Uploaded October 2025 | Updated September 2026, 8 hours ago
Our speakers today:
• Jennifer Toussaint, Chief of Animal Control, Animal Welfare League of Arlington
• Adam Jablonski, ajablonski@awla.org, Community Resources Manager at AWLA
• Karina Swetnam, kswetnam@awla.org, Deputy Animal Control Resource Officer at AWLA
Animal welfare is strongest in communities when services don’t work in silos but come together to support both animals and the people who love them. This panel brings together members of the Animal Welfare League of Arlington’s animal control, community outreach, and shelter services teams to highlight how collaboration drives meaningful impact. Panelists will share real-world examples of how these diverse roles intersect—whether it’s animal control officers helping families access emergency veterinary grants, outreach staff providing free grooming services, or shelter and field staff standing side by side at community clinics and food distributions. Attendees will learn how AWLA’s community-centered approach creates innovative solutions that meet families where they are, break down traditional barriers, and build a stronger safety net for animals and people alike.
Key Takeaways:
• Concrete examples of how cross-team collaboration directly benefits both animals and the families who care for them—with an emphasis on bridging animal control and shelter services.
• Provide strategies that other agencies can adapt to create integrated, community-centered approaches that strengthen the safety net for animals and people alike.
To access today’s agenda and the recording of this call - or to ask more questions - visit
https://maddies.fund/communityconversations102725
About Community Conversations, hosted by Maddie’s Fund: When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in early 2020, animal sheltering transformed overnight. Foster-based sheltering, home-based employees and volunteers, along with collaboration galvanized our communities. The pandemic, along with social injustice, has motivated our industry to look at how we partner with our communities and confront our own biases. Shelter and rescue staff across the country began talking on a weekly basis, offering support and innovative ideas to do things differently. To learn more about these calls, visit forum.maddiesfund.org/communityconversations
Chapters:
00:00 Introductions and Question of the Day (cute halloween pet pix!)
04:12 Presentation
Our speakers today:
• Jennifer Toussaint, Chief of Animal Control, Animal Welfare League of Arlington
• Adam Jablonski, ajablonski@awla.org, Community Resources Manager at AWLA
• Karina Swetnam, kswetnam@awla.org, Deputy Animal Control Resource Officer at AWLA
Animal welfare is strongest in communities when services don’t work in silos but come together to support both animals and the people who love them. This panel brings together members of the Animal Welfare League of Arlington’s animal control, community outreach, and shelter services teams to highlight how collaboration drives meaningful impact. Panelists will share real-world examples of how these diverse roles intersect—whether it’s animal control officers helping families access emergency veterinary grants, outreach staff providing free grooming services, or shelter and field staff standing side by side at community clinics and food distributions. Attendees will learn how AWLA’s community-centered approach creates innovative solutions that meet families where they are, break down traditional barriers, and build a stronger safety net for animals and people alike.
Key Takeaways:
• Concrete examples of how cross-team collaboration directly benefits both animals and the families who care for them—with an emphasis on bridging animal control and shelter services.
• Provide strategies that other agencies can adapt to create integrated, community-centered approaches that strengthen the safety net for animals and people alike.
To access today’s agenda and the recording of this call - or to ask more questions - visit
https://maddies.fund/communityconversations102725
About Community Conversations, hosted by Maddie’s Fund: When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in early 2020, animal sheltering transformed overnight. Foster-based sheltering, home-based employees and volunteers, along with collaboration galvanized our communities. The pandemic, along with social injustice, has motivated our industry to look at how we partner with our communities and confront our own biases. Shelter and rescue staff across the country began talking on a weekly basis, offering support and innovative ideas to do things differently. To learn more about these calls, visit forum.maddiesfund.org/communityconversations
Chapters:
00:00 Introductions and Question of the Day (cute halloween pet pix!)
04:12 Presentation
