(Reuters) - Rich Ross stepped down as chairman of Walt Disney Co’s movie studio after a less than three-year run that included the release of “John Carter,” one of the biggest flops in recent Hollywood history.

Ross, named to the job in October 2009, was never able to duplicate the success he enjoyed as president of the Disney Channel, where he was credited with creating monster franchises that included “High School Musical” and “Hannah Montana.”

“I no longer believe that the Chairman role is the right professional fit for me,” Ross told his staff in an email.

Disney will not immediately name a new head for its studio, a source familiar with the matter said.

In a statement, Disney CEO Bob Iger said: “For more than a decade, Rich Ross’ creative instincts, business acumen and personal integrity have driven results in key businesses for Disney. … I appreciate his countless contributions throughout his entire career at Disney and expect he will have tremendous success in whatever he chooses to do next.”

As the company’s studio chief, Ross approved production of “John Carter,” an expensive science-fiction epic whose development started years earlier. The film’s costs eventually ballooned to more than $250 million.

Disney said in March it expected the film to lose about $200 million and to saddle its studio with $80 million to $120 million in operating losses.

Ross joined Disney Channel in 1996 as a programming and production executive and was promoted to president of the cable channel in 2004. His success at the Disney Channel made him a rising star in the company and eventually led to his being hand-picked by Iger to replace long-time chairman Dick Cook, whom Iger forced out, as head of its film division.

Two weeks before his departure, Ross hosted a lavish Hollywood premiere for “The Avengers,” a big-budget special effects film featuring action stars from Disney’s Marvel subsidiary. The film is expected to be one of the summer’s biggest hits.

Disney shares were up 67 cents, or 1.6 percent, at $42.75 in midday trading on Friday.

(Reporting By Ronald Grover; editing by Peter Lauria, Lisa Von Ahn and Andre Grenon)

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(Reuters) - International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde said on Thursday she expects to win a big boost in funding to help the lender contain damage from the euro-zone debt crisis now that Europe has taken significant steps on its own.

Calling the euro zone the “epicenter of potential risk” for a world economic recovery that is “timid and fragile,” Lagarde also urged European Union policymakers to directly inject some bailout funds into their troubled banks.

“We expect our firepower to be significantly increased as an outcome of this meeting,” she said at a news conference to kick off the spring meetings of the IMF and World Bank.

The IMF wants to secure at least $400 billion in new funding, which would double its firepower to deal with the euro zone debt crisis and any spillover to other countries. The IMF firewall would complement the $1 trillion in emergency funds for Europe agreed upon by the EU leaders last month.

A larger IMF war chest to safeguard countries could help ease concerns in financial markets over the risks of global contagion. Investors are growing increasingly worried that Italy and Spain will fail to ratchet down their budget deficits as their economies shrink, forcing them to join Greece, Ireland and Portugal as bailout recipients, a prospect that weighed on global stocks on Thursday.

Concerns also are mounting about the resiliency of the European banking system. The IMF estimates its banks must shrink assets by $2.6 trillion over the next two years to meet higher capital standards and cover bad loans, causing credit to contract in an already weak economy.

Spain’s banks are particularly vulnerable, hit by a plunging property market and the falling value of Spanish government debt. An auction on Thursday highlighted nervousness over Madrid’s finances. Although bidding was solid, the government paid an uncomfortable 5.74 percent on its new 10-year bond.

Lagarde said the EU should use its bailout funds to inject capital directly into euro-zone banks, which would lessen the risk piled onto government balance sheets, and she called for the EU to supervise national banks.

“What we are advocating is that this be done without channeling through the sovereigns,” she said.

While concern grows over the solvency of euro-zone banks, the IMF was making progress in persuading countries to bolster its crisis-fighting resources. So far, it has raised $320 billion - all from Europeans and Japan.

It wants additional contributions from the leading emerging economies, which are resisting until they win further assurances that they will get a larger say in running the international lender.

Finance ministers from the BRICS group of leading emerging market nations - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa - were meeting in Washington on Thursday, and IMF financing was a high priority on the agenda.

Japanese Finance Minister Jun Azumi, whose country is contributing $60 billion to the IMF, said as he arrived in Washington that BRICS funding is indispensable for global growth and he expects them to announce IMF support at some stage.

China, Brazil and Russia have said they are willing to chip in but they want more voting power at the IMF in recognition of the growing role they are playing on the financial stage.

Lagarde acknowledged in her news conference that giving emerging economies a greater say is a priority and an issue she will raise in one-on-one meetings with IMF member countries.

“We are going to ask the membership to finish the job in terms of quota resources and in terms of governance,” she said.

“There are changes that need to take place to better reflect the membership of the institution in terms of better economic strength, in terms of economic rule and we are not there.”

Lagarde took aim at the United States for its delay in approving voting reforms the IMF members agreed to in 2010, and called on Washington to show leadership as the fund’s largest shareholder.

The Group of Seven developed nations were set to talk about bulking up the IMF’s resources at an informal meeting later on Thursday, and the topic was set to be taken up by the Group of 20 developed and developing nations at a dinner and again at a meeting on Friday.

The United States has declined to provide fresh funds but on Wednesday it threw its weight behind the effort to raise more capital from other nations. Previously, it had pressed for bolder action from Europe first.

Lagarde on Thursday also welcomed Europe’s efforts in building its firewall. “There is a little bit missing here or there but it shows significant determination to defend their currency zone.”

Despite progress, the euro zone problems still pose a threat to world economic recovery, she said. “We are seeing a light recovery blowing in the spring wind but we are also seeing some very dark clouds on the horizon.”

World Bank President Bob Zoellick joined the call for deep and lasting economic reforms to secure the shaky global recovery.

“Countries both developing and developed need to focus on structural reforms that will be the drivers of future growth, otherwise the world will keep stumbling along,” he said at a news conference to kick off the spring meetings.

(Writing by Stella Dawson; additional reporting by Lesley Wroughton, Leika Kihara; Editing by Neil Stempleman)

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(Reuters) - President Barack Obama patiently sat through diatribes, interruptions and even the occasional eye-ball roll at the weekend Summit of the Americas in an effort to win over Latin American leaders fed up with U.S. policies.

He failed.

The United States instead emerged from the summit in Colombia increasingly isolated as nearly 30 regional heads of state refused to sign a joint declaration in protest against the continued exclusion of communist-led Cuba from the event.

The rare show of unity highlights the steady decline of Washington’s influence in a region that has become less dependent on U.S. trade and investment thanks to economic growth rates that are the envy of the developed world and new opportunities with China.

It also signals a further weakening of the already strained hemispheric system of diplomacy, built around the Organization of American States (OAS) which has struggled to remain relevant during a time of rapid change for its members.

Seen as an instrument of U.S. policy in Latin America during the Cold War, the OAS has lost ground in a region that is no longer content with being the backyard of the United States.

“It seems the United States still wants to isolate us from the world, it thinks it can still manipulate Latin America, but that’s ending,” said Bolivian President Evo Morales, a fierce critic of U.S. policy in Latin America and staunch ally of Venezuela’s leftist leader Hugo Chavez.

“What I think is that this is a rebellion of Latin American countries against the United States.”

NEWFOUND UNITY

In all fairness to Obama, the outcome had little to do with his conduct or even that of secret service agents whose indiscreet encounter with prostitutes in the beachside city of Cartagena, Colombia, overshadowed much of the proceedings.

He was in fact commended by several presidents for listening politely to political leaders, helping soften perception of U.S. officials as arrogant and domineering.

“I think it’s the first time I’ve seen a president of the United States spend almost the entire summit sitting, listening to the all concerns of all countries,” said Mexican President Felipe Calderon.

“This was a very valuable gesture by President Obama.”

But Obama’s staid charm was unable to paper over growing differences with the region.

Facing a tough re-election race this year, Obama had no room to compromise on the five-decade-old U.S. embargo on Cuba that is widely supported by conservatives in the United States, and particularly the anti-Castro exile community in Florida, a key state in a presidential vote.

U.S. insistence that Havana undertake democratic reforms before returning to the hemispheric family led to a clash with a united front of leftist and conservative governments that see Washington’s policy toward Cuba as a relic of the Cold War.

The unexpected result was a diplomatic victory for Havana.

The newfound regional unity on Cuba may augur a growing willingness across the political spectrum to challenge the U.S. State Department on thorny issues for years considered taboo.

That could include insistence that the United States assume greater responsibility for reducing consumption of illegal narcotics as an alternative to the bloody war on drugs and its rising toll on Latin America.

“From the so-called Washington consensus … toward a nascent consensus without Washington for a united Latin America,” tweeted Venezuela’s foreign ministry, referring to orthodox economic policies advocated by Washington in the 1990s.

NEW DIPLOMACY, NEW ECONOMY

The stark divide over Cuba - with 32 nations in favor of inviting it to future summits and only the United States and Canada opposed - will fuel arguments that the OAS is an outdated institution for regional diplomacy.

The OAS already faces competition from alternative forums such as the Union of South American nations (Unasur) and the Chavez-backed Community of Latin American and Caribbean states (Celac).

Despite the new winds blowing in regional diplomacy, economics is driving the changes as much as politics.

Once seen as monolithic block of basket-case economies dependent on U.S. support, Latin American countries are coveted investment destinations with sophisticated financial systems that have innovated in areas ranging from energy to aviation.

Chinese companies eager to pump oil, harvest soy and build badly needed infrastructure are showering them with offers of investment and financing.

With the U.S. economy still struggling to stay above water and foreign aid budgets seen dwindling, Washington has fewer sticks to brandish and fewer carrots to offer.

“This summit was a reminder, a wake-up call, that the traditional way of doing business vis-a-vis the region is eroding,” said Geoff Thale, program director at the Washington Office on Latin America.

(Reporting by Brian Ellsworth; Editing by Anthony Boadle and Jackie Frank)

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The Foreign Office has defended its response to the suspected murder of a British businessman in China.

Neil Heywood’s death in November was initially thought to be due to “excessive alcohol consumption”.

But the Foreign Office said it asked Chinese authorities to investigate the case as it became more concerned.

Gu Kailai, wife of senior Communist Party official, Bo Xilai, is being probed for “international homicide”.

It comes as the Conservative MP Mark Pritchard calls on the government to answer a number of questions in Parliament about Mr Heywood’s death, including when the UK embassy was first informed.

He has tabled written questions for the Foreign Office to answer on Tuesday when parliament returns from the Easter break.

‘Disturbing case’

Mr Heywood, who had lived in China for 10 years and spoke fluent Mandarin, lived with his Chinese wife and their two children.

The 41-year-old was found dead on November 15 in a hotel room in the city of Chongqing, central China.

Chinese officials initially said he had died of “excessive alcohol consumption” and that explanation was at first accepted by Mr Heywood’s family and the British embassy.

Bo Xilai and his wife Gu Kailai are both under investigation

But friends later questioned this and the British government then asked the Chinese authorities to reopen the investigation, which they did.

A Foreign Office spokesman said: “As we became more concerned about this case, including following suggestions from the business community, we took the decision to ask the Chinese authorities to launch an investigation.

“We acted as soon as we thought concerns about the case justified it.

“We are pleased that the Chinese have now launched that investigation. We were in constant contact with the family throughout and kept them informed of our actions.”

Prime Minister David Cameron said on Wednesday during a Far East tour that he was pleased the Chinese authorities were taking action.

He said: “We did ask the Chinese to hold an investigation and we are pleased that they are now doing that.

“It is very important we get to the truth of what happened in this very disturbing case, this very tragic case.”

Mr Heywood was a friend of the family of Bo Xilai, a former rising star in Chinese politics who served as local party chief in Chongqing.

State media reported on Tuesday that Gu Kailai and Zhang Xiaojun, an orderly at Mr Bo’s home, had been arrested.

Meanwhile Mr Bo has been suspended from the Communist Party’s 25-member Politburo amid allegations of “serious discipline violations”.

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Sudan’s First Vice-President Ali Osman Taha visits a wounded soldier in Khartoum

South Sudan has accused Sudan of launching further bombing raids on its territory and against its forces.

The governor of Unity state says several people were killed in its capital Bentiu when a plane dropped bombs on a market.

South Sudan also says its troops came under air attack in the oil-producing Heglig region which they have seized.

There has been no word from the Sudanese authorities.

South Sudan said earlier on Saturday that it had repulsed an offensive on its positions near Heglig.

Continue reading the main story

Analysis

James CopnallBBC News, Khartoum

The events of the last week are a reversal of the expected order of things. Sudan has struggled militarily, despite its greater resources.

Its troops lost the Heglig oilfield - one of its biggest sources of revenue - and so far have not been able to take it back. The Sudanese forces’ one great advantage - air power - has not tipped the balance in their favour.

Sudanese political experts say the army’s morale is low, and it is overstretched, as it has to fight South Sudan as well as several rebel movements who are co-ordinating together.

But - perhaps to its surprise - Sudan is winning the diplomatic war. The African Union said South Sudan’s occupation of Heglig was “illegal and unacceptable”.

Perhaps in reaction to these kind of statements, South Sudan then said it would withdraw its troops if UN peacekeepers were deployed to Heglig. This seems unlikely, and South Sudan simply hasn’t been able to convince the world it’s in the right.

So for the moment South Sudan is in the unusual position of winning the fighting - and losing the war of perceptions.

Vice-President Riek Machar said the ground fighting took place on Friday 30km (18 miles) north of Heglig.

South Sudan seized the oil field on Tuesday, sparking international condemnation and fears of a wider war with its northern neighbour.

South Sudan entered the oil field in response to what it said were attacks from north of the border.

Sudan’s leaders are furious after its southern neighbour took over the Heglig oilfield, which is internationally recognised as Sudanese territory.

The African Union has demanded an unconditional withdrawal.

The South seceded nine months ago in a deal that ended decades of civil war, but there remain a number of major disputes, including oil.

‘Good news soon’

Sudan’s army confirmed on Friday it was launching attacks to retake Heglig after the Khartoum government vowed to react with “all means” against the offensive by South Sudanese forces.

But Mr Machar told the BBC his country’s soldiers had now pushed Sudanese troops back to Karasana, north of Heglig.

South Sudanese Information Minister Barnaba Marial Benjamin told Reuters on Saturday: “They tried to attack our positions north of Heglig last night but it was contained. Heglig is [still] under our control.”

South Sudan’s military spokesman, Col Philip Aguer, told Agence France-Presse two Sudanese tanks had been destroyed.

The Sudanese army has not yet commented on the fighting and there is no independent confirmation of the South’s claims.

Sudan’s Defence Minister Abdelrahim Mohamed Hussein told state TV on Saturday there would be “good news soon”, saying there were thousands of fighters in the Heglig area “to meet the enemy and defeat it”.

‘Deep alarm’

The BBC’s James Copnall, in Khartoum, says it seems likely there will be further battles and what started out as a border skirmish now seems perilously close to becoming an all-out war.

Heglig is vital because it accounts for about half of Sudan’s 115,000 barrel-a-day oil output and the fighting has stopped production there.

The African Union’s Peace and Security Council has called the occupation of Heglig “illegal and unacceptable”, but also condemned Sudan for carrying out aerial bombardments of South Sudan.

On Thursday, the UN Security Council called for an “immediate” ceasefire and expressed “deep and growing alarm at the escalating conflict”.

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The BBC’s Jim Muir says there are fears the truce could easily unravel

The UN Security Council is set to hold a vote on a resolution authorising the deployment of monitors to Syria to oversee the ceasefire there.

A draft text was finalised on Friday. It is not clear if Russia - which has vetoed two previous resolutions - will back the text in the New York vote.

A truce has generally held in Syria since it began on Thursday, but both sides have alleged breaches.

Syria’s opposition says troops shelled parts of the city of Homs overnight.

And on Saturday activists accused Syrian security forces of opening fire at a funeral in Syria’s second city of Aleppo, killing four and injuring dozens.

State TV blamed rebel gunmen firing at random and accused the opposition of trying to derail the peace plan.

State media also accused armed rebels of killing at least three security officers in different parts of the country.

One person was said to have died in the shelling of Homs, reportedly the first fatality in the restive city since the ceasefire.

Activist video showed mortars and tank shells hitting parts of Homs, especially the Qarabis quarter, from shortly after prayers on Friday.

The BBC’s Jim Muir in Beirut says the shelling in Homs is an alarming lapse in the fragile ceasefire.

But the intensity of the bombardment is nothing like the levels reached in the weeks before the truce, when dozens of people were killed or injured every day, our correspondent says.

UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan has called for an advance monitoring team to be deployed immediately to ensure compliance with his peace plan.

Mr Annan’s plan aims to end over a year of violence in Syria which has killed over 9,000 people, mostly civilians.

‘Very tough’

In New York, efforts to draft a text were hindered by disagreements between Russia and the US, which prevented a vote on Friday.

Diplomats revised a US-proposed draft on Friday to accommodate Russian objections. Although Moscow is still not certain to back the text, correspondents say the indications are that Russia has approved of the latest draft.

UN envoy Kofi Annan wants monitors on the ground as soon as possible

The text was to be sent to governments for approval overnight, and a vote is now expected at 11:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Saturday.

“There was a negotiation, there is not yet an agreement,” French UN Ambassador Gerard Araud told reporters. “It’s very tough, but there will be a vote in any case.”

US ambassador to the UN Susan Rice said it “would be wise not to make predictions” on the outcome.

The resolution calls for the deployment of an advance team of 30 monitors. Additional approval will be required to increase the deployment to 250, the total which Mr Annan is seeking.

A spokesman for Mr Annan has said that a small group of observers is ready to leave for Syria as soon as a resolution is passed.

“At the moment we have the advance team standing by to board planes and to get there, to get themselves on the ground as soon as possible,” Ahmad Fawzi said.

Earlier, President Barack Obama authorised an increase in US aid for Syria’s “non-violent, political opposition”, including communications equipment and medical supplies, officials said.

Lower casualties

Prayers on Friday were seen as a major test for the truce. Several deaths were reported as thousands of protesters poured out of mosques and took to the streets across the country in fresh revolt against President Bashar al-Assad.

Activists reported that the number of demonstrations nationwide - more than 750 - was higher than on any Friday since the revolt began 13 months ago.

The opposition said security forces fired into the air in many places to prevent or disperse protests. But in others, protesters were killed by gunfire.

But our correspondent says the overall casualty figures for Friday were very much lower than many had feared.

In general, he says, the ceasefire has brought a sharp drop in the level of violence and deaths but, with troops, tanks and heavy weaponry still deployed in and around population centres, it is still very fragile and there are many ways in which it could unravel.

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The fuel tanker drivers’ dispute could be over after the Unite union agreed to put a possible deal to its members.

The deal was tabled following lengthy talks between the union and officials from six distribution firms.

The threat of a strike over safety and working conditions resulted in panic buying at petrol stations.

About 60 union representatives from across the country will discuss the deal, and could still reject the proposals or ask for changes.

Both sides have agreed that the details of the deal will remain confidential until they have been consulted on.

Outside the headquarters of the conciliation service Acas, the assistant general secretary of Unite, Diana Holland, said the talks had been “intense and complex”.

She said: “We have done as much as we can and we have a document we now can discuss. But we will keep the process confidential until the people who matter make the decision.”

‘Resolve dispute’

BBC transport correspondent Richard Westcott said there could still be a decision to strike, but that a deal was now effectively on the table.

Unite represents 2,062 tanker drivers, covering 90% of supplies to forecourts, and is calling for minimum standards of pay, hours, holiday and redundancy.

Alan Davison, representing the tanker companies, said: “We are now in a position where we have a final set of proposals and hopefully we can resolve this dispute.”

Peter Harwood, of Acas, said he was pleased with the result following two weeks of talks.

Army drivers have been trained to operate tankers in case of a strike

He said: “Acas has been shuttling between the parties and the process has been a long and challenging one. But we are pleased to announce that a set of proposals have been reached.”

Under rules governing strikes, the union has to give seven days’ notice of any industrial action.

Earlier on Friday, the union had been given an extension to its deadline for declaring strikes so that talks could continue.

Under employment law, the union should have made a decision by late afternoon on whether to call its members out on strike after they voted last month for industrial action.

The Department for Energy and Climate Change said it welcomed the possible deal.

A spokesman said: “We hope that this will lead to the threat of strike action being lifted. The government continues to believe that any strike action is wrong and unnecessary.”

There were chaotic scenes at garages across the UK earlier this month as people queued for petrol after the government advised motorists to top up their tanks.

The government faced criticism that its advice had caused panic buying.

Army drivers have been trained to deliver fuel to petrol stations in case of a possible strike.

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In a speech Friday, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said the central bank should focus on regulation just as much as monetary policy.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) — The Federal Reserve needs to focus just as heavily on its regulatory role as its monetary policy operations, Chairman Ben Bernanke stressed Friday.

That’s the lesson that the Fed chairman took away from the Great Recession.

“Going forward, for the Federal Reserve as well as other central banks, the promotion of financial stability must be on an equal footing with the management of monetary policy as the most critical policy priorities,” Bernanke said.

Speaking at a conference in New York, Bernanke focused largely on historical events leading up to the recent financial crisis and the central bank’s response to it.

He characterized subprime mortgages as a “trigger” of the crisis, but “vulnerabilities” — like a lack of oversight and regulations — were also to blame for amplifying the financial shocks, he said.

As a result of the crisis, the Federal Reserve has since taken steps to strengthen its supervision of banks. Bernanke pointed to the Fed’s stress tests of the largest U.S. banks as an example of one improvement, but otherwise didn’t get into specifics. 

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(MNN.com) — Our unemployment rate may be dipping, but many U.S. families still struggle to make ends meet. “Doing more with less” requires tough decisions about household expenses, and many pet owners face the possibility of losing their pets.

Fortunately, there is a network of resources available to keep pets and their people together. Here are a few options if you need help — or an opportunity to help if you can lend a hand.

Pet food

When Ann King created Save Our Pets food bank in 2008, she had a hard time convincing friends of the need for pet food banks. Four years later, you probably know at least one friend or family member who has faced economic challenges, and King has seen her idea spread across the country.

“More and more, we still have people coming who are living in their cars with their pets,” King says. “They’ve been evicted; rather than giving pets up they’re staying in their cars with them.”

Sniffing out savings

Check SaveOurPets.com to find a pet food bank in your area. Some traditional food banks also are beginning to carry pet food, or provide resources in your area. It also helps to call local breed rescue groups for recommendations.

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Want to help? King offers tips on starting a pet food bank in your community. She notes that securing a steady supply of pet food can be the biggest challenge. You also will need plenty of storage space for that donated kibble.

It’s a great project for schools to tackle. Also, consider donating to animal shelters, breed-specific rescues or food banks. A little smart coupon action also helps.

Sites like www.mypetsavings.com frequently post news about discounted pet products. Stephanie Nelson (aka “The Coupon Mom”) recommends that shoppers contact their favorite companies and ask for coupons. When you buy one and get one free, set aside the second item for donation.

“We keep a charity box in our garage,” she says. “Give them the free bag. You don’t have to be extreme to give to charity.”

Vaccinations

Routine vaccinations prevent pets from contracting deadly — and very expensive — diseases. Shop around for low-cost vaccination clinics. Petco’s “Luv My Pets” program offers low-cost vaccinations in 20 states.

Many county animal control offices also offer deep discounts to residents. As temperatures begin to rise, check your local paper for event listings that include low-cost shot clinics. Also, be honest with your vet about the need to cut costs.

Based on your pet’s age and lifestyle, you may be able to avoid some vaccinations or try the three-year rabies vaccine.

Want to help? Spread the word. Use community newsletters orFacebook pages to keep neighbors informed about upcoming shot clinics or nearby facilities that offer deep discounts.

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Spay/neuter

Kittens and puppies cost money. Forget trying to sell them for a profit. North Shore Animal League notes that more than 70,000 kittens and puppies are born each day — so the market is flooded.

Unaltered pets also face behavioral and health issues. Males are prone to roam in search of a mate, while females run the risk of developing breast cancer or uterine infections, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA.org).

Check with you local animal control about low-cost spay/neuter services. In a partnership with PetSmart Charities, the ASPCA lists facilities on its website. North Shore also supports a spay/neuter program with 1,000 locations nationwide. Register online atSpayUSA.org for a referral or call 1-800-248-7729.

Want to help? Download educational flyers from North Shore’s SpayUSA website to share with family, friends and neighbors. Ask your vet to consider joining the growing network of low-cost spay/neuter facilities.

Or, consider volunteering with a nonprofit organization in your community. Most nonprofits will tell you that elbow grease is a treasured commodity.

“We need people power,” says Ralph Hawthorne, manager of the Pets for Life program in Atlanta. “A lot of people, armed with information, will have their pets spayed or neutered. But the No. 1 problem is transportation.”

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Established in 2011 by the Humane Society of the United States,Pets For Life offers food, obedience training, vaccination clinics and vouchers for spay/neuter services — with the goal of keeping people and pets together.

The program targets underserved communities in Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York and Philadelphia. Hawthorne says that the unemployment rate in some of the communities is double the nation’s unemployment rate.

“We are helping people in a time of need,” Hawthorne says. “It’s easy to say, ‘If they can’t afford the dog then they shouldn’t have the dog. But the pet is part of the family.”