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There is no denying that we have a global animal welfare crisis. Whether at the hands of humans, climate change or disease, animals are suffering, dying and going extinct. But the situation is now becoming more complicated. With deregulation and defunding of medical research, and dismantling of government programs and protections for both humans and animals, securing funds for animal welfare will become increasingly difficult. Limited grant money once funneled to address animal issues will now need to be spread across a broader set of interests. As world health and medical research organizations lose critical government funding, they will turn to the same private sources that currently fund Animal Welfare. As deregulation removes endangered species protections, private organizations will now have to pick up - and secure funding - to prevent extermination of critical wildlife. Medical clinics that once relied on government programs to serve their communities in need will also be turning to these private sources. Defunding will also impact Rescue's abilty to garner attention from State and Local government officials. Already, elected officials are scrambling to address the needs of their constituents in the face of disappearing government programs. As government funding disappears and layoffs and cost of living rise, the impact to populations in need will explode - and the needs of animals will slide further down the priority list. This is a time to be strategic in our efforts. We need to look at those rescues that have been most successful in recent years and learn from their example. We need to get ahead of the curve and secure as many funds as possible beofre they are redirected to fill the dire needs once met with Federal funds. So how do we accelerate? How do we build scalable Animal Rescue infrastructures that can survive as funding sources are being eradicated? By broadening ownership and accountaibility for Rescue success. MAD - Malinois and Dutch Shepherd Rescue is less than 5 years old and is one the most successful national rescues for working dogs. MAD's Founder understood how to build a coalition of co-ownership for the mission and put in place an organization that was not reliant upon her direction to grow and succeed. Why is this important? First, it allows MAD to run without her which keeps it nimble and proactive because people don't have to ask Val before taking action. By inspriing others to feel accountable for the mission and be equal partners in saving these dogs, people didn't wait to be asked to help or told what to do. The mission is as much theirs as it hers. Volunteers took initiative. They created focus groups, services, operating procedures, and relationships. MAD belonged to everyone with the desire to contribute. MAD belongs to the dogs. The result? People don't just support MAD. They feel accountable for its success. In under 5 years, MAD has esatblished a National presence with an extensive infrastructure of fundraising, training and education, fosters, transportation, and medical support. You will be hard pressed to find Val's name on their website or Social Media. And that's preceisely why MAD has been able to grow and mature so quickly. MAD isn't Val's. It's all of ours. Another example is Colby's Crew a 501c3 horse rescue established in 2021. Like MAD, Colby's Crew grew out of its Founder, Ally's, passion. In a few short years, they have established an extensive rescue organization including quarantine facilities, relationships with top Vet Hospitals, rapid fundraising, and a committed staff and volunteer network. While Ally is central to CCR's success, she has made CCR everyone's organization. This has enabled CCR to more rapidly establish itself with the facilities, services and staff to save more animals. Was much of this based on Ally's efforts and access to resources - yes. But when people help CCR, it's not Ally's organization or dream they are making come true. It's their own.

Mom with Teddy People often ask me to train their dog to be an Emotional Support Dog (ESD). There is a great deal of confusion over what constitutes an ESD and what legal rights are associated with having one. As a result, a lot of people are getting scammed by individuals claiming to breed, train, and sell ESDs. Let's start by explaining what an ESD is and is not. Legally speaking, an Emotional Support Dog is nothing more than a pet. They have no special rights or privelages nor do they perform a trained service. Restaurants, retailers, and transportation services have no obligation to allow ESDs to enter their premises - even if you have a letter from your doctor or therapist claiming the dog is an ESD. Compared to true working Service Dogs, ESDs are simply companions. This is not to say that your dog does not provide you with emotional support. It may even help you manage anxiety or fear. But that is not a result of an specific training the dog has received. It's merely an outcome of the special relationship you've formed with him. Service Dogs, on the other hand, are dogs who perform a highly trained service such as alerting on an impending seizure, blood sugar changes, anxiety responses, assist with physical disabilities, etc. These dogs do come with Legal protections to accompany their handlers where other dogs are not allowed. Service Dogs are usually selected by an agency as young puppies and raised in foster homes until they are ready to enter formal training. They are then put through extremely rigorous and expensive training to ensure that they will consistently perform the services regardless of distractions or duress. The level of testing these dogs undergo is extensive and many do not make it through to certification. While there are dogs who naturally will alert on seizures or perform tasks to help their owners, these dogs are not true service dogs. Without formal training, these dogs will rarely perform consistently in all conditions and must not be relied upon to do so. In fact, many of these dogs would not make it through the rigorous training required to be a Service Dog. Service Dog training starts from the time the puppy is very young and continues for their lifetime of service. They are not pets. They are working dogs who are on the clock 24x7 to provide a highly specialized service. In summary, • ESDs are companions. Any dog with whom you form that bond can provide emotional support. It requires no specialized training or certification and there are no legal protections or privelages for a dog you rely upon for emotional support. If you want a dog to be able to go more places with you, the only training required is good obedience along with environmental neutrality. But don't expect to be allowed to take your dog places where dogs are not allowed even if you have a doctor's note. • Service Dogs are highly trained working dogs. They are selected at a very young age by agencies, raised in foster homes, then undergo rigorous training and certification. Very few dogs make it through the training. While Service Dogs live with their family and can be wonderful companions, they are not family pets. Their purpose is to do a specialized job under all conditions 24x7. As such, they are afforded legal protections and privelages to enable them to accompany their handler at all times to keep them safe. If someone tells you they breed, train or sell ESDs - run away. If someone offers to train your family dog to be a Service Dog - run away. They are not legitimate.

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