In “Terms” of Love

CARE uses the terms below to help define our work, both Internally and Externally.

HUMAN AND ANIMAL WELL-BEING [HAW]

Our Approach to Keeping People and Pets Together
When CARE’s journey began, we knew we’d be embarking upon a complex but necessary pursuit.  Endeavoring for a world where all people and their animals have the opportunity to thrive together may seem unconventional to some. Yet, it is the only way to truly ensure companion animal well-being, which includes clearing our shelters and thus creating the only sustainable way toward life saving and access to vet care.  At CARE, we define this work as Human and Animal Well-Being (HAW).  Constraining the ever-evolving work of HAW to a single definition will never do it justice.  It is continuously defined by each of its unique contributors. Here are a few indicators for how HAW operates in the community as compared to traditional approaches.

The traditional approach
Instructs the community 

Seeking to save animal lives at all costs, the strategies for saving lives come from a small percentage of individuals whose lives are in large part disconnected from the realities that cause animal lives to be in jeopardy in the first place.  The traditional lifesaving model develops strategies for lifesaving without the input, contributions of communities.  It often delivers a one-size-fits all approach, where communities have developed their own, deeply entrenched ways of problem-solving.  Engagement with “others” in community is often seen as a necessary sacrifice for the greater aim of saving animals


The HAW approach
Partners with the community

The HAW movement is shaped by proximate leaders with lived experience. It takes a community-first approach to well-being and lifesaving. Rather than instructing the community on how to achieve an outside objective, HAW seeks ways to walk alongside the community in achieving its own objectives, identifying the ways in which human and animal well-being naturally intersect. Rather than advocate for uniform solutions, HAW recognizes that successful strategies are as unique as the community working for them.  It prioritizes solutions that are community-created and driven and led.

The HAW movement works through in-reach opposed to outreach. There are no “others”.   It creates spaces for genuine conversation and understanding to solve problems.  It acknowledges that problems do not exist in a vacuum and are intimately connected.  Above all, the HAW movement works to ensure that the community has all it needs to thrive.  It acknowledges that many are faced with the extremely difficult choice of declining a well-being for themselves, in order to keep a relationship with the animal. It shouldn’t be this way.  Being meaningfully present in the community is not secondary to the work.  It is work.

The traditional approach
Operates from a “giver-receiver”  framework

 The traditional approach focuses on “giving to” those who are “less fortunate.” Community members may be presented with few or no choices for giving back, because they may be viewed as being incapable of doing so. Relationships often end as soon as the service is provided.

The HAW approach
Operates from a framework of collaboration and paying it forward

The HAW approach sees everyone as a potential contributor and leader. A significant portion of those we serve through programs like Direct CARE are already doing critical and selfless work inside the community.  Yet, most ask how they can use their unique skills and resources to give back when the time is right.  We are happy to help facilitate ways of paying it forward, recognizing that everyone has something to contribute. As we say, “When you give back, your neighbor moves forward.”  Once they are able, our Direct CARE recipients have given back through monetary and in-kind donations to go toward veterinary care for other DirectCARE recipients.  The relationships created through this program are intended for the long-term.

The traditional approach
Relies on the leadership of career advocates 

The traditional approach places the greatest value on leadership that doesn’t reflect communities they serve. There are plenty of lifelong animal advocates working as leaders in the lifesaving movement.  While they may possess plenty of industry-recognized credentials and have the best of professional experience, they often do not have the same direct and personal experience as those who are impacted by societal barriers that directly or indirectly impact lifesaving.

 The HAW approach
Sees proximate leaders as experts

The HAW approach recognizes invisible leaders.  Long before the modern life saving movement came into existence, countless proximate leaders were ensuring that people and pets were cared for in community with no recognition.  Their work continues to be ever-present, and it is a major reason why the traditional movement is one giant step closer to a world in which no animals are unnecessarily dying in shelters.  HAW recognizes, promotes, and celebrates the work of proximate leaders in the community.  We create spaces for proximate leaders from across the country to learn from and connect with each other.

Our proximate leaders are often not full-time animal advocates, but still achieve far more “wins” for animals than they are credited for.  They are active in racial justice organizations, in soup and food pantries kitchens, on the frontlines of disaster clean-ups, on city commissions and boards.   They are barbers and beauticians, faith-leaders, attorneys and veterinarians.  It is through these roles that they are often most effective at helping animals.

Our staff and board members are well-respected leaders in and outside of animal welfare fields.  Through background and lived experience, they are prepared to do the work that needs to be done in community. They are ready to partner with, uplift and celebrate the community, rather than simply serve it.

The traditional approach
Sees animal lifesaving in a vacuum

 The traditional approach sees lifesaving as a single-issue.  The traditional model sees animal lifesaving as separate and distinct from everything else– in advocacy, policymaking, problem-solving and more.  In limited instances, the lifesaving movement may engage with community campaigns around housing or other justice issues, but involvement with “other issues’ ‘ tends to be approached as secondary or tangential to the primary goal of animal lifesaving.

The HAW approach
Recognizes that human and animal well-being are intertwined and inseparable.  The HAW model realizes that human and animal well-being touches every aspect of daily living and societal decision making. The best leaders in HAW may not have written laws themselves, but are more familiar with the impact and implementation of those laws than the lawmakers and politicians.  They do more with less because their situations give them no other choice.  They can more easily identify and point out policy gaps. Through HAW, they are often being listened to for the first time.

Human and Animal Well-being, as opposed to Animal Welfare
Animal Welfare refers to the general health and well-being of nonhuman animals. That said, most organizations advocating for nonhuman animal well-being are charitable organizations. Because the mission-driven work of Animal Welfare is often housed within philanthropic organizations, Welfare’s primary definition referring to “Well-being,” is too often contextualized through the lens of charity. Welfare’s secondary meaning is “receiving need-based financial assistance” which promotes a saviorist approach as well as means testing, BOTH of which perpetuate inequities by resisting a transfer of power and insisting upon a standardized understanding of economic disparities.

Rather than using the term Welfare, which has several meanings, CARE uses Well-being because it’s straightforward, and ensures Human and Animal Well-being is not solely associated with addressing financial needs. CARE is a charitable organization, we recognize the complex struggles within marginalized communities, but we also actively celebrate and acknowledge the Community Wisdom residing within underserved homes and communities.

We use Human alongside Well-being because any efforts to create well-being for companion pets must be inextricably connected to the well-being of pet parents or guardians. When communities of people enjoy well-being, their pets do so as well.

EQUITY

The guarantee of fair treatment, access, opportunity, and advancement while at the same time striving to identify and eliminate barriers that have prevented the full participation of some groups. The principle of equity acknowledges that there are historically underserved and underrepresented populations and that improving equity involves increasing justice and fairness within the procedures and processes of institutions or systems, as well as in their distribution of resources. Tackling equity issues requires an understanding of the root causes of outcome disparities within our society.

INCLUSION

The act of creating environments in which any individual or group can be and feel welcomed, respected, supported, and valued to fully participate. An inclusive and welcoming climate embraces differences and offers respect in words and actions for all people. It is important to note that while an inclusive group is by definition diverse, a diverse group isn’t always inclusive. Recognition of unconscious and hidden bias helps organizations to be thoughtful in addressing issues of inclusivity.

 

Sources: D5 CoalitionRacial Equity Tools GlossaryUC Berkeley
Four key arguments make the case for diversity, equity, and inclusion in AWO:

 

The market case states that organizations will better serve their customers if they reflect the diversity of their market base. A dramatic demographic shift is under way in the U.S., which will be majority non-white around 2043 according to the Census Bureau. In the private sector, companies such as Deloitte recognize the buying power of minority populations and highlight that diversity is critical to growing market share and bottom line.

 

In the nonprofit sector, clients are our customers, and they want to see themselves represented in the organizations that serve them. And organizations with diverse leadership are more likely to understand the needs of a diverse client base. Donors are also customers, and organizations and their clients can benefit from the resources of different groups.

 

The moral and social justice case asserts that each person has value to contribute and that we must address barriers and historical factors that have led to unfair conditions for marginalized populations. Nonprofits are created to improve society and as such they should be diverse, inclusive, and equitable.

The economic case is based on the idea that organizations that tap into diverse talent pools are stronger and more efficient. Economists see discrimination as economic inefficiency—the result of a systematic misallocation of human resources. In fact, the Center For American Progress finds that workplace discrimination against employees based on race, gender or sexual orientation costs businesses an estimated $64 billion annually. That amount represents the annual estimated cost of losing and replacing more than 2 million American workers who leave their jobs each year due to unfairness and discrimination. In this argument, organizations should become more diverse and inclusive because it makes economic sense to leverage the talent pools of different populations.

The results case is that diverse teams lead to better outputs. Scott Page, author of The Difference: How the Power of Diversity Creates Better Groups, Firms, Schools and Societies, uses mathematical modeling and case studies to show how diversity leads to increased productivity. His research found that diverse groups of problem solvers outperform the groups of the best individuals at solving problems. Diverse nonprofit organizations, and the diversity of perspectives within them, will lead to better solutions to social problems.

OTHER IMPORTANT TERMS

  • allyship: the state or condition of being an ally; one that is associated with another as a helper; a person or group that provides assistance and support in an ongoing effort, activity, or struggle; often now used specifically of a person who is not a member of a marginalized or mistreated group but who expresses or gives support to that group; supportive association with another person or group, specifically, such association with the members of a marginalized or mistreated group to which one does not belong.
  • animal welfare: the state of an animal including its physical and mental state.
  • animal well-being: refers to an animal\’s condition or the treatment it receives.
  • appropriate: to take or make use of without authority or right//to take exclusive possession of.
  • bias: an inclination of temperament or outlook especially: a personal and sometimes unreasoned judgment.
  • classism: a belief that a person\’s social or economic station in society determines their value in that society.
  • colonize: to take control of (a people or area) especially as an extension of state power: to claim (someone or something) as a colony//to take or make use of (something) without authority or right//subjugation by colonial policies.
  • cultural awareness: a way of understanding how our own cultures affect how we interact with the world, then having that awareness of other cultures and those implications on the behavior/beliefs of persons from those cultures.
  • cultural competency: a personal or an entity’s commitment to respect and navigate understanding of beliefs, actions, attitudes of members of a culture different from their own.
  • cultural humility: a personal journey of self-awareness, intentional supportive, reflective, and humble actions towards others.
  • cultural intelligence: refers to the skill to relate and work effectively in culturally diverse situations. It\’s the capability to cross boundaries and prosper in multiple cultures.
  • decolonizing: to free from the dominating influence of a colonizing power especially: to identify, challenge, and revise or replace assumptions, ideas, values, and practices that reflect a colonizer\’s dominating influence and especially a Eurocentric dominating influence; to free (a people or area) from colonial status: to relinquish control of (a subjugated people or area).
  • disability: a physical, mental, cognitive, or developmental condition that impairs, interferes with, or limits a person\’s ability to engage in certain tasks or actions or participate in typical daily activities and interactions, also: impaired function or ability.
  • disparity: a noticeable and usually significant difference or dissimilarity.
  • disruption: the act or process of disrupting something: a break or interruption in the normal course or continuation of some activity, process, etc.
  • diversity: the condition of having or being composed of differing elements, especially: the inclusion of people of different races, cultures, etc. in a group or organization.
  • equality: the quality or state of being equal (Equal: like for each member of a group, class, or society)
  • equitable: having or exhibiting equity.
  • equity: justice according to natural law or right, specifically: freedom from bias or favoritism; something that is equitable.
  • ethnicity: a particular ethnic [of or relating to large groups of people classed according to common racial, national, tribal, religious, linguistic, or cultural origin or background] affiliation or group.
  • gatekeeping: the activity of trying to control who gets particular resources, power, or opportunities, and who does not.
  • gender: identity a person\’s internal sense of being male, female, some combination of male and female, or neither male nor female.
  • generalization: the act or process whereby a learned response is made to a stimulus similar to but not identical with the conditioned stimulus.
  • gold standard: the diagnostic test or benchmark that is the best available under reasonable conditions.
  • human and animal well-being*: a culturally situated framework that reimagines animal welfare through an intentional social justice lens and focuses on the comprehensive well-being of humans and animals to achieve positive household outcomes that strengthen family and community while cultivating the human-animal bond.
  • implicit bias: a bias or prejudice that is present but not consciously held or recognized.
  • inclusion: the act or practice of including and accommodating people who have historically been excluded (as because of their race, gender, sexuality, or ability).
  • inreach/in-reach: an effort to bring services or information to people where they live or spend time with by including them in the process (this includes asking permission, including them in finding what services they want and including them in the workforce in collecting feedback and delivering resources).
  • macroaggression*: refers to an intentional or overt aggression [a forceful action or procedure (such as an unprovoked attack) especially when intended to dominate or master] versus a microaggression.
  • marginalized: relegated to a marginal [not of central importance also: limited in extent, significance, or stature] position within a society or group.
  • mental health: the condition of being sound mentally and emotionally that is characterized by the absence of mental illness and by adequate adjustment especially as reflected in feeling comfortable about oneself, positive feelings about others, and the ability to meet the demands of daily life.
  • mental well-being: is the state of thriving in various areas of life.
  • microaggression: a comment or action that subtly and often unconsciously or unintentionally expresses a prejudiced attitude toward a member of a marginalized group (such as a racial minority), also: behavior or speech that is characterized by such comments or actions.
  • outreach: an effort to bring services or information to people where they live or spend time.
  • parity: the quality or state of being equal or equivalent.
  • performative allyship: a form of superficial activism, focuses on the appearance of allyship rather than meaningful action.
  • prejudice: an irrational attitude of hostility directed against an individual, a group, a race, or their supposed characteristics.
  • privilege: a right or immunity granted as a peculiar benefit, advantage, or favor; especially: such a right or immunity attached specifically to a position or an office.
  • race: any one of the groups that humans are often divided into based on physical traits regarded as common among people of shared ancestry.
  • racial equity: the work of breaking down racial inequities & disparities surrounding race for the betterment of all races.
  • racial justice: Social Justice specifically centered around removing inequalities amongst people around the identifier of race.
  • racism: a belief that race [any one of the groups that humans are often divided into based on physical traits regarded as common among people of shared ancestry] is a fundamental determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race, also: behavior or attitudes that reflect and foster this belief: racial discrimination or prejudice//the systemic oppression of a racial group to the social, economic, and political advantage of another.
  • racist: having, reflecting, or fostering the belief that race is a fundamental determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race; of, relating to, or characterized by the systemic oppression of a racial group to the social, economic, and political advantage of another.
  • social justice: a state or doctrine of egalitarianism [a social philosophy advocating the removal of inequalities among people].
  • social responsibility: the theory that our individual actions should benefit society as a whole, and indeed it is our duty to do so.
  • socioeconomic: of, relating to, or involving a combination of social [of or relating to human society, the interaction of the individual and the group, or the welfare of human beings as members of society] and economic factors.
  • spectrum of care: the idea that veterinary care exists along a continuum instead of requiring us to always exceed a set baseline or follow a prescribed “gold standard.
  • stereotype: something conforming to a fixed or general pattern, especially: a standardized mental picture that is held in common by members of a group and that represents an oversimplified opinion, prejudiced attitude, or uncritical judgment.
  • supremacy: the quality or state of being supreme, especially: a position of unquestioned authority, dominance, or influence.
  • systemic equity: the transformed ways in which systems and individuals habitually operate to ensure that every learner–in whatever learning environment that learner is.
  • systemic racism: the oppression of a racial group to the advantage of another as perpetuated by inequity within interconnected systems (such as political, economic, and social systems).
  • welfare: the state of doing well especially in respect to good fortune, happiness, well-being, or prosperity.
  • well-being: the state of being happy, healthy, or prosperous.
    
    

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BHM James Baldwin