Animal Welfare Professionals

Recording is now available to watch on-demand!

We hope to see you on Monday August 28, 2023 at 11am PT for our next Community Conversations call. We will be joined by @Shonyae Johnson, Behavior Manager at Operation Kindness for a presentation, "Behavior on a Budget: Accessibility for Behavior Assistance." This discussion aims to explore the critical need for accessible dog and cat training resources, tailored for marginalized communities that may not otherwise have access. The increasing importance of keeping pets in their homes while animal shelters are overflowing emphasizes the need of providing training techniques that accommodate limited financial resources, transportation, and time availability. By examining the challenges faced by low-available income families in accessing conventional training programs, this conversation delves into innovative and cost-effective approaches to cater to their needs. The discussion will also address the potential benefits of improving pet training for both the well-being of animals and the overall community. Join Shonyae Johnson as she discusses strategies to bridge the gap and promote effective training methods, fostering healthier and happier relationships between pets and their marginalized owners who visit our organizations.

#Behavior,TrainingandEnrichment
#EducationandTraining

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Maddie's Pet Forum Admin
Maddie's Fund
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I am SO very excited and hope to see everyone there!!!

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Shonyae Johnson - CPDT-KA
Program + Operations Management
Behavior Manager
Operation Kindness
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Thank you to everyone who joined me today. It was a pleasure having the call hosted by @Jose Ocaño and @Lawrence Minnis! As promised, here's the information!

View my presentation   |  Or copy and paste this link into your browser: https://www.canva.com/design/DAFruQm9p-s/ZKguGLkvf-tAFYYXCOwvBA/view?utm_content=DAFruQm9p-s&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link&utm_source=publishsharelink 

Visit me and learn more about my team here: Operation Kindness -  www.operationkindness.org

Sharable resources + slide credits:

• US Census: https://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/visualizations/2022/demo/2021%20Household%20Pets.pdf
  • Use the US Census to find information about the pet owners of your community. Who are they and what are the current family set up and lifestyles?
    
    
• DART: https://www.dart.org/about/about-dart/about-dart/dart-facts#:~:text=Our%20extensive%20network%20of%20DART,%2Dsquare%2Dmile%20service%20area
  • Find out who's traveling in your area, and by what means (bus, train, carpool services, taxi, scooter, bike, etc)
    
    
• Maddie's U - Customer Service for Animal Shelters: https://university.maddiesfund.org/products/customer-service-for-animal-shelters
  • Ensure you're speaking with your clients from a place of kindness and compassion
    
    
• GoodPup: https://shelter.goodpup.com/OPK
  • FREE training for your community, and $$ donated back to your shelter when clients continue training
  • Free marketing material, with your own logo
  • Scholarship opportunities through Cuddly
    
    
• Operation Kindness - Destructive Chewing: https://www.operationkindness.org/after-you-adopt/#dog-resources
  • Internal resoruces created by our team for support
    
    
• Instinct Dog - The Polite Dog Course: https://onlineschool.instinctdogtraining.com/
  • FREE training courses on leash manners, polite manners (NILF/ Say Please), children and dogs, and enrichment
    
    
• KPA Crate Training: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/56dc83532b8dde60535c97f1/t/61420fa2be10b07ed615a6c8/1631719331200/Karen+Pryor+Academy+Crate+Training+Guide.pdf 
  • FREE crate training guide from the clicker training guru Karen Pryor
    
    
• Fear Free Happy Homes: Introduction to bringing home your new pet and reducing fear, anxiety, and stress
  • Puppies 101
  • Kittens 101
  • Dog 101
  • Cat 101
  • Behavior Problem Solving
    
    
• Maddie's University: Self paced courses to ready yourself for a new pet
  • Bringing Home a New Dog
  • Bringing Home a New Cat

Special shout out to: Everyone at OPK, including Ed, Paige, Angelica + Chanel my superiors and teammates who make it easy to do the work we do! To the Maddie's team, + my amazing co-host for welcoming me and being supportive! To Allison + Rachael for being absolute supporters in my corner from afar. To everyone in our collective, for encouraging, uplifting, and reminding me that we can do this. Wishing you all well.

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Shonyae Johnson - CPDT-KA
Program + Operations Management
Behavior Manager
Operation Kindness
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Eva Menezes
MBA Student
The Ohio State University
menezes.26 [at] osu.edu
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Questions from the chat:

Curious how financial considerations come into play. Did you collect if they were able to afford the resources they needed? - Emily D ;
We do not collect payment for anything outside of our public facing workshops and a $50 which is secured at time of setting up with a trainer for 3 sessions. The deposit can be returned or donated at the completion of training. If a client can afford training, they can donate back into our fund to assist other clients.  We take the approach that if someone is seeking out financial assistance, than they DO need the help. And if they have extra to spare, they can help the next dog in line.

What type of training methodology are you looking at? - Ana Marie J.;
At OPK we follow the LIMA protocol, better known as Leash Intrusive, Minimally aversive. We do not add labels to our training, but to focus on reinforcing positive behaviors first. You can find more about LIMA here (https://www.ccpdt.org/about-us/least-intrusive-minimally-aversive-lima-effective-behavior-intervention-policy/)

Locally, I have yet to find a trainer that does not send people home with shock collars (and an untrained dog). - E Watson ;
You can use the Fear Free Directory or the CCPDT-KA website to find trainers local to your area: 

It may not be much, but I wonder if you can roll that "donation for sign up" back into the adopter's scholarship? April K;
Definitely worth mentioning! We roll over our deposits into our next training cases!

What are the shelters doing to counsel people about matching the dogs to the lifestyle before they select a dog? A lot of mismatches can be avoided, but I've been in shelters that are so fixed on getting the pets out the door that there's no attention given to this topic.  - Penny L;
Our adoption counselors rely on our assessments to counsel adopters for the behaviors they are seeing with their pets. We have a scale that identifies our pets based on their behavior (1-2 easy to handle, 3 fearful responses, 4 arousal responses, 5 custom consultation needed). In addition to having that snapshot, they rely on internal notes from staff and volunteers, play group notes, medical handling notes, etc to counsel to the adopter the understanding of the pets personality that we have. We focus on open adoption policies and offer support while helping clients find the best pet. Maddie's has some great information on counseling + marketing your pets.

Can we get the drawing link posted? - Penny L;

• Boogies Blog: https://boogiebt.com/2010/03/23/how-not-to-greet-a-dog/ |
• Fear Free Shelters: https://fearfreeshelters.com/login/ |
• Cozy Cat Furniture: https://www.cozycatfurniture.com/blog/new-cat-guidelines

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Shonyae Johnson - CPDT-KA
Program + Operations Management
Behavior Manager
Operation Kindness
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• @José Ocaño (he/him/el), Founder & CEO, Hatching, LLC
• @Lawrence Minnis, Director of Workforce Development, Humane Rescue Alliance https://www.humanerescuealliance.org/

• "Olive...taught me patience..." - Casey Parker
• "Lola - taught me patience and what works for one animal may not work for another" - Samantha Burnett
• "Roo - unconditional determination to keep going. Roo was a blind older toy poodle who was pushy and sassy - just like my daddy grandmother!" - Sharon Fletcher
• "PJ is mischievous. But things that happened during his puppy years taught me patience and mental fortitude." - Irene Chansawang
• "Emily... I fell in love with this gorgeous tiny greyhound and adopted her when she was 17 months. She taught me patience more than anything!! The first day in my house, she was standing on counters in the kitchen browsing! She also was a challenge to potty train. I needed to learn that you can be an awesome teacher, but dogs need to be in a place to learn what you want to teach them." - Mary Flores
• "Jackson my aireedale who was aggressive to other dogs taught me to remember it is always my job to be aware of my dog's body language and be aware of the surroundings.  He taught me that he had to be managed." - Pat Bellis
• "Bad Dog Lilly bit me once as a foster and bit everyone at the shelter when I brought her back for adoption.  She had already decided that we were her new home.  I brought in my husband and daughter separately and she jumped on and kissed them without any aggressions.  She taught me that there is a home for special dogs if they are fortunate enough to meet each other." - Karen Baker
• "Riley - Constantly reminds me about forgiveness" - Andrew Krebbs
• "Bryan James - he'll be 18 in November. He's taught me patience and unconditional love." - Suzy Clayton
• "My pup Navi! She has very strong opinions about other dogs. She taught me not everyone needs to be your best friend (as in, she only likes 2 other dogs that I am aware of) :)" - Jenna Riedi
• "Roxie, a terrier mix, hated me for the 14 years she was with us. Roxie taught me all about loving unconditionally - without expectations." - Mary @ Maddie's Fund
• "Arlo; adopted rabbit from Oakland Animal Services. What I learned: you can live with an animal for 16 years without having to touch them." - Emily Wood
• "Bette-named after Bette Davis because of her eyes-taught me everything I know about life. She was "on" 24/7, fiercely protective and very picky of who she let into her circle" - Emily Klehm
• "Tide & Bounce - two very under-socialized kitties. They taught me how to be still and patient." - Linda Rubin
• "My senior dog is teaching me to slow down and have patience as her vision gets worse. We gotta take some things slow!" - Stacy Beckley
• "Millie, one of my current cats. Had her as a foster at 3 weeks. Was very friendly at first but she doesn't like other people when they come to our house." - June Thomas
• "Emily... I fell in love with this gorgeous greyhound from AZ Heartfelt Hounds and adopted her when she was 17 months. She taught me patience more than anything!! The first day in my house, she was standing on counters in the kitchen browsing! She also was a challenge to potty train. I needed to learn that you can be an awesome teacher, but dogs need to be in a place to learn what you want to teach them." - Mary Flores
• "Learning from our rescue Cree, I know that I can never know the whole story. She has fear, but she also has breed specific characteristics, like pack mentality." - Amy Charles
• "I fostered Timon who came to me from being hospitalized. I learned to manage my anxiety about medical issues and to learn to have hope. He was given a poor prognosis but is doing great and made a full recovery. I also learned to trust myself." - Amanda Gra
• "Pumpkin (socialization foster kitten) that I needed to calm myself before I worked with him. It made me relax before I went in, and when I got frustrated, he would get frustrated. He mirrored me, and that taught me so much!" - Kristi Brook
• "My Stanley is FULL of energy, all the time, and I need to give him plenty of playtime to channel that energy. If I don't, he beats up on his siblings and gets bitey and pulls out his bunny kicks on people." - Amanda Huggett
• "My dog Kloke taught me so much about how to channel my energy. When I would get anxious seeing another dog on our walks, she would feed off of how I felt so she taught me how to maintain that cool calm energy in stressful situations." - Charlotte Otero
• "Lucca (in my Zoom photo) was so scared he would drool and shake, and now he is confident and a great son! He taught me about resilience and love." - Shannon Roebuck
• "Pepper, my three-legged spicy rescue kitty, taught me to slow down and read her signs. She is now my "forever foster" as well. But she still hisses at our other cat." - Megan Watson
• "My dog, Newman, taught me not all dogs like to meet people the same way. He didn't want kind words and soft pets - he wanted to be ignored. The less attention you paid to him, the faster he would warm up to you!" - Jessie Sullivan
• "Trevor ❤ couldn't stand to be touched so just leashing was traumatic. I learned to "meet him where he was" and accept his limitations. So he wore a harness most of the time. Gave him comfort and me a way to secure with less reactivity." - Shari Cahill
• "Hello from Fort Collins, Colorado! Gordie, my adopted senior pittie from Oakland, CA taught me SO much about separation anxiety and behavior medications and what a dog who loves other dogs can do for fosters experiencing a stress and anxiety." - Vanessa Hidden
• "Another one was a very mouthy puppy, that would bite and chew on every adopter who came to see him. We found a way to help him express that behavior to where he stopped doing it with people." - Alexsey Dobberstine
• "I adopted a very aggressive English Mastiff. It was all fear based. She tried to bite every living creature in my home for the first month. I sat her down and cried while we had a heart to heart. She was the best dog ever after that. She became my most loyal and well-behaved dog ever. She taught me patience." - Elizabeth Ianelli

• Join Dr. Jyothi Robertson for a distinctive in-person experience: "The Journey You Own: Deep Dive Meeting Series." This free series takes you through the concepts of Maddie's University^® course "The Journey You Own: Practices for Wellbeing and Productivity." Discover how to enhance your personal and professional life in these immersive 50-minute sessions, featuring insightful discussions and the opportunity to influence future courses. Sessions are flexible, so you can register once and attend the ones that suit you best. https://maddiesfund-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIvcuiqrzwiGdPFkVuHuwEgvV7i3OiO9HLq#/registration
• Human Animal Support Services Behavior job-alike, Thursday, August 31 at 9 am PT/noon ET dog dog intros. https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYrf-ytrzwqH9KGvJ5S3iuOCSFGLEFM5cJK#/registration
• Maddie's Insights: webinar: Practical tips based on current research to help pets and people: Social Behavior and Implications for Bonded Pairs in Group-housed Shelter Cats Coming up: Thursday, September 14 Register: https://maddies.fund/MIwebcasts
• Save the Date for this season's Online instructor-led courses offered through Maddie's University. We have 10 different courses, from transport programs to care pathways: https://university.maddiesfund.org/Online-Instructor-Led-Courses. Classes start in October; the application period opens Thursday, Aug 31st until September 13th.
• José Ocaño: Discover Your Best Life at Hatching Hour: Meaningful Conversations, Lasting Change! Looking to enrich your life, personally and professionally? Hatching Hour is your community. Our online gatherings serve up expert insights, compelling stories, and actionable wisdom to help you #LiveBetter and #WorkBetter. Dive deep into transformative mindsets, tap into your potential, and chart your journey towards a life filled with intention-all for free. Elevate, inspire, transform. Start your next chapter with Hatching Hour. Your future self will thank you. Meeting Registration https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYrc-yrqTwoEtUp4AzxOVdkbn59y7qpspQm#/
• Fauna Connections Our second annual remote symposium for animal advocates will take place on September 14, 2023! This is the perfect event for advocates looking to learn about the latest research that will bring their advocacy to the next level in helping animals. This event is made possible by a grant from Maddie's Fund, #ThankstoMaddie! Learn more and register now for this FREE event: https://faunalytics.org/fauna-connections/
• Humane Society of the US: Shelter Mentorship Applications open through 9/10 in three areas - community cats, pet-inclusive housing, capacity building. Mentorships = deep dive into program/policy + $15,000 in grant funding. https://humanepro.org/page/shelter-mentorship-application
• Join the *Roundtable Series: Collaborative Approaches to Removing Barriers*. Learn more and RSVP at https://sheltermedicine.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_xEvcITQPSHale7-9mKFvLg#/registration
• California-based animal shelters and animal control agencies: Learn more about the More Pets and People together Grants at https://www.californiaforallanimals.com/grants/mppt-grants/
• Maddie's Fund Monthly $$ Giveaways: Open to all who are watching live or on-demand. https://www.maddiesfund.org/weekly-community-conversations-aug23-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/

• Speaker: Shonyae Johnson, Behavior Manager, Operation Kindness
• Operation Kindness https://www.operationkindness.org/
• Resources & Links:
  • Operation Kindness workshops: https://www.operationkindness.org/workshops/
  • Destructive Chewing: https://www.operationkindness.org/after-you-adopt
  • The Polite Dog Course: https://onlineschool.instinctdogtraining.com/
  • KPA Crate Training: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/56dc83532b8dde60535c97f1/t/61420fa2be10b07ed615a6c8/1631719331200/Karen+Pryor+Academy+Crate+Training+Guide.pdf
  • US Census: https://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/visualizations/2022/demo/2021%20Household%20Pets.pdf
  • Find a Behavior Consultant with https://www.petprofessionalguild.com/Zip-Code-Search or https://iaabc.org/en/certs/members
  • Maddie's Customer Service Training https://university.maddiesfund.org/products/customer-service-for-animal-shelters
  • Dallas Area Rapid Transit DART: https://www.dart.org/about/about-dart/about-dart/dart-facts#:~:text=Our%20extensive%20network%20of%20DART,%2Dsquare%2Dmile%20service%20area
  • GoodPup: https://shelter.goodpup.com/OPK
  • The GoodPup Shelter Affiliate Program https://goodpup.com/shelters allows organizations to give adopters a free week of access to our training and exclusive lifetime discounts on GoodPup training. Shelter organizations also earn donations for each referred GoodPup customer. The GoodPup Shelter Affiliate Program is designed to be a flexible option to work alongside any behavior programs shelters may already have established. Feel free to email shelters@goodpup.com for more info
  • Bringing a New Dog Home (free online course) https://university.maddiesfund.org/products/bringing-a-new-dog-home
  • Boogies Blog: https://boogiebt.com/2010/03/23/how-not-to-greet-a-dog
  • Fear Free Shelters: https://fearfreeshelters.com/
  • Cozy Cat Furniture: https://www.cozycatfurniture.com/blog/new-cat-guidelines
  • Doggie Drawings https://www.doggiedrawings.net/
  • Human Animal Bon Research Institute research study - Understanding the Role of Race and Ethnicity in Pet Ownership and Care: Survey Highlights Opportunity to Better Serve All Pet Parents https://habri.org/DEI

• Engagement Question from Speaker: What are some current surrender reasons that pass through your org?
• "housing issues" - Michelle Russillo
• "housing" - Michelle Pease Kalaskey
• "housing" - Amanda Earl
• "Housing" - Tracy brad
• "financial" - Lisa Royal
• "escaping yard" - Jordan Craig
• "Homelessness, domestic violence" - Lucy Biesenbach
• "housing" - Mikhaila Worle
• "No time, can't give them what they need." - Alexsey Dobberstine
• "housing issues" - Linda Rubin
• "veterinary care" - Michelle Russillo
• "frivolous - barking, energy, etc." - Amy Charles
• "moving" - Jordan LeVine
• "new baby" - Amanda Earl
• "Natural disaster" - Maylen Garcia
• "access to vet care" - Ali Mickelson
• "Moving to smaller place and they're not allowed big dogs." - Tracy Macquarrie
• "homelessness" - Mikhaila Worle
• "Unwanted litters" - Andrew Dorman
• "Can't pay pet rent." - Ashley Hurst
• "The dog isn't trainable!" - Mary Flores
• "lack of housing, can't afford, no time, moving." - Krystyna Zarn-Langford
• "Family Allergies Human Financial/Medial Issues All animals in home are not getting along." - Alissa Webster
• "Medical and cost of maintaining, housing" - Maris Brown
• "veterinary care" - Mikhaila Worle
• "lack of knowledge about training and behavior" - Penny Leisch
• "Don't get along with other pets/babies." - Lita Lind
• "Substance abuse issues" - Tracy Brad
• "moving, landlor not allowed, baby." - Amanda Gra
• "illness/death of pet parent" - Christy Bork
• "Domestic violence" - Tracy Brad
• "too many animals" - Ashley Hurst
• "We have children now can't take care of the dog." - Laurinda Charvat
• "Generally reactive behaviors, housing complications, or changes to personal finances." - Erika Skouby-Pratte
• "pandemic aged dog problem behaviors" - Mikhaila Worle
• "Medical emergencies" - Tracy Brad
• "moving is the big one - not always accurate, we suspect; cost; aging owner, death of owner." - E Watson
• "Lost job and doesn't have the funds to keep the pet." - Karen Gaspin
• "Unwilling or unable to spend the money for aging pets' medical needs or the time for special care." - Penny Leisch
• "That is my personal dog issue - I can't afford the aggression training (it's $1400) so we just avoid other dogs in our lives" - Jenna Reidi
• "Do you know any cat specialists in the Austin TX area? We have a special needs cat that's deaf and has been traumatized. I have a lot of experience, but I'd like to be sure we hit all the options." - Penny Leisch
• "curious how financial considerations come into play. Did you collect if they were able to afford the resources they needed?" - Emily Dolan
• "A reframe to that is that housing costs are rising and many people can't afford rent even when they work full time. It's also very personal to talk about finances with people who you don't know." - Allison Cardona
• "'Can afford it' is an assumption. Maybe technically they have the money at that moment, but there are any number of other expenses they may need to pay as well. Or it's their cash reserve for emergencies, savings for a down payment, etc." - Maria S
• "@Allison Cardona I hear you and I know expense are going up. People are facing challenges in so many areas. As for talking about the money, we all have to talk about money to people we don't know for a ton of reasons, rental applications, mortgage applications, assistance applications for utilities or food if that applies, medical care, and more. It's not comfortable, but it is what it is. Most shelters are respectful and handle that information confidentially--hopefully without judgement and in the spirit of help. There may be resources we can find that they don't know about, but some will require qualifying." - Penny Leisch
• "If you are struggling with your legal department with the contract you must sign for GoodPup, just let the GoodPup rep know. They have options!" - Amanda Earl
• "It may not be much, but I wonder if you can roll that "donation for sign up" back into the adopter's scholarship?" - April King
• "Yes, you absolutely can! Feel free to email shelters@goodpup.com for more info" - Jennie Clutterbuck
• "Fear Free Shelters has really helped our staff and volunteers." - Alexsey Dobberstine
• "Training is also post adoption support. 🙂" - Rachel Williams
• "What are the shelters doing to counsel people about matching the dogs to the lifestyle before they select a dog? A lot of mismatches can be avoided, but I've been in shelters that are so fixed on getting the pets out the door that there's no attention given to this topic." - Penny Leisch
• "This is something that I will actually highlight on the Sept 11th call. Hope you join us!" - Lawrence Minnis
• "@Penny Leisch Current data points to the opposite being true in animal shelters, especially if you are a Black, Indigenous, or Person of Color. A recent survey by HABRI showed that 1 in 5 Black pet parent respondents reported having a negative experience at an animal shelter/rescue. 28% pet parents of color state they have a harder time adopting pets from shelter organizations. And yes, people do have to talk about money in other situations, which I think is even more reason for our industry to build trust and make services as low barrier as possible. Here is a link to the study https://habri.org/DEI" - Allison Cardona
• "We ask questions about deal-breakers and must-haves. For example, excessive barking might be a deal-breaker because they live in an apartment, and a must-have is social with other dogs. This allows us to steer them away from the beagle who was surrendered because of excessive barking and guide them to a dog we know is dog friendly. I think it helps to be able to tie it back to information they provided! We also offer slumber parties, which are like trial adoptions, and this helps make good matches as well." - Jessie Sullivan
• "I have worked with several social service organizations and people have to qualify. It's never been a problem. They want help and are very appreciative. No one has had a problem when it's handled very quietly and professionally. But I do understand your point too." - Penny Leisch
• "The Community Initiatives Team is the most amazing team I have ever worked with!! AMAZING!!" - Amanda Earl
• "Thank you for all of the wonderful resources and information." - Elizabeth Iannelli
• "Bringing access to behavior is so important. Thank you Shonyae for this amazing presentation. <3" - Nadia Oseguera
• "Absolutely amazing presentation! Thank you so much!!" - mary Flores
• "Love hearing from people doing the work. Awesome job, Shonyae!" - Allison Cardona
• "Thank you Shonyae, this was so helpful!" - Jennie Clutterbuck
• "I am here for the first time from Much Love Animal Rescue in Los Angeles. This is an amazing forum for information and resources that we will definitely utilize for our fosters and adopters. Looking forward to finding out more and more." - Karen Gaspin
• "Thank you Shonyae- fantastic snapshot of all you do to help keep pets in homes! And thank you for sharing how your organization uses GoodPup! Thank you for these conversations, Maddie's!" - Suzanne D'Alonzo
• "Thank you everyone!! Keep doing good work and keeping those pets IN THEIR HOMES, ALL HOMES <3 !" - Shonyae Johnson

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Charlotte Otero
Community Strategist at Maddie's Fund
she/her
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I found this video  very interesting.    We live in a very rural area -  we struggle  with programs in the area to help keep pets in their homes.   SNIP will give food, put up fences, provide basic training tips, etc.    Watch the pets if families have emergency and can't take the pets.    We do everything possible to keep that pet in their home.