Human Animal Support Services (HASS)
Total Grant Funding: $9,360,000 since 2017
The Human Animal Support Services Pilot Project is a collaborative effort to keep pets and people together, so most pets don’t have to enter shelters at all. This represents a huge shift from traditional sheltering, helping shelters build stronger relationships with their communities.
In 2017, Maddie’s Fund® awarded $4M to Austin Pets Alive! to support the Maddie’s Lifesaving Academy and its various Apprenticeships. In 2020, the program was renamed to Maddie’s® Learning Academy, and an additional $885,000 was granted to support several HASS-specific positions, including the Maddie’s® American Pets Alive! Director, as well as other subject matter experts and instructors. In 2022, Maddie’s Fund awarded $3.375M to Austin Pets Alive! to support strategic planning for HASS over the next three years.
To support the 23 Pilot Shelters in implementing the HASS elements into their programs, Maddie’s Fund gave a combined total of $2.25M in 2020 and 2021 to the Pilot Shelters. These shelters are engaging their community members to be active participants in animal welfare, while creating and expanding supportive services to families. Programs include returning lost pets to their owners, short and long-term fostering, rehoming support of a pet for any reason, addressing equity and inclusion, and supplying food and medical services, and are allowing more people and pets to stay together.
The current Pilot Shelters (in 16 U.S. states) include: Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Shelter (MD), Cabot Animal Support Services (AR), Cincinnati Animal CARE Humane Society (OH), Charlotte Mecklenburg Animal Services (NC), Dallas Animal Services (TX), Denver Animal Services (CO), Fresno Humane Animal Services (CA), Greenville County Animal Care (SC), Guilford County Animal Services (NC), Humane Rescue Alliance (DC/NJ), Kansas City Pet Project (MO), Lifeline Animal Project (GA), Los Angeles Animal Services (CA), Memphis Animal Services (TN), Michigan Humane (MI), Oakland Animal Services (CA), Palm Valley Animal Society (TX), Pasco County Animal Services (FL), Pima Animal Care Center (AZ), Riverside County Department of Animal Services (CA), Rochester Animal Services (NY) and San Diego Humane Society (CA).