Earlier this week, AWLA invited its volunteers to offer feedback and suggestions at an evening meeting hosted by the President of its Board of Directors. To anyone but an experienced AWLA volunteer, this gesture might sound unremarkable, but it actually represents a profound break with AWLA’s culture of the past several years.
As recently as a few months ago, volunteers (kitten fosterers for example) were told not to seek help or suggestions from each other when problems arose, but to interact exclusively with the volunteer coordinator — despite the fact that the volunteer coordinator was often unable or unwilling to respond in a timely fashion.
Suggestions or critiques about volunteer programs were discouraged, and the most experienced and knowledgable volunteers were periodically marginalized or dismissed — presumably because they might point out shortcomings in AWLA’s modus operandi.
It would be nice to think that the arrival of a new Executive Director will allow AWLA to reboot its culture, and that the new ED will replace any staffers too invested in AWLA’s traditional circle-the-wagons mentality. We’ll see. This week’s meeting with volunteers provides a glimmer of hope.
Other AWLA critics are hopeful too. Here’s an excerpt from the letter that Arlington-based animal-welfare advocate Debbie Marson sent to AWLA’s Board President last week:
…I wanted to let you know that AWLA released a dog, Justice, to me last week. He is a gorgeous German Shorthaired Pointer mix. He had been in the shelter for about two months and [redacted] contacted A Forever Home (ed: a local rescue organization) to see if we could take him. I was really pleased that she contacted us. It looked like AWLA stopped working with AFH about a year and a half ago. I’m glad that we are working together again.
FYI, Justice is doing great. My pack of dogs are teaching him the life skills he needs. I don’t want to jinx anything, but I do have a pending application on him and will let you know if it goes through.
Also, I want to applaud you and the shelter for some significant events recently. First, I learned that AWLA treated a heartworm-positive dog and she is now better and is available for adoption. She was offered to a rescue group (not AFH) several months ago but they could not afford her treatment. We asked if AWLA would even split the cost of treatment with us and Kay said “no”. The rescue group tried to find a way to take her and I had a friend who was willing to foster her, but it never happened. I just learned that AWLA kept that dog and gave her the treatment she needed. I was VERY glad to see that AWLA saved this girl’s life.
Second, it looks like the kennels have had a lot more dogs than last year. I watch the site regularly and last year it was common to see an average of 5-7 dogs a day there. Now it looks like about 12-15. It appears that AWLA is giving the dogs more of a chance.
I’m truly grateful for these steps.
Debbie
Whether AWLA’s recent willingness to listen to its volunteers and begin collaborating with rescue groups is due to the online criticism the organization has received, to the ongoing change in leadership, or to something else, it’s cause for optimism.
The potential for AWLA to emulate the country’s most successful animal shelters remains, and we hope AWLA’s Board hires an Executive Director who is committed to meeting the standard set by shelter directors in Tompkins County, Charlottesville-Albemarle, Richmond, Reno, Boulder and elsewhere.
