On January 17th, in a cozy Clermont clubhouse, animal rescuers, shelter workers, volunteers, and advocates are getting together for something the community desperately needs right now: connection. Hosted and sponsored by the Orlando Cat Café and the Florida SPCA, the Stronger Together retreat is built on a simple truth: this crisis in animal welfare won’t be solved by one person, one shelter, or one rescue group burning themselves out alone. It gets better when the people doing the work have a place to rest, breathe, swap ideas, and remind each other they’re not alone.

While the event itself is only one day, it’s really about a bigger shift. It’s not just sharing tips or talking strategy, it’s about the kind of conversations that happen when people feel safe enough to be honest. The kind that lead to collaborations no one could have built in isolation, and solutions that feel lighter when carried as a group. There will be guided conversations, breakout discussions, and plenty of laughter and mutual support mixed in, because working in rescue doesn’t mean living in heartbreak, it means working alongside other people who get it.

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by the state of rescue work, or wished there was a room full of people who understood the weight you carry—this is that room. And if you love animal welfare from the outside looking in, this is your chance to step closer and be part of the story being rewritten. One where nobody has to struggle alone, and where we start believing again that fixing this is possible, together.

Because when we show up for each other, honestly and wholeheartedly, we really are stronger together.