Hakeem Ruiz, Director of CARE Centers Philly/Camden

Hakeem Ruiz is a 29 year old born and raised in Philadelphia. While attending Lincoln High School, Hakeem and other friends started a group called The Block. Years later that friend group went on to become a very successful non-profit called ” The Block Gives Back”. Hakeem became the Vice President and was given the task of hosting block parties, street cleaning events, and networking with the adults and youth of the community. In 2019 the group was recognized by KYW radio as a winner of the Black History Month “GameChangers” award, for the continued efforts in minority communities. 

Aside from community volunteering Hakeem formerly worked in the social work field as a Case Manager before joining the CARE team. Spending parts of 3 years working with at risk youth from ages 13-17 to earn expungement of permanent charges. Hakeem will now be the CARE Center Director of Camden/Philly. He looks forward to being able to continue to create and build connections for more organizations along with CARE and being able to assist an unaddressed need in a forgotten area. Having raised a 13 year old stray dog, Gucci, Hakeem has seen the low points of the animal care system locally and is determined to change it for the better of the community. 

Tre Law, Senior Director, CARE Centers & Community Animal CARE Liaison (Southeast Tier)

Bio: 

Tre had always been passionate about animals. Even as a child, he would spend hours observing the wildlife in his backyard. As he grew older, he realized that he wanted to make a difference in the lives of animals, and that’s when he decided to pursue a career in animal welfare.

With over 10 years of experience in the field, Tre’ has worked in various roles across different states. He started his career in Conservation Law Enforcement in Maryland, where he learned about the importance of protecting wildlife and their habitats. From there, he moved on to the Animal Control Administration in the District of Columbia, where he gained experience in managing animal control operations.

Tre’ wasn’t content with just working in one place, though. He wanted to expand his knowledge and skills, so he worked in several jurisdictions in Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, and Atlanta. He gained valuable experience in dealing with different animal welfare issues and learned how to adapt to different environments.

Despite his focus on animals, Tre always had a passion for community as well. He co-founded a program in his local Maryland rural area, similar to the Big Brother program, which helped children in need. He saw the connection between animal welfare and the well-being of people, and that’s why he was always willing to lend a helping hand to those in need.

Tre didn’t just work in animal welfare, he was also an active participant in the community. He sat as a Board Member for the National Animal Control Association, Maryland Professional Animal Workers of Maryland, and the Dorchester County Public Schools. He used his expertise to help shape policies that would benefit both animals and people.

When he heard about the opportunity to join the CARE team, Tre’ knew it was the perfect fit for him. He was honored to be able to provide his expertise and knowledge in fighting the racial inequalities in Animal well-being. For Tre’, it wasn’t just about helping animals, it was about making a difference in the lives of everyone in the community.

Akisha Townsend Eaton, Chief of Policy, Environmental Justice Division

Akisha brings over a decade of animal law and policy experience to her current role as Chief of Policy, Environmental Justice Division at CARE. Prior to joining CARE, she worked as a managing attorney for the Animal Legal Defense Fund and as legislative attorney and policy advisor at various other national and international animal protection organizations. Akisha is an AmeriCorps alumni and is currently an active contributor to the Black Appalachian Coalition (BLAC) as well as the legal redress, environmental justice, and economic development committees of her local NAACP chapter, which recently awarded her the Prince and Cora Mack Humanitarian Award. 

Akisha has contributed to numerous publications. Her most recent chapters have appeared in the Palgrave Handbook of Animal Ethics, Career Paths in Human-Animal Interaction for Social and Behavioral Scientists and People, Pets, and Policies: Towards Community Supported Animal Sheltering.  She served as a consultant editor and contributor to the Journal of Animal Ethics and associate editor for the Journal of Animal Law.  Akisha has been an instructor, guest lecturer and speaker at numerous law schools, including Georgetown, Duke, Harvard, Lewis and Clark and Tulane University’s International Legislative Drafting Institute.  Her publications have been included in the courses of international law schools.  She has presented at multiple national, state and local animal welfare conferences on recent developments in animal law and advocacy.  She is a former contributor for the Huffington Post and the Dodo and former Diversity Vice-Chair for the American Bar Association’s Animal Law Committee within the Tort, Trial, and Insurance Practice Section. She is a Fellow at the Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics.

Akisha received her law degree from Georgetown University Law Center, where she was recognized as a Law Center Scholar and her bachelor’s degree from Stanford University where she graduated with distinction.