Calle a Casa

Community Need: Education about the behavioral and emotional challenges shelter animals face, to increase the likelihood of successful adoption.

Target Audience and Location: Cats and dogs at the El Paso Humane Society awaiting adoption, and those wanting to adopt shelter animals in the El Paso, TX area.

Vision: A compassionate community in which every shelter animal is safe, nurtured, and adopted into a loving home.

Mission: To increase permanent adoptions from El Paso animal shelters by mobilizing volunteers and resources that educate the public about the behavioral and emotional needs shelter animals have.

Project Description: Scholar Isabella Villalobos and educator Javier Rubio co-founded Calle a Casa, a project developed in partnership with the Humane Society that brings together students, educators, and animal welfare professionals to design and pilot community-based educational strategies supporting shelter animals and adoption efforts. Guided by shelter staff, the team has collaborated to identify outreach approaches, build partnerships, and plan programming that connects community members with accurate information and resources related to animal care. As the project moves forward, the team is excited to use their grant funding to support the Humane Society’s mission to prevent suffering, neglect, abuse and cruelty to animals, by providing information, raising public awareness of animal issues, and promoting responsible guardianship and kindness toward all living things.

As a student leader, Isabella is most proud of “the partnership I fostered with the Humane Society and how far I have come on this project. I am also proud of my team for being open-minded, understanding of my vision, and being there for me and one another.”