In our welcome issue of Quinn’s Dispatch, get to know the Center, hear about upcoming projects, and learn how to get involved.
🚀 Launch!
The Quinn Center for Animal Welfare Innovation is officially launched! We are building slowly, focusing on community and quality. If you are interested in joining our journey, consider Joining Us on Discord or Reaching Out Via Email. Be sure to subscribe to this newsletter for updates.
🧬 The DNA of the Quinn Center
At the Quinn Center for Animal Welfare Innovation, we believe that better data, smarter tools, and collaborative problem-solving can transform how we care for animals and our shared community.
We aim to be a hub for research, innovation, and collaboration, that brings together diverse experts in technology, community services, and animal welfare to solve the toughest challenges facing the human-animal bond.
We take on problems that are complex, messy, and deeply important—not just for animals, but for the communities that surround them. And we bring together the diverse skill sets needed to tackle those problems in new ways.
Here’s what guides us:
❤️ Our Core Values
- Evidence Based – Rigorous dedication to evidence, both qualitative and quantitative.
- Open and Accessible – Make available results, tools, and findings. Focus on user experience.
- Collaborative – Building a big tent of diverse voices.
- Quality Obsessed – Do everything with single minded devotion to excellence.
🛠️ How We Do It
Everything we do falls into one or more of these buckets:
- Support & Conduct Original Research – Focus on policy, welfare strategies, and technology.
- Forge Partnerships – Connect professionals across industries (shelters, tech, academia, policy, etc.). Maintain Open Collaborative Spaces.
- Produce Open Tools & Data – Develop software, frameworks, and research models for the field.
👋 Meet the Director: Michael Wilson
Hi, I’m Michael—founder and director of the Quinn Center.
My path here has been a bit of a winding one. I’ve spent over 20 years working in software and artificial intelligence, including contributing to peer-reviewed research. I also hold two graduate degrees—one in Anthropology and one in Education. Both of which required original research and fueled my love for deep inquiry.
But more important than that, I’ve been in the animal welfare trenches. I’ve volunteered in shelters, rescues, farms, and wildlife centers for more than 15 years (really, most of my life). I’ve worked in community outreach, animal behavior, adoptions, logistics, disaster, and more.
I also value data even when it disproves my favorite ideas. I believe stories are how we understand the world, but evidence is how we change it. And I believe the animal welfare sector is full of smart, passionate people who deserve better tools, clearer answers, and more sustainable systems.
Of course, I live with three extremely spoiled rescue cats who keep me humble.
💬 The Pack: Join us on Discord
We’ve launched a collaborative Discord space for anyone serious about animal welfare innovation. It’s designed to support connection, creativity, and critique. Here’s what you’ll find inside:
- Research channels for sharing studies, datasets, and project ideas.
- Feedback spaces to get input on your work (or offer it to others).
- Weekly digests of the most exciting innovation and research news in animal welfare.
- Lounge areas for casual conversation and community-building.
Whether you’re a seasoned researcher, a student with big ideas, a longtime volunteer, or an advocate ready to level up — you’re welcome.
👉 Click here to join the Discord
🔎 A Glimpse Ahead: The Roscoe’s Law Data Project
Our first major initiative is already underway: The Roscoe’s Law Data Project.
In partnership with local organizations, we’re developing a framework to assess the impact of Pets in Housing legislation in Washington, D.C. This project will gather both quantitative and qualitative data to evaluate the impact.
It’s a mix of policy analysis, system design, and field research, and we’re excited to share more soon.
📬 What to Expect from Future Newsletters
Each quarter, Quinn’s Dispatch will bring you:
- Project updates from the Quinn Center and our partners
- New tools, frameworks, and datasets that you can explore or contribute to
- Research spotlights on studies that should be on your radar
- Community conversations and open calls for collaborators
Our goal is to be useful, honest, and inspiring. You won’t find clickbait here—just real information, thoughtful questions, and maybe a cat picture or two.
🐾 Let’s Build This Together
For now, you can be involved by:
☺️ Quinn Says Thank You!
—
Michael Wilson
Director, Quinn Center for Animal Welfare Innovation
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