Forming, Supporting, Elevating, & Celebrating the Bond Between People & Pets.
Click here to download our Strategic Plan as a PDF.
From Our CEO
It’s my honor and pleasure to share with you, Better Together, Joybound’s strategic plan for the next four years. Better Together is our blueprint for building a world where every dog and cat has a safe, healthy, loving home and every human has access to the unconditional love and support that only a companion animal can bring.
The strategic plan you’re about to explore expresses Joybound’s shared vision in four core commitments, fifteen focus areas to keep us on track, and twenty one specific goals we aim to achieve. I am proud to share this plan with you not only because it’s inspiring and ambitious but because it’s a product of genuine teamwork. Joybound board and staff members, volunteers, community partners, donors, sponsors, and supporters played a crucial role in shaping this vision.
Better Together is more than a slogan; it’s a way of life and a reflection of our shared dedication. Together, we will continue to make life healthier and happier for pets, the people who love them, and the communities we share.
Sincerely,
Susan Lee Vick, Joybound CEO
About Joybound
Our Mission
To inspire and nurture the human-animal bond and bring people and animals together to enrich each other’s lives.
We do this through connecting adoptable cats and dogs with loving guardians, training and behavioral support, accessible veterinary care, food and supply assistance, therapy and service-animal programs, and rich learning resources for all pet families.
Our Vision
A world where every companion animal has a safe and loving home, and every person who could benefit from a human-animal bond has access to, and resources for, a lifetime of mutual love and support.
Our Commitments
Enlightened Innovation.
Introduce bold new approaches to today’s most pressing challenges.
Inclusive Collaboration.
Share Joybound’s services, programs, and opportunities with diverse communities.
Elevated Education.
Provide advanced training for pet-related careers and pet care education for pet guardians.
Community of Enthusiasm.
Create and sustain a passionate community that serves people and the pets we love.
Beneficial Impacts
What They Are
Beneficial impacts are the positive effects that humans and pets experience from Joybound’s programs and services.
How They Are Calculated
The beneficial impacts of Joybound’s services are measured by counting the people and pets positively affected by any given Joybound service. For example, when a cat is spayed or neutered, its improved behavior and health benefit the entire household, including all humans and pets. Thus, the total impact includes the cat, the family dog, and all family members.
Real-World Example
The Garcia family sends their puppy to Joybound’s dog training classes, resulting in a well-behaved and happy dog, which creates a harmonious home environment. The entire family of four enjoys a more relaxed, relationship with their pet, and even the family cat appreciates the newfound calm and order.
COMMITMENT 1
Enlightened Innovation
Through bold new approaches, fresh efficiencies, and strategic investments of attention and resources, Joybound is addressing today’s most pressing problems in animal well-being. Our commitment to these principles ensures that Joybound remains at the forefront of positive change for the communities we serve.
Focus Areas
- Solve for critical professional skills shortages
- Reduce barriers to the human-animal bond
- Optimize and standardize shelter care protocols
Goals
# 1
450,000 Beneficial impacts for people and pets, including rescue, care, and adoption operations uniting 17,000 pets with guardians
# 2
Innovative new partnerships within the veterinary care and educational sectors to address immediate needs while building long-term solutions
# 3
A mission-aligned social enterprise business plan for Joybound’s undeveloped land
# 4
Robust new resources to support Joybound’s adoptions and our communities’ pets and people
# 5
New standards of excellence in shelter animal care through integrated training, behavior, and socialization protocols
COMMITMENT 2
Inclusive Collaboration
Collaboration creates strength. Joybound commits to sharing its services, programs, and opportunities with diverse individuals, cohorts, demographics, and geographies. ​We will build new coalitions with community partners to increase belonging, advance equity, and widely share the life-enriching bond between people and pets.
Focus Areas
- Increased access to and support for the human-animal bond for people facing systemic barriers
- Create employment pathways in pet-related fields for people facing obstacles to opportunity
- New collaborations with community partners to extend Joybound’s services locally, regionally, and nationally
Goals
# 1
DEIB and open adoption training for Joybound’s professional and volunteer workforce
# 2
National expansion of Joybound’s scalable programs, commencing with Grooming Academy, Training and Enrichment, and Shelter to Service
# 3
Services where they are needed most, through teamwork in communities with systemic barriers
# 4
Campus improvements to better welcome and engage the community
# 5
A scalable signature community event for grassroots friend-and-fundraising
# 6
Thriving partnerships with organizations sharing Joybound’s values and vision
COMMITMENT 3
Elevated Education
Joybound is committed to strengthening our sector, community, and organization through education. We will create best-in-class educational opportunities for animal lovers of all ages and those seeking pet-related vocational training. These efforts will help create well-educated and empowered pet guardians and communities.
Focus Areas
- Empowering employment through vocational training in the pet industry
- Supporting our sector with ongoing education to ensure our industry stays innovative and informed
- Empowering pet guardians with knowledge to make informed decisions for their pets
Goals
# 1
Pet-related vocational training in fields such as veterinary nursing, pet grooming, and dog training
# 2
A full array of accessible learning tools for Joybound’s staff, volunteers, and partners
# 3
An educational conference for Joybound’s peers, partners, and the community
# 4
Interactive educational opportunities throughout Joybound’s campus
# 5
A skilled speakers’ bureau to share Joybound’s mission and vision with all interested audiences
COMMITMENT 4
Community of Enthusiasm
While a healthy culture is an asset to any organization, at Joybound, it is mission-critical.​ We are dedicated to creating and nurturing a community passionate about pets and the people who love them. When core human needs like security, health, and wellness are met, and feelings such as belonging, empathy, teamwork, play, and inspiration are present, there’s no limit to what we can accomplish together.
Focus Areas
- A culture of belonging, trust and transparency
- An inviting and inspiring campus
- Professional training and advancement paths
- Care for compassion fatigue
- Accessible and fulfilling volunteer roles
- Ongoing celebration of the human-animal bond
Goals
# 1
Workplace culture amplifying core qualities of the human-animal bond, such as
trust, loyalty, commitment, compassion, and play
# 2
Enculturated empathy and relief for compassion fatigue
# 3
A thriving culture of philanthropy and hospitality embedded in Joybound’s place and practices
# 4
An activated, dynamic social responsibility plan embodying Joybound’s commitment to our community’s and the planet’s health and well-being
# 5
Recognition as a best-in-class employer in the region and sector
Our Programs Work Together to Bring the Plan to Life
Rescue & Adoptions
Connecting adoptable animals with loving guardians while relieving our partner shelters
from overcrowding.
Service Dogs & Cats
Shelter dogs and cats that complete our nationally recognized training program are transformed into psychiatric service and facility animals.
Training & Behavior
A well-behaved pet is a happy one. Our expert instructors teach pets and guardians skills for a lifetime of joy and harmony.
Volunteer Program
Hundreds of dedicated volunteers donate their time and talents to save lives and spread love.
Assisting Pet Families
Joybound partners with community organizations to offer pet food, veterinary care, and emotional support.
Veterinary Care
Elevating skilled veterinary teams to lead innovative and inclusive medical services that support the human-animal bond.
Grooming Academy
Education that breaks down employment barriers and builds careers in animal well-being through comprehensive dog grooming training and job placement support.
Every team at Joybound helped develop this plan and plays a fundamental role in its success. Working together, we support the connection between people and pets through a lifetime partnership.
Joybound Leadership
With gratitude to the Joybound Board of Directors, staff members, volunteers, community partners, donors, sponsors, and supporters whose passion, vision, and dedication has made this plan possible.
Board of Directors
- Gregory L. McCoy, Esq.
President - Jennifer Hall
Vice President - Dayna Sayres
Treasurer - Morgan Forsey
Secretary - Greg Andrews
Director - Rose Bollman
Director - Angela De La Housaye Ashley
Director - Steve Degnan
Director - Jason Dombrosky, DVM
Director - Kevin Fick
Director - Mark Jennings
Director - Peter Scott
Director - Alice Tillett
Director
Senior Leadership
- Susan Lee Vick
Chief Executive Officer - Raul Del Barco
Chief Talent Officer - Cheryl McKenna
Chief Financial Officer - Lisa M. Moore
Chief Advancement Officer - Wendy Taylor-Tanielian
Chief of Staff - Miguel Abi-hassan
Chief Programs Officer
