Model for
Change NEW FRONT STREET MANAGER PUTS EMPHASIS ON FOSTER CARE
H
e was four months into his job heading the city’s animal shelter when COVID-19 shut down Sacramento. Phillip Zimmerman joined Front Street Animal Shelter as animal care services manager last November after leading the Stockton Animal Shelter for six years. “I was running a shelter with the same number of animals, but with a lot less staff,” Zimmerman says of his time in Stockton. “We were doing really great things with a lot less money. So, I thought, I’ll be OK in Sacramento. Then COVID hit.” Like other businesses, Front Street was forced to shut its doors. Zimmerman and his team joined other shelters in Sacramento and across the country in quickly moving animals into emergency foster homes. “We moved out over 100 dogs in two days,” he says. Approximately 20 cats also were relocated.
CR By Cathryn Rakich Animals & Their Allies
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Six months later, Front Street is up and running again—taking in strays and conducting adoptions, all by appointment to ensure the safety of staff and community. But the fostercentric model is at the forefront. The majority of healthy animals are placed into foster homes within hours or days of arrival. The shelter keeps ill, injured and dangerous pets not suited for foster care. Zimmerman replaced former— and popular—animal care services manager Gina Knepp, who retired in October. “I don’t have Gina’s personality. I’m a little more reserved,” Zimmerman says. “She is a bigger risk-taker than I am. As far as the sheltering part, I think I bring a lot to the table.” Born in Sacramento, Zimmerman earned his bachelor’s degree in social science at California State University, Stanislaus, and joined the Stockton Police Dispatch Department as a 911 dispatcher in 1997. He was eventually promoted to supervisor. After 18 years with dispatch, he needed a change. “I was tired of being stuck in a room,” Zimmerman says. When the manager position for the Stockton Animal Shelter came up, he was reluctant. “I saw the position advertised and I said, ‘I’m not going to go work at the pound.’”
Phillip Zimmerman Photo by Aniko Kiezel
But with encouragement from a friend at the shelter, Zimmerman decided to apply. Despite his lack of animal care experience, he had 18 years in law enforcement, including handling animal-related 911 calls after shelter hours. “I get out there and wow. They had a partnership with the San Francisco SPCA. And they were doing great stuff. I thought, I can do this,” he says. Zimmerman was hired Jan. 1, 2015, and quickly produced results. He boosted the volunteer program, hired a shelter volunteer coordinator, held community adoption and fundraising events, and applied for more grants. What enticed Zimmerman to seek the head position at Front Street Animal Shelter when Knepp left? “I blame it on Gina because she was on my hiring panel in Stockton. From that day, Gina and I were friends,” Zimmerman says. In addition to Knepp’s influence, Zimmerman has
extended family in Sacramento. Plus, “Sacramento has a lot more resources,” he says. Knepp came to Front Street with a similar background—20 years with the Sacramento Police Department 911 call center. During the Stockton interview, “Gina told me it’s a heartwrenching job,” Zimmerman recalls. “It’s emotionally charged—sometimes for good reasons, sometimes for bad reasons. I told them I’ve been on the phone when people have been shot or a parent has lost their child. I’ve dealt with all of these things on the phone. “Gina said, ‘Just so you know, this job is going to be way tougher.’ And she was 100 percent correct. When you are on the phone, you have the ability to compartmentalize. But when you are looking at animals that can’t speak, and humans are making decisions for them, that’s difficult.” Zimmerman and his husband live in Fair Oaks with “one very old cat,” two Yorkies and two Chihuahua
