“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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May 31

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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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May 28

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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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May 10

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SPECIAL FEATURE

Love Note Wall sponsored by Emancipet.

Leave a love note or take a note. This year we are creating a wall made of anonymous notes of encouragement or inspiration. Each attendee can write whatever they like. It will be used at the backdrop during the conference.

Each speaker will be asked to take a note from the wall and read it before they begin.

If a note resonates with you, or you think someone would benefit from it, take it with you.

#strongertogether #loveisthereason #loveisaverb #caresgathering #gatheringlovenotes …

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May 8

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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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May 7

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Thank you to our sponsor Michelson Found Animals for supporting our Free Library at The Gathering. Each year we give books away for people to learn and pass along.

1. The New Jim Crow, by Michelle Alexander
2. I’m Tired of Racism: True Stories of Existing While Black, by Sharon Hurley Hall @shurleyhall
3. Black in Latin America, by Henry Louis Gates
4. When Can We Go Back to America?, bySusan Kamei

#thankstomaddie #CAREgathering2026 #humanandanimalwellbeing …

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Together We're Making an Impact

OUR MISSION

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