Cherished Pets Foundation's Human-Animal Bond Social Services model bridges human and veterinary healthcare, providing support to pets and their owners.

What is Human-Animal Bond Social Services?

Our multi-disciplinary Human-Animal Bond Practitioners, including Social Workers, Community Veterinary Nurses and Program Support roles, play a crucial role in veterinary medicine by addressing the human needs that emerge during pet care.

Our Human-Animal Bond Practitioners work with veterinary teams and collaborate with human social service agencies to ensure comprehensive support for both people and their pets are addressed concurrently.

Equipped to handle complex circumstances, including working with older people, those experiencing physical or mental health challenges, or experiencing insure housing or domestic and family violence, they help relieve emotional burdens, enabling the veterinary team to dedicate their efforts to providing high-quality pet care.

Here’s how our Human-Animal Bond Social Workers make a difference:

Support for People

• Serve as a bridge between pet owners, human health providers and veterinary teams, ensuring effective communication of owner concerns. 

• Assist owners in making difficult decisions, such as quality-of-life assessments, surrendering and end-of-life decisions. 

• Offer guidance and support in navigating access to pet related services such as boarding, grooming, veterinary care, pet transport, emergency care planning,  prioritising responsibilities and exploring funding options.

• Provide practical support through our programs (Bellarine Peninsula only)

• Provide emotional support before, during, and after a pet’s passing.

Support for the Veterinary Team 

• Liaise with pet owners and their human health providers, ensuring effective communication of owner concerns. 

• Support the veterinary team through formal debriefing session to promote wellbeing, in response to specific situations or on a regular basis.

• Conduct in-house workshops on the human-animal bond, working with people with complex circumstances, and setting boundaries.

• Provide consultation on unclear situations, including ethical considerations and animal abuse reporting.

Support for Human Social Service Agencies

• Partner with social service agencies to provide comprehensive support for individuals facing crises that affect their pets.

• Ensure that social service agency workers feel supported in their roles by improve access to veterinary care.

• Share resources and best practices to enhance collaboration between veterinary and social services.

• Participate in community forums to raise awareness of the interconnectedness of animal welfare and human health.