Interview! Lauren Burbridge, Coordinator, Massachusetts Animal Fund

"If every taxpayer in MA payed just one dollar… we could help over 40,000 cats and dogs every year."

Lauren Burbridge has figured out how to help people and animals at the same time: she is a licensed social worker who started the Massachusetts Animal Fund, an organization that seeks to develop agricultural resources to end animal homelessness in the state. Lauren works directly with the public (particularly low-income communities), Animal Control officers, and local town offices to provide spay-neuter for those who need it most—the perfect marriage of her degree in social work with her passion for animal rights. Besides funds management, Lauren also created the Core Competencies Program from scratch—a brief but thorough training for animal control officers in matters such as emergency preparedness, safe handling, animal control law, and others.

The MA Animal Fund relies solely on taxpayer donations administered by the Department of Agricultural Resources, and is always in great need. If you are a Massachusetts resident and would like to donate, remember to check the box on line 32F of your income tax form!

To learn more about the MA Animal Fund, check out their website, or follow them on Twitter: @line32F. If you live outside of Massachusetts and are interested in starting a similar program in your state, feel free to contact Lauren at [email protected].