I’ve talked about access to care as a defining animal welfare issue of our time: Everyone caring for a companion animal deserves and should be able to obtain necessary resources for their animal’s health and wellbeing. And certainly, the absence of resources shouldn’t mean that people shouldn’t experience the profound joy and love the bond with a pet can bring.
In December, as temperatures began to drop, dozens of families in Tennessee started to get a friendly knock on their doors. Staff from local animal care centers were delivering doghouses with insulation, all for free. One hundred doghouses were given out as part of an innovative and collaborative strategy between our Companion Animals team, State Affairs department and Law Enforcement Training Center. Here’s the story behind it.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: Everyone caring for a companion animal deserves and should be able to obtain necessary resources for their animal’s health and well-being. The absence of resources doesn’t mean that people are undeserving of the profound joy and love the bond with a pet can bring. This is the belief that is at the heart of our work in expanding access to care.
The joy, unconditional love and health benefits of the human-animal bond are priceless, but the sad reality is that millions of pets in the U.S. are living in poverty with their families. Rising inflation and systemic poverty have left many families struggling to access essential care and supplies...