Social workers are increasingly employed in animal welfare settings to address the human needs that emerge alongside relationships with and care of animals. Until now, no comprehensive guidelines existed to inform practice in these contexts. To fill this gap, the Social Work in Animal Welfare (SWAW) Guidelines were developed through an 18-month participatory action research (PAR) process with 25 social workers from across the United States and Canada. Using collaboration and consensus building, participants created guidelines that outline emerging best practices at micro (individual and small group), mezzo (organizational), and macro (community and policy) levels. Focus areas include client-centered and trauma-informed support for human–animal families, expanding access to veterinary and pet-related care, promoting staff well-being, advancing equity in service delivery, and fostering community and policy advocacy. Grounded in the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Code of Ethics, the guidelines provide a foundational framework for ethical, sustainable, and effective integration of social work in animal welfare, with overarching goals of expanding access to resources and care for people and their animals, strengthening staff well-being and resilience, enhancing organizational sustainability, and supporting community and environmental health.
Date: Tuesday, November 18, 2025Time: 12:00 to 12:30 PM PST, 3:00 to 3:30 PM ET
Join us for a 30-minute panel discussion introducing the Social Work Guidelines in Animal Welfare Settings, a groundbreaking new resource created by and for social workers working in animal welfare organizations across North America.
Whether your organization already employs a social worker, you are exploring how social work can enhance your mission, or you are simply curious about how social work skills fit into animal welfare, this panel conversation is for you.
Developed through a year-long participatory action research project funded by the ASPCA, the Guidelines provide a roadmap for social work practice in animal welfare settings at the individual, organization, and community/policy levels.
Discussion topics include:
Bring your lunch and your curiosity. This will be an engaging, real-world conversation about advancing both ends of the leash.
Panelists and Guidelines Co-Authors:@Kayla Anderson, Veterinary Social Worker, The Program for Pet Health Equity@Kelly Bremken, Veterinary Social Worker, Oregon Humane SocietyLaurie Maxwell, Director of Veterinary Social Work, MedVet@Augusta O'Reilly, President, International Veterinary Social Work AssociationAlexis Telfair-Garcia, Director of Social Work Program Development, Austin Pets Alive!
Facilitator:@Janet Hoy-Gerlach, PhD, LCSW, LISW-S, Director of Veterinary Social Work, Open Door Veterinary Collective
Register here: https://maddies.fund/DoorsWideOpenWebcastSeriesRegister
Program for Pet Health EquityCenter for Behavioral Health ResearchUniversity of Tennessee600 Henley Street, Suite 221Knoxville, TN 37996
Phone: (865) 315-7729Email: ppheweb@utk.edu
Maddie's Fund6150 Stoneridge Mall Road, Suite 125Pleasanton, CA 94588
Phone: (925) 310-5450Email: forumhelp@maddiesfund.org
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