PAWS Chicago News item | PAWS Chicago

PAWS COMMUNITY MESSAGE

Jun 08, 2020

Update: April 1, 2021

PAWS Chicago recognizes and condemns the structural inequality that has been built into the social fabric of our society. We lift our voice in solidarity with BIPOC communities and people who are speaking out against injustice and racism. We are committed to examining and addressing organizational processes and have taken the following steps:

Established a Discrimination Reporting protocol. Provides staff and volunteers with confidential and anonymous options via email, phone, or in person to report discriminatory behavior against under-represented groups at PAWS Chicago.
Launched Compassionate Connections – a four-pronged Diversity and Inclusion training developed specifically for the PAWS Chicago community. Staff and volunteers learn about important topics including: structural racism and inequality, implicit biases and how to overcome them, human responses to trauma and how to create trauma-sensitive conversations.
Created a blueprint for, and are in the beginning stages of developing, a Community Council advisory group for the organization comprised of members of the communities which our Community Outreach department serves (Englewood, West Englewood, and Back of the Yards).

Jun 08, 2020

PAWS confronts intolerance. We value Respect, Community and Compassion. We have worked since our founding to materialize these values and balance the inequity of resources for families and their pets.

Pets are interwoven into the tapestry of our families and are so important to us – especially in times like these. They love us unconditionally, offer emotional support and keep us healthy. Many Black communities in Chicago are pet resource deserts with limited access to veterinary care, food and transportation.

We recognize this struggle. In response, over the past 21 years, we have developed programs and invested resources to remedy this inequity. Every day, our team of dedicated staff and volunteers are working in our Lurie Spay/Neuter Clinic in Little Village and through our PAWS for Life outreach program in Englewood and Back of the Yards, performing free and low cost surgery, dropping off food, picking up pets for medical care and offering telehealth appointments. We are committed to bringing resources to communities that need them most.

We can always do more. At PAWS Chicago, we are committed to listening, learning, and examining our processes at all levels to promote diversity, inclusion and equality. Our leadership is taking actionable steps to make a greater impact within our organization and in the communities we serve.

We will be part of the solution. We invite you to join us in this mission.