Hold Her Steady
As I sat down to write this year’s letter, I was initially a little stuck. Thinking through how to approach this post had me going backwards first into older writings. Blogs from earlier this year, internal communications, last year’s letter, even a report I wrote to the Board of Directors just 90 days into my tenure. It was in that report that I found the starting place for this letter to all of you.
“...there was much early discussion about the immediate future of the shelter, some of it centering around exploring new and innovative programs and services.
My vision for CAS and my belief that the vision can be obtained remain. However, I also believe that in order for the organization to stabilize, improve, and once again become a thriving institution - the immediate future must focus on improving our internal operations. An excellent standard of care and operations needs to be universally embraced. We must have a realistic, yet inspiring strategic plan and direction, and we must recruit, engage, and retain the kind of professional, experienced leadership staff and board necessary to establish that excellence.”
I remember writing that report and worrying to myself that the board would find it uninspired, boring even. With so much change in the world, wasn’t now the time to take bold moves forward? Shouldn’t the immediate vision for the Shelter create excitement and buzz? I felt I was taking a big risk by suggesting that in order to move forward, we would first need to go back. Having just celebrated the 50th anniversary of the organization, it felt counterintuitive to suggest we needed to think about leadership and staff development, shoring up frontline operations, and investing time and money in infrastructure.
When I look at these words now, I am proud of how far we have come since then, of how much work we have accomplished in order to be where we are today.
Our successes at the Shelter this past year are a result of adherence to the plan we made in those early days. Our wins are defined largely by the absence of crises, by steady performance, by reductions in turnover, by consistency in leadership, by dedicated focus on the fundamental processes of animal sheltering and nonprofit business development.
Is it flashy and exciting? Not really. But it is a lot to be proud of.
Here’s a quick look at some of the milestones:
In January and February, we hosted a nationally renowned shelter behavior expert for the second of a two-part intensive staff training workshop. As a result of this work, we developed best-in-industry tools to make decisions for animals and chart their pathway through the shelter. Since that time, we have maintained an average length of stay for all animals in the shelter below that of industry benchmarks and have avoided some of the population and overcrowding crises that other shelters across the country are facing.
Volunteer Coordinator, Austin Coward, getting ready to clean cat kennels with volunteers.
We redefined our Volunteer Coordinator position and relaunched the volunteer program, welcoming over 100 new volunteers to the organization.
In May, we reached and have maintained a 100% Fear-Free certified staff, ensuring that all animals in our care are afforded the freedoms of choice and participation in their care plans.
We upgraded our phone system to allow for more expedient routing of calls and ensure more consistent response times.
We filled all of our senior leadership positions with inspiring, driven, and thoughtful professionals.
We increased our investment in staff training and development and sent more than ten team members to various national conferences and training in an effort to increase the depth and breadth of knowledge in the organization.
We made the transition to a new shelter management software system, converting the bulk of our daily processes to a paperless system and ensuring better quality and consistency of data for reporting purposes.
Amber Ash presenting the Business Partnership Program at the 2023 Chamber Business Expo.
We finalized the first-ever multi-year contract for sheltering services with the City of Cheyenne and Laramie County, with automatic annual increases built into the contract.
Once per quarter throughout the year, we hosted low-cost public clinics, helping to spay and neuter and vaccinate animals across the community.
In what is proving to be a years’ long project, and one needing continued oversight and maintenance, we developed a first-ever comprehensive index of standard operating procedures and policies bringing consistency and integrity into all of the Shelter’s daily operations.
Our Safe Harbor, Community Cat, and Return-to-Home programs were highlighted and gently expanded throughout the year in an attempt to tell more of the story of the Shelter’s work and services.
We launched the Business Partner Program, a first-of-its-kind sponsorship opportunity designed to engage partners throughout the year in strengthening our community.
We reaffirmed the Shelter’s mission and redefined its vision and values and introduced resiliency training to our staff.
All of this is to say, while we didn’t set out to accomplish new, great things - the course we charted was one intended to take us into calmer waters where, once there, we could take in the view and take our time pointing the ship toward the next new horizon.
I am happy to say that from where I sit right now, the waters are calm. And that, my friends, is something worth celebrating.
As I look ahead to 2024, I know that it is going to be a transition year. This isn’t the time for all things new. This is the year for planning for what’s next. It’s a year for more training and research, for more development of board and staff, for revisiting and updating our strategic plan, for finding and patching the remaining leaks (major donors and corporate sponsors, aging HVAC, vehicles, and roofing, and limitations on public services remain significant challenges).
It has been quite the journey so far and I would be remiss not to comment on how grateful I am for the tireless support, enthusiasm, dedication, and encouragement we receive. From our dedicated volunteers to our fearless Board of Directors, from the kindergartner who trades their birthday presents for toys for the Shelter’s cats to the estate donor whose lasting legacy ensures the long-standing sustainability of our work - thank you. Your gifts are precious and we truly could not do this work without them.
To our staff who have toughed out this long and trying period of change - thank you. Your determination and commitment to excellence have bolstered my energy and drive on countless occasions. Your daily acts of care and compassion do not go unnoticed or unappreciated, your kindness permeates this place and every day the feeling is growing stronger and more powerful. I see your efforts to grow and learn, to come together as a team, to demonstrate your commitment to and concern for our community. You are all truly incredible and I am so very, very proud of you.
And to our community who continues to trust us with your beloved pets - thank you. The Shelter is so much more than a place to leave or from which to acquire a pet. We are here to help - with food, supplies, care, connection, advice, and more. If it weren’t for your love for companion pets, love that you extend to us in service to those pets, we would not have the richness of experience and meaningful work that we do. It is because of your trust and support that so many of us get to come into this space every day and do the work that feeds our souls and benefits others too. It’s a beautiful cycle of giving and receiving.
Together, we can maintain all hands on deck. And together, we can face whatever opportunities or challenges lie ahead.
Happy New Year, everyone.
Britney
