
Partnership not PunishmentÂ
Partnership not Punishment How Moratoriums and Bans on neighborhood breeders endangers community-based sheltering We acknowledge that caring for companion animals within shelters is exhausting, frustrating,
CARE CENTERS: Supporting Proximate Leaders who in turn support their communities. Take a minute to hear their stories.
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.
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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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.
The communities we support need your help more than ever. Please give what you can now, we need you.
Yesterday CARE hosted the “Centering Lived Experience in Colorado Pet-Inclusive Housing” community forum. CARE’s research partners, Annie and Millie’s Place, Denver Animal Shelter, Foothills Animal Shelter, Human-Animal Bond in Colorado, and Safehouse Progressive Alliance for Nonviolence shared findings from our lived experience interviews and affordable housing assessment, then engaged in a thoughtful discussion around community-led solutions and priorities. This participatory research initiative brings together community leaders, advocates, and researchers across Colorado who all share one goal: creating housing systems where people and pets can stay together.
A special thank you to the entire research team, including: Jada Ford, Cliff Cullen, Kristen Baltrum, Kyra Munz, Andy Lawless, Aidan McMorrow, Nikki Samolovitch, Gehena Girish, Lydia Soto-Rodriguez, Maya Armstrong, Avery Ray, Sarah Mylan, Yanina White, Amber Acuna, Diana Beltran, Celeste Morales, Sloane Hawes, and Shelby McDonald.
This work would not be possible without the generous support of Susan Lea Riggs, ASPCA, and PetSmart Charities.
#cbpr #humananimalbond #sdoh #petinclusivehousing
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Joy is watching 2 CARE Center partners, @underdogsk9training and @loving_paws_inc, support each other! Dog grooming, free Veterinary services, partnered with Dog Training!
WRAP AROUND CARE!
#thankstomaddie #carecenterpartners #afterthegathering #sameteam #losangeles
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In 2022, CARE sought out to hold the first, equity focused, gathering for people of color and those that support BIPOC communities in the human and animal wellbeing work they do. It was incredibly important to ensure they were paid, shared the same spaces, and felt safe to actively listen to each other and learn from one another. We prioritized hiring as many BIPOC vendors, including hiring the amazing @britneyelayne and @feliciadwilliams We wanted it to be nothing like the typical conferences.
People said:
“I came here for work, I didn’t know I was coming here for myself.”
In 2023, an attendee said: “I’m not even sure I can put into words what these last 4 days have been for me while attending CARE’s The Gathering. I’ve been in the animal well-being space for 15 years. Never… and I mean not even a little bit… NEVER… has it been inclusive for brown and black people. NEVER have we been seen, heard, and appreciated for our community’s contributions in this space.”
In 2024: “It was awesome. I have only attended 3, all with CARE. This one was seemingly more intimate. The energy was different and it felt like everyone, guests and participants were more connected/engaged.”
In 2026: “When I attended my first Gathering in 2022, the word I left with was healing. This year, the word I’m leaving with is invigorating.”
Putting together another conference during one of the most challenging times, was absolutely necessary. We did things a little different and kept some of the same. We shared lessons of love.
Thank you to @maddiesfund for continuously supporting our mission and our community. The Gathering would not be possible without you. And Thank you to @petsmartcharities for sponsoring the most fun part of the day… Are You Pet Smart? Thanks to @foundanimals for sharing Free books with all our attendees for the 2nd year in a row! And thank you to @avmavets (American Veterinary Medical Association), @emancipet and @providence_ac for sponsorship and support.
Thank you Ramona Griffin for reminding us “Change doesn’t happen in Silence”
The Gathering 5 is already in the works. #Gamechanger #CAREgivers #thankstomaddie
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CARE has an amazing extended family of volunteers and future volunteers, where we are helping to send more compassionate young people into the human and or animal wellbeing world. (One is entering the world as we type this!)
Slide 1: Congrats to the High School grads, Sean and Shane! And congrats to Mikki!
Slide 2: Congrats to the Pre-School Grad, Crew! And congrats to Sloane!
Slide 3: Congrats to the High School Grad Lila! And to James and Jen!
And congrats to all the other graduates and those parents that have supported their growth and development!
#graduates #2026graduate🎓
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We can’t always make the travel but we are going to make sure they are seen!
@awanook and Diana… see you Monday!
#caresgathering #humanandanimalwellbeing
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