Happy Pride Month!
A foundational question My Dog is My Home has always asked itself, it's supporters, and it's challengers is "What is home?" This June, we are reminded to also ask "What is family?"
My Dog is My Home believes that the matter of animals as family is related to other critical discussions about family. Despite great institutional gains, society continues to grapple with the idea that our families' strongest ties are not limited to biology or tradition. Growing pains can be felt in our work, where we see the disproportionate challenges alternative families face when attempting to obtain services. The battle ensues on political and interpersonal grounds, in instances ranging from equal access to housing to equal services at a florist*. So in our commitment to challenging dusty notions of what a family can and should look like, we support and align ourselves with other movements that also struggle for the empowerment of their families.
Family should be defined by the commitment and care amongst its members, regardless of its members' housing status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other characteristic that may differ from the mainstream. As Myra, a formerly homeless My Dog is My Home ambassador and Hollywood trans community member, well states,
I have a lover and I have my dogs. I'm not going anywhere without them--home, street, or wherever. We may not look like the family that came out of Home and Garden magazine, but that's what we are. And I'll be damned if anyone tells me differently.
Happy Pride Month!
*Ingersoll v Arlene's Flowers - A Benton County Superior Court judge ruled in February 2017 that a florist violated the Washington state’s anti-discrimination law when she denied service to a gay couple for their wedding. The ruling came in a lawsuit (Ingersoll v. Arlene’s Flowers) filed by the ACLU on behalf of Curt Freed and Robert Ingersoll.
Philadelphia Pet Food Pantry Now OPEN
Thanks to the incredible work of Philadelphia's Home Run Collective, a new pet food pantry for homeless human-animal families is now stocked and open for distribution! My Dog First, the service and program development arm of Home Run Collective, will be working with My Dog is My Home on other initiatives in the Philadelphia area, including a service fair for companion animals of the homeless this fall.
The pet food pantry is not open for walk-ins. To access the pantry, potential clients must have a referral from a Philadelphia outreach team. For more information, please contact the Outreach Coordination Center at 215-232-1984.
Why Science Matters to My Dog is My Home
In these times of unabashed alternative facts, My Dog is My Home believes it is more important than ever to uphold and highlight one of our foundational values, which states--
Approaches that are creative and grounded in evidence are not only possible but necessary to address complex and intersecting social problems.
Through our commitment to building the evidence base* for addressing homelessness and animal companionship, we are fighting the rise of scientific ignorance in public policy. To safeguard our operations from personal agendas and ego, we commit to basing our actions on an accurate understanding of the problem and its solutions. We do this by working to "distinguish between what feels good and what's true"**, which is why we begin every project in a new community with a thorough assessment. If the results of the assessment show something different than what we expect to see, our understanding of the problem is enriched by the new information and our approaches are tailored to meet the needs that have revealed themselves through the scientific process. In short, data matters in our endeavor to produce the greatest positive impact possible.
If you didn't get a chance to read our assessment on Bloomington, IN in last month's newsletter, click HERE for the report.
*What is evidence based practice? As defined by the Social Work Policy Institute, "Evidence-based practice is a process in which the practitioner combines well-researched interventions with clinical experience and ethics, and client preferences and culture to guide and inform the delivery of treatments and services."
**Sagan, C. (1995). The Demon-haunted world: Science as a candle in the dark. New York: Random House.
First Annual Couch or 5K Fundraiser - Philadelphia, PA
My Dog is My Home is partnering with My Dog First, a volunteer group from Philadelphia which has formed to provide pet supplies to homeless and low-income animal guardians. Together, My Dog is My Home and My Dog First will organize the City of Brotherly Love's first service fair for companion animals of the homeless this winter. If you live in the Philadelphia area, please support our efforts by attending the Home Run Collective's "Couch or 5K" fundraiser on April 22nd.
Date: Saturday, April 22, 2017
Time: Race begins at 9am SHARP
Location: The Woodlands - 4000 Woodland Avenue, Philadelphia, PA
What: 5K race around the cemetery bottomless coffee and vegan donuts (from Dottie's Donuts), outdoor pop-up lounge, fundraiser, raffle, and supply drive.
Race Entry Fee: $35 in advance, $40 same-day registration
Other Notes: DOGS WELCOME!
For more details, visit Home Run Collective's Facebook event page.
Indiana Senate Bill 314
My Dog is My Home has teamed up with Street Outreach and Animal Response from Indianapolis to advocate for Indiana's passing of Senate Bill 314, which will give judges the ability to include pets in protective orders issued to survivors of domestic violence.
SOAR and My Dog is My Home urge Indiana residents to contact your representative. Ask them to not only support this legislation, but to request an amendment--that the law extend protection to guarantee a survivor's right to access shelter with their animal.
Find your representative's name and contact information here.
Need guidance on what to say to your representative? See the ASPCA's Advocacy Alert on SB 314 for talking points and an example of an email you can send to your representative. But don't forget to customize! Remember to include a request to expand the bill so companion animals in orders of protection can access shelters with their families. Use the text below as an example.
Thirty-two states already allow pets to be included in orders of protection, and I would like to see Indiana allow for it as well. But most domestic violence shelters do not have pet-friendly policies. I also urge you to expand this bill to ensure pets in protective orders are able to enter shelters with their families.
Advocacy Research Day
My Dog is My Home is to be a featured speaker at IPSL's Second Annual Advocacy Research Day at the College of Mount Saint Vincent. Speakers include students and organizations using research as a means to advocate for social, economic and racial justice! This event is free and open to any member of the community. Click here to learn more about attending the conference.
Date: Thursday, March 30, 2017
Time: 10am - 6pm
Location: College of Mount Sinai Saint Vincent in Riverdale, NY
Pop-Up Exhibit in Asheville, NC
My Dog is My Home is taking its exhibit back on the road! After a short stay in Bloomington, we're heading south to Asheville, NC. Our friends at Firestorm Books and Coffee will be hosting us for one month. Don't miss the special "Curator's Tour" on opening night--March 7, 2017 in the coffee shop.
Bloomington Service Fair Debrief and Pop-Up Exhibit
My Dog is My Home will be returning to Bloomington on Friday, March 3 to present on the outcomes of the November 2016 service fair. Please join us for a community discussion on our findings. The My Dog is My Home art exhibition will also be available for viewing.
Downtown Dog Rescue's Pet Resource Center - A Year in Review
Over twenty years ago, Lori Weise informally began providing services to the homeless animal guardians of Skid Row. The beginnings of her organization, Downtown Dog Rescue, started behind the Modernica furniture company's warehouse, where she organized free spay/neuter, mobile clinics, and distribution of pet supplies. After Modernica moved to Compton, Downtown Dog Rescue also moved its focus to the South Central LA area. After a long hiatus, Downtown Dog Rescue has returned to its roots in the Skid Row community.
In 2016, Downtown Dog Rescue opened the Pet Resource Center on Skid Row--a place where Skid Row residents can obtain supplies, medical treatment, and other services for their companion animals. Below are some of the statistics they gathered from their year of services. To read more about what they accomplished this year, please visit the Downtown Dog Rescue website.
Service Provided
- 50% of clients received spay/neuter services
- 80% of clients received pet food
- 30% of clients received a collar and leash
- 31% of clients received vaccines
- 25% of clients received microchips
- 10% requested medical assistance for their animal
- 36% of clients were given flea medication
- 30% of clients requested assistance with obtaining a letter stating that their animal is an Emotional Support Animal
Demographics
- 50% of clients were experiencing homelessness
- 38% of clients had a case manager working with them
- The majority of clients were between the ages of 30 – 69
- 65% of clients were unemployed
- 60% of clients were women
- 60% of clients were receiving public assistance
- 35% of clients had some college experience or a degree
- 65% of clients completed high school or up to 8th grade
- Almost half the client population was African American
- 27% of clients were Hispanic
- 19% of clients were Caucasian
Surveying for Animal Companionship in the Homeless Point-in-Time Count
A common question we are faced with in our advocacy for homeless human-animal families is "How many homeless people have companion animals?" Anecdotally, we can attest that companion animals are quite common. However, statistical research in this area is often too limited to support our eye witness accounts with numbers. Now, due to the awareness raising work of My Dog is My Home and its partnering organizations, certain communities are showing an interest in understanding the scope of animal companionship among the homeless. This winter, Toledo, OH and Los Angeles, CA have committed to systematically counting homeless people with companion animals. Both cities have added a question about pet ownership to the survey used in their annual Point-in-Time (PIT) count* of unsheltered homeless individuals.
Through their pioneering inclusion of homeless animal guardians in the PIT count survey, Toledo and Los Angeles are breaking new ground by recognizing that individuals and families with animals may face unique challenges to accessing services and moving out of homelessness. Understanding the scope of the problem opens new doors for creating policies and services that target this special population. My Dog is My Home applauds these cities' leadership in recognizing the human-animal bond in circumstances of homelessness, and we urge other cities to follow their example. We also ask you to be an advocate for this kind of change! Reach out to the agency responsible for your local PIT count and ask them to add a question about animal companionship to their survey!
*The US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requires that all communities count sheltered and unsheltered people experiencing homelessness in a PIT count on a single night at the end of January. Each count is planned, coordinated, and carried out locally.
Our Pilot Year
My Dog is My Home is embarking on a pilot year in Bloomington, IN this November. To commence our year of programming, we will be holding a service fair that will offer a range of free service to companion animals of the homeless including free basic veterinary care, animal care supplies, and dog/cat grooming.
Our kick-off event is less than a week away, but we are still short of our $2,000 crowdfunding goal. Please consider making a small contribution today. The impact of this event will go far beyond the people served on this single day--experiences and results from the service fair will be used to inform the entire year, so please help us make it a success!
Presenting at the CSWE's 2016 Annual Program
My Dog is My Home is thrilled to be presenting at the Council of Social Work Education's (CSWE) annual program in Atlanta, GA on Friday, November 4th. Founder and Director Christine Kim will be joining a panel of three distinguished professors known for their pioneering work in animals and social work. The panel will present a compelling rationale and an ethical mandate for the inclusion of content on human-animal interactions in social work education.
One of My Dog is My Home's approaches to increasing shelter and housing access for homeless people with companion animals is through training and education. We believe that by providing workforce development and education, we are contributing to a change in the way social services perceive animals within family ecologies. By changing the hearts and minds of our social service workers, we affect the inclusion of both two legged and four legged family members in service delivery.
Do you know someone going to the CSWE conference this year? Tell them to stop by our panel presentation!
Session Title: Human-Animal Interactions: Implications for Wellness and Social Work Education
Date: Friday, November 4, 2016
Time: 7:30AM - 8:30AM
Location: Atlanta Marriot Marquis Hotel, room International 3
Speakers: Page Buck, PhD (West Chester University); Janet Hoy, PhD (University of Toledo); Christine Kim, MSW (The Animal Museum); Shelby McDonald, PhD (Virginia Commonwealth University)
Click here for more information about the CSWE Annual Meeting.