One dog opened Casey Boshae's eyes to the prejudice against, and love for, blocky-headed canine companions. In response, Casey launched The Gentle Pit as an Instagram account chronicling her dog Olive — and turned it into a thriving lifestyle and clothing business that merges entrepreneurship with a deep commitment to helping dogs.

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Law impacts the human-animal bond, and is in many cases at the root of why people are involuntarily separated from the pets they love. Learn how Lauren’s work in the legal sphere is creating pathways that keep people and pets together.

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From the earliest age, Vincent Medley has been thinking about, and living with, the bond between people and animals. Today, he's drawing on two decades of experience as an animal officer and animal shelter leader, to help transform a broken animal welfare system.

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For a decade, Kassidi Jones has been studying race relations. As a Black woman, adopting a dog who most people identify as a pit bull opened her eyes to patterns of racism she hadn’t noticed before. 

Now, Kassidi, a Yale Ph.D. student, shares her observations—plus a lot of really cute dog pics—on her wildly popular Instagram account, @gingers_naps, named for her dog.

Check out this episode of People, Pets, and Purpose to hear Kassidi speak with host Diaz Dixon about racism in animal welfare, and so much more.

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Mark Castaneda and his dog Jelly Bean took care of each other, while they were unhoused. Now, Mark is studying to be a rocket scientist, with Jelly Bean still by his side.

Learn about this family's incredible transformation, and Mark's work advocating for those who still live on the street, in this episode of People, Pets, and Purpose, a show about the human-animal bond and what really matters.

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Why did a successful music producer turn his attention to making tunes for cats and dogs—especially those in shelters? Listen to this episode of People, Pets, and Purpose to learn about Derrick Garrett's path to founding Zoundz Music For Pets!

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What makes a humane community, in and out of the animal shelter? That's the subject of this episode of People, Pets, and Purpose—our interview series exploring the human-animal bond, and what really matters. 

Check out this great conversation between host Diaz Dixon, Maddie’s® Advisor for External Affairs and Partnerships for the HASS project, and expert guests Brent Toellner of Best Friends Animal Society, and Director of National Operations for American Pets Alive! Clare Callison.

We promise you'll get a lot out of listening! Clare’s foster dog even gets involved… in a funny and oh so relatable way. 

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Leanna Taylor is CEO of the Arizona Pet Project, an organization that keeps pets with the people who love them through any kind of hardship. Leanna came to this work after a previous career in professional sports, moved by what she saw and experienced in her own Phoenix neighborhood and the need for solutions that address the human crises and animal crises that are so inextricably intertwined.

Today, the Arizona Pet Project is at the forefront of recognizing and honoring the H in HASS—the human part of animal welfare. And we're so excited to share this wide-ranging, supremely galvanizing chat between Diaz and Leanna that goes deep and brings home the hows and whys of keeping families together, working with partners to support the whole family, and why all families should, we're quoting Leanna here, "have access to the joy and healing benefits of pet ownership."

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We are thrilled to introduce HASS’s brand new interview series: People, Pets, and Purpose! Maddie’s® Advisor for External Affairs and Partnerships Diaz Dixon is in conversation with leaders in and out of animal welfare about building connections, finding solutions, and so much more. In this inaugural episode, Diaz talks with Matt Pepper, executive director of Michigan Humane, and it’s a very inspiring conversation you don’t want to miss!

Find Human Animal Support Services Online:

• HASS Website
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• LinkedIn