BADRAP

BADRAP is taking a proactive 'Harm Reduction' approach to the problem of homeless dogs through a dog owner support focus that includes education, public outreach and crisis response.

We know that we can't 'save them all.' The larger socio-economic challenges that impact the pet homelessness cycle are beyond our ​influence. But where we have real power is in supporting the best possible outcome in each and every imperfect situation we encounter.

A bag of dog food. An emergency spay surgery. Free training help. Sage advice, or just an empathetic ear. Harm Reduction is a philosophy, an approach, a sustainable support practice that builds trust between dog families and animal advocates. We recognize that we can't prevent every dog from losing his or her home, but we can be a better support to committed families so they can make informed decisions, access important resources and maintain their bond with their dog(s) during times of crisis.

Our yearly goals include year-round training classes to help up to 20 dogs at a time (including Good Samaritans with 'found' dogs and families working towards Canine Good Citizen awards), 10 large public outreach events serving 750 dog families a year, 250+ spay/neuter surgeries for Pit Bulls and other large breed dogs each year, 10 individual behavior counseling sessions each week, and a yearly intake of 30+ dogs who fall into crisis.

Since 2005, BADRAP has been providing low and no cost training/behavior counseling, vaccinations, microchips, general support and on-site spay/neuter surgeries to all dog owners - with a special focus on Pit Bull owners - in several under resourced neighborhoods in the SF East Bay.

Meeting dog owners in their own neighborhoods rather than waiting for them to come to us for assistance has been a game changer. There's no replacement for the benefit of engaging in respectful, face to face conversations.

Our online materials serve as a back-up for families who need additional information or assistance. Our social media is geared towards sharing tips for navigating common contemporary challenges as dog owners and helps build an atmosphere of proactive, grass roots style activism and advocacy.

In 2018-2019, we began working proactively with survivors who were made homeless by the Butte County Camp Fire to assist them in securing emergency resources that would enable them to keep their pets. As part of this effort, we acquired a small fleet of County transit buses which have been converted into emergency housing units to keep families safe and intact.

We utilize story telling and powerful, editorial style photographs as often as possible to help our audience connect the dots between dogs in crisis and societal causes that pressure us all. The stories are important, inspiring and sometimes difficult, but always real and relatable. They're updated regularly on our website, social media and traveling Photo Shows. Our goal is to create more humane communities by inspiring others to better understand dog owners from all walks of life who live in their own neighborhoods.

Our team of 20 runs like a well oiled machine at every spay/neuter event: Organizing the long lines, engaging in conversations, learning what each family needs to help them help their pet. Our veterinarians and vet techs are comfortable with working under pressure and serving up to 100 families at a time with everything from nail trims to vaccines to spay/neuter surgeries. Our trainers can identify families who need handling assistance and/or advice about behavior concerns back home.

Each team member is a Pit Bull owner and empathizes with the challenges our audience faces with breed bias, renting with dogs and other obstacles. We aren't different from our audience - We're neighbors.

In 2013, BADRAP purchased a used spay/neuter van which vastly improved our reach and the number of resources and surgeries we're able to offer. In 2020, that older unit was traded in for a more efficient model. We've formed partnerships with several area veterinarians who provide services below or at cost. We've started adding new dog trainers to our event roster who can help provide free on-site training and behavior counseling. More dogs: We started offering more spay/neuter help to low income dog owners of other large breeds who are becoming over represented in our animal shelters, especially German Shepherd and Husky type dogs.

What's next? More help! We've included an internship program that teaches dog skills to talented urban youth. We're hiring a director to oversee the many details of running the spay/neuter events. We're working to increase the number of veterinarians who can assist us with our low cost spay/neuter goals.