ANIMAL WELFARE COMMUNITY: Animal Care for Artists Initiative (ACAI) interview with Founder Laura Menck

Interview by Irene Soriano Brightman, PITStop Editor

Downtown Dog Rescue is very pleased to feature an interview with Laura Menck, the founder of Animal Care for Artists Initiative (ACAI) based here in Southern California. Who does ACAI serve and what service do they provide? The mission statement says it all – “To assist low income individuals, employed in the arts, in covering the cost of medical care for their animal companions.”

It is a much needed service for a segment of an oftentimes overlooked workforce. One can be a “struggling artist” and understand what “financial challenges” can mean and one can be a “working artist” and still belong to a sector that doesn’t bring in a high earning punch and keep one “financially challenged.”

Many in the animation industry have recently felt the crunch with departments getting downsized plus massive layoffs have occurred in various creative fields. When worrying about rent and food, vet bills become an added burden to an already alarming financial situation. For many artists, pets provide comfort, companionship and oftentimes inspiration that help grow their artistic inclinations and projects (Moby is an example and poet, Mary Oliver! While they might not need ACAI’s services, I wonder if they would help fund it!). When our companions get ill and we’re financially strapped (I’ve been there!), the service that ACAI provides becomes invaluable.

ACAI’s mascot, Dolly – Laura’s American Bulldog

Tell us about yourself, your interest in the arts, artists, animals, LA?

Fortunately, I grew up in a family that loves the arts and animals and, thus, I became an animal welfare advocate and volunteer. I moved to L.A. three years ago to marry a local musician and community involvement is very important so I became involved right away volunteering with various rescues and the LAAS spay/neuter committee. I work at UCLA Healthcare with patients who have asthma and emphysema so I want to make sure that my time outside of work is spent helping animals. I am also a year away from completing my graduate degree in public policy and nonprofit management so I hope to bring a lifetime of service to our Los Angeles community through that.

What was the catalyst that made you create ACAI?

I have seen many artists struggle financially and often don’t have health care themselves and I don’t want to see any animal go without the care that it needs. As most people know, many artists struggle financially so they may have a hard time maintaining their creative objectives and financial stability. At the same time, I want to make sure animals are spayed/neutered, healthy, and stay out of shelters. ACAI was a way for me to bring two passions together. There are so many important things going on in the world that needs our time and attention, if everyone could figure out what moves them towards creating change, even if it is an unusual idea such as ACAI, then those creative ideas might bring about creative solutions.

What services does ACAI provide and how does it work ?

We assist low income individuals, employed in the arts, in covering the cost of medical care for their animal companions. The artists applies for financial assistance, their vet has to outline what services are needed and verify the amount needed. We then make payment directly to the vet on behalf of the artist and the animal. Any animal, any breed, any location- the artist just has to meet Federally established low income requirements and fill out the forms found on the website.

What has been the most rewarding experience so far, the most frustrating?

Seeing an animal get the medical treatment it needs is, by far, the most satisfying feeling I have ever experienced. Both animal lovers and artists have been overwhelmingly supportive and the uniting of these two groups, in my daily life, has been inspiring and motivates us to keep going. I find anything that brings people or groups together for the greater good to be really exciting! The most frustrating? I am sure it is what everyone finds most frustrating: Fundraising! It’s exhausting and we are totally donation dependent so it’s the lifeblood of the organization.

Laura and Dolly in the music room

If you were given $10,000 tomorrow, what 5 things would you implement for ACAI right away?

Everything we bring in goes to taking care of the animals so that money would be used to pay for medical procedures. We have a cat waiting for surgery as soon as we can get the money and it’s expensive. We are all volunteers so there are no paid employees. However, administratively, we are in need of a new computer and printer but until the animals are taken care of the electronics will just have to keep it together.

What would you like ACAI to look like, let’s say, a year from now? 5 years from now?
In one year, our exempt status will be in place and it will make us more effective for fundraising opportunities. In five years, we would love to have enough funds on hand that no animals would have to wait to receive their care. We would also like to find vets that might offer services at a slightly discounted cost. Ideally, we would love to connect with someone well known in the arts who would be willing to lend their name to ACAI. That can go so far in terms of promotion and fundraising. Finally, we would love to offer our services on a nationwide scale so in five years we hope to share our mission and services with artists throughout the United States.

I’ve come to believe that any successful animal welfare related work takes “a village,” any folks or organizations you would like to thank for getting ACAI running and going?
So many already! Our board has been endlessly supportive. Rob Kelly was the first artist to jump on board and he created our incredible logo. Thomas Valle-Guatemala created our website an has helped us maintain it. The positivity of DDR and other wonderful rescue groups has been especially exciting.

How can PITStop readers help ACAI at this juncture? Are there volunteer opportunities available?
Spread the word about us, check our our website Animal Care for Artists Initiative or Facebook page(Search words “The Animal Care for Artists Initiative”), and consider donating if this is something that moves them. If someone would like to host an event of some kind for fundraising even better! In the past year we have been allowed to set up a table at local music shows such as Harry the Dog and The Grand Old Echo, and art shows at ThinkSpace Gallery; if people are willing to let us do that we’ll come on down!

Check out an article written about ACAI

published in BARK’s blog last year:
A Creative Twist on Animal Welfare by Lisa Wogan

The Pet Medical Center of Sunland staff is pictured with Precious. ACAI is helping Precious with her dental disease issues. Her guardian was in music until he suffered serious health problems this year.

Editors Note:
Laura has been waiting to get her 501(c)(3) exemption application approved. But as we all know in non-profit land, turn around time from the IRS is a virtual black hole while numerous requests for assistance from artists have continued to pour through ACAI’s doors. Until she gets her official letter from the IRS, we hope that folks will consider donating to help urgent vet cases for animal companions of various artists that have been severely affected in their respective disciplines during this economic downturn. It wont be tax deductible (for now!) but it will help a lot of animals waiting for needed medical care!

Please contact Laura at: info@animalcareforartists.org