[Applause] imagine that you have to give up your
imagine that you have to give up your
imagine that you have to give up your pet and I know what you’re thinking
pet and I know what you’re thinking
pet and I know what you’re thinking you’re thinking that you would never
you’re thinking that you would never
you’re thinking that you would never give up your pet but imagine that
give up your pet but imagine that
give up your pet but imagine that circumstances have changed perhaps your
circumstances have changed perhaps your
circumstances have changed perhaps your child has become severely allergic or
child has become severely allergic or
child has become severely allergic or you’ve lost your job and you need to
you’ve lost your job and you need to
you’ve lost your job and you need to move you have no other options but to
move you have no other options but to
move you have no other options but to bring your pet to the animal shelter so
bring your pet to the animal shelter so
bring your pet to the animal shelter so you load them up and you make the drive
you load them up and you make the drive
you load them up and you make the drive over and when you get there you give
over and when you get there you give
over and when you get there you give them one final scratch under the chin
them one final scratch under the chin
them one final scratch under the chin before you walk up the stairs through
before you walk up the stairs through
before you walk up the stairs through the door and to the counter the gal
the door and to the counter the gal
the door and to the counter the gal behind the counter asks how she can help
behind the counter asks how she can help
behind the counter asks how she can help you
you
you and when you let her know you’re there
and when you let her know you’re there
and when you let her know you’re there to give up buddy
to give up buddy
to give up buddy her smile fades and the room goes cold
her smile fades and the room goes cold
her smile fades and the room goes cold she turns from you gets a form and
she turns from you gets a form and
she turns from you gets a form and slides it across the counter and as you
slides it across the counter and as you
slides it across the counter and as you begin to fill it out someone comes and
begin to fill it out someone comes and
begin to fill it out someone comes and takes buddy from you you don’t even get
takes buddy from you you don’t even get
takes buddy from you you don’t even get to say goodbye and when you’re done with
to say goodbye and when you’re done with
to say goodbye and when you’re done with the form you look up hoping to make eye
the form you look up hoping to make eye
the form you look up hoping to make eye contact with someone so that you can let
contact with someone so that you can let
contact with someone so that you can let them know that buddy’s afraid of thunder
them know that buddy’s afraid of thunder
them know that buddy’s afraid of thunder or that if you say night-night he knows
or that if you say night-night he knows
or that if you say night-night he knows to go to his bed but no one will look at
to go to his bed but no one will look at
to go to his bed but no one will look at you it’s as if you don’t even exist and
you it’s as if you don’t even exist and
you it’s as if you don’t even exist and while you want to scream I don’t want to
while you want to scream I don’t want to
while you want to scream I don’t want to be here either
be here either
be here either instead you sign the form you walk back
instead you sign the form you walk back
instead you sign the form you walk back out the door down the steps and into
out the door down the steps and into
out the door down the steps and into your car where you begin to sob I used
your car where you begin to sob I used
your car where you begin to sob I used to be that person behind the counter who
to be that person behind the counter who
to be that person behind the counter who would make you feel horrible about
would make you feel horrible about
would make you feel horrible about yourself if you had to give up your pet
yourself if you had to give up your pet
yourself if you had to give up your pet an animal welfare we’re taught care
an animal welfare we’re taught care
an animal welfare we’re taught care about animals not people I felt free to
about animals not people I felt free to
about animals not people I felt free to judge people even though I knew nothing
judge people even though I knew nothing
judge people even though I knew nothing about them or their circumstance I’m
about them or their circumstance I’m
about them or their circumstance I’m sure there’s many of you here that have
sure there’s many of you here that have
sure there’s many of you here that have heard someone say I hate people as a way
heard someone say I hate people as a way
heard someone say I hate people as a way to prove just how much they love animals
to prove just how much they love animals
to prove just how much they love animals it’s a bit of an animal welfare mantra I
it’s a bit of an animal welfare mantra I
it’s a bit of an animal welfare mantra I used to say it all the time but recently
used to say it all the time but recently
used to say it all the time but recently I realize something for every animal
I realize something for every animal
I realize something for every animal that comes through our door there is a
that comes through our door there is a
that comes through our door there is a person attached to it and for every
person attached to it and for every
person attached to it and for every animal story there’s a person’s story as
animal story there’s a person’s story as
animal story there’s a person’s story as well and we must care not only about the
well and we must care not only about the
well and we must care not only about the animals but the people too to be a
animals but the people too to be a
animals but the people too to be a humane society now you may wonder how I
humane society now you may wonder how I
humane society now you may wonder how I went from being that person behind the
went from being that person behind the
went from being that person behind the counter who judged people to someone
counter who judged people to someone
counter who judged people to someone who’s going to stand up here and
who’s going to stand up here and
who’s going to stand up here and advocate for them we received a grant to
advocate for them we received a grant to
advocate for them we received a grant to go into rural communities and offer free
go into rural communities and offer free
go into rural communities and offer free services to people and their pets free
services to people and their pets free
services to people and their pets free spay neuter free vaccinations free pet
spay neuter free vaccinations free pet
spay neuter free vaccinations free pet food even free collars and tags these
food even free collars and tags these
food even free collars and tags these were communities that had flown under
were communities that had flown under
were communities that had flown under the animal welfare radar no one had ever
the animal welfare radar no one had ever
the animal welfare radar no one had ever helped them before this program had been
helped them before this program had been
helped them before this program had been hugely successful in inner cities places
hugely successful in inner cities places
hugely successful in inner cities places like Detroit Atlanta and LA but it had
like Detroit Atlanta and LA but it had
like Detroit Atlanta and LA but it had never been done in a rural community we
never been done in a rural community we
never been done in a rural community we would be the first the theory was it’ll
would be the first the theory was it’ll
would be the first the theory was it’ll work equally as well you go block to
work equally as well you go block to
work equally as well you go block to block knock door to door and find out
block knock door to door and find out
block knock door to door and find out what barriers people faced to keeping or
what barriers people faced to keeping or
what barriers people faced to keeping or caring for their pets and while the
caring for their pets and while the
caring for their pets and while the program had been successful in inner
program had been successful in inner
program had been successful in inner cities I had my doubts it was going to
cities I had my doubts it was going to
cities I had my doubts it was going to work in a rural community Fairfield
work in a rural community Fairfield
work in a rural community Fairfield Idaho is nothing like inner city Detroit
Idaho is nothing like inner city Detroit
Idaho is nothing like inner city Detroit I was worried that people in these
I was worried that people in these
I was worried that people in these communities they didn’t want to spay and
communities they didn’t want to spay and
communities they didn’t want to spay and neuter their pets they were fine giving
neuter their pets they were fine giving
neuter their pets they were fine giving litter after litter of kittens up to the
litter after litter of kittens up to the
litter after litter of kittens up to the animal shelter I was worried that no one
animal shelter I was worried that no one
animal shelter I was worried that no one would answer their door when I knocked
would answer their door when I knocked
would answer their door when I knocked or worse they were gonna run me out of
or worse they were gonna run me out of
or worse they were gonna run me out of town but I got out there and I started
town but I got out there and I started
town but I got out there and I started doing the work and at first it was a bit
doing the work and at first it was a bit
doing the work and at first it was a bit slow not alot of people are answering
slow not alot of people are answering
slow not alot of people are answering their doors but then I came to a blue
their doors but then I came to a blue
their doors but then I came to a blue house with a red door and that’s where I
house with a red door and that’s where I
house with a red door and that’s where I met Stu Stu was a war veteran who had
met Stu Stu was a war veteran who had
met Stu Stu was a war veteran who had recently been given a young dog and
recently been given a young dog and
recently been given a young dog and while he wanted to get the dog neutered
while he wanted to get the dog neutered
while he wanted to get the dog neutered and vaccinated his budget wouldn’t allow
and vaccinated his budget wouldn’t allow
and vaccinated his budget wouldn’t allow for it so when we let him know we could
for it so when we let him know we could
for it so when we let him know we could offer him those services at no costs he
offer him those services at no costs he
offer him those services at no costs he signed up and while I’m not entirely
signed up and while I’m not entirely
signed up and while I’m not entirely convinced that Stu didn’t think there
convinced that Stu didn’t think there
convinced that Stu didn’t think there was going to be some sort of hidden fee
was going to be some sort of hidden fee
was going to be some sort of hidden fee at the end of all this he was willing to
at the end of all this he was willing to
at the end of all this he was willing to trust us and for that I will be forever
trust us and for that I will be forever
trust us and for that I will be forever grateful the following day we showed up
grateful the following day we showed up
grateful the following day we showed up we got his dog we took him to the
we got his dog we took him to the
we got his dog we took him to the veterinarian we got him vaccinated and
veterinarian we got him vaccinated and
veterinarian we got him vaccinated and neutered and we returned him at 4 p.m.
neutered and we returned him at 4 p.m.
neutered and we returned him at 4 p.m. just like we said we would he was
just like we said we would he was
just like we said we would he was incredibly thankful as we were walking
incredibly thankful as we were walking
incredibly thankful as we were walking out the door he mentioned he had a few
out the door he mentioned he had a few
out the door he mentioned he had a few friends they might want to sign up for
friends they might want to sign up for
friends they might want to sign up for services could we come back
services could we come back
services could we come back and since knocking on doors was not
and since knocking on doors was not
and since knocking on doors was not going so well I readily agreed the
going so well I readily agreed the
going so well I readily agreed the following day I showed up to Stu’s and
following day I showed up to Stu’s and
following day I showed up to Stu’s and as I pulled into his driveway there were
as I pulled into his driveway there were
as I pulled into his driveway there were around 25 people milling about
around 25 people milling about
around 25 people milling about they were waiting for services they had
they were waiting for services they had
they were waiting for services they had never had access to
never had access to
never had access to we helped every single one of their
we helped every single one of their
we helped every single one of their animals and since May 2015
animals and since May 2015
animals and since May 2015 we have helped close to 2,000 animals in
we have helped close to 2,000 animals in
we have helped close to 2,000 animals in the communities we’ve served clearly my
the communities we’ve served clearly my
the communities we’ve served clearly my doubts are unfounded if you lend app and
doubts are unfounded if you lend app and
doubts are unfounded if you lend app and people will embrace you people don’t
people will embrace you people don’t
people will embrace you people don’t want to have to give up their pets
want to have to give up their pets
want to have to give up their pets people don’t want to give up litter
people don’t want to give up litter
people don’t want to give up litter after litter of kittens to the animal
after litter of kittens to the animal
after litter of kittens to the animal shelter they just need someone to help
shelter they just need someone to help
shelter they just need someone to help them trap the mom who keeps having them
them trap the mom who keeps having them
them trap the mom who keeps having them under their deck and yeah this program
under their deck and yeah this program
under their deck and yeah this program was obviously beneficial to the people
was obviously beneficial to the people
was obviously beneficial to the people in these communities it had a positive
in these communities it had a positive
in these communities it had a positive impact on our shelter as well with fewer
impact on our shelter as well with fewer
impact on our shelter as well with fewer and fewer animals coming in our doors
and fewer animals coming in our doors
and fewer animals coming in our doors staff could spend less and less time
staff could spend less and less time
staff could spend less and less time worrying about where to house them
worrying about where to house them
worrying about where to house them instead we could spend time working with
instead we could spend time working with
instead we could spend time working with the animals we already had the shelter
the animals we already had the shelter
the animals we already had the shelter became a happy place more and more
became a happy place more and more
became a happy place more and more people were coming in our doors to adopt
people were coming in our doors to adopt
people were coming in our doors to adopt animals
animals
animals our adoption numbers soared we realized
our adoption numbers soared we realized
our adoption numbers soared we realized that people were a part of the equation
that people were a part of the equation
that people were a part of the equation and by doing so we could get more
and by doing so we could get more
and by doing so we could get more animals homes now in the case that
animals homes now in the case that
animals homes now in the case that someone needed to come in and give up
someone needed to come in and give up
someone needed to come in and give up their pet that was okay we had options
their pet that was okay we had options
their pet that was okay we had options and services to offer them and in the
and services to offer them and in the
and services to offer them and in the rare case that someone actually had to
rare case that someone actually had to
rare case that someone actually had to leave their pet with us that was okay
leave their pet with us that was okay
leave their pet with us that was okay too we could treat them with empathy and
too we could treat them with empathy and
too we could treat them with empathy and compassion because we understood where
compassion because we understood where
compassion because we understood where they were coming from we understood this
they were coming from we understood this
they were coming from we understood this isn’t what they wanted either if you
isn’t what they wanted either if you
isn’t what they wanted either if you look at the word humane its obvious
look at the word humane its obvious
look at the word humane its obvious people are a large part of it whether we
people are a large part of it whether we
people are a large part of it whether we are the ones giving the services or
are the ones giving the services or
are the ones giving the services or receiving them we play an equal role for
receiving them we play an equal role for
receiving them we play an equal role for 30 years the organization I work for has
30 years the organization I work for has
30 years the organization I work for has been called the animal shelter but we
been called the animal shelter but we
been called the animal shelter but we realized this no longer defines us as we
realized this no longer defines us as we
realized this no longer defines us as we begin to build a new facility
begin to build a new facility
begin to build a new facility we’ll be looking at the word humane and
we’ll be looking at the word humane and
we’ll be looking at the word humane and letting it guide us to who we want to be
letting it guide us to who we want to be
letting it guide us to who we want to be because in order to be a truly humane
because in order to be a truly humane
because in order to be a truly humane community we must care not only for
community we must care not only for
community we must care not only for animals but the people attached to them
animals but the people attached to them
animals but the people attached to them as well thank you
”
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