The Best Friends Podcast Episode 75
We all experience defining moments in our lives. Events such as marriage, kids, losing loved ones, career changes can all shape who we are, often on profound levels. This week's guest, Heather Owen, says her experience of watching heartbroken families surrender pets was a defining moment for her - when she realized she could offer assistance to keep those pets with their loving families.
Heather is the executive director of One Tail at a Time Dog Rescue in Chicago. They recently announced the launch of a new Pet Mutual Aid project. This growing collection of programs ranges from intake diversion to pet food pantries, no-cost vet care, all the way to offering a place to stay for those transitioning out of homelessness.
There are no invasive questions, no judgments. Just community-centered support for people and their pets with what they need, when they need it.
Click here to check out all the episodes from the podcast.
Resources from this episode- One Tail at a Time: Introducing Pet Mutual Aid
- Best Friends Network: People, Pets, and Policies: Towards Community Supported Animal Sheltering
- Leveling the Field: How to Remove Barriers for Underrepresented Communities and their Pets
- Moving Beyond Bias with CARE
- Moving Beyond Bias with CARE 2.0
- Best Friends Network town hall: Leveling the Field: How to Remove Barriers for Underrepresented Communities and their Pets
- Roadblock-free is the way to be
- HASS: Animal Mutual Aid: Harnessing Your Community’s Will to Help Pets Stay with Their Families and Out of the Shelter
- Dean Spade's book: Mutual Aid: Building solidarity during this crisis (and the next)
- Best Friends Podcast Episode 4: Chicago – A Story of COVID-19 Collaboration
Guest this week
Heather Owen
executive director, One Tail at a Time Dog Rescue
Heather Owen co-founded One Tail at a Time in 2008 while attending law school. She helped run the organization while practicing litigation in Cook County until 2015. That year she left her career to help One Tail open the Adoption Center and begin to reach its potential. Since then she has served as the Executive Director where she has been passionate about implementing progressive programming to address the problem of needless euthanasia.
Heather is passionate about social justice, good books, and finding the best veggie tacos in the city. She is almost always accompanied by her One Tail alum and adventure buddy Trout.
Episode Transcript