COMMUNITY ANIMAL CARE [CAC]
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 will deliver critical resources to community members led by Proximate Leaders.
In particular, Access to Care and Prevention, Pet Behavioral Training, Pet Resources, Compliance Awareness, Lost and Found Pets,
and Involuntary Surrender Prevention.
Our Method For Change
Allison Cardona | UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine,
Koret Shelter Medicine Program
Access to Preventive CARE is an essential tool for marginalized communities who contend with barriers that – cannot – be solved with Access to Care funding
Aside from physical wellness, CAC will focus heavily on keeping pets at home. To that end, the division’s In-Reach Team will ensure communities of focus are aware of local ordinances to thwart seizures and fines, connected with local and online pet behaviorists, and supplied with disaster relief guides and resources.Something to keep in mind:
The lack of veterinarians in the U.S. keeps demand for their services high, well out of reach for those who need them most. More than 135 Million Dogs and Cats live with people throughout the U.S. Still, less than 60 Thousand small animal veterinarians exist, equaling 1 veterinarian per every 2,200 pets. That equation does not account for pet birds, reptiles, and other companion pets. Even in the best scenario where veterinary care was more affordable, pets would continue to suffer, particularly those living within marginalized BIPOC communities, due to veterinarian shortages.
More about CAC
The communities we love and partner with are dramatically and willfully underserved, compelling CARE to create a comprehensive safety net, Community Animal Care [CAC]. CARE Center Proximate Leaders regularly do fantastic work for their communities. But, because they live in underserved communities, they often face insurmountable odds. CAC provides an opportunity for Proximate Leaders and communities to have a Human and Animal Well-Being support system capable of saving municipal dollars and relieving suffering for both people and animals.
Aside from physical wellness, CAC will focus heavily on keeping pets at home.
To that end, the division’s In-Reach Team will ensure communities of focus are aware of local ordinances to thwart seizures and fines, connected with local and online pet behaviorists, and supplied with disaster relief guides and resources. The In-Reach team will promote and support community-based fostering programs, adoption events, and re-homing.
Please note, CAC is currently in a pilot phase.
Direct CARE Fund
- Bring awareness to Direct CARE Funding
- Local Fundraisers for Direct CARE
- Partner with local Vets and Vet Techs to deliver
Preventive Care and, when possible, affordable vet care.
Access to Preventive CARE & Emergent CARE
Using our Pet Census data, CARE’s In-Reach
and the veterinary team will provide the following
Preventive CARE resources:
- Accessible Community-centered events
- Accessible Resources & Materials
- Free Online video resources
- National Social Media Community for FAQ Pet Questions
Environmental Justice & Policy
Black, Indigenous, and People of Color [BIPOC] and their pets
are on the front-lines of Global Climate Change, Air Pollution,
and Rising Sea Levels. Millions are paying a price for policies
they have little control over. To that end, CARE is deploying
Environmental Justice and Policy strategies to support our
communities of focus.
In partnership with Proximate Leaders, the team will review and
analyze local ordinances, statutes, regulations, and policies that
could harm or benefit the community residents. When possible,
grassroots techniques will be used to encourage self-advocacy.
Emergency Response [Volunteer-Based]
- Volunteers connect with local pet parents and Proximate
Leaders using Community Pet Census Data. - Volunteers collect and manage emergency supplies in
partnership with other local resource centers in Partnership
with Proximate Leaders. - In partnership with local, state, regional, and national
Emergency Response teams [Police/Fire/Community Service
Agencies/Proximate Leaders], volunteers stay abreast
of pending weather emergencies - Using a CAC App [to be designed], Emergency Response
volunteers can send EMTs, FEMA, or others to specific
addresses with permission from pet parents. - Ahead of any natural disaster, volunteers will
deliver emergency supplies.
Fostering Assistance Network [FAN]
Foster Assistance Network (FAN) is an incentive foster program to lower the burden on foster families. FAN has the potential to provide much-needed relief to shelters and provide advice to fosters and pet parents, including behavioral training resources, affordable supplies, and low-cost veterinary partnerships
The network would assist in local re-homing and promoting adoption, fostering, and temporary fostering for people facing emergent housing challenges for their pets (domestic violence, natural disasters, etc.)
IN-Reach
- Community Needs Assessment
- Pet Census
- Community Liaison
- Resource Distribution and Guidance
- Community Pet Advocacy
- Compliance Awareness
- Partner with resource centers to store
food and pet medical supplies - Community-centered dog training: (including prison
programs) Partner with local pet behavior experts to
deliver low-cost free training advice to community
members, such as tips on preventing dog bites and
dog-on-dog attacks, free training resources via video
demonstration
Community Compliance Program
- Using In-Reach and Pet census data, make all
efforts to become a trusted Partner with pet parents - Inform pet parents of local ordinances
and assist with compliance - Work to remove out-of-date and unnecessarily punitive
code provisions that disproportionately harm BIPOC
communities and their pets
Identify Proximate Leaders
Engage and encourage potential CARE Center Leaders
If applicable, mentor/support proximate leaders
Event Hosting and Coordination
Host or Co-Host quarterly events with other community
partners. Attend and, if applicable, sponsor community events
