Sloane Hawes, Chief of Research & Development

Sloane Hawes, MSW (she/her) is a scholar-activist who is deeply committed to addressing inequities in human and animal well-being by elevating the wisdom and resilience of marginalized communities. She brings nearly a decade of social work and research experience to her role as the Chief of Research and Development at CARE.

Sloane earned her Master of Social Work with a concentration in Sustainable Development and Global Practice from the University of Denver’s Graduate School of Social Work and received a Bachelor of Arts in Ethnic Studies and Psychology from the University of San Diego. She also holds certificates in Community Consensus Organizing, Animal-Assisted Social Work, and Animal Shelter Management. 

Throughout her career, Sloane has prioritized opportunities to advance social justice, health equity, and belonging in non-profit, human services, and higher education spaces. This has included volunteering with the All Nations Institute for Community Achievement in San Diego, CA, working as a first-year student housing Resident Assistant, co-leading the Social Justice Living Learning Community at USD, serving as the Vice Chair of Programming for the Panhellenic Council of USD, founding the Restorative Justice interest group at USD, and serving on the Board of Directors for Bergen Spay & Neuter Alliance in CO. Sloane is currently serving on the American Public Health Association’s Public Health Social Work leadership committee, the American Society for Prevention to Animals (ASPCA)’s Access to Veterinary Care Community of Practice’s Advisory Committee, and is the Vice Chair of the Milliken Housing Authority’s Board of Commissioners.  

Prior to joining CARE, Sloane was the Assistant Director of Research at the Institute for Human-Animal Connection, located within the University of Denver’s Graduate School of Social Work, where she led a research agenda using community-based participatory research methods to examine the intersections of animal welfare, social justice, and ecological justice issues. Sloane also has work experience in direct care and advocacy roles that include community organizing, case management for unhoused people, and supporting families in crisis at an open-admission animal shelter. 

Sloane’s research interests include mutual aid, coalition-building, One Health (Indigenous Knowledge), cultural humility, trauma-informed care, decolonization, and restorative justice. She has contributed to numerous publications. Her most recent publications have appeared in high-impact peer-reviewed journals including the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science, Frontiers in Veterinary Medicine, and the Animal Law Review. She is a sought-after public speaker and has presented at multiple national, state, and local social work, public health, and animal welfare conferences on her research. 

In her free time, Sloane enjoys reading, cooking, gardening, and interior design. She lives in Colorado with her spouse, their two children, and their English Mastiff, Penny.

Celeste Morales, Senior Director of Research and Development

Celeste Morales (she/her/ella) is a sociologist and scholar-activist committed to pursuing social justice-oriented research related to the intersections of animals, people, and communities. In particular, she is invested in utilizing community-engaged research approaches that elevate community voices and lived experiences. Celeste has been working in the human and animal well-being research space for the past three years.

Celeste completed her BA in Sociology in 2017 from the University of British Columbia, and her MA in Sociology from the University of Victoria in 2020. She soon after joined the Vancouver Humane Society as Lead Researcher, managing a qualitative research project that explored the barriers to accessing animal services experienced by marginalized groups, and the importance of trauma-informed and culturally safe practices in the animal services sector. Following this, she took on the role of Program Manager where she developed an online program and virtual training workshops to help animal service workers learn how to implement these practices in their organizations. In 2022, Celeste joined the Institute for Human-Animal Connection (IHAC) at the University of Denver as a Research Associate. There, she managed a research evaluation project in partnership with PetSmart Charities. This project focused on addressing equitable access to veterinary care considerations by utilizing community-engaged research approaches, in collaboration with 10 community-based animal well-being organizations working with marginalized and underserved communities. She is thrilled and honored to have joined the C.A.R.E team in October 2023 as their Senior Director of Research and Development.

Celeste is published in the Animals and Frontiers in Veterinary Science peer-reviewed journals, and has presented at multiple webinars and conferences including the Humane Canada Summit for Animals, the International Society for Anthrozoology Conference, and the ASPCA Access to Veterinary Care Conference.

Celeste believes deeply in the importance of the human-animal bond, which drives her passion of working to keep companions and animals together through access to equitable animal and human services and support.

Celeste is a proud Latina, and dog mom to Harvey and Harlow. In her spare time, she enjoys practicing yoga and spending time outdoors with her dogs. She currently lives and works in Vancouver, Canada which is situated on the stolen, unceded lands of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) & sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh) First Nations.

Dr. Megan Covington, Senior Director, Research and Development

Dr. Megan Covington (She/her) has over a decade of equity-focused education research experience positioned primarily in the higher education sector. Prior to joining CARE, Megan’s research interests focused on amplifying the voices of Black and other marginalized communities with specific emphasis on Black women faculty and graduate students and HBCU advocacy.

In 2021, Megan earned her PhD in Higher Education from Indiana University. Shortly after, she brought an American Staffordshire Terrier (or pit bull type dog) named Justice into her life as a graduation gift to herself. To Megan’s surprise, Justice became much more than a “furry best friend” or “fur baby”, she completely transformed Megan’s personal and professional life, passion, and purpose. Suddenly Megan discovered her passion for drawing from her extensive research on dog psychology, dog behavior, and raising bully breeds in preparation for Justice’s arrival to support family, friends, and community in having more harmonious relationships with their dogs.

Without yet recognizing the relevance behind Justice’s name and how Megan and Justice would seek justice for themselves and their community, Megan suddenly became attuned to the discrimination, societal issues, and ways policies are manipulated to limit access to Black people and people from other marginalized communities and their dogs. The discrimination is intensified for people with multiple marginalized identities and when their dog(s) are pit bulls, bully breeds, or any other dog breed traditionally labeled as “aggressive” by the media, regardless of the dog’s individual characteristics, training, or temperament. Through personal experience Megan learned the many barriers and injustices that presented themselves to bully breed owners, especially as a fat-bodied, Black, masculine-presenting queer woman living in the Atlanta metropolitan area.

Megan’s personal experiences influenced her decision to seek opportunities to use her research skills to advocate for herself and others who may not be able to do so for themselves. Dr. Megan founded Atlanta Pit Bull Training, a dog behavior consulting company focused on education for pit bull and bully breed owners. Through her work at Atlanta Pit Bull Training, Megan gained on-the-ground knowledge about the need to advocate for social justice and equity in animal welfare, with special attention to the ways that policies impact BIPOC people.

When Megan isn’t talking, consulting, or educating about dogs or bully breeds, she enjoys playing the drums, writing, reading, watching documentaries, trying new restaurants, spending time with friends and family, and enjoying art and live performances.