In 2011, whereas volunteering at Oakland Animal Services, aka the town shelter (do NOT name it the pound!), Ann Dunn observed {that a} lack of assets left most of the shelter’s cats with out choices. She watched folks cross over the cats, which have been harassed by life in cages, emotionally shut-down, sick or elderly.
Three years later, she based Cat Town, the place these missed cats might study to be courageous from extra assured cats and begin to belief folks at their very own tempo and the place potential adopters might meet them in a much less disturbing, extra homelike surroundings. As a outcome, adoptions soared and the shelter’s feline kill fee fell from 45% to 10.
“She was a godsend for the cats at that shelter,” says Gail Churchill, the vice chairman of Alameda rescue group Island Cat Resources and Adoption (ICRA).
In 2020, Dunn stepped down as Cat Town’s govt director to take the helm at Oakland Animal Services itself.
“She could have just coasted out of Cat Town, riding the really good work that she had done, but she decided to take the hardest job in Oakland instead,” says Nara Dahlbacka, one in all Cat Town’s administrators.
“Because of Cat Town, euthanasia rates for cats were low, so we wanted to focus on dogs,” says Dunn.
One of the primary issues she did was begin a foster program and play teams for large dogs, which not solely improved their high quality of life but additionally gave the OAS workers a greater understanding of the dogs’ personalities and gave potential adopters higher details about them.
When this system began in mid-2020 they have been capable of get 250 massive dogs into foster properties. By the tip of 2023, the quantity had grown to greater than 1,000 and the kill fee has now plummeted to five.5%, the bottom it’s ever been.
“One of our canine volunteers who’s been doing this for many years instructed me, ‘I can finally sleep at night,’ says longtime volunteer Ellen Lynch.
She’s finished so many different good issues — together with month-to-month veterinarian clinics for low-income or homeless pet house owners, increasing shelter hours and lowering adoption charges — all of which have tripled the variety of adoptions.
Dunn’s additionally established a terrific relationship with the Oakland Police and Fire departments, who now name OAS each time they’re in an emergency scenario involving somebody with a canine on a property. OAS will maintain the animal till the person is ready to come again. She’s at all times fast to present credit score to her workers.
“They’re extraordinarily dedicated and compassionate, and they do so much with such limited resources,” Dunn mentioned. “It’s an honor to work with them.”
Alas, Dunn has determined to resign from this backbreaking job, though I don’t assume she’ll ever retire from saving animals.
“I’m exhausted,” she explains. “This is such hard work, and OAS needs a leader who has the energy to give it everything it requires.”
She’ll stay on the helm till her successor has been discovered, however whoever it’s may have some monumental sneakers to fill.
“We’re going to miss her,” says Lynch. “She’s a very kind, thoughtful person who wants to get things right. And she cares deeply for animals and for people who are struggling with animals. In her job, she has had to deal with some very difficult people, but she always treats everyone with respect.”
