FALL 2015 FOR FRIENDS OF THE ATLANTA HUMANE SOCIETY New Directions in Animal Welfare
A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT Dear Friends, I was pleased to join the Atlanta Humane Society ("AHS") in February 2014 as the President and CEO. 2014 was an exciting year for AHS as we developed and launched a new Board-approved Strategic Plan to direct our activities over the next three years. Our vision is to expand our capacity to serve the needs of animals near and far. One of the things that we continue to emphasize is collaboration amongst groups both in Atlanta and across Georgia, all of whom are doing important work. We need to find common ground and ways in which we can help each other in saving animals, rescuing animals, educating the community and doing more preventive work. In 2014, more than 12,000 animals have been spayed or neutered by AHS, thereby preventing tens of thousands of births and making an impact on the animal homelessness problem in our state. We have much more to do to solve the problem of animal homelessness, and we need everyone s involvement and support. Please take a moment to read our 2014 Report to the Community and reach out to us with any questions you may have. Thanks for all you do on behalf of the animals, Cal Morgan President and CEO Thanks to our supporters in 2014, Atlanta Humane Society has helped more than 25,000 animals. To see a listing of 2014 $1000+ donors go to: atlantahumane.org/2014donors Thank You To Our Corporate Champions 2 FALL 2015 ATLANTAHUMANE.ORG
AHS HIGHLIGHTS 2014 Operations By The Numbers 7,340 5,172 11,607 123 126 Adoptions In 2014, AHS found loving homes for 7,340 homeless pets in the Atlanta Metro area. AHS prides ourselves on making quality matches and employs fun, creative and innovative adoption specials, events, and promotions in order to bring more people in to make adoption their first option. Transfers Our transfer program saved 5,172 lives in 2014 alone by reaching out to other shelters who have an excess of adoptable pets but a shortage of homes in which to place them. Spay/Neuter Atlanta Humane Society is addressing the pet overpopulation challenges in Atlanta and over 30 counties throughout Georgia with the Low-Cost Spay/Neuter Georgia Initiative. The mobile Surgical Utility Vehicle (SUV) enables our team of experienced Veterinarians to travel to rural communities and provide spay/neuter services. In 2014, at both AHS campuses and with the mobile SUV, AHS performed 11,607 spay/neuter surgeries. Puppy Mill AHS is involved in rescues across the Southeast. One of the largest rescues in 2014 involved 123 dogs in a puppy mill in North Mississippi. AHS assisted in this rescue by sending trained personnel and a Veterinarian and brought back thirty of the dogs to Atlanta. On November 22nd and 23rd, AHS held an adoption weekend and not only did all of the puppy mill dogs find new homes, AHS was able to adopt out 100 other shelter animals. Companion Pets For Vets In 2014, AHS received a grant from the Buckhead Rotary Club that launched Companion Pets for Vets. This program is a key community service in support of our military veterans and underwrites the adoption cost of a cat or dog. 126 Veterans were able to bring home a new family member who helped them form new relationships and in some instances cope with the challenges of PTSD. Where Your Money Goes AHS Is Highly Ranked 77% Programs 13% Fundraising & Marketing 10% Administrative Expenses ATLANTAHUMANE.ORG FALL 2015 3
NEW STRATEGIC VISION New Three Year Strategic Plan Throughout the summer and fall of 2014, under the leadership of President and CEO Cal Morgan, a cross-functional group of staff, volunteers and Board members met to discuss and develop a new three year Strategic Plan which would guide the day-to-day activities of the organization. In October, that plan became reality as the Board of Directors formally approved it. The next step was to develop and obtain approval of a work plan for 2015 which would pave the way to ultimately achieving the strategic goals. That work plan was approved in December by the Board of Directors in conjunction with the 2015 budget. Numerous activities are underway under each of the strategic goals. Following are some quick highlights: Goal 1 Improve Service Quality In order to improve service quality, we set out to reduce the number of animals returned to our facility post-adoption through the establishment of an Adoption Follow-Up Program. Through this program, adopters will be contacted on a regular basis during the critical first year of owning a new animal. This will allow AHS to provide solutions if the adopter should be experiencing difficulties with the animal in terms of either health or behavior. We are also working on establishing a much more rigorous Shelter Medicine program which will oversee the health and behavioral well-being of our animals. This will include the establishment of standardized evaluation criteria in accordance with the nationallyaccepted Asilomar Accords as well as ensuring that our animal housing, cleaning and animal handling protocols are all in line with the Association of Shelter Veterinarians Standards for Animal Shelters. Goal 3 Expand Education and Community Outreach AHS has made a commitment to developing targeted humane education programs for youth including an in-school curriculum, organized humane education tours and outreach to a number of youth-oriented organizations and clubs. In addition, AHS will be expanding Educational Outreach to adults through speaking opportunities with community groups, faith-based organizations, the veterinary community and much more. SPAY OR NEUTER YOUR PET AT FOR ONLY $35 Goal 2 Increase Preventative Measures Ensuring that animals throughout the State of Georgia are spayed and neutered is a high priority for AHS. Thanks to the ongoing support of the Holland M. Ware Charitable Foundation, we have expanded our Low Cost Spay/Neuter Georgia Initiative to accommodate an increased number of patients, and are continually seeking more community partners to work with us to reach pet owners throughout the state. We are also increasing the number of organizations AHS works with to transport healthy, adoptable animals to our facilities for adoption. Through working together, Transport Partners help to save countless animal lives each year. includes complimentary microchip and rabies vaccination As compared to the $200-300 market cost. Keep your pet happy, healthy and help decrease our animal overpopulation in Georgia. 4 FALL 2015 ATLANTAHUMANE.ORG
NEW STRATEGIC VISION Goal 4 Build Financial Strength and Organizational Strength While AHS has been fortunate to have a financially savvy Board of Directors and an experienced staff overseeing its fundraising efforts, there remain many untapped sources of revenue within the Atlanta community. A new team of highly experienced professional staff members has been assembled to increase the organization s bottom line while at the same time, a number of efforts are underway to ensure that the organization is being as transparent as possible. Staff and volunteers also provide organizational strength. Through continually evaluating and refining our recruitment and retention efforts, including training opportunities, we will ensure that we have the highest quality and experienced staff and volunteers to serve the animals. Goal 6 Build and Leverage our Reputation What does the name Atlanta Humane Society bring to mind? Is it a positive, warm emotion with cuddly puppies and kittens? Is it a vision of people coming to the rescue of helpless or abused animals? Determining the brand for which AHS wants to be known, and building that brand through consistent application of imagery, public relations outreach, social media and much more is a key initiative for AHS in this Strategic Plan. In short, all activities of the organization are designed to lead to the achievement of the Strategic Plan, a plan which considers ending the euthanasia of healthy and adoptable animals in the State of Georgia. We invite you to come along with us and be a part of the solution! Goal 5 Develop Short/Long-term Solutions to Facility Needs Facilities play such a major role in ensuring the health of our animals that we must continually be vigilant to potential issues created by our buildings. Things which may seem minor like cracked paint or inadequate air flow create an environment in which bacteria, and therefore disease, flourishes. Being a good steward of our resources includes having a responsibility to make decisions as to the continued viability of our buildings and whether a new facility should be planned. ATLANTAHUMANE.ORG FALL 2015 5
ADOPTION STORIES OF HOPE Finding a Special Home for a Special Needs Dog Have A Heart Medical Fund Ally, a homeless puppy, found by a rural Georgia Shelter, came to us on September 15th. She was a 9-monthold, Yorkshire Terrier Mix and it was clear right away that Ally was very sick. She was underweight, suffering from extreme hair loss, red and irritated skin, pink eye in both eyes and a double ear infection. Five weeks of treatment and it appeared Ally was on the mend! She had regrown almost all her hair and gained two pounds! But a skin scrape soon revealed that her skin condition would be one she would fight her entire life. She would need regular medication and a family that understood her condition could be costly and frustrating. Following two months of treatment, we took Ally to a very special event in hopes we may meet an extra special adopter that could give Ally the home and treatment she so deserved. In her beautiful gold dress, Ally caught the eye of countless event attendees. Sadly, all knew they would not be able to provide Ally with a forever home. Then, we met two very special people. We explained Ally s special needs and they said that this would not a problem. We knew it would be a perfect fit. Over the next week, Ally received her final few treatments. She was visited several times by her soon-to-be new Mom and was introduced to her new sister, Bunny. On November 12th, nearly two months after Ally was taken off the streets, she found her forever home. She s now a happy, healthy dog who loves her sister, long morning walks and each and every tennis ball she can get her paws on! We feared the worst when it came to finding Ally a forever home. She was tiny, adorable and playful. We worried that a potential adopter would just see a cute puppy, not fully understanding she suffered from a serious skin condition that left untreated, could once again leave her hairless... maybe even homeless. To support The Have A Heart Medical Fund, contact: Joy K. Hallinan, CFRE Vice President of Development and Communications jhallinan@atlantahumane.org 6 FALL 2015 ATLANTAHUMANE.ORG
ADOPTION STORIES OF HOPE Long-Term Resident Finds Forever Home One day, an AHS volunteer came to take Corrin Grace for a walk and noticed her gentle demeanor and happy tail-wagging interactions with all the staff. After spending a few weeks getting to know her better, the volunteer decided to play matchmaker. She brought her parents in to meet her and her Dad said She s the one. She s going to come home with us and live on our 400-acre farm forever. Corrin Grace was a staff favorite at the Howell Mill Campus in part because of the hard start she had in life. AHS Admissions staff were told when she was surrendered that she had turned out paws when she was a puppy and walked on top of her paws dragging herself around. Her bowed legs made her stand out at the shelter and she had permanent limp. She was always a very friendly dog that loved cats, dogs and people but, she wasn't glamorous and would be passed over when adopters came to look for their own special family member. She had a special bed with a brown blanket and favorite toys. But, as homey as her shelter kennel was made for her, it still wasn t a home. Every day Corrin Grace would pick up her toy and look out of the glass wanting someone to stop and play with her. When she was leaving the shelter the staff formed a long gauntlet and every one cried and told her goodbye. With all of the trials of her early life, her love for people never wavered and her hopeful spirit was rewarded the day she went home with her forever family. ATLANTAHUMANE.ORG FALL 2015 7
ATLANTA HUMANE SOCIETY LOCATIONS HOWELL MILL CAMPUS 981 HOWELL MILL ROAD ATLANTA, GA 30318 MANSELL CAMPUS 1565 MANSELL ROAD ALPHARETTA, GA 30009 ATLANTAHUMANE.ORG 404.875.5331 The mission of the Atlanta Humane Society is to improve animal welfare in the southeastern United States by providing quality animal services including preventative initiatives, education, advocacy and adoption of animals into permanent, loving homes. 8 FALL 2015 ATLANTAHUMANE.ORG