Founder and Executive Director of Lost Our Home Pet Rescue Jodi Polanski talks extra about her story of founding the shelter and what’s in retailer for the group because it expands its companies to proceed providing animal assist domestically and past.
Originally from Tucson, Polanski alongside together with her husband, two dogs and one cat at present reside within the Valley, the place she discovered the perfect location to launch the shelter. Considering the place to function throughout the Phoenix metro, Lost Our Home wanted a place that had appropriate zoning, affordability, enough house and out of doors areas for pets, which it present in Tempe.
Some of the shelter’s companies embody rescue and adoption, a nationally acknowledged 90-day short-term care program, a pet meals financial institution and partnerships with home violence shelters.
As for the shelter’s present work, Polanski defined that the longer term is about making an enduring impression, extending Lost Our Home’s attain and persevering with to be a beacon of hope for pets and their households in want.
Read extra beneath about Polanski’s background and Lost Our Home.
Q: What is one thing many individuals don’t find out about you?
I’ve been a vegetarian/vegan for almost 4 a long time, a alternative deeply rooted in my love for animals that dates again to my childhood. When I used to be simply 5 years old, I’d gown up my cat in doll clothes and take her for rides in a doll stroller. I’ve at all times identified pets had been the form of youngsters I wished.
Q: What do you most cherish out of your childhood?
My greatest mates. I think about myself extremely lucky to have met my greatest buddy after I was 5 years old, and our friendship remained steadfast all through highschool. Along the way in which, we welcomed much more fantastic mates into our circle. These friendships had been the cornerstone of my childhood, and I’ll at all times treasure the unforgettable recollections and assist they offered.
Q: What drew you to your neighborhood?
I then researched Tempe and found its sturdy philanthropic spirit, making it an excellent match for our want for volunteers. After working our pet shelter right here for six years and experiencing the great assist from each neighborhood members and town of Tempe, together with town’s progressive stance on pet welfare, we bought our building and made Tempe our everlasting home.
Q: How do you need to be remembered?
I need to be remembered as somebody who devoted their life to creating a profound impression within the lives of each pets and the individuals who cherish them. To obtain this, I’ve been dedicated to creating groundbreaking initiatives that stretch past standard sheltering practices.
These packages not solely improved the welfare of animals but in addition saved the human-animal bond intact, enhancing the lives of people who discovered pleasure and companionship of their pets.
Q: What recommendation would you give to folks getting into your discipline?
- Volunteer Extensively: Invest a big period of time volunteering at pet shelters to achieve a complete understanding of the intricacies of animal welfare.
- Seek a Mentor: Connect with a seasoned skilled in higher administration at a pet shelter to function your mentor. Their steering and insights will be invaluable.
- Pursue Education: Consider enrolling within the ASU Lodestar program to acquire a non-profit administration certificates. These programs supply indispensable information and networking alternatives for beginning or managing a non-profit.
- Secure an Experienced CPA: It’s important to have interaction a extremely skilled non-profit CPA to determine your organization appropriately from the outset. This is an important step for long-term success.
- Build a Passionate Team: Surround your self with passionate and action-oriented people who share your mission. Collaborating with like-minded people is essential to attaining your objectives.
People ought to know that Lost Our Home is a lifeline for pets and households in disaster, taking a holistic strategy to deal with complicated challenges like pet displacement, abandonment and starvation. As a no-kill rescue, our major mission is to help folks and pets in disaster.
What really units us aside is our proactive strategy to protecting pets out of overcrowded shelters the place they might face euthanasia. We concentrate on serving vulnerable populations, corresponding to girls, youngsters, seniors, veterans, low-income people and the disabled.
Our intention is to stop them from having to decide on between their well-being and their beloved pets.
Q: What does your day-to-day seem like as govt director?
Unfortunately, it is not hanging out with dogs and cats all day, although that may be a dream come true. As the manager director of our non-profit pet shelter, my every day routine is a dynamic mixture of duties that begin with responding to emails and pressing issues, then specializing in administration duties to maintain the organization’s objectives and price range on monitor. I fundraise, work on partnerships and signify our organization locally.
One factor that’s constant in a pet shelter, is that there are numerous, many shifting elements, it’s at all times eventful and by no means predictable. No matter how nicely I plan my day, my consideration additionally goes to the various locations all through the day the place it’s wanted. Evenings are sometimes devoted to writing duties because it’s quiet.
While my every day routine could not contain as a lot direct interplay with our furry residents as I’d like, the work I do and the tireless efforts of our devoted, unimaginable group of workers and volunteers, guarantee our shelter is a haven for animals in want. Although it’s tiring for us all, it’s very fulfilling too.
Q: How can the neighborhood greatest assist Lost Our Home’s efforts?
During difficult financial occasions, our organization performs a essential position in aiding each people and pets going through crises. As the financial system tightens for folks, the demand for our companies considerably will increase, leading to a surge of actions and assist requests.
Paradoxically, financial hardships typically cut back the quantity of people that can contribute financially, leaving us with a diminished stage of assist exactly when our help is required most.
At this juncture, donations turn into our most precious useful resource, permitting us to proceed our life-saving work. Additionally, fostering massive dogs stands as a really shut second when it comes to impactful assist.
Q: What’s in retailer for you and Lost Our Home sooner or later?
We’ve simply accomplished a big renovation, enhancing our services to higher serve our mission. This features a new vet clinic for our shelter pets, an expanded meals financial institution space, further workplace house, and extra room for rescuing cats. We’ve additionally created a big indoor play yard/occasion house, all aimed toward enhancing the lives of each pets and folks in our shelter and neighborhood.
Our enlargement goes past our bodily house. We’re strengthening partnerships with animal welfare companies and human social service organizations throughout Maricopa County and the state, as we’re taking our profitable Temporary Care Program statewide.
We’re additionally dedicated to sharing our information and experience by aiding different shelters nationwide in beginning their very own Temporary Care packages. Additionally, we’re working with home violence and homeless shelters to securely combine pets on their campuses.
Caroline Yu
Reporter | Tempe
Caroline Yu is a reporter for Independent Newsmedia protecting Tempe. She stories on native information together with areas of sustainability and training. Her earlier work has been printed on KCET’s SoCal Connected and Cronkite News.
Caroline earned her diploma in journalism and mass communications at Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. From each school and highschool journalism experiences, she’s developed a ardour for protecting native communities and being a voice for others.
