Announcing the More Pets and People Together Statewide Contest Winners

More Pets and People Together contest winner Scarlett Bispo with her art

What does it look like when we’re stronger side by side? We invited Californians to reflect on what animal companionship means to them and to their community via pencil, crayon, brush, or digital drawing tool, all for a chance to win a $5,000 grant for their animal shelter. The results are in, and we couldn’t choose just one winner!

Meet Artist Erika Ilumin Wahlberg

Artist Erika Ilumin Wahlberg

More pets and people together, more PLAY! We’re asking community members inside the shelter and out, “What does More Pets and People Together mean to you?” Artist Erika Ilumin Wahlberg tells us more about her vision and why building bridges and removing barriers to keep pets and people together is important to her.

California Animal Welfare Funders Collaborative Awards Grants to 24 California-Based Organizations

This Year’s Recipients Are Working Towards Keeping People and Pets Together  $300,0000 Granted in an Effort to Break Down Barriers That Are Causing California Shelters to Remain Full Two dozen animal shelters across California will receive grants through the California Animal Welfare Funders Collaborative (CAWFC). The collaborative, launched in August 2019 by Best Friends Animal […]

Online Kitten Guidebook Fully Revised and Updated

cute gray kitten with fluffy white chest

The most popular page on Sheltermedicine.com is “Caring for Kittens from Birth to Eight Weeks,” Chapter 2 of the online Guide to Raising Unweaned & Underage Kittens. The guidebook is part of the shared resource library developed and maintained jointly by veterinarians in the UC Davis KSMP and the University of Wisconsin-Madison Shelter Medicine Program. […]

Open Arms Shelters Pilot New Approaches to Increase Adoptions

Open Arms Challenge promotional image of a family sitting on a couch with a cat

108 California organizations applied for the Open Arms Challenge this year. They spent last month preparing—updating procedures, training staff and volunteers, engaging translators to reach more people in more languages, etc.—and are implementing their welcoming practices this month. At a recent Open Arms Office Hours call, we heard how a  rescue is thinking of new ways to […]

A Beautiful Thing: Community Care in Rancho Cordova

Marvin Adams cuddles with his dog, Coco

When their beloved dog Coco experienced sudden swelling in her paw, Margaret and her husband, Marvin, were determined to find vet care for her despite barriers or, as a last resort, surrender her to a shelter for treatment to relieve her pain. Rancho Cordova Animal Services teamed up to help.