OCTOBER 2020 | ISSUE 10
VOLUNTEER NEWSLETTER Your Collective Impact 6,620 Volunteer Hours Served in 2020
As we adjust to this new reality, we focus on painting a picture of what life looks like as COVID-19 continues, and after it's run its course. We use our creative problem solving to think of what's possible, then make it happen. It's in this spirit that our ACL volunteers have remained dedicated to helping us catalyze animal welfare within our community!
Now, more than ever, nonprofit organizations need their constituents to rally behind them. We've been fortunate, and so very thankful, to have you by our side.
As a community, we can help each other overcome this temporary barrier and come out on the other side stronger for it!
STNETNOC FO ELBAT
OUR IMPACT
3
Our Up-to-date Numbers
PROGRAM UPDATES
4
Volunteer Screening, Interviews, and Training
IN THE KNOW
5
National Pit Bull Awareness Month
TRAINING & EVENTS
7
Upcoming | Book club | Recap
IN OUR COMMUNITY
10
Pittie Clothing Co.
ADOPTIONS & SPOTLIGHTS
12
Pets and volunteers
GET INVOLVED
14
Help homeless animals in our community
Page 2
OUR IMPACT Committed to helping animals in the community since 1973
2020 INTAKE
2020 ADOPTIONS
2020 LOST PET REUNIONS
851
578
128
WHERE DO OUR ANIMALS COME FROM?
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PROGRAM UPDATES
Volunteer screening, interview, and training Over the next couple of months we'll be working hard to get our returning active volunteers up-to-speed on all the great new things that our ACL team has accomplished over the last several months. We still aren't opening our program to new volunteers; instead, we'd like to give our previous volunteers a chance to reapply and discover where they fit into our new programs and services.
If you're a previous ACL volunteer and would like to rejoin our team during or after COVID then fill out this application. I (Jordan) will connect with you within 5 business days to set up an online interview to discuss the best jobs for you based on your interest, skills, and availability. After which, I'll send you your new online Volunteer Welcome Packet, reinstate your VIC account, and schedule you to train one-on-one with one of our volunteer or staff mentors in your new job.
After your first one-on-one training, you'll be able to sign up for a General Volunteer Re-orientation / Q&A session (see p.7), take our Volunteer Satisfaction Survey, and schedule yourself for volunteer shifts.
The most vital piece of volunteering during COVID-19 is that you take your health and the health of others seriously by scheduling your own shifts in VICNET, and self-checking for COVID-19 symptoms. ACL is a safe haven for people and animals alike, so in order to keep everyone healthy, safe, and feeling respected, we must keep in-shelter traffic at a minimum. Thus, scheduling yourself for volunteer shifts is essential to maintaining everyone's safety and wellbeing.
Hope to see you in the shelter or at our 2nd Chance Thrift Shop soon!
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CATALYZING ACTION WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY October is National Pit Bull Awareness month!
Here at ACL, we take in many reluctantly
As champions of animal welfare, we must be
surrendered animals, and make no mistake:
ever-congnisant of the issues surrounding breed
having to surrender your animal to a shelter is a
discrimination. At this very moment, dogs that
devastating experience for everyone involved.
would be visually labeled as "Pit Bulls" make up
The point is, we cannot ignore that "pitties"
over 50% of ACL's resident dog population. As
make up a disproportionate number of owner
lovers of all animals, we often ask ourselves,
surrendered (and strayed, abused, and
"Why does this happen?"
abandoned) cases within shelters.
One reason is due to U.S. housing restrictions
Another issue that keeps Pit Bull-type dogs
which forces present and future Pit Bull-type
from finding and retaining loving homes is due
dog owners to choose between their beloved
to the social stigma attached to their breed. Pit
dog or face eviction. Although many of us
Bull-type dogs are traditionally victims of dog
would like to believe that if we found ourselves
fighting, wherein human owners train them to
in that situation that we'd simply pick up and
fight each other in pursuit of illegal gambling
move but often times, that's not the reality.
opportunities.
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PIT BULL AWARENESS
IN THE KNOW
IN THE KNOW Dogs whose ears have been "cropped," or partially soldiered, are associated as fighting dogs and are then labeled as "dangerous," "bad," or even "vicious."
According to the ASPCA, Pit Bull-type dogs who were bred to fight other dogs were not predisposed to aggressive behaviors toward humans or other dogs1. The unfortunate truth is that Pit Bull-type dogs everywhere have been trapped in a cycle of getting blamed for being the victim.
Because of these discriminatory practices, it's no secret that "pitties" have drawn the short end of the bully stick. Human companions of Pit Bull-type dogs have echoed affirmations of these prejudices: Erin Crowley, Founder and Owner of Pittie Clothing Co. (featured in this month's In Our Community article) began conception of her business after her late "pittie", Duncan, was called a "bad dog" by a mother in front of her 2 young children while Duncan was calmly sitting in an elevator with Erin, awaiting their stop together.
Today, in Duncan's honor, Erin helps make people's first impression of Pit Bull-type dogs cute and enjoyable by dressing them in bright and fun pajamas, bandanas, and collars. What's more: You can order an identical set of pajamas for yourself to match your "pitty" pal! To read more about Pittie Clothing Co., continue onto page 10!
1. Position Statement on Pit Bulls. ASPCA. 2020
SA D U E! SEN AMPL S
WANT YOUR WORK PUBLISHED IN OUR NEWSLETTER?
TRAINING & EVENTS
Animal Care League Volunteer Newsletter OCTOBER 2020, ISSUE 10
general volunteer q&a / reorientation October 1 & 8, 2020 | 7-8 PM We're so excited to have partially re-opened our volunteer program!! With all the new changes, we've decided to host a Reorientation / Q&A for all of our grandfathered and returning volunteers! Join us via Zoom to see what's new!
catcon from your couch October 10-11, 2020 Ever attended CatCon in LA? It's a magical experience! This year, it's more accessible for those of us wishing to social distance (yay!). Reserve your spot today, and enjoy 2 days of laid back fun!
ACL Barktoberfest October 16-17, 2020 Save the date and stay tuned for more information on our upcoming Barktoberfest! The absolute best way to track our events is by checking our events web page and ACL Facebook page!
ACL trivia night October 22, 2020 | 7-8:30 PM We had such a great time at our last Trivia Night that we decided to replicate the fun! We'll have raffles throughout the night, and our Trivia game winner will take home a PhoneSoap (UV phone sanitizer)! Check out our Facebook event page for more information, and register here!
BO OK CL UB Join us via Zoom on October 26th at 7 PM as we discuss "Coraline" by Neil Gaiman.
We strongly recommend that you purchase the audiobook read by the author!
Sneak Peek.... "The day after they moved in, Coraline went exploring....
In Coraline's family's new flat are twenty-one windows and fourteen doors. Thirteen of the doors open and close.
The fourteenth is locked, and on the other side is only a brick wall, until the day Coraline unlocks the door to find a passage to another flat in another house just like her own.
Only it's different.
At first, things seem marvelous in the other flat. The food is better. The toy box is filled with wind-up angels that flutter around the bedroom, books whose pictures writhe and crawl and shimmer, little dinosaur skulls that chatter their teeth. But there's another mother, and another father, and they want Coraline to stay with them and be their little girl. They want to change her and never let her go.
Other children are trapped there as well, lost souls behind the mirrors. Coraline is their only hope of rescue. She will have to fight with all her wits and all the tools she can find if she is to save the lost children, her ordinary life, and herself."
- A summary of "Coraline" written by Neil Gaiman
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EVENT REORIENTATION
RECAP
EVENT ZOOMIES Written by Quinn Lentz, ACL Development & Events Manager Thank you to everyone who joined me for the new Event Re-orientation! For those that didn't have a chance to tune in, there is a recording that you can watch at your leisure below. I truly appreciate everyone's participation and feedback—even if you don't learn something new you'll be helping to make this training the best it can be for new volunteers.
The goal of this training was to not only to make sure our event volunteers are well prepared to represent ACL at events, but also to really drive home that you are THE key ingredient of a successful event.
Your commitment to acting as an ambassador of our organization in the community translates directly into more adoptions, more donations, more foster families, and a higher capacity to care for animals in need. I'm really looking forward to getting back into the swing of things with such a great volunteer team by my side!
If you'd like to watch the Event Re-orientation you can access it here. The passcode is Dz2K?X1v. Enjoy!
*** Please note that I made a mistake in the FAQ section and that one of our fantastic board members and long-time volunteer corrected me in the Q&A portion at the end, so watching the entire session is important!
IN OUR COMMUNITY
PITTIE CLOTHING CO. DEDICATED TO ENDING BREED DISCRIMINATION AND MAKING YOUR PITTIE THE CUTEST PUP ON THE BLOCK
How PCC Began DUNCAN: THE LOVEABLE, LOYAL GOOF
The year was 2014, the no. 1 hit
she and her boyfriend adopted
That's when Erin's "eureka!"
song was "Happy" by Pharrell
him from Chicago Canine
moment had stuck: She had to
Williams, and Reese
Rescue. "He was just so perfect
make Duncan seem more
Witherspoon's "Wild" had just
to me... I wanted the world to
approachable by accessorizing
been released in theatres. It
see him the way I did." She
him with cute bandanas,
was also the year that Erin
explained.
collars, and clothes.
Clothing Co., met Duncan (top
One day after a nice walk, Erin
And so she began searching for
left), a Pit Bull who would
and Duncan quietly boarded an
fun and bright matching
inspire her to invest in her wish
elevator. Another tenant, who
pajamas for dogs and their
to reduce breed stigma... by
was with her 2 children, told
humans; however, the PJs she
selling pajamas!
them not to pet Duncan
bought didn't properly fit
because he was a "bad dog."
Duncan's physique. As she kept
It surprised Erin that many
Duncan was calmly sitting on
her eyes peeled for some puppy
people were afraid of Duncan,
the elevator floor, minding his
apparel for Duncan, she
who was just a puppy when
own business through it all.
noticed that he'd been losing
Crowley, founder of Pittie
PITTIE CLOTHING CO.
Page 10
IN OUR COMMUNITY
fun PJ's (for pitties and people of all ages), bandanas, collars, and more! Erin is also extremely passionate about helping animal rescues champion dogs, and pit bulls in particular, by donating a percentage of her profits to animal welfare organizations, and co-hosting events (like trivia night!). As the Animal Care League and our constituents know, first impressions can go a long way, so why not give pit bulls the tools (or threads, in this case) to help them get noticed by good people who will give them a great home and advocate for them, just like how Erin did for Duncan! And because of Duncan and Erin, many pitties will take center stage in rescues and shelters, not for being pit bulls, but for being the cutest pup on the block!
Pittie Clothing Company and Pit bull Advocates of America Collaborated and will release these Pittie Sugar Skull Jammies for Day of the Dead!
WHAT PCC OFFERS Matching adult and dog pajamas Matching baby and pup onesies
weight. After a vet check-up, it was discovered that Duncan
Bandanas
had developed an aggressive and rare form of cancer at
Collars
just 2 years old. The cancer had remained after surgery and
Branded merchandise
chemotherapy, so Erin and her boyfriend decided that
Gift cards
Duncan would have the best last few months of his life,
Animal rescue partnerships (ACL
and that's what happened.
and PCC have hosted Trivia Nights together!)
A year and a half later, Erin channeled her entrepenurial
Social media pages to help you
spirit and decided that since she couldn't find PJ's for pit
stay up-to-date on all their fun
bulls that she'd just make her own, complete with a
designs (linked below!)
matching human pair, and sell them! She placed an announcement in her neighborhood's newsletter that she wanted to take measurements of pit bulls where over 100 respondents showed up! After which, she made a few prototypes, and in 2019, she launched Pittie Clothing Co. in honor of Duncan.
*****
Since Erin is also a full-time school teacher, she operates PCC as an online shop--filled with bright, adorable, and
PITTIE CLOTHING CO.
Page 11
WILL I FIND MY BFF AT ACL?
DOGS
SNOITPODA REBMETPES
Sir Pickles | Bernadette | Tino | Rory | Lorelai | Braeburn | Lori | Bella | Dakota | Watermelon | Willa
C ATS Spritz | Root Beer | Bearie | Catniss | Buff Boo | Jay | RA | Bob Ross | Lil Tamale | Thor | Sid | Johnny | Guinness | Harp | Tyler | Fitz | Jam | Jelly | Muffin | Scone | Topper |
Magnus | Clary | Madame Z | Boots | Mushroom | Tomato | Windmere | Delaplaine | Groverland | Shenstone | Bartram |
Sander | Liam | Beau | Peggy | Vera | Millie | Evie | Nemo | Mario | Ida | Markus | Henrik | Gigi | Paulie | Tigger | Latte | Smee | Tootie | Russet | Ms. Turnbuckle | Wicket | Weechee | Widdle | Winda | Bruna | Goose | Jones | Pudding | Chip | Cupcake | Biscuit | Licorice | Gravy | Konrad | Elmwood | Arista | Ember | Squiggy | Susan | Pearl | Ann | Torrey | Niko | Domino | Frank Sinatra
SMALL ANIMALS Page 12
September Pets of the Week Biscotti & Shortcake, Thor, Walker & Jameson, and Sammy
Every week our staff selects one of our residents as "Shelter Pet of the Week" to highlight their progress as they wait for their forever homes. Check out who made the list last month! Want to nominate a Shelter Pet of the Week? Fill out this form!
Volunteer Spotlight Sandy Ross & Jade Aich
Sandy has been volunteering with the Animal Care League for 20 years! As a grandfathered Level IV
Jade is a Level II Volunteer who's passionate about photography! Although she's only been with us for a
Volunteer in our new program, she's been promoted to
short time, she's made a great impact on capturing
General Shelter Support (GSS) Mentor where she helps
the likeness of our resident animals, which helps them
returning GSS volunteers acclimate to the new role. Sandy is an absolute joy and we're so lucky to have her on our team!!
get noticed! Stay tuned for next month's newsletter where Jade will share her experience as a high school OPRF student and ACL volunteer amidst a pandemic.
Inte r ested in gettin g i n v o l v e d w i t h t he A C L ?
JOIN US ... Be a part of our hoard! Email volunteer@animalcareleague.org for more information
ANIMAL
CARE LEAGUE
1011 Garfield Oak Park, IL. 60304 (708) 848-8155