A Loving Home for Every Animal: Civic Engagement of Founders of Dog and Cat Shelters

This diploma thesis presents the conclusions of a qualitative research that dealt with the civic engagement of female founders of private shelters for dogs and cats. The topic is grasped on the basis of the theory of social movements and with the help of models bridging the opposition of volunteerism and activism. At the same time, the interpretation of the results of the thematic analysis relies on the concept of zoopolis, which presents citizenship as a category applicable to human-animal relations. The founders of private shelters approach the animals in their care as unmistakable individuals, beings with personhood and actors who can be and are invited to participate in decisions affecting their lives.