Creating lasting change through innovative community programs
Wraparound Support Program
Release a Leash is Project Pet’s trauma-responsive wellness program that uses structured dog training and peer-led guidance to build emotional resilience, strengthen the human–animal bond, and connect participants to behavioral health and wraparound support.
Professional Development
Workforce Development prepares participants for real-world careers through peer support certification, animal welfare training, digital marketing and e-commerce pathways, and hands-on experience in outreach, project management, and social enterprise operations.
Mental Health Support
One Health Microclinics are mobile, pet- and people-assisted wellness hubs that deliver behavioral health support, peer navigation, animal care, and wraparound services directly to communities.
Release a Leash is a 9-week wellness program that blends trauma-informed dog training with behavioral health support and wraparound social services — healing people and pets together. Designed for transition-aged youth, reentry adults, seniors, veterans, and families, the program uses the human-animal bond to spark emotional growth, restore resilience, and encourage community connection. Guided by certified peer navigators and licensed dog trainers, participants build emotional regulation skills, practice hands-on canine training, and learn how to strengthen healthy relationships — with their dogs, their communities, and themselves.
Co-created with Dr. Tony Jackson, PranaMind in Oakland, and the Bay Area Chapter of the Black Psychologists Association, Release a Leash reflects a culturally rooted, community-driven approach to wellness within the One Health model. Through partnerships with Oakland Animal Services, Bay Area Community Services, and other local collaborators, the program connects participants to mental health care, housing support, and vocational pathways — ensuring every graduating cohort leaves stronger, more connected, and equipped with tools for long-term stability.
Build tools for emotional regulation, stress management, and self-awareness through peer-led wellness sessions and the grounding power of the human–animal bond.
Prepare for living-wage careers through peer navigation training, pet-centered vocational skills, and hands-on experience in social-enterprise operations like digital marketing, fulfillment, and community engagement.
Access wraparound support, job readiness coaching, and connections to workforce opportunities, housing resources, and local partners committed to long-term stability.
