What is the Whole Families Program?

PFA employs an on-staff Social Worker to work with a pet’s human companion when they are experiencing a crisis, and feel they have no other recourse than to surrender their furry family member.  These clients obviously love their pets, but their challenges feel so insurmountable that they no longer believe they can safely provide for their animals.  Through our WFP, we’re able to intervene in those moments and support them through their turbulent times.

PFA embraces the One Health approach, which recognizes that the health of people, animals, and our shared environment are interconnected.  This philosophy informed the creation of our Whole Families Program, which expands the traditional veterinary focus on the animal to include their human family members and life circumstances.

This includes: having a network of volunteer foster homes, contracts with boarding kennels, and one-on-one consultation which connects them to human social services, in order to resolve challenges including (but not limited to): housing insecurity, mental health issues, domestic violence, and/or food insecurity.  By talking to pet parents about their family’s needs and worries, we can prevent negative outcomes and help keep whole families together.

If you would like to speak to our staff Social Worker, please contact Lori McGahan, Director of the Whole Families Program, MSW, LCSW:

Contact Lori

Resources

Explore a curated list of valuable resources to empower you with knowledge, guidance, and support on your journey towards better pet care and animal welfare.

WFP in Action

We launched our Whole Families Program on the first Saturday in June 2021 with a free vaccination clinic for the town of Millville. 104 families and 188 pets were served! Volunteers surveyed families to help us learn how the Millville community views their pets and discover any unmet needs or challenges that they were facing. Every single family stated that they consider their pets to be part of the family, and that they depend on their pets for love and emotional support. This was not a surprise for us since we see every day how much our clients love their pets!

Unfortunately, we also learned that three out of every five pets were not spayed or neutered, and 40% had never seen a veterinarian before. Two out of every three families stated that they were unable to afford veterinary care. Others were facing housing- or food-insecurity, while some had pressing pet health needs. We were gratified to be able to offer assistance either directly through PFA or by having our Social Worker connect these clients to traditional social services.

“Three out of every five pets were not spayed or neutered, and 40% had never seen a veterinarian before.”

In this way, PFA is forging novel relationships with human social services providers to resolve human crisis and preserve the human-animal bond.

Success Stories

Experience the heartwarming stories of transformation and triumph in our collection of inspiring success stories.

Our Programs

Sweet Pea Fund

Inspired by the sweet senior dog who did not let her past damper her capacity for love and now provides a life-saving legacy to other animals.

Public Policy Advocacy

PFA offers expert consultation to promote humane public policy to elected officials at every level of government. We have successfully advocated for Humane Feral Cat Population Control (TNR) in many NJ counties and municipalities. We also actively advocate for humane legislation in our State Legislature.

Humane Education

The goal of PFA’s Humane Education Program is to engage school-age youths in age-appropriate discussions on topics that relate to how we interact with each other, with animals, and with our environment.

Pet Pantries

PFA hosts pet food & supply pantries at all three clinic locations, stocked with a variety of food for dogs & cats of all ages, along with essential supplies like: collars, leashes, carriers, and kitty litter.