Emotional Support Bunny Provides Life-Changing Assistance to Teen

Matching adoptable animals with a permanent home

They say that good things come in small packages. Well, that’s definitely the case for 2-year-old Joey, a rabbit adopted from ARL’s Dedham Animal Care & Adoption Center, who changed the life of his owner. Kelsey, a 17-year-old diagnosed with high-functioning autism, never dealt well with crowds… until Joey came into her life.

“Just holding him makes me more confident and calm,” Kelsey said. “Joey has done so much for me; I know he can help others as well.” Since being adopted, Kelsey had Joey registered as an emotional support animal!

ARL's conversation-based,application-free process isdesigned so that the needs ofboth the animal and the adopterare understood and compatiblewith one another.

Adoption > Forward

Making a connection like Joey and Kelsey’s is what ARL strives to do every single day. ARL’s new “Adoption-Forward” philosophy builds upon our commitment to matching adoptable animals with a permanent home.

“ARL is progressive in animal welfare, and we’re a forward-thinking organization,” said Caitlin Tomlinson, ARL’s Associate Director of Animal Care & Operations.

“The process is really meant to cater to individuals so that when a person comes into our shelter, we’re looking at what’s going on in their lives, what their needs are, and which animals are going to fit those needs.”

Transitioning to the Adoption-Forward process meant hours of training for ARL’s animal care staff.

“We don’t have customer service situations like your typical retail business has,” Tomlinson explains. “We’re dealing with living animals, not products or services. It’s important for our staff to be able to engage in open and honest dialogue, to set up both the adopter and the animal for long-term success.”

Adopt a Pet

In 2017, ARL adopted out 3,474 animals to their forever homes. Find your match at arlboston.org/adopt

Joey: This 2-year-old bunny is an emotional support animal for his owner, Kelsey (pictured).