2024 Open Arms Challenge

Barrier Busting Basics for Busy Animal Shelters via Human Animal Support Services (HASS)

“Get rid of barriers” is one of the most commonly uttered phrases in animal welfare and for good reason. 

Barriers get in the way of us helping pets and people, and they prevent us from truly engaging our whole communities. Barriers are, by their nature, discriminatory. They disproportionately impact poor people and other marginalized groups. 

They also stop adoptions and foster placements. And in doing so, they slow down the entire system. Animals don’t move quickly through the shelter system, and that leaves less space for incoming cats, dogs, and other pets. 

How do these obstacles show up and what can we do about it? These are the questions American Pets Alive! will tackle in this blog.