Supporting Renters With Pets During COVID-19

Recorded On: 10/20/2020

Securing pet-friendly housing was already a challenge, even in the “before times,” but the situation has reached nothing short of dire with the one-two punch delivered by the pandemic and a teetering national economy. Amidst the confluence of a debilitating unemployment rate, an economy on pause, and a communicable virus that just won’t abate, the prospect of losing one’s housing invokes myriad disastrous potential scenarios. As more renters find themselves on the brink of eviction, the animal welfare field is girding for a deluge of surrenders. But hang on! There’s still more that can be done to keep people with pets together safely in their homes.

In this webcast, we will:
• Demystify the eviction process as it was originally designed
• Explain the eviction issues that arise as a unique impact of the current housing and legal landscape
• Provide some tools to stem the flow of pet surrenders in your community
• Propose next steps

Presenters: Abby Volin and Sarah Rosenberg of Opening Doors, PLLC

keywords
access to care, veterinary care, access to affordable care, live outcomes ,increase live outcomes, access to veterinary care, human animal social services, shelter medicine, community outreach, medicine, food assistance, behavior support, pet support guides, social services, human health care and social workers, supporting people and their pets

Lisa Ward (Moderator)

Director of Education at Maddie's Fund

As Director of Education, Lisa works closely with the Executive Leadership Team (ELT) and manages the day-to-day activities of Maddie® University. She also manages, mentors and coaches Maddie University employees while overseeing the management of programs and projects.

Lisa comes to Maddie's Fund® with 30 years of experience as an educator in the San Ramon Valley Unified School District, where her career started in 1987. She has served in positions from being a teacher, middle school principal and recently as the Director of Student Services. She has dedicated her life to education and feels it is the foundation for change and growth in the world and is extremely excited to carry on the work in education with Maddie's Fund.

Lisa holds a two Masters Degrees, one in Educational Leadership, and one in Athletic Administration, along with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Health, Physical Education, and Recreation all from Saint Mary's College, Moraga, California. During her undergraduate time at Saint Mary's College, Lisa also competed in Intercollegiate athletics and has been named into the Saint Mary's college Hall of Fame. She lives in the East Bay with her husband, two daughters and two rescues, a labradoodle mix, Thunder, and a lab-mix, Lightning. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, sporting activities, and hikes with the dogs.

Abby Volin

President, Opening Doors PLLC

Abby Volin is President of Opening Doors, a firm that helps property managers develop smarter and safer pet policies, tenants with their pet-related housing issues, and assists animal welfare organizations expand housing options for pet owners. She is a nationally recognized expert on animal accommodation law and frequently holds lectures for landlords, attorneys and healthcare providers. Prior to starting Opening Doors, Abby worked as a policy specialist at The Humane Society of the United States and began her career as a litigator. Abby earned her JD from Loyola University Chicago School of Law and BA from Tufts University. She has volunteered with numerous shelters and rescue groups throughout the years and fostered countless pets (much to the chagrin of the resident cats).

Sarah Rosenberg

Community Engagement consultant, Opening Doors, PLLC

Sarah Rosenberg is the Community Engagement Consultant for Opening Doors. As a segue from the practice of corporate law, Sarah combined her legal background with her ethos for building community into a rewarding, 18-year career operating a mixed-use, multi-family housing property situated in one of Atlanta’s most sought-after neighborhoods. With a vision of nurturing harmonious living and working environments, she implemented policies that served the best interests of both housing providers and tenants. Sarah holds a JD from Emory University School of Law and a BA from the University of Michigan.

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