Liberty Mutual’s Global Risk Solutions CFO, Alison Erbig’s relationship with ARL started by pure coincidence as she passed our Boston campus on the way to work one day. Now, as that relationship surpasses its 15th year, ARL continues to benefit from her dedicated and intentional support.

Alison grew up with a menagerie of pets, such as dogs, parakeets, hamsters, and fish. She credits her childhood to playing a pivotal role in her love for animals. Her husband William, however, did not grow up with pets and was a bit uncomfortable around animals. Thankfully, when he and Alison started dating, her two cats won him over and his discomfort turned into love and affection.

Today, Alison and William have two daughters and a 14-year-old dog named Newton. Alison says that her girls are her life’s greatest joy and source of pride, and when Alison sees her daughters treat animals with kindness and compassion, she knows she has done the right things as a parent. The passing of their two cats, Jake and Toby, even helped her daughters learn about love, loss, and grief, emphasizing to Alison the important role animals play in children’s lives.

ARL’s newly launched Humane Education program seeks to share these very lessons with the world. By partnering with local organizations like the Boston Public Library, the program aims to create the next generation of compassionate animal advocates through interactive activities for both children and adults, focused on topics related to animal welfare and care. The goal is to provide the next generation with the tools to create a better world for animals and the people who love them.

This program – and it’s thoughtful teaching of kindness and compassion – is meaningful for Alison. In her words: “The only way we will ultimately change the need for an organization like ARL is to educate a new generation about the importance of animal welfare.”

Alison had been advocating for a program such as this for a long time, and says it feels extremely fulfilling to see the fingerprints of her impact with the creation of this program. And we are so grateful to have kind people like Alison advocating for and supporting programs like Humane Education, helping to create a better tomorrow for the future of the people and animals in Massachusetts and beyond.