Program for Pet Health Equity

11/18/2025

Join Todays Webcast: Social Work Guidelines in Animal Welfare Settings
Date: Tuesday, November 18, 2025
Time: 12:00 to 12:30 PM PST, 3:00 to 3:30 PM ET

Join us for a 30-minute panel discussion introducing the Social Work Guidelines in Animal Welfare Settings, a groundbreaking new resource created by and for social workers working in animal welfare organizations across North America.

Whether your organization already employs a social worker, you are exploring how social work can enhance your mission, or you are simply curious about how social work skills fit into animal welfare, this panel conversation is for you.

Developed through a year-long participatory action research project funded by the ASPCA, the Guidelines provide a roadmap for social work practice in animal welfare settings at the individual, organization, and community/policy levels.

Discussion topics include:
- How animal welfare organizations can use the guidelines to strengthen human and animal well-being
- Common challenges and strategies for successful implementation
- Ways non-social work staff can engage with and benefit from the guidelines

This will be an engaging, real-world conversation about advancing both ends of the leash.

Panelists and Guidelines Co-Authors:
- Kayla Anderson, Veterinary Social Worker, The Program for Pet Health Equity
- Kelly bremken, Veterinary Social Worker, Oregon Humane Society
- Laurie Maxwell, Director of Veterinary Social Work, MedVet
- Augusta O'Reilly, President, International Veterinary Social Work Association
- Alexis Telfair-Garcia, Director of Social Work Program Development, Austin Pets Alive!

Facilitator:
Janet Hoy-Gerlach, PhD, LCSW, LISW-S, Director of Veterinary Social Work, Open Door Veterinary Collective

Register here: https://maddies.fund/DoorsWideOpenWebcastSeriesRegister

11/11/2025

🇺🇸 Honoring Veterans and Their Four-Legged Partners 🇺🇸

Today, we pause to honor and thank all Veterans for their service, courage, and dedication. Your sacrifices make a lasting difference in our communities and our nation.

We also recognize the incredible service dogs who stand beside Veterans every day — offering support, independence, and unconditional love. These loyal partners embody the bond between people and animals that lies at the heart of One Health.

🐾 To all who serve — both human and canine — we thank you. ❤️

11/04/2025

Checking in from the 2025 APHA Annual Meeting & Expo.

Come see us today at our booth and see how we can collaborate.

🗓 Tuesday, 11/4 — 10:30 AM | Exhibit Hall B — One Health Poster Session
Poster: When pet care becomes public health: A case study of Rocky Mountain spotted fever to consider a One Health approach to zoonotic disease management
— presented by Kaitlyn Davis Andres

11/03/2025

🐾 New Research

We’re excited to share this publication in our Research Topic under Frontiers in Veterinary Science:

👉 Community Perspectives on Dogs, Health Risks, and Veterinary Care Impacts in Rural Alaska (https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2025.1602564)

This study looks at how people in Alaska’s Yukon–Kuskokwim Delta view dogs, experience challenges in accessing veterinary care, and navigate the connections between animal, human, and environmental health.

As early snow and coastal storms hit Alaska, these insights remind us how geography, climate, and community resilience all play a role in health—human and animal alike.

💬 We’d love to hear your thoughts:
How can One Health approaches help expand access to veterinary care in remote or underserved communities?

10/31/2025

Please share and help keep pets safe during the Halloween festivities

10/30/2025

🐾 PPHE is excited to be part of the APHA 2025 Annual Meeting & Expo in Washington, D.C.!

If you’ll be there, we’d love to connect! Here’s where you can find us 👇

📍 Visit us at Table #227 — Exhibit Hall (Washington Convention Center)
Stop by to meet our team, chat about how pets, people, and public health connect, and explore new opportunities to collaborate.

🗓 Monday, 11/3 — 8:30 AM | Washington Convention Center, Room 103A
Roundtable, Table 6: Exploring the link between pets and the well-being of older adults
— presented by Kaitlyn Davis Andres

🗓 Tuesday, 11/4 — 8:30 AM | Marriott Marquis — M3: Judiciary Square
Humans' Best Friends: Pets & Mental Health
— moderated by Dr. Michael Blackwell

🗓 Tuesday, 11/4 — 10:30 AM | Exhibit Hall B — One Health Poster Session
Poster: When pet care becomes public health: A case study of Rocky Mountain spotted fever to consider a One Health approach to zoonotic disease management
— presented by Kaitlyn Davis Andres

We’re looking forward to connecting with colleagues and partners working to advance health for people, pets, and communities. 💙

10/28/2025

Keeping Pets Safe At Halloween:
A Veterinarian’s Advice

🎃🐾 Halloween is around the corner — here’s how to keep your furry friends safe and comfortable!

From the team at Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences:

✔️ Food + Candy Safety

Avoid chocolate, onion, garlic, xylitol (in sugar-free candy), and fatty or rich human snacks — all can be harmful to pets.
VMBS Texas A&M

Consider giving pets designated treats made just for them, or safe new chew toys (especially sturdy ones that can’t be torn apart).
VMBS Texas A&M

Pumpkins can be a healthy low-calorie treat: mostly water, good fiber, but limit to

10/10/2025

📣 Access to Veterinary Care: Insights, Barriers, and Next Steps

Join us for a special live Zoom session with the authors of Access to Veterinary Care: Barriers and Insights from Pet Families!

We’ll take a closer look at the report’s key findings, explore the One Health connections between people, pets, and communities, and discuss what’s next for improving access to veterinary care.

✨ Hear from the researchers
💬 Ask questions and share your ideas
🌎 Be part of the movement to make care accessible for all pet families

📅 Don’t miss this important conversation!
🔗 Register here: https://tiny.utk.edu/2025AVCReportMeetTheAuthors

09/29/2025

📣 Recent Publication!

"Creating Partnerships Between Veterinarians and Under-represented Producers"

Strong veterinary-client-patient relationships = healthier animals, stronger communities, and more equitable access to care. 🐾🌎

👉 Read the article: https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2025.1595301

💬 Join the conversation here on Facebook or in our One Health Forum: https://forum.maddiesfund.org/onehealth/register

09/18/2025

Rising heartworm threat for pets post-storms: What veterinarians want you to know

Hurricanes don’t just threaten homes. Vets say they leave pets facing hidden risks many owners overlook.

09/17/2025

In our research topic, Enhancing Veterinary Access Through One Health and Interprofessional Collaborations, in Frontiers in Veterinary Science, checkout the article, "Creating partnerships between veterinarians and underserved producers: getting started with establishing veterinary client–patient relationships".

Targeted educational outreach shows promise in creating and maintaining veterinarian-producer relationships. Knowledge gains and attitude shifts related to Veterinary Patient Client Relationships may improve animal health outcomes, resulting in more sustainable and profitable livestock operations and veterinary practices.

https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2025.1595301