Today we’d like to introduce you to Brooke Moreland, PhD.
Hi Brooke, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Since joining The Animal Alliance in April 2025 as Chief Development Officer, my journey has been deeply rooted in the belief that meaningful change for animals begins with people—especially children and families learning empathy at an early age. What drew me to this work was the organization’s commitment to combining education, compassion, and community empowerment in ways that create lasting impact.
On a personal level, I was also inspired by my 10-year-old son, Sage, whose love for animals—especially bugs and small creatures—reminded me how naturally compassionate children can be when they are encouraged to care about the world around them. Watching his curiosity and concern for animals made me want to lend my expertise to an organization that shared those same values. As a parent, I intentionally pursue projects that help me better connect with my children, and this work has become a meaningful extension of that commitment.
Another deeply meaningful part of this journey has been working alongside my daughter, Rose Moreland, who wrote *Once Upon a Paw Print*, the cornerstone children’s book connected to our Animal Adventurer Program. Her vision for the book was inspired by empathy, kindness, and helping children see animals as individuals deserving of care and compassion. The project also grew through the involvement of her Girl Scout troop in Indianapolis, Indiana — Troop 1733 — whose participation helped bring the spirit of community engagement and youth leadership into the heart of the program. Seeing young girls collaborate around a mission rooted in compassion has been one of the most rewarding aspects of this work for our family.
Founded in Baltimore in 2022 by Thomas and Maggie Anne Chahoud, The Animal Alliance was built on a vision of creating sustainable, humane solutions that strengthen the bond between people and animals. Thomas brings a passion for resilience, purpose-driven leadership, and global community impact, while Maggie combines her public health expertise with a deep commitment to advancing animal welfare across communities and species. Their vision inspired me immediately because it aligned so closely with my own passion for education, advocacy, and creating systems that empower communities to care for animals with kindness and dignity.
As I stepped into my role, I quickly saw the potential for our Animal Adventurer Program to become more than just an educational initiative—it could become a national movement for empathy and humane education. Through *Once Upon a Paw Print*, our heartwarming children’s book and the foundation of the Animal Adventurer Program, we help young readers see animals as individuals deserving of care, respect, and compassion. What makes the program especially meaningful is that it transforms storytelling into action through interactive learning experiences, creative activities, and community engagement opportunities for children, families, educators, and organizations like Girl Scout troops.
Over the past year, my work has organically evolved from development and partnership building into helping shape a broader vision for expansion. I’ve had the privilege of collaborating with communities, educators, troop leaders, and local partners who believe in our mission and want to help inspire the next generation of compassionate advocates. Seeing children connect emotionally with animals through storytelling has reinforced my belief that humane education can create lifelong change.
Baltimore remains especially important to me because it is the birthplace of The Animal Alliance and the foundation of our mission-driven work. As we continue to grow, I hope to deepen our impact there while also expanding the Animal Adventurer Program across the United States—bringing accessible animal welfare education, humane values, and community-driven engagement to more families and schools nationwide.
At the heart of this journey are the organization’s core values: compassion, transformation, collaboration, and impact. Every program we build is designed not only to help animals today, but to inspire communities to create a future where kindness toward animals becomes part of everyday life. My hope is that through education, storytelling, and collective action, we can help build a culture where empathy leads the way for generations to come.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It definitely has not been a completely smooth road, and honestly, that has been one of the most important parts of the journey. One of the biggest challenges has been navigating the grant and funding landscape while trying to build programs that focus on long-term community transformation rather than short-term outcomes.
Many organizations and funders immediately understand direct animal rescue work because the impact is visible and immediate. However, our work through the Animal Adventurer Program and our broader community engagement initiatives is centered around prevention, education, and developing empathy and self-efficacy in participants over time. Sometimes that can be harder to quantify for traditional funders who are looking for immediate metrics or crisis-response programming.
Our six-week community engagement program was intentionally designed to go deeper than simply teaching animal welfare. We wanted participants to explore how compassion, civic engagement, and service learning can strengthen both communities and personal development. Participants learn about humane treatment, animal advocacy, and responsible care, while also building confidence in their ability to create change in their own neighborhoods and schools. The service-learning opportunities are especially important because they allow people to move from awareness into action and deepen their connection to animals in meaningful ways.
One challenge has been helping people understand that this type of education-based programming creates ripple effects that are not always immediately visible. We are investing in the development of empathy, leadership, and self-efficacy—particularly in young people and families—and those outcomes often take time to fully measure and appreciate. Convincing organizations and potential funders to invest in preventative and educational approaches instead of only reactive solutions has required a great deal of persistence, storytelling, and relationship-building.
At times, it has also been difficult to communicate that humane education is not separate from community wellness—it is connected to public health, youth development, emotional learning, and civic engagement. Through this work, we are helping participants understand that caring for animals can also strengthen compassion toward people and communities.
Despite those challenges, the obstacles have reinforced why this work matters. Every time we see a child become more confident in advocating for animals, a family engage more deeply in community service, or a troop complete the program with a stronger sense of empathy and responsibility, it reminds us that this investment in education and community empowerment is worthwhile.
The journey has required patience, creativity, and resilience, but it has also shown us that there is a growing need for programs that help people connect compassion with action. That continues to motivate me as we work to expand the Animal Adventurer Program in Baltimore and eventually across the United States.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Professionally, I am a researcher, educator, and nonprofit leader whose work centers on community engagement, social impact, and creating educational programs that inspire meaningful change. In addition to serving as Chief Development Officer for The Animal Alliance, I also serve as the Publications and Research Chair for the Peace and Justice Studies Association, where I support scholarship and collaborative research focused on equity, peacebuilding, justice, and community transformation.
My work often sits at the intersection of research, education, and applied community practice. I specialize in developing programs that are not only mission-driven, but also rooted in measurable human impact—particularly around self-efficacy, civic engagement, empathy development, and experiential learning. Much of my research and professional focus explores how people become empowered through education, storytelling, service learning, and collaborative community experiences.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
One thing that might surprise people is that some of the most meaningful inspiration behind my professional work actually comes from my children and the everyday conversations we have as a family. While people often know me through my research, leadership roles, or nonprofit work, they may not realize how deeply personal and family-centered this journey really is.
My son Sage’s fascination with animals—especially bugs and small creatures that many people overlook—completely changed the way I think about empathy and humane education. Watching him care so deeply about even the smallest forms of life reminded me that compassion is something we can nurture early and intentionally in children.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://theanimalalliance.org/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.animal.alliance/
- LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/the-animal-alliance/
- Other: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dbmoreland/
