Community Cat Centers – What Do You Think?

This article about the work that LeBron James has done in the Akron, Ohio public school system has me thinking hard about where animals fit into this new generation of thinking about community.

Some of you know that my daughter Rachel is interested in education and has been working at Esperanza Academy in Lawrence, Massachusetts through the AmeriCorps program. In just a month, however, Rachel, her boyfriend, her cat Maggie and I will drive to Chicago, where she will attend the University of Chicago Urban Teacher Education program and get her Master of Arts in Teaching.

Over the last two years, I have heard stories from Rachel about her successes and her challenges in teaching and supporting the young women at her school. There were many obstacles that Rachel couldn’t have predicted, but I wanted to touch upon some comments that she has had during the summer program. She has been taking the girls to a horse facility to volunteer, and every time I speak with her, she refers to how happy everyone is and how easy this summer has been because the girls just love the horses. I get the sense that there is a peace that isn’t present during the school year. So these comments and the article above got me thinking about the family resource centers.

In the LeBron James story above, they reference the need for a family resource center and the programs that are necessary for such a center. No mention of animals or support for pets was in this plan. Children are often so connected to their pets, however, that I think it is critical to include pets in the family resource model— especially if this is going become a model that other public schools will follow. Family is referenced often in the article, but pets—so often very much a part of the family—are not. I could easily see a pet food pantry and pet wellness clinic operating in partnership with the school. This would help support the other family members—the pets.

I’m not the only one thinking about this, either. Here is an interesting video from our friends at the MSCPA, in which they share some of their strategic thoughts around how to help pets in the community. They are not talking about a physical space yet, but my guess is something is coming in the future, and it is clear we need to think more holistically about our work.

As Rachel, Maggie and I spend 14+ hours driving to Chicago, we will have a lot to discuss. What do you think the next-generation program or facility will be for community cats, cat rescue organizations and cat guardians in general? I would be interested to know your thoughts—please share them by posting your comments on our Facebook page.

Have a great week.