Co-Sheltering Programs: Keeping families and pets together

As the Community Initiatives Specialist at San Diego Humane Society, Lauren collaborates with human service partners and supports innovative programming to help make resources accessible for all animal-loving community members. A native Californian, Lauren received her BA in Psychology from San Diego State University. She has worked in animal welfare for ten years coordinating a variety of pet retention and outreach programs and worked extensively with diverse populations.

Jesse Casement is the Division Director of Client Services at Father Joe’s Villages in San Diego, California. Jesse holds a Master of Arts in Conflict Resolution and Reconciliation from Abilene Christian University and has centered her career around strengthening family units. An animal lover and advocate for creating opportunities to serve all members of a family together, – including the furry, scaley, and feathery members! – Jesse has implemented pet-friendly co-sheltering in all of Father Joe’s Villages’ shelter programs, which serve up to 1,262 people experiencing homelessness and their pets every night. At home, Jesse and her family are lucky to share space with their own furry family members: a cat named JJ and two guinea pigs named Emily and Rosie.

Riley Yates, the Animal Welfare Coordinator for GRACE Marketplace, graduated with a B.S in Entomology from Oklahoma State University and shortly after moved to Gainesville to earn a master's degree from the University of Florida. She has always had a passion for helping animals and has worked in a variety of animal shelters and veterinary clinics prior to her time at GRACE. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her wonderful girlfriend and their three rescue pets: Nellie, Riddle, and Paisley.