By Ashley Malaney and Megan Rospa
Neighborhood Pets is a nonprofit organization based in Slavic Village with a seemingly simple mission: Take Care Of Each Other. But in their almost seven years of work and relationship-building in the community, they have seen a growing need for their services that is only increasing.
Recognizing the important benefits of the human-animal bond, Neighborhood Pets works to help keep pets in their homes. To do this, they provide low-cost wellness pet care and supplies, a free spay-neuter program, a pet food bank, veterinary care assistance, and more to pet owners in need in Cleveland. When you hear that list, you may not assume that Neighborhood Pets also has partnerships with human-focused social service agencies in the area.
Ashley Malaney, the project & outreach coordinator at Neighborhood Pets, emphasized the work they’re doing to grow relationships with other organizations in Cleveland. “What we have learned is that people care so deeply about their pets, that they will come to us for help for their pets before getting help for themselves,” she said. “Because we are building trust and rapport with our clients, they typically tell us more about their other needs as a result. We have a unique opportunity to reach folks who may not be comfortable looking for help on their own, and as a result, we feel we are called to support our clients in finding the resources they need for a better quality of life for themselves and their pets.”
Neighborhood Pets isn’t the only organization that senses this need to bring human resources to the neighborhood. In June, they partnered with University Settlement to create a health and safety fair that was free and open to the public. “We wanted to not only give our community a chance to meet the organizations that are there for them, but we also wanted the organizations to meet and learn about what each other does. We all know that the more we work together, the easier it is to get things done, create change and powerful outcomes,” said Malaney. Participating vendors included health and safety organizations from the Cleveland area that specialize in harm reduction, legal support, medical and dental care, food, and housing assistance. These organizations set up booths on the sidewalks surrounding Neighborhood Pets and in their courtyard. With hundreds of Clevelanders in attendance, free lunch and refreshments were provided for all participants by The Centers, University Settlement, and Neighborhood Pets.
Neighborhood Pets also collected hygiene and first aid products, baby care items, some seed starters, and other items from the Goods Bank NEO to give to clients for free. The participating vendors were University Settlement, Legal Aid, MetroHealth, The Centers, NEON (Northeast Ohio Neighborhood Health), NORA (Northeast Ohio Recovery Association), Thrive 4 Change, and Care Alliance. Approximately 300 people attended, many of whom were clients of Neighborhood Pets; however many neighbors and other community members also stopped by to participate in the event.
The simple mission of “Take Care of Each Other” was embodied by all who attended, and due to the strong attendance, Neighborhood Pets has committed to hosting these events on a regular basis to help any Clevelanders in need.
To learn more about Neighborhood Pets Outreach and Resource Center, visit their website at www.neighborhoodpetscle.org, or visit their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/neighborhoodpetscle.