Community Conversations - 7/24/23 - REDI for Change: Learning How Inclusivity Saves Lives

Lisa, thank you for all of those questions. I can answer a few and I encourage you to email Dr. Alina Luna redi@careawo.org for any other questions.

The course is self paced. It includes lessons, images and videos. It is up to the leadership of your team or the individual to develop any tracking tools. We feel once you take the course, it will become easy to understand where your team or you as an individual can grow. In addition, after taking the course, you become a member of our Changemakers Circle which include monthly meetings to discuss ideas, challenges and successes. The next Silver level is more detailed and will be coming out soon. We look forward to hearing from you Lisa!

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Jennifer Evans
CARE
Baltimore MD
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Original Message:
Sent: 07-24-2023 03:29 PM
From: Anonymous Member
Subject: Community Conversations - 7/24/23 - REDI for Change: Learning How Inclusivity Saves Lives

This message was posted by a user wishing to remain anonymous

Unanswered question from the chat:

"How did you outline action items post-Redi for your organization? Who will implement and track progress? Is that guidance included in the REDI course?" - Lisa Pearce

This message was posted by a user wishing to remain anonymous

Unanswered question from the chat (asked at 00:55:35 in recording):

"How do we say this to the public that are picking up strays or removing dogs from people they think do not deserve them?" - Christina Avila

This is how I have been addressing this personally:

About removing pets from their families: Just because a pet "looks" neglected from our perspective, doesn't mean it is unloved. Often, the state of the animal (health, appearance, safety) reveals more about the challenges faced by their family or community. If we really care about making the lives of animals better, then we have to care about making their people's lives better and addressing their challenges. Improving access to care and resources should be number one. Because when people have access to the resources they need, they always do right by their animals. This can be a pet food pantry, low cost or no cost spay/neuter, vaccination or veterinary care, mobile clinics, building a fence (to unchain a dog), etc. 

About picking up strays: Depending on where we are talking about. Just because an animal is free-ranging, does not mean it is not bonded with a person, family or community. For many people, letting dogs roam free is a sign of respect. Taking stray animals away without checking with the community first, is akin to stealing pets. Love takes many shapes and we must respect that and understand that we do not always know everything. In the case of community dogs especially, I encourage people to define what is "better". Is it better for an animal to live free, to go "home" at night and roam during the day, living life on their own term? Or is it "better" for the animal to be in a cage somehwere for months, or placed into an apartment and live at the end of a leash for the rest of their lives? "Better" is a very subjective concept. And we must look at the whole picture, to make informed decisions, on a case-by-case basis, in consultation with the community.

Ultimately, taking dogs away from their people without consulting them first and making sure this is what they want, is very destructive. It breaks the trust. These communities and families are less likely to contact the organization when they need help, or report issues when they see something. They will feel judged and excluded from the conversation. It's disrespectful and very counterproductive. Take a dog away like that, and it will soon be replaced by another one. But help a family or community address their challenges, and you can support forever loving homes for pets.

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Sophie Gamand
Photographer, Artist, Advocate
Sophie Gamand
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Original Message:
Sent: 07-24-2023 03:31 PM
From: Anonymous Member
Subject: Community Conversations - 7/24/23 - REDI for Change: Learning How Inclusivity Saves Lives

This message was posted by a user wishing to remain anonymous

Unanswered question from the chat (asked at 00:55:35 in recording):

"How do we say this to the public that are picking up strays or removing dogs from people they think do not deserve them?" - Christina Avila

This message was posted by a user wishing to remain anonymous

Unanswered question from the chat:

"Erika, Would you be willing to share your survey questions?" and "Is there a good resource you could recommend for a community needs assessment or surveys?" - Corinne Lawson

Hi there, thank you for asking that really important question. I would encourage you to pause for a moment and first consider the community and if your team represents that community. The best outcomes come from establishing trust and relationship building. There is a section about this importance in the REDI course. In addition, the questions that are asked should be defined by the community to ensure they directly reflect the challenges that many of us may not be aware of.  The questions Erika asked may not be relevant to another zip code, even if they look the same. We encourage you to take REDI. It will help this process for you and your team more equitable and successful. 

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Jennifer Evans
CARE
Baltimore MD
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Original Message:
Sent: 07-24-2023 03:32 PM
From: Anonymous Member
Subject: Community Conversations - 7/24/23 - REDI for Change: Learning How Inclusivity Saves Lives

This message was posted by a user wishing to remain anonymous

Unanswered question from the chat:

"Erika, Would you be willing to share your survey questions?" and "Is there a good resource you could recommend for a community needs assessment or surveys?" - Corinne Lawson

We didn't start with a survey. We started by getting to know people first. In our case, we started by reaching out to community advocacy organizations and talking to people coming to our food pantry and wellness clinics. Those conversations helped shape what we would ask, how to ask, and, equally importantly, what languages the questions would need to be in.

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brad shear
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Original Message:
Sent: 07-24-2023 03:32 PM
From: Anonymous Member
Subject: Community Conversations - 7/24/23 - REDI for Change: Learning How Inclusivity Saves Lives

This message was posted by a user wishing to remain anonymous

Unanswered question from the chat:

"Erika, Would you be willing to share your survey questions?" and "Is there a good resource you could recommend for a community needs assessment or surveys?" - Corinne Lawson

Thank you for including me in the discussion. I hope more people continue to take the course.

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brad shear
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Thank you for the recording. I took the course and am now certified. I want to thank Maddie's and CARE for this opportunity to learn, to listen and to be enlightened. I also want to thank the panel for sharing ideas and inclusive practices. I am looking forward to mindful implementations. 

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Julielani Chang
The Life of Kai: Compassion Connections Inc.
Davis CA
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You're very welcome, Julie. I hope you'll feel free to email me and let me know how things are going!

Alina

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Alina Luna
Dean of the Circle of Learning and Leadership
C.A.R.E
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Original Message:
Sent: 07-25-2023 12:00 PM
From: Julielani Chang
Subject: Community Conversations - 7/24/23 - REDI for Change: Learning How Inclusivity Saves Lives

Thank you for the recording. I took the course and am now certified. I want to thank Maddie's and CARE for this opportunity to learn, to listen and to be enlightened. I also want to thank the panel for sharing ideas and inclusive practices. I am looking forward to mindful implementations. 

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Julielani Chang
The Life of Kai: Compassion Connections Inc.
Davis CA
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The panelists were all so wonderful! I appreciated that the two larger organizations followed up the self-paced REDI course with staff discussion. Gathering as a team to talk about your individual experiences with the self-paced material extends the learning. Also appreciated the panelist who took the REDI course as an individual and talked about trepidation in starting this work. I think we all feel that. The CARE REDI course is meant to expand our understanding, and lay the foundation for more learning. Thank you!

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Erika Shaffer
Maddie's Fund
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Great point, Erika! We all feel trepidation when starting this work. But, our panelists showed us how important it is and why we can't let perfect be the enemy of good. And, sharing learnings as a team makes things a little less scary as we build a new language and culture as Brad shared. 

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Sheila Kouhkan
Chief Engagement Officer
CARE- Companions and Animals for Reform and Equity
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Original Message:
Sent: 07-25-2023 03:06 PM
From: Erika Shaffer
Subject: Community Conversations - 7/24/23 - REDI for Change: Learning How Inclusivity Saves Lives

The panelists were all so wonderful! I appreciated that the two larger organizations followed up the self-paced REDI course with staff discussion. Gathering as a team to talk about your individual experiences with the self-paced material extends the learning. Also appreciated the panelist who took the REDI course as an individual and talked about trepidation in starting this work. I think we all feel that. The CARE REDI course is meant to expand our understanding, and lay the foundation for more learning. Thank you!

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Erika Shaffer
Maddie's Fund
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