Simple and easy ways to make sure our beloved critters are looked after in event of an accident. This should go right along with including them in our end-of-life planning.
Original Message:
Sent: 05-16-2025 08:51 AM
From: T' Fisher
Subject: Ask About Pets!: An Ethical Call to Action - free webinar for social workers (1.5 ethics CEUs), human service providers, and anyone else who'd like to learn more!
@Lynne Cassone, the BETTER CITIES FOR PETS™ program created such a card. I have attached their version for your review.
Here is a link to similar resources they provide.
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T' Fisher, Director of Operations
Program for Pet Health Equity
Original Message:
Sent: 05-16-2025 07:58 AM
From: Lynne Cassone
Subject: Ask About Pets!: An Ethical Call to Action - free webinar for social workers (1.5 ethics CEUs), human service providers, and anyone else who'd like to learn more!
I wonder if we could start an initiative for pet owners to carry a card that would inform healthcare providers that there were animals at home that would need care in the event of incapacitation or death. I know I would carry one...
We could also develop a code to put on a medical ID bracelet for people who have conditions rendering them more likely to suffer from incapacitation.
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Lynne Cassone
Veterinary pathologist
UKVDL
KY
Original Message:
Sent: 05-15-2025 05:31 AM
From: Rachel Ide
Subject: Ask About Pets!: An Ethical Call to Action - free webinar for social workers (1.5 ethics CEUs), human service providers, and anyone else who'd like to learn more!
Genuinely could NOT have done it without the contacts at University of Tennessee College of Social Work! Big, BIG shoutout to @Candice Hinkle for everything she and her team (Program for Pet Health Equity) has done to help us.
I was finding that we were receiving quite a few calls from neighbors or friends advising someone had been hospitalized and no one caring for the animal. Unfortunately, often we didn't know a name or a hospital to verify which leads to legal issues to try and enter a premises. In my old jurisdiction I knew hospitals would call us if someone had pets at home and needed hospitalization so it was my goal to make that a known process here.
I had started out just trying cold phone calls, reaching out to hospital social work departments and was not getting the traction I was hoping for. Without the direct contacts that UT was able to put me with I'm not sure when it would have gotten off the ground; probably a few visits to establish who I was, what I was looking for, and why it was important. Otherwise when I was able to meet with everyone I provided a link to the Open Door Veterinary Collective along with a document on how to contact us and why it was so important. Of course not only does it help those retrieving treatment ease their mind, but also without an owner or hospital contacting Animal Services it could be up to three days before we can get legal permission to enter a premises and remove an animal for its safety. That can be quite risky. So happy to see now we receive calls from hospitals, social workers, and have even seen internal documents circulating that we are a resource that exists in their community. Animal Services offers 10 days minimum of protective custody and a team that reaches out to the owner to try and make arrangements in that time frame. We also offer animal haven boarding up to 30 days when other stipulations are met to help those who need more time. Now that these services are known, we can better serve our community - pets and people.
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Rachel Ide
Animal Services Director
Young-Williams Animal Center
TN
Original Message:
Sent: 05-14-2025 02:57 PM
From: Janet Hoy-Gerlach
Subject: Ask About Pets!: An Ethical Call to Action - free webinar for social workers (1.5 ethics CEUs), human service providers, and anyone else who'd like to learn more!
Wow Rachel, you made my day! That is incredible that you did all the outreach, and with such success!!!
👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
I'd love to hear more about your approach; who you contacted, what you said. And thank you for your kind words, I'm glad for the impact I had, but you are the one who put this into action in your community!! Fantastic work!!! ☺️🐾
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Janet Hoy-Gerlach
Director of Veterinary Social Work
Open Door Veterinary Collective
OH
Original Message:
Sent: 05-12-2025 04:56 AM
From: Rachel Ide
Subject: Ask About Pets!: An Ethical Call to Action - free webinar for social workers (1.5 ethics CEUs), human service providers, and anyone else who'd like to learn more!
So happy to see you here! You're the inspiration that had me reach out to every hospital in the area to make sure that anyone hospitalized knew how to reach out to animal services if they have animals. It's been such a brilliant collaboration so far.
Thank you for everything you do.
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Rachel Ide
Animal Services Director
Young-Williams Animal Center
TN
Original Message:
Sent: 05-09-2025 02:31 PM
From: Janet Hoy-Gerlach
Subject: Ask About Pets!: An Ethical Call to Action - free webinar for social workers (1.5 ethics CEUs), human service providers, and anyone else who'd like to learn more!
Hello all,
My name is Janet Hoy-Gerlach; I'm a licensed clinical social worker in two states. Human service systems have a lot to learn from animal welfare systems about One Health, and animal welfare is are doing so much better than human welfare at human/animal support provision and One Health service delivery. Despite 71% of US households reporting having at least one pet - and most of these indicating pets are family - asking about pets in human health/mental healthcare and social services widely remains the exception rather than the rule. Systematically ignoring people's relationships with their pets in service delivery isn't trauma-informed, and in crisis situations when forced separation from pets occurs, it's often traumatizing.
I am asking for your help in mainstreaming pet-inclusive human health/mental health care and social services!
I know just about everyone who reads this forum is incredibly busy, but please consider whether you could do one or more of below (and thank you for considering!!!).
*Join and/or share an upcoming FREE live webinar (Zoom) - Ask About Pets!: An Ethical Call to Action - offering FREE 1.5 social work ethics CEUS! This webinar is being held through a partnership between Open Door Veterinary Collective and the International Association of Veterinary Social Workers, #ThanksToMaddie
Choose from two dates:
🗓️Thursday, May 22, 2025 | 5:00–6:30
PM EST https://lnkd.in/eQYrvEbZ
🗓️Sunday, June 29, 2025 | 9:00–10:30
AM EST https://lnkd.in/enPXfDSj
*Check out, list on, and share PetHelpFinder.org (a
211 partner) for pet-related help resources
*Stay in the loop with the Ask About Pets!
campaign: https://lnkd.in/erQ9bCDi
Please consider sharing this free webinar training widely, especially among human health/mental healthcare and social service folks!!
👥🐾 Together, we can make asking about pets - a One Health and truly trauma-informed approach - the norm rather than the exception in human health/mental healthcare and social services!
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Janet Hoy-Gerlach
Director of Veterinary Social Work
Open Door Veterinary Collective
OH
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