Horizons of Change
Catch up on our Webinar and help us sow the seeds for change and make a meaningful impact on the world around us.
We continue to be deep into applying systems thinking to address the societal problems linked to veterinary and social care that we are seeing first-hand at Cherished Pets and Social Hearted Vet. Our latest virtual event left us profoundly inspired and eager to pursue collaborative action.
Our webinar was remarkable, and we extend our gratitude to everyone who joined us live. If you couldn't make it, this post is your chance to catch up, stay informed, or jump on board! If you can find time, here is the two-hour event recording:
Passcode: CherishedPets*3May
"I was particularly struck by the infectious enthusiasm of those leading the initiative to embrace and foster the adoption of an overarching integrated vision of the many-faceted landscape in which Cherished Pets activities are being conducted.” - Professor David Mellor
Background & The Second Conversation
Background
In November 2023, we kickstarted an essential conversation across sectors with our Roundtable on "The Future of Veterinary and Social Services." This event was born from an informal morning tea conversation at the 2023 AVA Conference in Adelaide. For more background on our November event, check out the story here: We've started a Conversation.
Following our November event, we had a swell of interest in coming together for another one, and our Social Hearted Vet team spurred into action to host a virtual follow-up event on Friday 3 May. Our thinking that led to this decision is wrapped up here: Summer. Systems. Strategy.
For more information about our November Roundtable and to download the paper click here: https://www.cherishedpetcare.com.au/about-us/systems-change
The second conversation - Webinar 3 May
Our intention for this second event was to
Continue the conversation from our November Roundtable
Introduce systems thinking to our community
Build a sense of belonging around The Cherished Pets Initiative
Highlights of the webinar:
Hosted a mini Systems Thinking masterclass by Kaj Lofgren, CEO of Regen Melbourne. Kaj is an incredibly articulate and inspiring human who so cleverly took us on a snapshot course into the world of systems thinking, horizons and emergence, and outlined the SOIL Methodology created for Regen Melbourne.
Cherished Pets presented our adapted methodology, BOND, proposing a 3-year process. (If you’d like to see this please contact us.)
Shared our ambitious goal…
GOAL
Develop a National Strategy and Policy Framework to:
Harness the power of the human-animal bond
Advocate for the value of the human-animal bond as an integrated component of human health and social service delivery.
Build interconnected systems
Build integrated systems that prioritise the welfare of both humans and animals, ensuring that veterinary practices are trained and supported to provide comprehensive support to pets and their people, while social services can effectively facilitate their role in supporting both.
Map the ecosystem
Map the animal welfare and social welfare ecosystems to delineate our sphere of influence, identifying strategic partnerships and funding opportunities to create impact at scale.
There were many key takeaways from the Webinar. Here’s what stands out.
The human-animal bond is a catalyst for transformational social change.
Systemic change requires time, collaboration, and adaptability.
Changing a system doesn’t happen overnight. It requires the community to gather, connect, and build trust. Engaging in this complex process means being willing to pivot, respond to the unexpected, and avoid preconceived outcomes. Patience and readiness to roll up your sleeves for the work and discomfort are crucial.
Radical Collaboration is essential for driving systemic change.
Transforming systems requires a special kind of collaboration, one that doesn't always happen organically across different industries and sectors. It involves individuals who share a vision and understand the critical importance of this endeavour. Together, we'll explore this concept further, extracting insights, fostering learning, and creating meaning from our collective experiences.
Emerging themes of interest vital to this ongoing conversation include:
Exploring education pathways in the human-animal bond space.
Understanding the role of veterinary social work in supporting individuals and communities.
Recognising the significance of pets in healthy aging and the commendable work of organisations like CANA.
Examining the link between social issues and animal welfare.
Reconsidering the concept of "responsible pet ownership" within the context of the human-animal bond.
What's on the horizon?
The Three Horizons framework above, developed by Bill Sharpe of the International Futures Forum, offers a straightforward approach to guiding systems change. We had a big ‘aha’ moment when we were first introduced to the Three Horizons Framework by Kaj Lofgren and Danny Almagor of Small Giants Academy, instantly seeing the strength of this framework is its ability to provide a simple, understandable way to achieve clarity when reimagining and creating different paths for the future.
Horizon One represents “business as usual” – the current systems prevalent in today’s world. In the context of veterinary care, our vantage point has shown us that Horizon One reflects a system that fails to address the needs of marginalised and vulnerable groups in our community with companion animals. It fails to recognise that the human-animal bond has real magic, power and opportunity to create thriving communities if supported.
Horizon Three represents the better, more sustainable, and just system – an ecosystem that produces equitable health and wellbeing, supporting thriving for ALL people everywhere. Horizon Two in the middle, embodies disruptive innovation, including new paradigms of thinking and innovative and novel approaches to overcoming existing challenges. Our ‘aha’ moment was realising that we’ve already started our journey into Horizon Two with our Cherished Pets Model of Care.
Also guiding our work and shaping our approach to promote holistic health and wellbeing for people and companion animals are One Health and One Welfare. We also refer you to the Five Domains of Animal Welfare, developed by Professor David Mellor as a scientific approach to evaluate animal welfare and promote positive outcomes. (We were honoured to have David join our webinar and are inspired by his animal welfare science thinking.) To read more on all of these, check out the links at the end.
While we aim to get to Horizon Three, we know that delivering in Horizon One is still important, it’s just that we need to stop using a ‘band-aid’ model of care and invest in creating new solutions. By thinking about these different horizons we can also be made aware of how we can embrace new ways of doing things now in the present.
And that’s why we’re here - to collaboratively achieve the best path forward for long-term changes that create thriving communities. We need to build a community of people who share our vision, align in values and have faith in the process. By letting go of predefined outcomes we can lean into what nature does so well, which is emergence.
Are you in?
We want to hear from you. Your thoughts, perspectives, and ideas are invaluable to us. Whether you choose to leave comments or send direct emails to alicia@cherishedpetcare.com.au, your input matters.
Help us raise awareness, funding, and support for our initiative. If you know potential funders, sponsors, partners, or investors who share our values and vision, connect us. We're eager to collaborate with like-hearted and like-minded individuals who are aligned with our mission. Your advocacy is pivotal. Please contact Sarah, sarah@cherishedpetcare.com.au, with your ideas.
Start by inviting others to participate, reaching out to individuals across veterinary, human health, and social service sectors. Your connections and introductions can open doors and expand our reach.
Lastly, consider upgrading your Substack subscription to a paid plan and directly support our work. Your subscription not only sustains our efforts but also enables us to continue making a positive impact in our community.
Let's amplify diverse voices and ideas as we navigate this together. Together, we can sow the seeds for change and make a meaningful impact on the world around us.
Hey Lissi. Just had to say how much I loved the Zoom on Friday. Absolutely inspirational and mind-blowing. So happy to be part of this journey” – Pip Molnar, GP Vet
“I really enjoyed the session today. It resonated on so many levels. Both with the work you do and with the systems thinking in terms of what we are trying to do at TVK as well” – Alex Harrison, The Veterinary Kaleidoscope
Links of interest:
If Systems Thinking excites you as much as it does us, we highly recommend checking out the programs at Small Giants Academy.
Wisdom and Action Podcast Nora Bateson and systems thinking
We acknowledge the Wadawurrung People of the Kulin Nation as the traditional custodians of the land on which we are gathered and pay respects to elders past, present and emerging. We recognise their continuing connection to the land, waterways, and community and acknowledge that this land was never ceded.
As an organisation that values the human-animal bond, we endeavour to learn from, and incorporate Indigenous way of knowing and the idea of oneness into our practice, in order to benefit both the land on which we live and all beings residing upon it.