Animal Welfare Professionals

 View Only

  • 1.  "Community is the New Kennel" - Pet Support with People at the Center! Join us May 20th 12-12:30pm Pacific Time

    Posted 04-23-2025 02:32 PM

    Updated June 2, 2025 at 4pm PT: Recording now available!

    Hi all,

    It was back in the early '90s, when I lived near the City of Cleveland Kennel, that I first heard the name Becca Britton.  Even back then, she was already stepping up as a community leader!  She collaboratively organized a grassroots Citizens Group for the Cleveland Kennel to support the animals and staff, improve kennel conditions, and strengthen community ties!

    Fast forward to 2025!  Becca is still collaboratively leading and innovating with that same heart and vision; she's now  Executive Director of Neighborhood Pets Outreach & Resource Center.  Neighborhood Pets is a unique, membership-based nonprofit located centrally in the City of Cleveland, and built and maintained through collaboration between local leaders (with deep, lived experience with the strengths, culture, and and challenges of their community), community development corporations, elected neighborhood council members, and others committed to the well-being of animals, people, and communities in the City of Cleveland!

    Neighborhood Pets functions like a community hub and resource center.  While affordable veterinary services, pet food and supplies are offered at Neighborhood Pets, they have also made strong partnerships with human services such as  healthcare, legal aid, and emergency support.   Their model truly redefines what community-driven, wholistic pet family support can look like!

    I wish each of you could have joined Geraldine D'Silva and me as we took a road trip to visit Neighborhood Pets to learn more!   It was almost like a block party; music was playing, and people were smiling and talking with each other both inside and outside the building; it was not immediately to me distinguishable who was staff and who was not.  There were pictures of people and their pets covering the walls of the lobby area!

    Fortunately, we can offer you the next best thing!! Join me and Geraldine on May 20th from 12pm to 12:30pm as we learn from Becca how this collaborative community hub came to be, and strategies for community-specific replication!!

    Sign up here: https://maddiesfund-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_1QXhCo6QRRSKBYInJ_Ki0Q#/registration

    Come and be inspired!! 

    #ThankstoMaddies

    #AccesstoCare
    #CommunityPartnerships*
    #PetSupportServices*

    ------------------------------
    Janet Hoy-Gerlach
    Director of Veterinary Social Work
    Open Door Veterinary Collective
    OH
    ------------------------------



  • 2.  RE: "Community is the New Kennel" - Pet Support with People at the Center! Join us May 20th 12-12:30pm Pacific Time

    Posted 04-24-2025 09:55 AM

    Here is an example of a Neighborhood Pets-human services partnership with the Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging  and other community partners: the Pet Assistance Linking Support (PALS)! 

    PALS is a new pilot program that offers volunteer help for seniors with pet care tasks, such as walking a dog, emptying a litter box for a cat, or other routine care activities.  As with most new pilot programs, learning as one goes is an integral part of the process; initially  - despite this type of pet assistance being a need identified by the community - the update of the offered pet care help by older adults in the community was slow.  With community-advised adjustments, PALS is now starting to be regularly utilized!   

    Read more about this innovative way to keep older adults and pets together here: https://www.benrose.org/news/benjamin-rose-introduces-pals/



    ------------------------------
    Janet Hoy-Gerlach
    Director of Veterinary Social Work
    Open Door Veterinary Collective
    OH
    ------------------------------



  • 3.  RE: "Community is the New Kennel" - Pet Support with People at the Center! Join us May 20th 12-12:30pm Pacific Time

    Posted 05-20-2025 01:22 PM

    I just saw this post but am very interested in how Becca was able to start this collaborative community hub (it's everything that PALS of PAWS hopes to be!). Is there any chance that the recording was updated or Becca may have 'office hours'? 



    ------------------------------
    Alycia Norton
    President
    PALS of PAWS in Saginaw County
    MI
    ------------------------------



  • 4.  RE: "Community is the New Kennel" - Pet Support with People at the Center! Join us May 20th 12-12:30pm Pacific Time

    Posted 05-21-2025 07:51 AM

    Hi Alycia! I am happy to set up a call to answer any questions you may have. Feel free to email me: director@neighborhoodpetscle.org!

    Becca



    ------------------------------
    Becca Britton
    Executive director
    Neighborhood pets
    OH
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 5.  RE: "Community is the New Kennel" - Pet Support with People at the Center! Join us May 20th 12-12:30pm Pacific Time

    Posted 05-21-2025 02:45 PM

    @director@neighborhoodpetscle.org Here are some additional questions from yesterday's Lunch 'n Learn for you: 

    1. How do people qualify for your program and how do we do this in a way that doesn't set up more barriers?
    2.  Are you able to share or inform us of what is on the referral form for case workers?
    3.  How many staff? 
    4. How many daily volunteers do you rely on? 
    5. How is this funded?

    Thank you!



    ------------------------------
    [Geraldine] [D'Silva]
    [Maddie's National Director of Programs & Partnerships]
    [Open Door Veterinary Collective]
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 6.  RE: "Community is the New Kennel" - Pet Support with People at the Center! Join us May 20th 12-12:30pm Pacific Time

    Posted 05-22-2025 08:19 AM

    1. Pet owners can qualify by letting us know what government assistance they receive, and if not - what their annual income is. As long as it falls under 150% of the poverty level, they qualify. We do NOT require proof of income, we take their word for it.  This step was intentional, as to not create more barriers.

    2. We are not using a referral form for case workers at this time. 

    3. Staff: 5 full time, 4 part time

    4. We rely on 1-2 volunteers per day; 7-10 volunteers for community events

    5. Our funding consists of grants, donations and program service revenue. 

    Any other questions, feel free to email me: director@neighborhoodpetscle.org 



    ------------------------------
    Becca Britton
    Executive director
    Neighborhood pets
    OH
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


Related Content