Homeward Bound: A SeeClickFix Journey

If you’re ever in need of a mid-day pick me up, you may want to keep an eye on the New Haven Central Hospital for Veterinary Medicine “Lost Pets” page, which enables SeeClickFix users to help reunite pet owners with their missing pets.  So, beyond bringing attention to standard municipal concerns, we’re helping to bring the resources of the SeeClickFix community to bear on tracking down any of our beloved furry friends who may have wandered off.  If we tried, we probably could not find a more heartwarming adaptation of our platform than this one.  It is as adorable as it sounds.   

For instance,  Issue # 161598 enabled a wounded puppy to get the medical attention it needed and reunite with its owner, and Issue # 161497 helped a concerned owner put the word out that their cat had gone missing.  If we help an old, wise dog find its way back to its family, then we’ll essentially have recreated Disney’s classic Homeward Bound: an Incredible Journey.

Aside from the pleasing endorphin buzz that these individual stories produce, they also say something significant about what we’re trying to accomplish at SeeClickFix.  Two of the most significant aspirations of the Gov 2.0 movement are individual empowerment and connecting people with what they value.  For instance, we like to say that reporting a pothole is a gateway drug to civic engagement, because it helps citizens to feel like their voice can actually matter in situations that are relevant to their neighborhood, and this leads inevitably to a deeper involvement with community concerns.   Our partnership with the New Haven Central Veterinary Hospital  also fulfills these goals by helping frantic pet owners to be proactive about recovering an important piece of their lives.  Hopefully, we can continue to establish partnerships like this, and help more individuals to feel empowered and connected to what is important to them.