Last month, our Don’t Forget the Pets (DFTP) team partnered with Animal Protection New Mexico to provide a two-day event focusing on providing safe spaces for the pets of people in crisis, the positive impact of the human-animal bond, and the increasing need for a pet-inclusive (not just pet-friendly) rental housing market.
On Day 1, we talked with 40+ representatives from New Mexico about the importance of, and how to provide, pet housing programs for people experiencing domestic violence (DV) and homelessness as part of our DFTP training workshop series. In this curriculum, we focus on:
- The “why” of pet housing programs
- The importance of collaborating with your community
- Choosing the best housing model for you
- Key policies and procedures
- Fundraising tips
- How to apply for grants from RedRover and Rescue Rebuild
One of the most exciting things for us to experience at these workshops is the resource-sharing and networking happening right in front of us! That’s one of the reasons why we like doing these workshops in person so much. It can be hard to connect with organizations and people outside of your respective sector, so we love having the opportunity to bring folks together from all types of sectors including animal welfare, human services, law enforcement, animal control, veterinary medicine, funders, and on….
Day 2 continued the opportunity to learn from and connect with others as we heard from speakers from the New Mexico Coalition Against Domestic Violence; New Mexico’s Children, Youth, Families Department; Pet-Inclusive Housing Initiative at Michelson Found Animals Foundation; and others on why supporting both animals and people are important to the overall wellbeing and health of New Mexico and us all.
Truly, there’s exciting work happening in New Mexico and across the country, and we were thrilled to support Animal Protection New Mexico’s efforts to connect, learn, and move forward together.
Interested in bringing a workshop to your community? Learn more at our Don’t Forget the Pets workshop page.
