Compassionate Housing: Integrating People & Pets in Transitional Shelters for Unhoused Communities with Sabrina Mignacca

Your Webinar Description:

This presentation explores why pet-friendly transitional housing matters, especially during a growing housing crisis. Many people experiencing homelessness or fleeing violence delay leaving unsafe situations because they cannot bring their pets. In cities like Montreal, where very few rentals accept animals, this creates a major barrier to safety and stability. Pets are often a person’s main source of emotional support, routine, and connection. This session explains how keeping people and their animals together can be a form of harm reduction and how housing programs can adapt safely and realistically to become pet-inclusive.

Designed for dog trainers and behaviour specialists, this talk shows how your skills can directly support this kind of work. Through a real-life case study of a 36-unit pet-friendly transitional housing program, we’ll look at how behaviour assessments, staff training, intake questionnaires, safety protocols, and support plans were created and put into action. We’ll also discuss real challenges, such as reactive dogs, separation anxiety, hospitalizations, and emergency situations, and how trainers can help prevent crises while supporting both residents and staff. This presentation highlights how behaviour professionals can expand their impact beyond private clients and play a meaningful role in community-based housing initiatives.

Learning Objectives: