“Minorities in general and Afro-Americans in particular are still virtually invisible in all aspects of organized animal protection.”

~ Society and Animals 13(2):153-162

HAW.ACADEMY

A new home for your REDI coursework.

Never stop learning, because nothing is more dangerous than ignorance.

Together We're Making an Impact

Pets & People Fed

Vet Care Provided

Support & Grants

Scholarships

REDI Learners

Research Studies

OUR MISSION

Companions and Animals for Reform and Equity (CARE), in the interest of Human and Animal Well-Being, prioritizes and amplifies BIPOC and other Marginalized Voices using Narratives, Research, and Community-Centered Investments.

Our Method For Change

3%

A three percent increase in adoptions among people of color would give 3.2 MILLION pets a loving home.

97% of Animal Welfare holds an implicit bias against individuals from low socioeconomic status, and over 65% hold implicit bias toward Latin X and African Americans.

The work we do at CARE, Human and Animal Well-Being, addresses the bias within Animal Welfare in service to the field and marginalized people and their pets.

HUMAN AND ANIMAL WELL-BEING [HAW] is a unique, six stage, method of community support and advocacy that centers the well-being of people, in contrast to Animal Welfare’s traditional animal only focus. Few organizations work in the same way as CARE. As illustrated below, we start with building trust with community members before attempting to implement programming.

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Our work begins with establishing trusting relationships within marginalized and underserved communities.
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We ask those closest to community challenges for their insights by way of Community Participatory Research [CPR]
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Insights gains from CPR and other studies guide CARE’s program design, partnerships, and resource distribution.
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Community Animal CARE is a shelter intervention program that supports communities with pets and their Proximate Leaders.
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Everything we learn from our community partners and research studies is hosted and shared through The Circle of Learning and Leadership.
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People of Color and marginalized communities suffer from negative stereotypes. Our Narratives tell a truer and more beautiful story about them.
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Our programs and their missions

COMMUNITY ANIMAL CARE

Community Wisdom Amplified

Community Animal CARE [CAC] is an innovative Public Health centered program designed to prevent and solve persistent challenges to Human and Animal Well-Being. CAC delivers critical resources to community members led by our CARE Center Partners and Proximate Leaders. In particular, Access to Care and Prevention, Pet Behavioral Training, Pet Resources, Compliance Awareness, Lost and Found Pets, and Involuntary Surrender Prevention.

THE CIRCLE OF LEARNING AND LEADERSHIP

Informed people make better choices.

The Circle of Learning and Leadership is a unique BIPOC-led educational experience with an ecosystem centered on Racial Equity, Community Wisdom, and Access to Preventive Care. Our goal is to bridge the information gap between traditional Animal Welfare and marginalized communities.

NARRATIVES

Hear My Story. See My Heart.

Stories shape our vision of the world and often frame our perceptions and biases. For this reason, CARE is producing and sharing stories that celebrate the diversity within human and animal well-being.

SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR GIVERS CIRCLE

COLLABORATORS

You don't have to imagine a tapestry of beauty stories … follow us on Instagram.

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Apr 26

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⚡ Energy bills are climbing, but it’s not just about how much electricity people use.

Across the country, households are paying more each month while utility companies are holding onto a larger share of those payments as profit

💡 The impact isn’t felt evenly. In many Southern states, where large Black populations already face higher energy burdens, families are spending a bigger portion of their income just to keep the lights on.

At the same time, growing demand from industries like data centers is driving new energy projects and raising concerns that future costs could continue to fall on everyday residents.

📖 Source: Capital B News @capitalbnews
🔗 Read the full story at the link in our bio:

#CARENews #CAREequity …

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Apr 22

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After a full day of learning and connection, we’re coming together for a night to celebrate.

🎭 Join us for our Black and White Carnival: an evening filled with dinner, dancing, and a chance to win big! Take your shot at carnival games, win some fun prizes, and enjoy time with the community in a different kind of setting. Thanks for AVMA for sponsoring the Carnival.

🖤 Dress Code: Black and White
Come dressed in your best black or white looks and be part of a night designed for us to unwind and connect.

Extra Special Thanks to Maddie`s Fund for supporting The Gathering.

#thankstomaddie #thegathering4 #caregathering #humananimalwellbeing …

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Apr 22

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Class is in Session… in 3 weeks!
Monday night we will meet up for Happy Hour! Check out the agenda for Tuesday and Wednesday. Tickets are still available.

Special Thanks to our Main Event Sponsor, Maddie`s Fund! They have been a constant support of innovation.

Thanks to PetSmart Charities for sponsoring our game, "Are you Pet Smart?". Thank you to our new sponsor, AVMA (American Veterinary Medical Association) for supporting our Black and White Carnival.

And thank you to Michelson Found Animals Foundation for supporting our FREE Library again which will consist of the titles: The New Jim Crow, I’m Tired of Racism: True Stories of Existing While Black, Black in Latin America, When Can We Go Back to America?

And thank you to Emancipet and Providence Animal Center, our local sponsors. See you all soon!

#thankstomaddie #caregathering2026 #humanandanimalwellbeing …

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Apr 21

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FEATURED SPEAKERS: Dr. Natasha N. Johnson and Dr. Thaddeus L. Johnson!!
 This workshop will immediately follow the Philly Backyard Breeding presentation.

Fines and fees are often framed as an accountability tool. In practice, they can operate as revenue extraction—deepening poverty, widening racial inequity, destabilizing families, and making it harder for people to keep or recover the animals they love. This session connects criminal legal fines and fees to pet policy and animal welfare systems, examines the laws and practices that worsen harm, and highlights reforms that replace punishment with support.

Dr. Natasha N. Johnson is an Assistant Professor in Augusta University’s Department of Research, Counseling & Curriculum. A career educator since 2001, she brings more than two decades of K–20 experience as a teacher, guidance counselor, assistant dean, instructional leader, and curriculum developer in the United States and abroad. Her scholarship centers on critical theory, equity, and social justice leadership, with additional interests in intersectionality, educational law, policy, governance, and curriculum development. Dr. Johnson is a David L. Clark Scholar, CETLOE Faculty Teaching Fellow, IGI Global Scientific Publishing Ambassador, and GAWHE Leadership Fellow whose work appears in scholarly and public venues.

Dr. Thaddeus L. Johnson is an Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice and Criminology at Georgia State University’s Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, a Senior Fellow at the Council on Criminal Justice, and a board member of CARE. A former law enforcement official in Tennessee, his scholarship focuses on policing, crime control, governance, street violence, algorithmic bias, and correctional control. He is the author or co-author of numerous articles and reports, as well as the book Deviance among Physicians: Fraud, Violence, and the Power to Prescribe. His work has appeared widely in national and international media.

#thankstomaddie #CAREgathering2026 #humanandanimalwellbeing …

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Apr 20

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🐕‍🦺 Canine parvovirus is one of the most serious illnesses a dog can face. It’s highly contagious, often fatal, and spreads easily through contact with infected pets or contaminated environments like bedding, bowls, and even human hands.

Puppies, senior pets, and those with weakened immune systems are most at risk. Symptoms like lethargy, vomiting, severe diarrhea, and loss of appetite can appear quickly and worsen fast.

💚 The good news is that parvo is preventable. Vaccination, avoiding high-risk areas before full protection, and early veterinary care can save lives.

🧡 Community Animal CARE (CAC) includes sharing information so we can prevent, treat at home and know when to call a Vet. Sharing is CARING.

#sharingiscaring #thankstomaddie #communityanimalCARE #petsandpeople …

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Together We're Making an Impact

OUR MISSION

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