Angels Among Us

Earlier this week, the?North Wales Police?has welcomed a new?recruit?to help build relationships in the community and also support officers and staff. Nansi, the 12-week-old Cockapoo puppy, will be based with officers in Caernarfon and is the force's first wellbeing dog! Carl Foulkes, Chief Constable of North Wales Police, said: "Wellbeing is incredibly important in the workplace and particularly so after the challenges of Covid-19."

And I couldn't agree more! In 2021, I presented the idea of a corporate dog and cat fostering program to not only "Bring a Little Life" to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Score Cards but to enhance employee wellbeing and reduce stress in the workplace.

The concept is simple. Each Business Unit (B.U.) "fosters" a team cat or dog that they take turns walking, feeding, potty breaks, and create a schedule for the dog or cat to sleep at the various team members' homes. In addition, the team will be responsible for writing up the description of the foster pet to be adopted out, harnessing the power of social media. This allows all team members to get engaged, even if they cannot have the animal sleep at their home... while creating a healthy competition for different business units to see who can adopt out the most pets for that fiscal year! It would make for a lively CSR scorecard that any organization would be proud of as teams work together to save lives literally.

Now take it a step further, and imagine if you have colleagues on your team arguing... which never happens. Instead of management playing referee, send the team members who have a conflict on a walk with the foster dog and don't come back in the office until issues are resolved; no one wants or needs the drama or negative energy in the office. Within the first 30 minutes with the dog outside, I would imagine that most people will realize what they are arguing over is pure nonsense, especially if it is a rainy day... and dogs have a wonderful way of diffusing tempers and stress.

Having led dozens of CSR initiatives for multi-million dollar business units, I have often come across team members who want to participate but are not able to spend that Saturday building a house with Habitat for Humanity, Cleaning the Chatahoochee River, or serving dinner at the Atlanta Ronald McDonald House. Having a corporate foster pet program allows for these team members to participate in the care of the animal while providing critical socialization skills for the dog.

To bring this idea to life, I am now in conversations with?Angels Among U.S. Pet Rescue?to foster a dog. As the first step, I have completed the "Bringing a New Dog Home" and Canine Body Language" Certifications by Maddy's Fund. These courses are pre-approved for 1.00 hours each of?Certified Animal Welfare Administrator?continuing education credits by the?Association for Animal Welfare Advancement and continuing education units by the?National Animal Care & Control Association.?

The next steps will include a home inspection.

About Maddie's Fund

Maddie's Fund? is a family foundation established in 1994 by Dave and Cheryl Duffield and is the fulfillment of a promise to their inspirational dog, Maddie. She provided them much joy from 1987 – 1997 and continues to inspire them today.

The Foundation has awarded nearly $250 million in grants toward increased community lifesaving, pioneering shelter medicine education and establishing foster care as a standard across the U.S.

Maddie’s Fund proudly offers the industry a national voice, important funding opportunities for bold ideas, learning resources and access to collaborate and share lifesaving ideas. The Foundation invests its resources in a commitment to keeping pets and people together, creating a safety net of care for animals in need and operating within a culture of inclusiveness and humility.

Fostering a Mature Dog

Living in an apartment, I don't have a lot of room for a young puppy, so I plan to open my doors to a?senior citizen pup. While they may not be my ideal running mate, he or she will serve as my perfect cool-down partner on our daily walks on the greenway I back up to. And given I am working remotely these days, I can give the pups lots of love and put my writing skills to work to help them find a permanent home.

Senior Citizens may come with unique health challenges and as a foster parent, I can use the in-network Angels Among Us veterinarian services for no out-of-pocket costs to ensure the foster pup stays in optimal health under my care.

Adopting the Mature Dog.

Did you know that Seniors?make up the bulk of the?1.2 million dogs?put down at shelters every year in the U.S.? Senior dogs have a?25% adoption rate, compared to the 60% adoption rate of younger dogs and puppies.?

Many senior dogs that end up?in shelters were cherished companions of elderly people who died or had to move to an assisted living facility that won't allow dogs. The family either won't take the dog, or there is no family to assume responsibility for the dog.

Economic hardships?cause a family to lose their home, and the dog becomes homeless too.

People divorce,?and neither person wants the dog.

Children are born,?and the senior dog cannot tolerate the young children because of their energy level, or the parents just don't want one more responsibility.

I would love to help your organization(s) setup its' own corporate foster dog initiative. Let's connect!

Wishing you all good health!

Ilana

www.goatmatters.com

Angels Among Us The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement