My Dog is My Home: Why Access to Pet Resources is a Social Justice Issue

Pet keeping crosses boundaries of socioeconomics, race, ethnicity, and geography; but access to pet services and information does not. Institutional discrimination and systemic inequity impact people and their pets. We will discuss the connection between animal welfare and social, racial and economic justice and have a conversation on how to increase equity in access to pet resources. This talk was part of the 2021 My Dog is My Home conference. 

Presenter(s): 

Amanda Arrington, Senior Director of Pets for Life, The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS)

Aleah Simpson, Pets for Life Marketing and Communications Program Manager, HSUS

Philip Tedeschi, Clinical Professor, Executive Director of the Institute for Human-Animal Connection, University of Denver

keywords: My Dog is My Home conference, animal well-being, unhoused people with pets, human animal bond, keeping pets and people together, helping pets and their caregivers,