During the COVID-19 crisis K9 Connection’s Pets’ Landing Project, one of ten programs under the umbrella of The People Concern, was able to supply 188 bags of dry pet food to our program participants!
The Pets’ Landing Project was initiated by K9 Connection in response to the needs of people and their pets experiencing homelessness. They provide essential services including food, crates, leashes, collars, harnesses, beds, tele-training for people placed in Permanent Supportive Housing, and short term foster care when a client goes into treatment, is hospitalized or incarcerated.
Pets’ Landing also partners with veterinary teams to provide comprehensive veterinary clinics that provide health exams, vaccinations, emergency vet care, medications, flea treatments, and spay/neuter vouchers at our Westside and Skid Row locations.
Ashlyn and her dog Cleo are happy recipients of a free 26lb bag of high-quality wellness dog food provided by K9 Connection and the NKLA Coalition for Shelters and Rescues!
Ashlyn is a student at Olympic High School in Santa Monica and a recent graduate of The People Concern’s K9 Connection program. K9 Connection offers free, year-around, animal-assisted therapy programs that educate and inspire vulnerable teens, like Ashlyn, through the experience of bonding with and training homeless shelter dogs. Their innovative methodology is based on national studies of successful animal-assisted interventions with youth in at-risk situations and abandoned shelter dogs, building on the powerful bond between animals and people.
Ashlyn loved her experience in the program so much that she began volunteering as a peer advocate, helping new students through the program. During her time volunteering, we discovered was that Ashlyn was not housed, but was living in a van with her mother, a dog, and a cat. With the help of K9 connection’s program director, Juliet Beynon and Olympic High School’s administrator, we were able to connect Ashlyn with the Youth Resource Team at St. Joseph Center.
Today Ashlyn and her family, including the pets, have moved into a motel in Santa Monica and are working towards permanent housing!