University of Tennessee College of Social Work Establishes Center for Pet Family Well-Being
The University of Tennessee College of Social Work has launched the Center for Pet Family Well-Being (CPFW), marking a new chapter in the university’s leadership in interdisciplinary research and systems innovation.
Formerly known as the Program for Pet Health Equity (PPHE), the center reflects the evolution of an eight-year initiative that has gained national recognition for advancing research, policy, and community-based solutions that strengthen families with pets.
“Families do not experience health, housing, transportation, and social systems in isolation,” said Michael Blackwell, DVM, MPH, founder of PPHE and the new center. “The Center for Pet Family Well-Being reflects our commitment to aligning these systems in ways that recognize pets as part of the family and essential to family and community resilience.”
Since its launch in 2017, PPHE has secured more than $12 million in competitive grant funding, produced nationally cited research on access to veterinary care, developed the AlignCare model for community-based veterinary access, and led multiple cross-sector collaborations addressing social and structural barriers affecting pet-inclusive families.
“The center designation recognizes the scope, maturity, and national impact of this work,” said Lori Messinger, Dean of the College of Social Work. “The Center for Pet Family Well-Being aligns directly with the college’s commitment to health equity, community engagement, and interdisciplinary research that enhances real-world solutions.”
The center will advance a One Health Systems framework, developed through PPHE’s foundational work. The framework expands traditional One Health thinking by integrating features of societies’ health, social, economic, and structural systems that shape pet-inclusive family well-being. The framework aligns four core system domains:
Health and Well-Being
Economic and Community Support
Housing, Transportation, and Infrastructure
Education, Policy, and Research
The center seeks to use coordinated, community-driven approaches to integrate and transform these fragmented care and social systems so they work together more effectively to strengthen and support pet-inclusive families and their communities nationwide.
Housed within the UT College of Social Work, CPFW will continue expanding its research portfolio, workforce development initiatives, and national dissemination platforms. Key initiatives include expanding the already rapidly growing One Health Community Forum, and launching the Journal of One Health Systems and the annual One Health Systems Summit, which is scheduled to begin October 2026 at the American Public Health Association Annual Conference.
The center is supported through 2029 by a major grant from Maddie’s Fund®, a national family foundation established by Dave and Cheryl Duffield to revolutionize the status and well-being of companion animals. The Center for Pet Family Well-Being will continue building a diversified funding portfolio that includes federal and foundation grants, training programs, and national convenings.
With this transition, the University of Tennessee strengthens its position as the emerging national hub for One Health Systems, advancing interdisciplinary research and community-engaged innovation that promotes equity and well-being for pet-inclusive families across the country.
For more information, visit https://csw.utk.edu/cpfw/
