Citizen Pup’s Mini Guide to Mutual Aid

What it is, why it matters, and how you (and your dog) can plug in

Photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash

You’ve probably seen or heard the term mutual aid floating around—especially during crises or natural disasters. But it’s more than just a buzzword. Mutual aid is about showing up for each other—without the hierarchy, saviorism, or strings attached. It’s essentially when community is most real with one another. And it’s something that both humans and their pups can be a part of.

So What Is Mutual Aid?

Mutual aid is the radical act of people helping people—sharing resources, time, skills, and support to survive and thrive. Unlike charity or philanthropy, it’s not about top-down giving. It’s horizontal, reciprocal, and rooted in solidarity.

Mutual aid can look like:

• Cooking meals for neighbors

• Giving someone a ride to the doctor

• Helping with vet bills

• Sharing your backyard for a community meeting

• Offering your couch to someone between homes

• Caring a protester’s dog when they get arrested

• Starting a group text for neighborhood safety alerts

How Dogs Fit In (Yes, Really)

Your pup might not be out organizing supply drives, but they can absolutely be part of the vibe. Here’s how:

• Pet fostering for people in crisis or transition

• Dog-walking swaps for activists or overworked caregivers

• Pup therapy moments at community events (never underestimate a cuddle or doggy kisses)

• Fundraising with their face (cutest mutual aid ever)

• Signal boosting your local mutual aid asks on your pup’s social media

How to Plug In

You don’t have to start a whole new network (unless you want to). Start here:

1. Look local
   Search “[Your City] Mutual Aid” or check Instagram, Facebook, or neighborhood message boards. Most networks share ongoing needs.

2. Offer what you already have
   You don’t need money. Time, skills, space, a car, tech help, dog supplies, food—it all counts.

3. Ask for what you need
   Yes, you too. Mutual aid goes both ways. Receiving support is part of the practice.

4. Be consistent, not performative
   This isn’t about savior moments. It’s about building real, long-lasting relationships of care and interdependence.

Bonus: A Dog-Friendly Mutual Aid Starter Kit

Here are some easy ways to get involved right now:

• Donate supplies to a local unhoused encampment (pet food, too!)

• Offer free dog walks to neighbors recovering from surgery

• Share extra leashes, harnesses, or jackets to a dog owner in need

• Host a dog supply or food swap with your community

• Create a signal boost list: folks who commit to sharing urgent asks on social

Final Thoughts

Mutual aid is about showing up, again and again, in big and small ways. It’s what movements are made of. And we’re here for it—one movement dog at a time.