The way Maddie Lockett sees it, the crux of social work involves helping, empowering and connecting people with community resources. Lockett has found that job at Lawrence Humane Society but with a bonus: also helping animals.
As a self-described extrovert and someone destined for “a helping career,” Lockett finds happiness and energy as one of three social workers at the animal shelter.
“First of all, I feel like I get the best of both worlds working with both people and animals,” Lockett says.
Then there’s the versatility. Lockett says social work encompasses so many different fields and ways to help. Before coming on board at the humane society in early 2022, Lockett interned while finishing her social work degree at the University of Kansas and then worked for two years at Willow Domestic Violence Center.
“And I absolutely loved my time at the Willow,” says Lockett, 26. “I learned so many things, grew a lot as a person and as a social worker.”
The Crisis Pet Retention program was already up and running when Lockett came on board at the humane society. The program launched in October 2020 and marked a significant and actualized program shift in the approach to animal sheltering in Douglas County, says Elina Alterman, the shelter’s development director. Alterman, also a social worker, helped get the program off the ground in her previous role.
Crisis Pet Retention, or CPR, provides resources to pet owners experiencing crises related to poverty, houselessness, job loss, health problems and more. Many who seek assistance are employed or live on a fixed income, according to Alterman.
“So that could involve, obviously, experiencing houselessness, but it can also be a financial crisis, medical crisis, you know, things like fleeing from domestic violence or any other sort of unsafe situation,” Lockett says.
CPR fund is made possible by grants and private donations. Support can look a number of ways, such as providing pet food, supplies, vaccinations, medical care, pet rent, pet deposits, temporary boarding and other emergent needs.
“We even do some behavior consulting, depending on the situation,” Lockett says.
Then there’s the work Lockett and her coworkers do in the community in an effort to prevent crises that could threaten separation of pet owners and their pets. That support takes the form of low-cost vaccination clinics and other preventive veterinary care, pet food distribution, outreach for unhoused pet owners and more. More than 51 tons of pet food was distributed in 2023, according to data provided by Alterman.
Crisis work on the daily is difficult and “taxing in its own way,” Lockett says, but it’s her passion. She feels inspired by her shelter coworkers, whom she says are very supportive, and especially her clients.
“That’s a real source of inspiration,” Lockett says. “Again, seeing the strength and resilience of the folks that I’m working with, despite all of the incredibly difficult things that they’re dealing with.”
CPR has expanded during Lockett’s tenure, and it keeps growing. Last year, 808 animals from 546 individual households were treated by Lawrence Humane Society with preventive veterinary care totaling $81,845. That represents a 65% increase in community animals treated in 2022, according to the shelter’s 2023 Impact Report. And through August of this year, the shelter had already exceeded previous years’ data by helping 1,138 animals from 752 individual households, according to Alterman.
Amid an emerging and growing field where human welfare and animal welfare meet, Alterman says she knew Lockett would excel as a shelter social worker because not only is she a service-minded individual, but “she really understood the important role that animals play in a person’s whole health, the impact they have on mental health, the impact they have on physical health, how it relates to housing and food security.”
Alterman says much of Lockett’s success is attributable to a lack of cynicism, judgment and complacency.
“She really believes in helping people and gives them the benefit of the doubt and is patient and works with them, and that’s hard to find,” Alterman says.
Last week, Lockett was celebrated with a funding opportunity that will help expand outreach programs at the shelter. Northeast Kansas Animal Welfare Foundation and a Lawrence Humane Society donor awarded Lockett a professional development scholarship toward a graduate certificate in Social Aspects of Human-Animal Interactions from Colorado State University.
“I’m very excited to dive into this certificate,” Lockett says. “I’m very grateful for the opportunity.”
Eventually, Lockett hopes to use her expanded knowledge to launch a pet loss grief counseling program through Lawrence Humane Society.
”So that’s actually like a bigger picture kind of goal for the future,” Lockett says. “It’s absolutely something that we want to dig into more and provide more support to folks who are experiencing pet loss.”
When her workday is done, Lockett enjoys playing tabletop games and hobbies that lean toward her crafty side such as crocheting, bullet journaling and painting. She says she’s thankful for a very supportive home environment, which she shares with partner Emmanuel, dog Mabel and a foster kitten.
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Tricia Masenthin (she/her), equity reporter, can be reached at tmasenthin (at) lawrencekstimes (dot) com. Read more of her work for the Times here. Check out her staff bio here.
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