Animal Welfare Professionals

Short Talk: Homelessness 101 for Animal Welfare Professionals. Promoting Understanding for Trauma-Informed Responses.

Co-Sheltering Conference 2023

Day 1 - March 21, 2023

Speaker: Heidi Marston, Director, Pet Placement, PetSmart Charities

Moderator: Allison Cardona, CA State Director, UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program

There is no question that the power of the human-animal bond can be transformative. Often times its impact is amplified when an individual has recently (or is actively) experiencing trauma, people experiencing homelessness are no exception. That’s why it’s imperative to design programs and interventions to support people and their pets as a part of the family unit.

This session will provide a broad landscape of the homelessness crisis as well as foundational models & best practices that can be applied across animal welfare. Attendees will come away with concrete tools and action steps for supporting vulnerable and at-risk people through the lens of the human/animal bond. The best way to support pets is to care for the people who love them.

#AccesstoCare
#CommunityPartnerships*
#Diversity,Equity,InclusionandJustice
#OrganizationalManagement
#PeopleManagement(includingVolunteerIntegration)