Help When Animal-Loving Humans Have It Ruff with Marisa Hernandez, Director of Operations & Co-Founder Ruff Haven

“We really believe in collaboration, not just in animal welfare but in human welfare.” This episode is sponsored in part by Doobert and Maddie's Fund. On today’s episode, Stacy chats with Marisa Hernandez, one of the co-founders of Ruff Haven, an organization that helps people encountering crisis situations remain united with their beloved pets. Marisa recognized the growing need for temporary crisis sheltering services in the community, which compelled her to take action. In her discussion with Stacy, Marisa discusses how she and several friends with unique backgrounds came together to create this organization. She discusses the specifics of the program, as well as the rapid growth of the organization. Marisa explains that Ruff Haven focuses on helping both pets and people. She stresses the importance of changing the mindset of judging homeless pet owners. Marisa talks about how COVID was beneficial in shifting the public’s mindset regarding these individuals and also details some of the challenges that Ruff Haven encountered during the pandemic as well. To learn more about Ruff Haven, visit their website, Facebook, or Instagram. If you enjoyed this episode, you might also be interested in listening to Stacy's interview with Carol Novello, founder of Mutual Rescue, a national initiative that highlights the power of human-animal relationships, in episode 303.