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Philadelphia Area Gets New CARE Center Director
Hakeem Ruiz hopes to make life better for BIPOC pet owners in Camden and the
City of Brotherly Love

(Baltimore, MD. May 31, 2022) — Companions and Animals for Reform and Equity (CARE) is a 501©3 nonprofit that addresses organizational and personal biases in animal welfare. The Baltimore-based nonprofit is pleased to announce the support of a new CARE Center in the Philadelphia area, to assist the work of Hakeem Ruiz, who is a native Philadelphian.

CARE Centers are located throughout the United States and involve no physical building. They are aimed at partnering with BIPOC communities and people like Ruiz, who are doing the work or Human and Animal Wellbeing. The mission of these centers is to support and amplify community leaders who are trying to keep people and pets together.

James Evans, founder and Chief Executive Officer of CARE, is thrilled to see the expansion of CARE’s mission into the Philadelphia area. “Equity is the outcome we seek for all communities, and we are thrilled to show our support for Hakeem and the work he has already been doing.”

Born and raised in Philadelphia, Ruiz is a community activist and has a background in social work. He spent more than three years working with at risk teens. When in high school, he was part of an award-winning group of friends that worked to make his neighborhood better by forming a nonprofit called The Block Gives Back. The group was featured on the hit television show, Queer Eye.
As director of CARE’s newest center in the Camden and Philadelphia areas, Ruiz looks forward to being able to continue to create and build connections in underserved communities. When Hakeem was a pet parent to a formerly stray dog named Gucci who recently passed, he witnessed exclusionary practices of local animal welfare nonprofits. “I’m looking forward to being able to continue to create and build connections for CARE and other organizations. I hope to make an impact in addressing needs in forgotten areas.”
The partnership also involves Ruiz working alongside the veterinary nonprofit Emancipet and The Neighborhood Center in Camden, which provides pet supplies for animal lovers in need. The new CARE Center leader will work extensively with the Ryan Animal Rescue Fund, which is the nonprofit foundation of Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Logan Ryan, who grew up in Camden. Spring Point Partners, another local Philadelphia Philanthropic organization, will also be supporting Ruiz’s work.

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Companions and Animals for Reform and Equity is a 501©3 nonprofit that addresses organizational and personal biases within animal welfare. The mission is to bring diverse voices to the industry while also advocating for a more inclusive path to pet adoption. CARE believes in using evidence-based tools, narratives, and insights to inspire organizations to be more inclusive and less biased. It is all an effort to save more companion animal lives.