Challenges and Opportunities at the Intersection of Caregiving, Animal Welfare, and the Nonprofit Sector

Despite growing recognition of animal companions as significant social relationships, consideration of the human–animal bond remains marginal within health and social service provision. Dominant social hierarchies result in differences between how care work performed for humans versus animals is experienced and valued. This paper presents findings of an emergent thematic analysis of focus groups and interviews with 17 nonprofit animal support service workers in Canada which resulted in five themes: (a) The challenge of neoliberalism, volunteerism, and labour; (b) The challenge of anthropocentrism, misanthropy, and the human–animal divide; (c) The significance of emotion, care, and wellbeing implications; (d) The opportunity to integrate human and animal supports through One Health; and (e) The opportunity to improve wellbeing through solidarity, camaraderie, and community. We conclude that feminist care ethics can cultivate understanding and resistance to complex challenges faced by individuals working at the intersection of caregiving, the nonprofit sector, and animal welfare.