Santa Fe Animal Shelter teams up with HatchingTM to Provide Staff and Volunteers with Compassion Training Course
Santa Fe Animal Shelter teams up with Hatching™ to Provide Staff and Volunteers with Compassion Training Course
SANTA FE – Santa Fe Animal Shelter (SFAS) has partnered with Hatching–a social impact organization focused on increasing compassion–to offer The Más Compassion Experience™ to its staff and volunteers in an effort to support overall wellness.
The workshop–provided for the first time in a bilingual format for SFAS–is designed to help individuals and teams build the capacity to care while also caring for themselves. Through the workshop, participants underwent guided reflection and honest conversations and learned practical tools rooted in emotional awareness. As a result of the experience, participants strengthened connection, navigated burnout, and reconnected to the purpose behind their work.
“Our volunteers and staff serve countless hours helping animals in need across our community,” said Lex Gowans, Associate Director of Marketing & Communications for Santa Fe Animal Shelter. “It’s common for those in caregiving professions to overwork themselves at the expense of their own needs. This workshop helped to break up that burnout and infuse all of us with a healthy dose of self-care and self-reflection. We’re incredibly grateful to Hatching for the partnership and look forward to the positive impacts this will have on our team.”
In addition to the immersive workshop, SFAS volunteers and staff enjoyed music from Indigenous flutist Sky Redhawk, who opened the workshop, accompanying a guided meditation led by Hatching CEO José Ocaño. A foundational part of the workshop, the music mindfulness experience invited participants to reflect on the question, “What is it like to be me?” The music helped participants slow down, become present, and connect with honest answers, often creating a meaningful and emotional experience.
“One of the most powerful moments came at the end of the workshop when a participant, with tears in her eyes, shared that she was leaving knowing she wasn’t alone in the struggle,” said José Ocaño, CEO of Hatching. “That realization can make all the difference. For Hatching, that’s what this work is really about: helping people feel seen, heard, and connected to one another as they navigate the challenges that come with caring for others.”
About Santa Fe Animal Shelter
Since 1939, Santa Fe Animal Shelter has been dedicated to its mission to support animals, save lives, and spread compassion. As a 501c3 nonprofit organization, we are northern New Mexico’s largest no-kill animal resource center serving Santa Fe county. Visit us online at sfhumanesociety.org.
About Hatching™
Hatching™ is a social impact organization helping people and organizations move from survival mode to compassion mode. Since its founding in 2023, Hatching has partnered with more than 100 organizations across the United States and Canada, supporting leaders, teams, and helpers in animal welfare, healthcare, education, and other mission-driven fields. Through consulting, workshops, live learning experiences, and digital education, Hatching equips people with practical tools that strengthen self-awareness, deepen connection, and build more compassionate communities. For more information, visit hatching.me
St. Louis Animal Welfare Coalition Hosts Compassion-Focused Workshops to Support Caregivers
St. Louis Animal Welfare Coalition Hosts Compassion-Focused Workshops to Support Caregivers
St. Louis, MO – May 27, 2026 – The Coalition for Pet Progress, a collaborative network of 40 animal welfare organizations across the region, is hosting a series of compassion-focused workshops designed to support the people behind the work. As Mental Health Awareness Month takes place in May, and amid rising burnout across the field, the Coalition is partnering with Hatching™, a social impact organization, to bring The Más Compassion Experience™ to the St. Louis region, an immersive workshop aimed at helping caregivers sustain their purpose while prioritizing their own well-being.
As Mental Health Awareness Month takes place in May, and amid rising burnout across the field, the Coalition is partnering with Hatching™, a social impact organization, to bring The Más Compassion Experience™ to the St. Louis region, an immersive workshop aimed at helping caregivers sustain their purpose while prioritizing their own well-being.
A core part of the Coalition’s mission is not only to serve pets, but to support the people doing the work.
In a field driven by compassion, the emotional and physical toll on caregivers is often overlooked, contributing to significantly higher turnover than the nonprofit average. These workshops are part of a broader effort to “help the helpers,” ensuring that those who care for animals are also supported, seen, and equipped to continue their work in a sustainable way, while also increasing awareness of the Coalition’s role in supporting both caregivers and the wider community.
“We know compassion fatigue profoundly affects our members, but we are also aware of the power of our Coalition community to lift each other up. My goal is to bring this workshop to our members and region to remind them that their well-being matters too, and that caring for themselves is not separate from caring for others,” said Nev Fisher, Executive Director of the Coalition for Pet Progress.
The Más Compassion Experience, created by Hatching, focuses on compassion and connection, helping individuals and teams move from survival mode to compassion mode. This immersive and transformative experience provides practical strategies rooted in mindfulness, and emotional regulation to better support those engaged in mission-driven work. Más Compassion is designed for those who care for others, including animal welfare professionals, first responders, medical professionals, educators, volunteers, and advocates, to reclaim compassion as a source of strength rather than exhaustion. Participants are invited to engage in reflection, build connection, and reconnect with the purpose behind their work.
“In helping professions, we often become experts at caring for everyone but ourselves. Más Compassion was created to remind people that compassion is not something we give until we are empty. It is something we learn to cultivate and come back to, especially in the moments when the work feels hardest,” said José Ocaño, CEO of Hatching.
Two workshop sessions will be held on Wednesday, May 27 in the St. Louis region. A morning session will take place from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM at Gateway Pet Guardians (725 N. 15th Street, East St. Louis, IL 62205).
The evening session, held from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM at the Academy of Pet Careers (3550 West Clay St., St. Charles, MO 63301), is open to the public. Reserve your spot with a $15 donation.
Community members, volunteers, and anyone in a caregiving or service-oriented role are encouraged to attend.
About the Coalition for Pet Progress
The Coalition for Pet Progress, formed by Purina in 2009, is a network of 40 animal welfare organizations across the St. Louis region dedicated to collaboration, resource-sharing, and advancing best practices in animal care. Through initiatives such as monthly meetings, regional programs, and community partnerships, the Coalition works to strengthen the impact of animal welfare efforts and support both pets and the people who care for them. Community members are encouraged to get involved by following along on social media, volunteering, attending meetings, or supporting upcoming initiatives that contribute to a more connected and sustainable animal welfare network. coalition4petprogress.org
About Hatching™
Hatching™ is a social impact organization helping people and organizations move from survival mode to compassion mode. Since its founding in 2023, Hatching has partnered with more than 100 organizations across the United States and Canada, supporting leaders, teams, and helpers in animal welfare, healthcare, education, and other mission-driven fields. Through consulting, workshops, live learning experiences, and digital education, Hatching equips people with practical tools that strengthen self-awareness, deepen connection, and build more compassionate communities. For more information, visit hatching.me
