“If you want to make everyone happy, sell ice cream, don’t be a leader” – Steve Jobs
The Courage to Save Lives: Lessons from a Surprising Journey in Animal Services
When I transitioned to animal services after 25 years in park services, I thought I was prepared for anything. I was no stranger to public service, leadership, and navigating complex dynamics. But what I experienced in animal services was unlike anything I had encountered before—both in the challenges it presented and the lessons it taught me.
A Startling First Day
On my very first day, shelter staff brought me the “Put to Sleep” (PTS) list for approval. I was stunned. These were pets with names, faces, and stories—some frightened, some treatable, and many who just needed a little more time. I went to the kennels and asked the team to bring me a new list, one where death was truly the only humane option.
This small but powerful shift became our new standard. Each week, when presented with a PTS list, I would ask for alternatives. Staff began calling rescues, finding foster homes, providing medical treatments, and placing scared pets on the adoption floor. We overhauled policies, launched lifesaving programs, and started using grown-up language to describe what was happening. We stopped calling it “put to sleep” and began addressing euthanasia as the serious, heartbreaking decision it truly is—reserved only for pets who were irremediably suffering or an immediate danger to the community.
Transforming the Shelter
The results were transformational. The community rallied around our efforts, appointed and elected officials celebrated the changes, and the shelter became a hub of positivity. Weekends felt like parties, with adoption events and celebrations that drew crowds and donations. The media took notice, and we even began helping rural shelters nearby with fewer resources.
We were saving lives, and it felt incredible.
The Backlash
But as the lifesaving increased, so did the resistance. Internally, my popularity began to wane. A handful of staff and volunteers, influenced by animal control officers clinging to outdated notions of “culling the herd,” began creating discord. They spread misinformation and sowed division, not to improve the shelter but to return it to its old ways.
It was a stark reminder that not everyone embraces change, even when it’s the right thing to do. Suddenly, I found myself fighting not just for pets’ lives but for my professional reputation and livelihood.
The Value of Courage
Courage was a value instilled in me early in life, and it became my anchor. Courage means doing the right thing, even when it’s hard. It means standing firm in the face of opposition, especially when lives are at stake.
In parks services, the mission was always clear: deliver excellence, ensure safety, and engage the community. Disagreement didn’t derail progress. Volunteers and staff who couldn’t align with the organization’s direction could find other opportunities better suited to their values. Even in high-stress professions like hospitals or emergency services, disruptive behavior isn’t tolerated.
But in animal services, a profession driven by passion and emotion, the dynamics are different. Lifesaving victories can be overshadowed by criticism, harassment, and even sabotage. Directors fighting to end the hidden killing of pets often find themselves under attack when they should be celebrated.
A Call to Action
If your community has an animal services director striving to save lives, please support them. Their work is not a popularity contest—it’s about achieving lifesaving professional excellence.
Recognize that the changes they’re implementing—ending killing, adopting best practices, and collaborating with the community—are transformative. They require courage, resilience, and a steadfast commitment to doing what’s right, even when it’s hard.
Animal services leadership can be a lonely job, but it doesn’t have to be. By standing behind the people fighting for positive change, you can help create a culture of support and collaboration that saves even more lives.
The Fight for Progress
As I reflect on my time in animal services, I think of colleagues across the country facing similar challenges. These leaders work tirelessly to increase lifesaving while fending off criticism from those who resist change. They deserve parades, not attacks.
Let’s remember that animal services is about saving lives—not catering to opinions or popularity. Together, we can support the leaders making a difference and ensure that shelters everywhere become places of hope, not despair.
The pets are counting on us. Let’s get it right.
