Topic: Exploring Pet Inclusive Transportation Options to Increase Access to Veterinary Care
Pet-friendly or pet-inclusive transportation is a recurring barrier identified by public-facing staff and volunteers across the human and animal welfare sectors. Families who struggle to find pet-friendly transportation are directly affected in their ability to access care for their animals. By highlighting these barriers and some solutions, we aim to expand the conversation to help increase access to veterinary care for bonded pet families in need.
Guest Speakers:
Gayle Bair is the Pet Retention Liaison at Animal Friends in Pittsburgh, Pa. Gayle holds a BA in Social Science, MS in Education, and Graduate Certificate in Shelter Medicine. The heart of her work is preserving the human animal bond. Gayle is also a Certified Professional Dog Trainer and enjoys leading group classes at Animal Friends and Chautauqua Institution in NY. She shares life with her husband and three big, beautiful rescues.
Marty Sampson is the Founder and CEO of Leash, a pet-only transportation platform that connects pet owners with professional, vetted pet drivers in their local areas. Leash makes it easy for pet owners to get their pets to and from daily appointments at pet resorts, daycares, groomers, and veterinary clinics. By partnering directly with pet care businesses, Leash enables these businesses to offer seamless pick-up and drop-off services without the need to invest in vehicles or additional staff.
Before launching Leash, Marty led the large-project business unit at Lindsay Corporation (NYSE:LNN) a global leader in agricultural irrigation technology. Earlier in his career, he served as a Peace Corps volunteer, building water systems for rural communities in the Dominican Republic, and later led reforestation efforts at Gorongosa National Park in Mozambique.
Marty holds a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from Marquette University and a Master’s in Environmental Management from Harvard University. He is the proud parent of two girls, a lifelong lover of rescue dogs, and enjoys spending time on his family farm.
Sarah McGoldrick, got her start with Dallas Pets Alive! when she adopted her first pup, Harper, from DPA in 2017. Ensuring her husband stayed true to his promise of getting a dog when they moved to Texas, she found the perfect pup within 6 weeks of moving. One more DPA adoption, Theo, and a couple of years later, Sarah started volunteering with DPA on the Positive Alternatives to Shelter Surrender (PASS) program. Like many people, the pandemic gave Sarah a lot of free time to become a full time volunteer. After several months of helping the community and fosters, the decision was made to leave the hotel industry permanently and move into animal welfare full time. She started working for Spay Neuter Network, focusing on a project building a case management program and engaging with community partners. In 2022, Sarah transitioned to her role as Vice President of Animal Operations at Dallas Pets Alive.
About Community Conversations:
Maddie’s Fund hosts a weekly hour-long Zoom call for animal well-being professionals. These calls are a collaborative space to share exciting new programs and research, discuss uncomfortable topics, connect with peers in the industry, and more, all while sharing a common goal of preserving the human-animal bond.
This call, recurring each Monday unless otherwise posted, is for executive directors, animal well-being leaders, shelter workers, pet support professionals, volunteers, and rescue organizations.
The registration link is: https://maddies.fund/CommunityConvoRegistration2024
All calls are recorded and uploaded to the Community Conversations page on Maddie’s Pet Forum https://forum.maddiesfund.org/communityconversations
Win Ca$h for Attending!
Each month, Maddie's Fund will be giving away up to $5,000 in grants. You can enter to win each time you attend a call or watch on-demand during the month by completing the giveaway drawing entry forms shared in the chat during the calls.
Please note: All views expressed on these calls are not necessarily endorsed by Maddie’s Fund.
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