August 31, 2018

Audience: Executive Leadership, Foster Caregivers, Shelter/Rescue Staff & Volunteers

Video Length: 9 min

LifeLine Animal Project's mission has always been to end the euthanasia of healthy and treatable animals in the shelter. Along the way they learned to look at every piece of the puzzle and focus on the root causes for animals entering the shelter in the first place. Their Pets for Life program in Atlanta, GA has a major role in doing that by providing veterinary and pet care assistance to people who love their pets but don't have access to resources and are in need of support and positive engagement with animal care providers and animal control. Bridging the gap in services prevents thousands of animals from unnecessarily entering the sheltering systems, but it also empowers communities to care for the animals they love.

Lifeline's "aha moment" was stepping out from behind phones and emails to physically engage in a neighborhood and build face-to-face relationships with the people who love their pets but don't have the resources to meet their needs. With help from a Maddie's Fund® grant, they devised a program to build trust-centered relationships with those people and their pets. Meeting people where they live, conversations on front porches, and having a consistent, positive, nonjudgmental presence in the community was the key.