
Joy is the quarterly magazine for Joybound People & Pets. With a gift of just $25 to Joybound, you can be added to our mailing list and receive Joy in your mailbox for one year!
Inside This Issue
From Our CEO
As you’ll read, in February, the Animal Rescue Foundation became Joybound People & Pets. While our name has changed, our mission and vision have not. In fact, as Joybound, we are better equipped than ever to work toward a future where every dog and cat has a safe, healthy, loving home and every human has access to the unconditional love that only a pet can bring.
The Joybound “joy bond” isn’t just between people and their pets; it connects all of us who know it and share it. That’s what our new name is all about: healthier, happier lives for pets, the people who love them, and the compassionate communities we create together. I couldn’t be prouder to share with you everything we’re up to.

Susan Lee Vick
Chief Executive Officer

We Are Joybound
Valentine’s Day this year was extra special. Decked out in new purple signs and banners, the Joybound campus was buzzing with excitement. After 32 years of serving our community as the Animal Rescue Foundation, ARF became Joybound People & Pets…

Little Leia: A Princess with a Job
Daisy, an Army Veteran, heard about Joybound’s psychiatric service dog training program from a contact at the local Department of Veterans Affairs. While she didn’t have a lot of experience with dogs…
How Three Months with a Foster Can Change a Life
Before a shelter dog selected for our psychiatric service dog program meets their future handler, they have to complete a very important step in the process: socialization and training under the care of a volunteer foster family for 12 weeks…


Breaking New Ground
Regular grooming can make a world of difference for a dog’s wellbeing. It isn’t just about looks – it’s about health and happiness too. On March 4, Joybound broke ground on Joybound’s Engelstad Grooming Academy…

Courageous Together
For someone experiencing domestic violence, a pet may be their only source of consistent love and comfort. Too often, these pets’ health and safety is also at risk in these situations, especially if the abuse survivor tries to leave….
The Road to 50,000 Adoptions
No matter where they come from, every animal who leaves the Joybound campus embarks on a joyful new chapter. While many faced uncertain futures earlier in their lives, it’s all smiles from here. Some go on to become Pet Hug Pack® therapy animals, taking their love to hospitals, nursing homes, schools, and other places where a dog or cat can reduce isolation or stress. Some are trained as psychiatric service dogs as part of our Shelter to Service program. Most become beloved family pets, giving and receiving unconditional love with their adoptive families and community.
On Thursday, March 8, Joybound completed its 50,000th adoption since starting our lifesaving rescue and adoption work in 1991. With that in mind, we’d like to share a few stories of the special dogs and cats who have touched our hearts: (Read more)







Joybound’s Community Solutions Keep Pets with Their Loving Families
Robby found the friend of a lifetime in a little, scrappy, black cat named Lightning. They met while they were both experiencing homelessness. As Lightning began to trust him and their bond deepened, Robby was determined to…

Community Solutions Events
Proper, age-appropriate vaccinations are an important part of a pet’s health and wellbeing. At Joybound’s monthly vaccination clinics (held at locations across Contra Costa County)…
In Recognition of Jennifer Brown Peabody: a True Hero for Animals
This year, the Joybound family tragically lost Jennifer Brown Peabody, Joybound’s longtime Veterinary Services Administrator. After more than 21 years with the organization, the impact Jennifer had…


Tributes & Memories
This edition of Joy recognizes $500+ tribute gifts made between August 1 and May 31. For more information, please contact [email protected].

Donor Spotlight
For Cathy and Robert Lagorio, it all goes back to hope: “We both feel very passionate about all of the amazing programs at Joybound. The low-cost spay and neuter program speaks to us particularly. Where we live in the San Joaquin Valley, spaying and neutering pets is not a priority. As a result, unwanted animals are overwhelming the shelters all of the time. It was a blessing to find a rescue like ARF/Joybound that comes to cities like ours to relieve overcrowded shelters and give more animals a chance at a healthy, happy life.”
Renowned Animal Behaviorist Dr. Wailani Sung Joins Joybound
Joybound is thrilled to welcome Dr. Wailani Sung to lead animal intake, training, and enrichment operations. Dr. Sung is widely known for her featured role in the popular Netflix documentary “Inside the Mind of a Cat”…


A Festival Dedicated to the Human-Animal Bond
The animal welfare community was out in full force on May 19 for Joybound Around Town on Broadway. This incredible annual festival, formerly called Animals on Broadway, is an opportunity for people and pets alike to celebrate the human-animal bond…
We are Joybound People & Pets, formerly ARF, a privately funded, 501(c)(3) non-profit based in Walnut Creek, CA. With dog and cat rescue and adoption at the heart of its mission, Joybound forms, supports, elevates, and celebrates the human-animal bond through services such as training and veterinary care, food and supply assistance, therapy and service-animal programs, and rich learning resources for all pet families.
On the Cover: Bernie Machado
Photo Credit: Alain McLaughlin
Design Credit: Lori Winter
Publisher: Susan Lee Vick
Editor: Mawiyah Johnson
Writers: Anna Ghosh, Cole Kuiper