It was the summer of 2009, and save rates at Philadelphia animal shelters had plummeted from 68 percent into the teens. Around the same time, the Philadelphia Eagles signed a quarterback who had served prison time for his role in a Virginia dogfighting operation.
It was a bad time for Philadelphia’s animals, and many in the animal welfare community were disheartened. The city needed someone like Rachel Cohen. “I was shocked by the number of animals being euthanized in our city’s shelters. I knew that we needed extra resources and volunteers to help keep animals alive and healthy,” Cohen says of that long, hard summer.
Cohen wanted to be a veterinarian since she was four years old. She grew up with cats, dogs and guinea pigs as pets and lived near the Wildlife Center of Virginia before moving to the suburban Philadelphia in Abington. One year she even dressed as Jane Goodall for Halloween.
Now into her senior year at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Cohen is helping improve the city’s animal welfare situation and also addressing another significant issue: youth homelessness. The non-profit she founded in late 2009,
Hand2Paw, links homeless teens with shelter animals, providing valuable volunteers for the shelters and a heaping dose of vocational training – and love – for homeless youth.
“I noticed a lot of homeless teens living on the streets that owned pets. In getting to know them, I recognized that a lot of them needed help transitioning into adult life. I thought that I could use their love of animals to help them acquire real marketable skills.”
Hand2Paw works with two animal shelters, the
Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) and the
Pennsylvania SPCA. In only about 18 months and through partnership with the likes of homeless/runaway youth organization Covenant House, Cohen and company have impacted over 70 homeless youth and over 1,500 animals. With low startup and overhead costs, Cohen hopes to expand to work with more social service agencies and animal shelters and replicate this model in other cities.
FK: How does Hand2Paw operate?
RC: Hand2Paw has two major parts. We have group sessions where we teach youth how to do things like train dogs and bathe dogs and clean cat cages. The youth work with all of the animals in the shelter, from small puppies and kittens, to older dogs and cats. We also have a paid internship program, which is for youth who really want to get more involved. These interns receive additional job coaching, as well as connections with area businesses that are hiring.
FK: When did you start formally working with animals?
RC: The day I turned 18, I started volunteering with Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) in Center City. PAWS is the largest no-kill rescue in Philadelphia. I spent every moment I could there, working with the animals and helping with low-cost spay and neuter clinics. I became deeply involved in the animal welfare community as a result of my involvement at PAWS.
FK: That community seems to be vocal and active. How would you assess it?
RC: The animal welfare community here is just fantastic. We have a somewhat desperate situation in terms of the number of animals that need our help, and our community is filled with passionate activists and advocates. In Philadelphia, we’ve seen a wonderful effort of people stepping up to the plate, helping shelters get the resources they need, as well as helping in animals in need through social media, and donating to organizations who are helping low-income residents get spay, neuter and veterinary services. The community here is top-notch and trying to make a positive difference.
FK: How did you know your program was working?
RC: I know Hand2Paw is making an impact when I see how much the youth light up when simply holding a baby animal or getting to know one of the dogs in our program. It is also extremely apparent that this program brings great joy to the animals that we work with. Dogs are getting more exercise and learning real commands – as a result, they are showing better to adopters. Cats are getting more stimulation and are less likely to deteriorate behaviorally in their cages. Hand2Paw also frees up the staff at the animal shelter to spend more time finding animals loving homes. All around, it is making a great impact.
FK: What else can Philadelphia do to improve the animal welfare situation?
RC: I think that Philadelphia is headed in the right direction. I think we should have more low-cost spay and neuter days and more accessible veterinary care. I think that this would reduce the number of unwanted litters and improve the lives of all the animals in this city.
FK: Who else is in Philadelphia is doing work with animals that you admire?
RC: There’s another amazing group called The Monster Milers, which is a group of volunteer runners that jog with Philadelphia shelter dogs. Their work is important because a lot of these dogs languish in their cages and often deteriorate behaviorally as a result. Getting them out to exercise makes them less hyper, and as a result they present better to adopters. It literally saves lives by keeping adoptable dogs behaviorally sound, and giving them a chance to find a home. It’s also a very salient activity – running a dog around Philadelphia with an “Adopt Me” vest definitely draws attention to the cause!
FK: So do you foresee a lifetime of working with animals?
RC: I will absolutely continue to work to improve the lives of humans and animals. I’m considering medicine, but I’m not sure which species just yet. I am absolutely interested in human medicine as well as veterinary medicine. This program has helped me discover that I really do want to improve the lives of people in my community and perhaps I will be able to find a career to bring together humans and animals for a greater good.
My goal right now is to ensure that Hand2Paw is sustainable and that it continues to make a positive impact on homeless teens and shelter animals.
PHOTOS:
Images 1 & 2 by Bridget Pizzo
Image 3 by Ashley Smith