When a person loses their home, they experience trauma and grief. Their pet may be their sole source of love and support.
For a person experiencing homelessness, losing their pet can make one of the most difficult times in their life even more painful. Yet, with few emergency facilities offering pet-inclusive housing, it’s a decision so many people feel forced to make. We know pet-inclusive solutions to homelessness are not only possible, they already exist.
Maddie’s Fund® is a proud sponsor of the annual My Dog Is My Home Conference , which exists with the hope that someday, nobody will have to choose between a home and their best friend. By showcasing emerging practices in keeping people and pets together, we are building the housing solutions and communities we want.
The 3-day virtual My Dog Is My Home Conference (March 24-26, 2026) brings together:
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Leaders in the field of pet-inclusive housing
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Individuals with lived experience of homelessness
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Hundreds of representatives from human services and animal welfare nonprofits
The My Dog Is My Home Conference aims to increase access to pet-inclusive emergency and long-term housing through workshops, webinars, stories of lived experience, art, community networking and more.
All of this happens online, so there are no associated expenses beyond registration.
A win-win-win for animals, people and service providers—pet-inclusive housing:
- Supports humans’ mental, emotional and physical health
- Saves hard-to-adopt animals from languishing or being euthanized in shelters
- Frees space in animal shelters that are beyond their capacity
This year’s presenters include:
- Aimee Gilbreath, President, PetSmart Charities
- Nicholas Weinmeister, Project Administrator, USC Homelessness Policy Research Institute
- Noah Patton, Director of Disaster Recovery Housing, National Low Income Housing Coalition
Will you join us?