Poverty and structural inequality create barriers to accessing healthy food, education, jobs, health care and housing. Pet resources are no different. Over 20 million pets experience poverty with their families in the U.S., and 70% of these pets have never seen a veterinarian. Our More Than a Pet campaign is leading the charge to raise awareness of this overlooked national crisis and to attract new corporate support to increase access to pet resources and veterinary services and help keep people and pets together. This year, with the help of our partners—Smalls, Tractive, Motel 6 and TQL—we’re introducing the More Than a Pet Community Hero Award to honor three individuals for their exceptional contributions to their communities. Here, Amanda Arrington, vice president of Access to Care for the Humane Society of the United States, describes their wonderful work.
For more than two decades, through our Rural Area Veterinary Services and Pets for Life programs, we’ve provided pioneering access to care programs. In doing this work, I’ve had the opportunity to learn about and to meet some truly incredible individuals dedicated to making a difference for the people and animals in their communities. It’s an honor to recognize three amazing advocates as our 2024 More Than a Pet Community Hero finalists: Jamal Hughes of Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Julie Cassadore of San Carlos, Arizona; and Ingemar Woods of Altus, Oklahoma. All three have received a prize of $5,000 to honor their efforts to increase access to care in their communities. Now we’re asking the public to VOTE to help decide who will be named the 2024 More Than a Pet Community Hero. The organization that nominated the Community Hero winner will receive an additional $10,000 to further its access to care efforts. Here’s just a glimpse of the life-changing efforts from these heroes:
Jamal Hughes, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Paula Shaw/Companion Animal Alliance
Jamal Hughes takes every opportunity to support his neighbors. Nominated by and working closely with Companion Animal Alliance, Jamal ensures people in his community have what they want and need for their beloved companion animals. Through CAA’s Pets for Life program, this includes volunteering at a pet food pantry, dropping off pet supplies to neighbors and advocating for equitable, animal-friendly policies at city council meetings.
Jamal’s passion and genuine love for the people and pets in his community is an inspiration. We hope his story motivates others to support families with pets in their communities, whether by delivering pet food or cat litter, driving pets to veterinary appointments, or advocating for equitable policies. Everyone deserves to experience the unconditional love that a pet offers, and Jamal is making sure this happens in his community.
Paula Shaw /Companion Animal Alliance
“I have had animals my whole life and know how expensive it is,” he said, so he feels particularly gratified when he helps to deliver supplies to people who need them. “Heavy-lifting 500 bags of dog food: I love doing it,” he said. “They are so happy.”
Julie Cassadore, San Carlos, Arizona
Carolina Palancade for the HSUS
In the rural San Carlos, Arizona, community, Julie Cassadore spends three to five days per week transporting animals, driving up to 90 minutes each way from the San Carlos Apache Tribe to the Desert Cross Veterinary Hospital, the clinic that nominated her as a community hero. She shows up at the clinic morning, noon and night, and not just with cats and dogs: Julie’s been known to bring goats, chickens and ducks!
Julie Cassadore/Geronimo Animal Rescue Team
On the reservation, Julie saw a lot of animals in need, so she started by making feeding stations. Soon she had founded her own animal rescue group, the Geronimo Animal Rescue Team.
A true lifeline for her community and valued volunteer for Rural Area Veterinary Services, Julie triages emergency cases, helps distribute pet food donations and supports the human-animal bond any way she can. “Don’t be afraid to take that step to feed community dogs, don’t be afraid to ask a neighbor how you can help,” she said. “It doesn’t take a lot to help an animal; it’s as simple as making water available or buying a bag of pet food. Animals are sacred, and we need to take care of them.”
Ingemar Woods, Altus, Oklahoma
Michelle Robertson /Grand Splash Marketing
Ingemar Woods lives in Altus, Oklahoma, 50 miles away from the nearest low-cost spay/neuter clinic, but that doesn’t stop him from caring for community cats. In his retirement, Ingemar realizes not everyone has the time to help community cats, so he devotes his time and energy as a resourceful and dedicated advocate and an extended member of the Pets for Life program at Southwest Oklahoma Community Action Group, the organization that nominated him.
Acting on what he describes as a “sense of duty,” Ingemar spends much of his time trapping cats so they can receive veterinary care and spay/neuter surgeries. His commitment has made a major impact. He says that animals “need to be loved too, and they’re part of our community.”
Jamal, Julie and Ingemar are each shining examples of the difference one person can make in the lives of animals and the people who love them. We are grateful for the dedication of these three community heroes.
Your VOTE will help decide who will be named the 2024 More Than a Pet Community Hero, and determine which community will receive a $10,000 grant to continue their access to care work providing essential support services for people and pets.
Amanda Arrington is vice president of Access to Care for the Humane Society of the United States.
