Social Work in Animal Welfare (SWAW) Guidelines

The Social Work in Animal Welfare (SWAW) Guidelines represent the first professional framework designed to integrate social work practice within animal welfare settings. Developed through an 18-month participatory action research project by 25 social workers across the U.S. and Canada, the guidelines were funded by the ASPCA and Maddie's Fund and coordinated by the Open Door Veterinary Collective with support from the International Association of Veterinary Social Work and the Program for Pet Health Equity.

These best-practice guidelines aim to help animal welfare organizations strengthen their mission by addressing the interconnected well-being of people and animals. They provide practical recommendations to:

• Support human–animal families through trauma-informed, client-centered care and by reducing barriers that lead to pet surrender.
• Enhance organizational health by embedding social workers to promote staff wellbeing and prevent burnout.
• Advance equity and access to veterinary and pet-related support across diverse communities.
• Foster collaboration among social work, veterinary, and community services to create holistic systems of care.

By applying these principles, organizations can improve both human and animal outcomes—building more compassionate, connected, and sustainable communities.