Annie’s Story – Compassion in Action with Charm City Companions
Happy New Year! Happy New Decade! Today I share a brief reflection on how my volunteer work in the community with B-More Dog has helped me become a happier person than I was 10 years ago by releasing judgment and having compassion for others. I also explain some of the Baltimore-specific references that Annie & I discuss.
At the start of Episode 3 with Michelle Serocki, I gave a little bit of background on some of Humane Society of the U.S. programs to help dog owners in underserved communities. HSUS’s former End Dogfighting program morphed into what is now known as Pets For Life. The Pets For Life program helps to address the lack of resources pet owners experience in underserved communities by providing free veterinary care, supplies, services and information.
Our guest today, Annie Pruitt of Charm City Companions (“CCC”), literally wrote the book on the Pets For Life program. Annie worked for more than 20 years in the field of communications and market research. When her company was hired by the Humane Society of the U.S. to help create the Pets For Life campaign, Annie’s life changed forever.
Through her own experiences, it became so clear to Annie that the benefits of the human-animal bond reach beyond someone’s socio-economic status. Annie now runs Charm City Companions full-time. Her days are spent doing door-to-door community outreach in East Baltimore neighborhoods that are also known for high rates of gun violence.
Annie and I discuss:
How supporting pets is also creating healthier communities;
Annie’s unconventional childhood;
How her professional marketing career led to the creation of Charm City Companions;
How Annie decided to concentrate CCC’s efforts in the East Baltimore communities of McElderry Park and Ellwood Park;
How Annie’s own pets supported her during a life-altering break-up which affected her both personally and professionally and made her realize the strength and importance of the human-animal bond to pet owners of all socio-economic backgrounds;
How the work Annie & I have done in underserved communities has changed our perceptions and understandings and how we hope the animal welfare community will continue to evolve in presenting stories in a manner that’s compassionate and respectful to all parties; and
Stories about some of the people Annie has met in the community through CCC.

To end, I “geek out” about a book I read that affected how I think about poverty, “Scarcity, the New Science of Having Less and How it Defines Our Lives.” This “Malcolm Gladwell-style” read helps us correlate how a busy person’s lack of time, or dieter’s lack of will power, can affect decision-making, similar to a poverty mindset.
Find Charm City Companions online:
Website: http://www.charmcitycompanions.org/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/charmcitycompanions
Links talked about:
HSUS Pets For Life
Baltimore "butterfly map" and also here
Safe Streets - East Baltimore

 
Let’s connect. You can find photos of Annie, her dog Poly and her work with Charm City Companions at:
Facebook @believeindogpodcast
Instagram @believe_in_dog_podcast
NEW Email! erin@believeindogpodcast.com