June 2020 Volunteer Newsletter, Animal Care League

JUNE 2020 | ISSUE 6

VOLUNTEER NEWSLETTER Your Collective Impact 4,887 Volunteer Hours Served in 2020

As we adjust to this new reality, we focus on painting a picture of what life looks like as COVID-19 continues, and after it's run its course. We use our creative problem solving to think of what's possible, then make it happen. It's in this spirit that our ACL volunteers have remained dedicated to helping us catalyze animal welfare within our community!

Now, more than ever, nonprofit organizations need their constituents to rally behind them. We've been fortunate, and so very thankful, to have you all at our side.

As a community, we can help each other overcome this temporary barrier and come out on the other side stronger for it!

STNETNOC FO ELBAT

OUR IMPACT

3

By the numbers

PROGRAM UPDATES

4

What to expect

IN THE KNOW

5

"Community Cats" by Jordan Wilkerson

TRAINING AND EVENTS

8

How to get involved / #MuttStrut2020 / Book Club

IN OUR COMMUNITY

11

Space Cat Academy

MAY ADOPTIONS

13

The warm and fuzzies

THE SPOTLIGHT

14

Volunteers and pets

Page 2

OUR IMPACT Committed to animals in need since 1973

AVERAGE ANIMAL INTAKE

AVERAGE ADOPTIONS

FAMILIES REUNITED WITH LOST PETS

1,200

850

200

WHERE DO OUR ANIMALS COME FROM? Animal Care League is the stray holding facility for all lost, stray, and abandoned within Oak Park and its 6 surrounding villages: Forest Park, Melrose Park, Elmwood Park, River Forest, North Riverside, and Northlake. Animal Care League is an open admissions shelter for those Villages with whom we are contracted. Animals coming in from those contracts make up the majority of our intake. The remainder of our intake is through managed admissions. Thus, some of our animals are brought to us from higher volume shelters or occasionally those devastated by natural disasters wanting to transport their animals to safety. And finally, on a case-by-case basis we take in animals who have been relinquished by their human companions; however, we offer many resources and services to help mitigate these circumstances and promote pet retention if it's what's best for everyone.

Page 3

PROGRAM UPDATES Gr o wt h f o r p r o s p e r i t y In last month's "In The Know" article entitled Why We Need Nonprofits, we alluded to the importance of nonprofit organizational (NPO) capacity for public good. As it pertains to Animal Care League, we are no exception. Thus, although we've long since remained conscientious of our programs and services, COVID-19 allowed us to take a step back and re-analyze the effectiveness of our volunteer program. Specifically, the big questions that we've been asking ourselves pertain to our engagement rates, volunteer and staff satisfaction, and overall impact.

Unfortunately, the answers to these questions were less than gratifying. And so our next question became "Where do we go from here?" We decided to indulge NPO lifecycle theory as a diagnostic framework for how to propel us forward.

What does this mean? Simply put: Growth for prosperity.

NPO lifecycle theory has long since been used a tool for NPOs to calibrate the effectiveness of the mission based on the success of programs and services. And since we've already determined that our volunteer program is not where we'd like it to be, we've taken on the Growth model. In this context, Growth is defined as developing and identifying distinctive competence, creating a strategic focus that does not trap creativity and 1

vision, and becoming comfortable with change .

Although "change" is a scary word for many, for our intents and purposes, it's fun, exciting, and most importantly great for our animals! We hope that you will stand by our side as we walk you through these changes in the coming weeks-because together we can make great things happen for the animals and our community!

Page 4 1. Stevens, Susan Kenny. Nonprofit Lifecycles: Stage-based Wisdom for Nonprofit Capacity. Wayzata, MN. Stagewise Enterprises, Inc. 2008.

IN THE KNOW Catalyzing Action within Our Community

Community Cats:

Perspective & Peace at Mind WRITTEN BY JORDAN WILKERSON

I will never forget the immense suffering within the community cat population that took place in a Naval shipyard in Pascagoula, Mississippi. Maybe some context would help this story: I served in the U.S. Navy for 4 years. The ship I was stationed on was not yet commissioned and under construction in a United States Naval shipyard. Near the end of construction, the ship’s crew moved onboard in preparation for a 2 month onboard training and system maintenance period. We would drill day and night, working over 15 hours everyday with 1 day off every 3 weeks. So there wasn’t much that could be done for the suffering community cats in this area, and regardless if there was, we were too exhausted and had a severe lack of resources.

Whenever I got to leave the ship on that 1 day every 3 weeks I saw at least 20 cats on my way to the bus, which was a mile walk. About 75% of those cats had some type of ailment: a missing eye, limping, limbs partially severed, and so sick to the point of immobility. Because of the rough conditions, most of those cats didn’t live passed 2 years old. But because they can reproduce at 9 months old, the population persisted. I can’t even count on all my fingers and toes how many deceased cats I saw. But there was nothing we could do; we were in the middle of nowhere, the cats were deathly afraid of us, and the

Page 5

IN THE KNOW

nearest humane society that had the resources or manpower to help were 45 minutes away. The cost to drive round-trip and perform hundreds of TNRs is very costly for an NPO. The only thing we could do was purchase bags of kibble whenever we had the chance, at least this way the cats could gain some temporary energy for their next hunt (the rat population was out of control

Of course we didn’t feel as helpless as the cats,

there too).

but for me in particular, it was rough. And although I’ve always loved cats, this instance made me hyper-aware of the standards that communities should provide for our community cats to maintain a descent quality of life—because they deserve it.

After witnessing all the pain and suffering, I chose to donate regularly to the Jackson County Animal Shelter, which is 15 minutes from the Port of Pascagoula shipyard. It’s been 7 years since my story took place. Since then, the shelter has become more impactful, but they've not yet been able to humanely mitigate the community cat population. So why am I still donating to them?

The answer is simple: I want to see change happen in this community, but I'm not in a position where I can directly help those animals. In lieu of my donations, I've also been persistently emailing calls to action to all of the humane societies in the south eastern Mississippi area. However, since the shipyard is a military installation, it's difficult for animal welfare volunteers and staff to get on the base to help these animals.

The only easy thing to do in this scenario is to give up. But when it comes to saving lives, we never give up and we do everything we can.

Helping All Cats Thrive

Cats without humans as their primary companions have been a hot topic in animal welfare.

Page 6

IN THE KNOW

And as of late, the debate against their

er training in our upcoming community cat

right to exist within public and private

programs, happening soon! These projects

properties has nearly diminished—which is

include free or reduced priced cat food,

the result of powerful and persistent

Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) traps, a low-cost

advocacy and activism. Moving forward,

full-service veterinary clinic, and statistics

we’re more able to utilize our community

and/or consensus on your community cat

resources (humane societies and shelters,

population. Our community also

public campaigns, etc.) to ensure that all

acknowledges the importance of keeping

cats can live their best lives.

community cats warm during the cold months by provide humane education

Who Are Community Cats?

programs that enable children to build winter dens for community cats.

Community Cats are as their name dictates: Cats who live in our community. They are not tethered to any one person, but they do depend on their human neighbors for food and shelter, especially during cold months. It’s important to understand that community cats prefer other cats over

We're working hard to give legs to such programs. And if you're interested in helping us with these project, please let Jordan know! But until then, there are many other wonderful resources that any one person can utilize to save lives. Aside from

humans; although they may be friendly

THHS' Community Cat resources, there are toward humans, they have a bond with

many other great resources such as Hannah their colonies and territories—not with

Shaw's, a.k.a. Kitten Lady, book called Tiny humans.

But Mighty. Shaw works as an animal welfare activist, particularly for neonatal The reason we use the term “community

kittens. She’s also the founder of the cats” is due to the damaging effects that

nonprofit organization, Orphan Kitten Club “feral cats” can have on cat populations.

For instance, there are several associations with the word “feral” such as dangerous, vicious, and threatening. So if our goal is to protect all cats then we must change our language into concepts that are less abrasive.

First thing’s first: Get involved with your local humane society’s community cat program. Many specialized humane societies have a community cat program. In our community, it's Tree House Humane

located in southern California. In addition to her book, she’s very active on social media, including YouTube, where she has a large archive of how-to video guides pertaining to neonatal kitten and community cat care.

Another wonderful resource is Alley Cat Allies, which is the nonprofit advocacy organization for community cats; ACA began the community cat revolution and the team made it what it is today! Read all

Society (THHS). In fact, ACL will be

about it in "The Evolution of the Cat

partnering with THHS for staff and volunte-

Revolution" today.

*****

Page 7

TRAINING & EVENTS

Animal Care League Volunteer Newsletter

JUNE 2020, ISSUE 6

ACL & Pittie Clothing Co.'s Trivia Night June 18, 2020 | 6:00 - 7:30 PM

Grab a drink and your computer and join Animal Care League and Pittie Clothing Co. for a happy hour of doggy trivia and fun (pints and pups not required to participate)! Our trivia winner will receive an awesome prize! Click here to register.

ASPCA's National Adoption Weekend June 5 - 7, 2020

Join us as we participate in ASPCA's National Adoption Weekend! If you've had your eye on one of our animals, now's the time to act. Also consider virtually meeting our long-time residents--you might just meet your new BFF! Click here for more information.

A Sound Beginning's FREE Intro to Training June 3, 2020 | 7:00 - 8:00 PM

"Whether you've just adopted a puppy or you're fostering, this class will give you a solid understanding of what you can do NOW to help your pup gain confidence and learn how to navigate our world for a positive future." Click here to register.

Space Cat Academy's Trick of the Month Club All month long!

"This Club is great for cat lovers who are just starting to train their cats, or are seasoned pros. Not only will you and your cat learn a new trick each month, you'll have access to a private community of fellow cat lovers who can ask SCA trainers questions and get live coaching!"

Page 8

July 17-19

#MuttStrut2020 What's one activity that your pup loves? Running of course! Mutt Strut is your opportunity to not only get some quality exercise time with your pup, but also help Animal Care League continue our mission of helping homeless animals in need. The best part? You can participate from anywhere, and even get your friends and family from different parts of the world involved!

After you've registered for the event and RSVP'd on Facebook, here's a blueprint for what's next:

Since this year is a virtual event, we need your help promoting #MuttStrut2020 through fundraising, encouraging your friends and family to participate, registering for our partner's (IYR) running app, and finally... getting out there and enjoying the event!

Let's have some fun doing what we do best: Making a positive difference for people and animals in need!

Page 9 Questions on how to get started? Visit our events page or email volunteer@animalcareleague.org.

BOOK CLUB Introduci ng

EAGUE'S ANIMAL CARE L

e ic d ju e r P b d n lu a C e k o id o r B P r Voluntee This month's book and meeting times will be announced on June 5th!

Join us for our first ever Volunteer Book Club (VBC)!

What a perfect opportunity to virtually get together and discuss a few of the greatest joys in life: animals, good stories, and community.

Be sure to cast your vote to choose June's book and meeting time/day by Friday, June 5th before 9PM. We'll announce the official agenda along with our June book that very night so you can start reading!

We hope that you can participate in this great literary adventure with us!

Page 10

IN OUR COMMUNITY

Space Cat Academy ONE SMALL STEP FOR MAN, ONE GIANT LEAP FOR CATKIND

HOW SCA BEGAN TORI IS THE FOUNDER, CEO, AND CERTIFIED FELINE TRAINER FOR SCA

The stars aligned one night

pick her up. They brought her

busy. Peach turned out to be an

when dog trainer, Tori Peterson

home, cleaned her wounds, and

eager participant and would

and her family went for a drive

gave her a warm place to sleep.

wait in the training area until it

on a rural road after recently

She quickly won a spot in their

was time to work. She earned

moving across the country. They

hearts and home and was

her Expert Trick Cat title in six

saw an orange blur cross the

named Peach, because she was

months, becoming the first cat

road and stopped to investigate.

just peachy despite her

to achieve this.

The orange blur turned out to

condition and proved to be

be a tiny kitten in rough shape.

incredibly resilient and

Peach showed Tori that cats

Tori carefully tossed treats to

charming. While recovering

love to learn too! Her

the kitten who was hiding in the

from her wounds and gaining

enthusiasm for training keeps

grass. Luckily, the kitten was

the much needed weight, Tori

her busy, out of trouble, and has

interested and allowed them to

taught Peach tricks to keep her

created a special bond with

Page 11 SPACE CAT ACADEMY

IN OUR COMMUNITY

Many hours were poured into developing practical and intuitive curricula on topics ranging from cat care to behavior modification. Positive reinforcement is the foundation of the Space Cat Academy philosophy.

Deeply rooted in the modern scientific advances in animal behavior and cognition, Space Cat Academy offers effective techniques and methods to easily become any cat’s best friend.

In the future, we plan to continue working alongside Animal Care League to provide the best training and resources for cat parents,

PHOTO BY MARTIN R. SMITH

enthusiasts, and activists in our community!

Tori. In the meantime, Tori tracked Peach’s progress through an Instagram page. Our amazing Instagram and Facebook

What SCA Offers

friends were interested in learning more about training.

Newsletters are published by clubs, churches, societies, associations, and businesses—especially companies—to provide information of interest to members, customers, or employees. Google's definition of a newsletter is, "a bulletin

1 . Remote video conference behavior

issued periodically to the members of a society, business, or

counseling and training sessions

organization."

2. Online cat training courses The idea of Space Cat Academy was conceived one night when a friend asked Tori how she clips Peach’s nails. She

3. "Why Does My Cat...?" resource

immediately went to work on a written guide, but it quickly

answering why cats do the things they

grew into something bigger. The written guide soon became

do

a presentation, which then transformed into an online 4. Articles on the latest in cat science,

course.

behavior, training, and lifestyle Space Cat Academy serves as a resource for cat guardians who want their cats to live their lives to the fullest. We offer

5. CatSci Podcast in collaboration with

cat guardians a flexible learning experience through articles,

Maueyes

online classes, special online events, and one-on-one video sessions to discuss specific needs. We also partner with

*****

Animal Care League through exclusive offers for ACL volunteers and adopters.

"Giving your cat agency and choice in their lives has a profound impact on their quality of life."

-Tori Peterson Page 12 SPACE CAT ACADEMY

DOGS

SMALL MAMMALS

CATS

Amelia

Steve

Emma

Hectate

Cassidy

Yahtzee

Hargrove

Scoobs

Nettie

Rosie

AJ

Hopper

Cheyenne

Cheerio

Brownie

Xena

Dustin

Wolf

Roley

Snips

Topanga

Nancy

Arlene Fowler

Squeaky

Frank

Max

Jeannie

Lucas

Chikis

Dart

Samantha

Byers

Rufus

Mike

Ratigan

Gelato

Valencia

Demogorgon

Dawson

Saya

Zuly

Wyatt

Riley

Holly Clearly

Maggie

Sookie Stackhouse

Adam

Fuzz Aldrin

Addison

Lorraine

Detective Andy

Page 13

May Pets of the Week Cliff, Belle & Beast, Saya, and Bindi

Every month our staff selects one of our residents as Shelter Pet of the Week to highlight their progress as they wait for their forever homes. Check out who made the list last month!

Want to nominate a Shelter Pet of the Week?

Fill out this form!

Volunteer Spotlight Linda Bartkowitz & Joan Gumbel

A special thanks to Linda and Joan for diligently making masks for our V4V program! Together, Linda and Joan whipped up 12 masks for ACL volunteers, and many more for other organizations, and for their friends and families! Another big thank you to our delivery volunteers: Nicole Wallander, Susanne Jarczok, and Linda Bartkowitz! We're so thankful and proud to have a community of volunteers who are so kind, compassionate, and all-around AWESOME!

Page 14

HELP WANTED In the event that a member of our ACL community were to experience complications with COVID-19, we're ready to help! If you'd like to provide help, or receive help, such as give dogs the exercise they need while their human recovers, making or receiving a home made mask, pick up or drop off supplies, etc. Then sign up for Volunteer for Volunteers today!

We want to provide the best care possible for our animals, and that's why we need to create a contingency care plan during times of crisis. Click here for information on how to get started with your own plan, and help others to be more prepared!

Interested in donating to our cause, but can't spare the extra cash? No problem! Visit our Amazon Smile page, where Amazon will donate a portion of your regular purchases to ACL. Click here to get started!

Do you enjoy taking and editing photos with your DSLR camera? If so, please note that the animals at ACL are very photogenic, and they're all about getting their picture out to their future forever families--Let us know if you'd like to get more involved!

Want to get your work published in our newsletter(s)? No problem! Feel free to pitch us some relevant pieces you're considering: book reviews, thought pieces, industry trends, your experience as a volunteer at ACL, etc... We're all ears!

Suggestions on how we can improve this newsletter?

Contact Jordan, your Volunteer Coordinator, at volunteer@animalcareleague.org

ANIMAL CARE LEAGUE 1011 Garfield Oak Park, IL. 60304 708-848-8155

Page 15