November 12, 2023 • 34 mins
Ever wonder how your undying love for animals could turn into a meaningful pursuit? Join us as we sit down with Joyce Luckett, the co-founder of Animal Care Alliance, an organization kickstarted with a humble $7,000 grant but fueled by an immense love for animals. The chronicles of Joyce, from a simple girl growing up in Connersville to someone who changed the landscape of animal care in Wayne County, Indiana, will inspire you.
Imagine a city where every animal has a safe shelter, ample food, and necessary care. A place where injured animals are nurtured back to health and then lovingly placed in forever homes. That's the dream Joyce and her team are working towards with Animal Care Alliance. They also partner with other shelters and receive support from corporations like Purina and the Wayne County Foundation. The discussion also paves the way to the dream of a future shelter, a noble cause in honor of Sierra Burton, a local animal lover.
The conversation takes a somber turn as we navigate the tough subject of pet euthanasia. It's a heart-wrenching decision for every pet parent, and we aim to provide insightful guidance on how to handle such situations. We also emphasize the implications of owning a pet and the need for thorough research before making that commitment. Wrapping up, we discuss the different ways you can contribute to the Animal Care Alliance. Whether you're an animal lover or someone eager to make a difference in your community, this episode is a must-listen!
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
Hello and welcome to the hub powered by manpower of
Richmond.
I am your host, michael Allen,and here on the hub we interview
local business leaders,community partners and various
special guests and we shareunique, untold stories of
companies, organizations andpeople who are making a
difference in our community.
Manpower Richmond is sponsoredof.
(00:26):
The hub is a national brand,yep.
We're a locally owned franchise.
We're familiar with thechallenges businesses face.
It's a tough recruiting andretaining talent out there, and
it's our entire focus will helpyou manage your hiring and
training, provide ongoingcustomized support.
So today's guest on the hub isJoyce Luckett, and she is the
(00:49):
clinic manager and co founder ofthe animal care alliance
located at 1353 Abington Pike,and their mission is providing
quality, affordable veterinaryand spay neuter services.
Now, that's what the websitesays, but, however, I think that
after hearing from Joyce,there's a lot more going on in
(01:11):
her vision indicates.
So, joyce, welcome to the hub.
Speaker 2 (01:14):
Thank you for having us here today.
Speaker 1 (01:16):
Good to see you, and today we're here to discuss
Animal Care, alliance, householdpets and even some wildlife,
and.
But before we go into that,please tell us a little bit
about yourself, where you grewup.
Just stuff about you.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
Well, I'm a local girl.
I grew up in Connorsville andthen lived quite a few places
around the country and then cameback here about 30 years ago
after experiencing shelter lifeactually in Pittsburgh,
pennsylvania.
That's what got me started intothe animal world, although I
loved animals all my life.
So you know, it's justsnowballed from here, from there
(01:54):
.
Speaker 1 (01:55):
Awesome.
Well, one thing that we ask onthe hub, to start off, is we
like to ask people what wastheir very first job.
Speaker 2 (02:05):
I've been working since I was 14 years old and
actually my first job wassitting in an empty house that
was available for sale andshowing any interested people in
the property carpet samples andthings like that and showing
them that the layouts forpossible future homes to be
built, and has absolutelynothing to do with what I do now
.
Speaker 1 (02:24):
Right, so.
So how did that come about?
Speaker 2 (02:28):
I don't know.
So a friend that was theconstruction person there just
knew about me and they neededcheap labor.
Speaker 1 (02:35):
So this was in Connorsville?
Yeah, it was in Connorsville.
So it was like a housingdevelopment, or was it a person
to build her, or both Okay, itwas fun.
Interesting, so did they payyou, okay, or?
Speaker 2 (02:47):
no, but it was okay.
It was more than I was makingsitting at home, so yeah,
awesome.
Speaker 1 (02:53):
So you're the clinic manager and co-founder of Animal
Care Alliance.
So tell us what sparked yourpassion for animals.
Kind of go back to yourprevious comment about you know
about yourself and then kind ofhow ACA began.
Speaker 2 (03:08):
Okay, well, I grew up loving animals.
My family were, you know.
We always had animals dogs,cats, whatever happened to come
through the yard, and I was eventhe person that other kids in
the neighborhood would come towhen they found an injured
kitten or the dog theneighborhood dog got hurt or
something like that.
So it was just a natural thing.
Animal Care Alliance actuallygot started with a $7,000 grant
(03:30):
from the Wayne County FoundationIn 2006,.
We wrote a grant asking for$7,000 to start a community
spain-neuter program.
It was definitely needed andit's still needed in this
community.
So I remember it was the fallgrant cycle and I remember
exactly where I was when staffcalled me and said, hey, we got
(03:50):
a letter here from the WayneCounty Foundation.
I said, well, open it.
And they said that our grantwas funded and $7,000 happened
to be enough to purchase somerefurbished anesthesia equipment
and hire a couple of part-timevets, and we were located at
Help the Animals shelter at thetime.
So we did between 2007 and 2011, 4,500 surgeries, spain-neuter
(04:14):
surgeries, in a room about thissize.
Speaker 1 (04:16):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
So by 2011, we had outgrown our space and we were
kind of taking away from whatHelp the Animals mission was,
because we were an interference.
We still work very, very wellwith them, help them with
whatever they need and viceversa, and it's just kind of
snowballed from there.
Speaker 1 (04:32):
Wow, that's great.
So on the website I mentionedearlier that your mission is
providing quality, affordableveterinary and spain-neuter
services.
So I visited you recently atACA and early on in our
conversation you did make apoint that you're not a shelter.
That's not part of your mission.
(04:52):
But I can say that firsthand.
I felt like there was a lotgoing on there at ACA and just
tell us a little bit about thescope of the organization and
what happens there on aday-to-day basis.
Speaker 2 (05:09):
Well, our veterinarians primarily deal
with domestic animals, which isproviding low-cost care,
affordable care for dogs andcats, the occasional rabbit.
But a lot of people come to uswith a cat that they found on a
country road, hit by a car, or alitter of kittens.
Like I said, we're not ashelter, but sometimes you know,
if they're so sick that they'renot going to survive anywhere
(05:31):
else, we will cave and take careof those animals.
So that ends up costing ourorganization an awful lot of
money, because not only do wepay the vets to provide the
medical care and then we have topay for spay-neuter,
vaccinations, housing.
You saw our staff that day.
We have pretty good-sizedanimal care staff and that's
what they do, and we don'trecoup any money from these
(05:52):
animals.
We find them homes, charge aminimal adoption fee and that
doesn't even cover the spay orneuter that we put into them.
But somehow somebody's takingcare of us somewhere a big part
of the time and we feel like Idon't know.
We just keep going doing whatwe think is right.
Speaker 1 (06:10):
Well, you and I had sat down in a little coffee room
or break room and people comingin and out.
I mean it seemed like there wastons of people in there working
that day.
I mean I was impressed at howmany people were there and all
of just the activity going on.
Everyone just seemed super busy.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
We love our new facility.
We built a new veterinaryclinic.
We'd never had a physicalbuilding that was designed to be
what we wanted it to be.
So we built a clinic five yearsago and it's multi-rooms, lots
and lots of different spaces,and those rooms, just like you
just said, they become what weneed them to become.
That day.
We don't really have aconference room, so that day it
(06:51):
was the break room, the officethat was supposed to be mine.
I was never in for a single day.
It became the wildlife room andnow it's the kitten room.
So things just change as needed.
Speaker 1 (07:01):
I mean, it looks like you could have way more space
than you have now.
Speaker 2 (07:06):
And we'd fill it up, yeah.
Speaker 1 (07:08):
It was really impressive.
So I know you charge.
You speak about charging forspay and neuter devices.
How do you find organization tooverall mean so you take in
fees for that?
That I assume helps some, but Idon't.
I don't think that coverseverything it really doesn't.
Speaker 2 (07:31):
We also sell fleet control products, heart room
prevention.
Our veterinarians Seeappointments.
That helps bring in money.
So if you got a sick kitten, wecharge an office, call for that
and then whatever the meds cost.
So we raise money doing thatkind of thing.
But I'd like to say that there'sa national shortage of
(07:51):
veterinarians Across the country.
It seems like probably 50% ofthe the clinics are looking for
veterinary help just becausethere are too Few of them.
So it depends on how manyveterinary hours.
As far as how, you can onlymake money if you have a
veterinarian there.
So we're a little shy right now.
But actually we have a newveterinarian starting this
coming Wednesday and shespecializes in exotic pets.
(08:12):
So you have your hedgehog or asick iguana or a Snake with a
ulcer on its scales or somethinglike that, so she'll be able to
do that.
So I think that's really gonnabroaden our scope and we can
reach out to, you know, evenother communities.
You pretty much have to go toIndianapolis or Cincinnati to
receive Exotic care right now,so we're really excited about
(08:33):
that.
Speaker 1 (08:33):
Well, why do you think there's such a shortage of
veterinarians?
Speaker 2 (08:38):
I might get myself into trouble here, but 50 years
ago, when you know the, the maleveterinarians that helped us,
you know, start this business,graduated from vet school.
The graduates were all men andnow they're all women, all women
.
So, which is wonderful, youknow, they're compassionate,
they're fabulous veterinarians.
But you get out of school, youget married in a couple years,
(08:59):
you want to have kids, you wantto work part-time, go to the
soccer games and stuff like that.
I think that is drastically cutinto and I don't think it's
just the veterinary world, Ithink it's it's dentistry and
medical doctors and that kind ofthing.
So it's, it's not just us, butit is a problem right with
veterinary care that is.
Speaker 1 (09:18):
I mean I know there are Insurance policies or plans
that you can get for youranimals.
I would say that is probably avery low percentage of what pet
owners have.
So mostly the cost associatedwith caring for your pets is
really out of pocket for peopleI can see in the healthcare
industry.
(09:38):
You know there's lots of.
I think, in the medical fieldthere's lots of frustrations
because of insurance andwhatever.
But in veterinary care it's alittle different, because
everyone's making a consciouschoice to own a pet and they
know they're going to pay forthat.
So I I Don't see that healthcare is a deterrent, so I Just
(09:59):
don't know.
I mean, it seems like there'sso many animal lovers, but it's
probably pretty tough to getthrough veterinary school.
I don't know what it.
What involves?
What do you?
What would it involve?
Do you know all the ins andouts of that?
Speaker 2 (10:12):
I just know what I hear they say it's harder to get
become a veterinarian than itis a physician.
The part of that is that thereare fewer veterinary schools out
there.
Speaker 1 (10:22):
Can't really say you know there's in the medical
field.
There's Like nursepractitioners.
Is there such a thing inveterinary care there?
Speaker 2 (10:29):
isn't and there should be.
I don't know, I mean it mightnot be in my lifetime, but I
think at some point it's gonnahave to happen.
Because Us, for example, mostlywhat we want is to have
somebody doing space and neuters, just assembly line space and
neuters all day long.
That's the only thing that'sgonna make a sizeable difference
and ethical difference in theoverpopulation problem.
(10:50):
But there there isn't thatDetermination at this point in
time seems like that wouldreally help a lot from what
you're saying yes.
Speaker 1 (11:00):
How does being a not-for-profit help the
organization versus if it's afor-profit?
Speaker 2 (11:07):
Organization.
People can make donations to usand take them off of their
taxes.
We don't have to pay taxes onmost of what we buy.
It helps.
Speaker 1 (11:17):
It's not huge, but it helps so it does help a little
bit with your cause Outside ofFunding.
What are some of the otherstruggles that you experience at
ACA?
Speaker 2 (11:32):
I would say mostly just the frustration that there
is such an overpopulationproblem of dogs and cats in this
community.
We do a lot of things wrong.
There are parts of the countrythat do everything right.
For example, there's a A bigpart of Toledo that's a fairly
affluent area and that doesn'tmean that they're gonna get good
homes.
But they do the right things.
(11:53):
They don't let their cats outunspade, unneuter to repopulate
and they don't have the backyardbreeders thinking I'm gonna
make get rich from breeding mypit bulls and that kind of thing
.
They do it right.
So some of those organizationsare just fabulous and they will
contact us, sometimes a coupletimes a year and say, hey, we
don't have any kittens right now.
We're gonna do a transport andwe are gonna come down and, if
(12:15):
you can, supplies with kittensthat have had health checks and
that kind of thing.
We'll take them off your handsand we know that they're gonna
find good homes up there.
Speaker 1 (12:23):
You know they do screening and that kind of thing
and so do you work with this,with them, on a regular basis?
Speaker 2 (12:29):
As often as possible.
Right, because if we send 20kittens to Toledo that we're
comfortable, are going to areally good place, we can take
in 20 more.
Speaker 1 (12:38):
Okay.
What can our followers andothers in the community do to
help?
Speaker 2 (12:46):
Donations are always, always welcome and much needed,
even like the local Krogerstore.
If you can go to Kroger'sonline, there is a way that and
it doesn't cost you anymore whenyou purchase your groceries,
but you can Dedicate a certainamount of of money that will go
through Kroger's to us directly.
(13:06):
There are some things like that.
So, most important thingsspaying through your pets.
Get them spayed and neutered.
Speaker 1 (13:15):
Well on your site, if you go to animalcarealliancecom
, there you have a donationbutton right.
Speaker 2 (13:22):
Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 1 (13:23):
So that that's a pretty simple way to go and make
a contribution to ACAAnimalcarealliancecom.
When someone Googles animalshelters in our community,
several show up.
I can help the animals and willfell welfare league, second
chance whiskers, liberty AcresUnited, and you come up as well.
(13:47):
You're not a shelter, but ACAcomes up.
Do you partner with any ofthese shelters?
You did mention help theanimals, but is there any
partnership going on?
Speaker 2 (13:55):
Absolutely.
We work very well witheverybody and I can tell you,
when I came back here, as I said, from Pittsburgh 30 years ago,
it was not like that.
Everybody was their own entityand it was just Nobody worked
together and nobody would takeany advice from anybody else.
And that has changed so muchand it's it's a good, good thing
.
We should all be working forthe, for the same goal.
So, okay, for example, we have areally nice relationship with
(14:18):
Purina distribution center inVandalia, ohio.
Yeah, and they used to belocated in Richmond and this was
probably 15 years ago, and wewould go every week and collect
broken bags and tape of pet food, tape them up, share them with
other shelters, and To the tuneof over a hundred thousand
pounds a year.
So today we're sending thebiggest you haul that they have
(14:38):
to Vandalia.
They called us a couple daysago and said they had excess dog
food, so we're gonna getprobably 20,000 pounds of dog
food and we have Animal ohwhat's it called?
Months.
There's an action for animalsin Muncie is coming this
afternoon early, and then animalwelfare league is meeting us
there at about 230.
Help is meeting us at three, sowe're gonna be able to share
food with them, not just fortheir own pets, but they have
(15:01):
food pantries that they helppeople with.
It Fallen on hard times andcan't afford to feed their dogs
right, right, the.
Speaker 1 (15:10):
So what kind of a dent does that amount of food
make?
And you go through that prettyquick.
I mean, where do you store all?
It sounds like a lot of food,but maybe it's not.
Maybe it is a lot of food.
Speaker 2 (15:22):
Yeah, we have actually a 40-foot shipping
container that we Rented about ayear and a half ago when Purina
called and said, hey, we've got40,000 pounds of food.
We got 40,000 pounds of food inone day, so we rented a
skidloader and a whole bunch ofpeople with muscle came and it
was really cool.
But then we also got anothergrant this spring from the Wayne
(15:43):
County Foundation that helpedus pay off that shipping
container.
It's a good thing because, youknow, not everybody has has the,
the, a facility or ability tostore that.
That's like rodent free and Notgonna get rained on and things
like that.
So we love having thatopportunity and then whenever
possible we've got we can sharewith other organizations.
Speaker 1 (16:04):
So I mentioned these different organizations.
Do you feel like we have it?
Is there enough shelters in theWayne County area?
I mean, is there?
What's what do you think thecurrent need is, given what our
situation is with it?
Speaker 2 (16:21):
We definitely need a city, another shelter, a city
and county shelter, the thecounty contract.
Right now are animals found inthe county.
You're supposed to go to theanimal welfare league.
They have that contract.
The truth is it's not a real bigfacility.
They often don't have room andso a lot of times those animals
will stay on the street.
Same thing with Richmond.
Richmond contracts with HenryCounty, newcastle, so any stray
(16:45):
found in Richmond is supposed tobe picked up by the animal
control officer and taken toNewcastle.
Well, that's a long drive forone thing, and also then
sometimes people don't knowwhere to look for their pets.
You know, my dog is missing.
It's not here in any of theshelters and they don't think to
go to Newcastle.
It's.
It's kind of crazy, and veryoften Newcastle is full.
So what they're told is to justleave them on the street.
I mean, richmond PoliceDepartment is through no fault
(17:07):
of their own, and the animalcontrol officers will say, hey,
I've got nowhere to take them,just just put them back where
you found them.
So we're seeing an increase inlike emaciated dogs found in the
country and things like that,and I think People when forced
with trying to find a place fortheir pet.
If there's nowhere to go,sometimes they'll just leave
them in an alley, and it's verysad.
Speaker 1 (17:29):
So what do you think the answer is to try to make
that happen.
Who would help drive that tohappen?
Speaker 2 (17:38):
There's a lot of.
There's a lot of discussion,there's some government money
out there I'm not Good atdiscussing and that kind of
thing, just because I don'tquite understand it all but the
city and the county are bothinvolved in trying hopefully
trying to make something likethat happen.
One Problem I heard was that,you know, some of the
(18:00):
decision-makers said that it'snot sustainable.
The animal shelter isn'tsustainable and I don't
understand how anybody can saythat without talking to the
people who are Going to beresponsible for, for making it
happen.
You know, because, for example,fallen officers Sierra Burton,
her family is lending totalsupport to either.
(18:22):
Calling the shelter after seenaming it after Sierra, since
she was an intense dog lover,our animal lover in general, and
I Mean just simply lending hername to some of those projects,
I think would be a hugemoneymaker.
People would love to contributeto that.
Speaker 1 (18:38):
Right, it just needs to be, you know, somebody take
that cause and be in charge ofit and help drive it along the
way.
Talked about in in our areaseems like we have a lot Our
issue with.
With stray animals is probablybeyond the norm.
(18:59):
Is that kind of what you said?
I think so.
Speaker 2 (19:03):
I actually stopped and at the clinic this morning
on my way here to ask our staffmembers who watch like Richmond
Pet Community things and askthem how many stray animals
they're seeing on their postedevery day.
And they said three to fiveevery single day and most of
them are strays that don't havea home to go back to.
(19:23):
So what's supposed to happen tothese animals?
Speaker 1 (19:26):
Right.
I don't know if there's, ifthere's certain laws on the
books about animal care thatjust maybe aren't being enforced
, or and maybe that creates moreof the problem.
I don't know.
I've not personally researchedthat enough to really know.
Maybe you don't know either.
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (19:43):
Well, I was part of a group that I think it was 2010.
We went before city council andasked them to change some or
adds to some ordinances to makethings a little tighter, and one
of those was that if your dogis running or your dog is
producing puppies that kind ofthing and you're caught, you
have two choices you either getyour animal fixed within 30 days
(20:04):
or you buy a breeder's permitfor $100 and that's a drop in
the bucket.
You know $100, but they evendiscussed city tags were
supposed to have a breeder'snotation on them.
Now that that could help.
I mean, is it going to changethe world?
No, it's not going to, but itmight.
It sends a message.
You know I'm going to get introuble or animal control is
going to knock on my door if I,if I breed my pit bull one more
(20:26):
time.
You know, and I think it's,it's a step in the right
direction, but it's not enforced.
Speaker 1 (20:30):
Right, that's the problem.
You have all the rules in theworld, but if if it not being
enforced that they'remeaningless.
Right Beyond what might be theobvious, is there anything else
about why it's important forpeople to spay a neutered pet?
Speaker 2 (20:46):
The health of the pet itself.
Yeah, we see testicular cancerin unspayed, unneutered dogs,
prostate cancers and problems.
Females get breast cancer ifthey haven't been spayed.
They get a condition calledpyometra, which is deadly.
It's an infection of the uterusand if you don't remove that
(21:08):
uterus right away, or sometimeseven if you do, the animal will
pass away.
It's just to protect the healthof your pet.
Speaker 1 (21:16):
Right, and I don't think people really I didn't
know that, I mean I mean mostpeople, I think get their pets
spayed in neuter so they don'thave unwanted puppies or kittens
.
They don't think about thehealth side of it.
So I think that's reallyimportant to learn today, just
in our conversation.
Speaker 2 (21:34):
Can help with aggression too.
So if you have a male, that's alittle pushy.
Sometimes neutering it's hugewith cats.
I mean, we see, if you neuter amale cat that's aggressive, you
got a whole different catwithin 30 days.
I mean, all that testosteroneis out of the system and it's
really interesting to watch.
Plus, then you, you don't haveall those unwanted kittens.
Speaker 1 (21:55):
Right.
So my wife and I, over the past30 years, have had to have
three of our pets euthanized andeach time it was just totally
agonizing.
The decision I mean just theexperience is terrible, but in
each case, you know, we feltlike we made the right decision.
However, it's just an awfuldecision to have to navigate
(22:19):
through.
What advice can you give ourfollowers how to walk through
that decision when it's the timeto do it?
I mean, it's just tough.
Speaker 2 (22:30):
Yeah, it's very hard, but sometimes it's the kindest,
the last, kindest thing you cando for that animal too.
If it's down to no quality oflife, it's not eating or it
can't stand up.
You know, we see it a lotpeople just wanting to hang on
till the, you know, till there'sabsolutely nothing left.
And it's hard for any of us,you know.
But I think that animal, if youwatch closely, will let you
(22:50):
know.
You know I'm not having funanymore.
You know I don't want to eatanymore, I'm in pain, that kind
of thing.
And it is hard, but again, it'svery often the kindest thing
you can do.
Speaker 1 (23:01):
Our recent cat was a cat and we lost her and she I
mean she was over 17 years old,which I think is a pretty good
life.
A very good lifespan, yeah fora cat, but she had some major
medical issues and she had lostover half of her weight and she
was just, she was just becametotally inactive and wouldn't
(23:25):
eat and, agonizing as it was, itjust felt it was time.
Speaker 2 (23:30):
Yeah you told me about her and, yeah, it jerks at
your heartstrings, but itsounds like you did the right
thing.
Speaker 1 (23:36):
So if somebody is thinking of getting a pet,
what's your advice to them?
Because sometimes I thinkpeople get take on pets for the
wrong reasons or they it's.
It might be an emotionaldecision at times, and then you
(23:57):
have this animal that now theyreally shouldn't have.
I mean, when you're consideringadoption or getting a pet, what
can you offer?
Some advice or some things youpeople should really consider.
Speaker 2 (24:09):
You're right, it's.
Sometimes it's just an aknee-jerk reaction.
You know, oh, this is cutepuppy, we're just gonna get it.
Or this I love this cat and butwe don't have any litter, we
don't have any food.
We haven't thought this through.
Or you know, we had a couplecome in not long ago with two
ducks and we took the ducks andthey said, well, it's not
working out in our apartment andI thought, well, duh, you know
(24:33):
why don't you get two ducks foryour apartment?
But it's the same with dogs andcats.
You know our veterinarian, drKostik.
We love her so much and she andher family have Irish wolf
hounds.
Well, these things are huge.
I mean, they're like 150 pounds, something like that but she's
got space for them, she's gotyards and a yard and they walk
them all the time, you know.
So people just need to do theirhomework and think it, think it
(24:56):
through, if I can carry it intoreptiles, we have an 80-pound
sulcata tortoise.
I would never, ever go out andpurchase something like that.
It was dumped in GlenmillerPark six years ago when she
weighed 11 pounds and we takeher to schools.
She's getting so big it's gonnabe hard to do it much longer
but to teach kids.
Hey, you got to do your homeworkbefore you get one of these
(25:18):
things.
It's gonna outlive you, it'sgonna outweigh you.
It can't be out in the wintertime.
Not everybody wants a sulcatatortoise laying in their living
room in the winter time.
So, and it's the same thingwith dogs and cats how much time
do you have?
Do you have time to spend witha dog if you don't get like I
don't know something easy going,like I don't know a young lab
or an old lab or something likethat?
(25:39):
But don't go get a cattle dogor don't go get a border collie
if you have no time to spendwith it and there's a big
difference between obviously I'msaying something obvious, but
cats and dogs, you know they,you know they.
Speaker 1 (25:54):
They're so much different in their care, aren't
they?
And, as far as you know,getting a cat might be better
than getting a dog for somepeople or vice versa.
I don't know.
Seems like there was anotherthing I want to add.
Oh, if we, if we see youmentioned a little bit earlier
if we see an animal loose, justrunning loose, or an animal
(26:18):
injured, what's your best adviceabout what to do if you, if
somebody sees that?
Speaker 2 (26:25):
I don't know, I really don't know.
I mean, we'll tell people, callthe police department and
they'll call back and say theysaid they can't do anything.
Or, and again, it's not theirfault, it's just out of control.
Shelters in general have havechanged over the years, and I
think they're.
I was watching Fox News theother morning and they were
talking about an Indianapolisshelter that was reaching out to
(26:47):
neighborhoods like if theneighborhood had a stray dog or
something like that.
They would even provide themwith food and resources to try
and keep that dog in theneighborhood.
Maybe they'll find its homefast, you know or something like
that, rather than put it into ashelter.
Shelters so often have becomejust warehousing facilities and
you know, I think it's like 22%of the animals are reclaimed
(27:11):
something like that A hugeperson are never reclaimed.
I don't really have any advice.
Speaker 1 (27:18):
It was.
I believe it was the summerbefore last we had I live out in
the country and we had this.
This dog was a really sweet dog.
It was real skittish, itwouldn't let you get near it, it
wasn't aggressive, it just wasscared and it ended up.
Another family member livednear us and this dog ended up
(27:40):
kind of gravitating to thatproperty and just kind of hung
out on the porch and it wascared for and fed for a while
and luckily we were able to findkind of a local rural family
that wanted this is a little bitlarger dog that ended up
wanting a dog and I, from what Iknow, that dog end up going
there and living there.
(28:00):
But you know, you know we hadmade calls to try to get help
and and it said, yeah, we'll beout but they never came.
They never came in.
I suspect they're overwhelmedwith people calling about
animals in our community.
From from what I'm hearing fromyou, we have a little bit of a
of an issue, more so than maybemaybe what other communities
(28:23):
might we.
Speaker 2 (28:24):
We probably get 15 to 20 calls a day, more about cats
than anything else and it'sreally hard to say no, there's
nothing we can do.
But there's nothing we can do.
Speaker 1 (28:36):
One thing I wanted to remember to ask you about or
share, is when I came to yourclinic, you took me over to your
wildlife section.
Tell, tell, tell us a littlebit about the wildlife that we
have.
Speaker 2 (28:49):
We're the only organization within a multi
county area that is licensed byIndiana Department Department of
Natural Resources and you andus Fish and Wildlife Service to
rehabilitate or care fororphaned and injured native
mammals and raptors andsongbirds.
So, again, the only one.
So we get them from miles andmiles and miles around.
(29:10):
In the spring, march throughJuly, is the peak time we're
getting baby raccoons, babyfoxes, possums, almost all year
long.
Yeah, this time of year we see alot of raptors that are just
not faring well because you knowthey say something like 90% of
(29:31):
them never make it through theirfirst year of life.
So, mom and dad, you know,teach them as well as they can
to hunt and then set them freeand very often they just they're
not street smart, they're like14 year old, go and say and make
your way in life.
So we get a lot of those.
Right now we have, I think,four red tails, two barred owls,
five Eastern screech owls.
(29:51):
We got a great turkey vulturethat I love more than life.
I love to see so much fun totake to school.
So we also have educationpermits and we use those animals
, the ones that aren'treleasable, to take to schools
and co-environmental center andHayes Arboretum and public
events just to teach peopleabout conservation and their
(30:11):
species in general.
Speaker 1 (30:13):
Because some of the animals that you care for in
your wildlife section they can'tbe released into the wild
because of some type of aninjury that just makes it
impossible for them to be letout in the environment.
That correct, yes, and that'swhere you have an opportunity to
use, you know, them toparticipate in education, right,
(30:33):
I've seen some pictures of youdoing that.
Seems like that's somethingthat you really love to do.
Speaker 2 (30:38):
It is fun.
It's kind of different.
We have there's a species ofowl in Indiana called a
short-eared owl.
At one point they wereendangered and I thought they
still were, but evidentlythey've passed through that
stage.
But I had only seen one in mylife and that was about five
years ago and that one came tous very injured and it didn't
survive.
And then within the last monthwe've gotten two, and one of
(31:01):
those was so badly injured thatit didn't survive.
But we've got this other one.
It's just the coolest littlecreature.
It looks so different I mean itdoesn't look like the normal
owls that you see and it's aboutthree times the size of a
screech owl, a bit smaller thana barred owl.
So it's a cool bird.
Speaker 1 (31:17):
You don't get to see owls out in the wild that much
because they're nocturnal Iguess, but they're such amazing
and beautiful animals to see.
I mean it was kind of cool toget to see these barn owls that
you have, because you don'ttypically see them I mean it's
rare that you do they are justabsolutely gorgeous.
Speaker 2 (31:36):
They are, and sometimes at night I'll hear
them calling.
We've released some barn owlsout on that property too, and so
I'll hear them calling out andothers in the woods answering
back.
And I always wonder is it onethat we took care of or yeah,
but it's fun.
Speaker 1 (31:52):
So is there anything else that, today, you'd like to
share with our followers?
Some words of wisdom.
Speaker 2 (31:59):
Span you to your pets for their health and for the
community in general.
No, we can always use donations, always, always.
Speaker 1 (32:08):
Yes, and, like I had mentioned earlier, if you go to
animalcarolinescom, there's areally simple way to donate to
your organization.
So I hope people listening theywill do that.
I can speak for myself.
They do a wonderful job thereand they've got a lot of people
working to help the cause.
(32:29):
How, outside of makingcontributions, do you have many
volunteers?
How does that work?
Speaker 2 (32:36):
We have a few volunteers.
We have an awful lot of Earlhamstudents that volunteer and a
big part of that is we like tomentor students who are
interested in making some kindof wildlife or veterinary
medicine their life's work.
So we do a lot of mentoring.
Actually, we've had threestudents or interns be accepted
(32:56):
into veterinary schools in thelast few years, so we're kind of
proud of them Absolutely.
Patting ourselves on the backfor having a little something to
do with that.
But yeah, we like to havevolunteers.
Animal care is a huge part ofwhat we do.
Again, we don't make any moneyfor that, so we try to be
careful.
So if anybody wants to come andhelp us scoop litter boxes,
feed cats, socialize cats thatare scared when they come in,
(33:19):
that's always very, veryvaluable.
Speaker 1 (33:22):
So you can use more money?
Of course, absolutely so.
Do you need more volunteers?
Would you take?
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (33:27):
we could take volunteers.
Speaker 1 (33:28):
So if I'm interested in coming and even just spending
time with some of the animalsthat help, you know, just care
for them or do tasks.
What's the best way to makethat contact with Animal Care
Alliance?
Speaker 2 (33:43):
Just call the clinic 488-2444-ERC-765.
And there's always be a staffmember that would be happy to
talk to you about volunteeropportunities.
Speaker 1 (33:54):
Great, awesome.
Well, thank you for joining ustoday.
Speaker 2 (33:57):
Thank you, it's been fun.
Speaker 1 (33:58):
I've really enjoyed the conversation and hopefully
those listening and watchingthey'll have a greater
appreciation for what AnimalCare Alliance does and the
different shelters and there'sdefinitely a need out there and
hopefully, if you're inspired towant to help, you've got a
(34:20):
couple of ways to do that Thanksto Manpower Sponsor.
They've been in the communitysince 1966 and invest a
community partner, helpingcompanies win.
So for more information aboutManpower you can go to
mprichmancom.
Thanks, joyce, thank you, loveit.
Hello and welcome to the hub powered by manpower of
Richmond.
I am your host, michael Allen,and here on the hub we interview
local business leaders,community partners and various
special guests and we shareunique, untold stories of
companies, organizations andpeople who are making a
difference in our community.
Manpower Richmond is sponsoredof.
(00:26):
The hub is a national brand,yep.
We're a locally owned franchise.
We're familiar with thechallenges businesses face.
It's a tough recruiting andretaining talent out there, and
it's our entire focus will helpyou manage your hiring and
training, provide ongoingcustomized support.
So today's guest on the hub isJoyce Luckett, and she is the
(00:49):
clinic manager and co founder ofthe animal care alliance
located at 1353 Abington Pike,and their mission is providing
quality, affordable veterinaryand spay neuter services.
Now, that's what the websitesays, but, however, I think that
after hearing from Joyce,there's a lot more going on in
(01:11):
her vision indicates.
So, joyce, welcome to the hub.
Speaker 2 (01:14):
Thank you for having us here today.
Speaker 1 (01:16):
Good to see you, and today we're here to discuss
Animal Care, alliance, householdpets and even some wildlife,
and.
But before we go into that,please tell us a little bit
about yourself, where you grewup.
Just stuff about you.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
Well, I'm a local girl.
I grew up in Connorsville andthen lived quite a few places
around the country and then cameback here about 30 years ago
after experiencing shelter lifeactually in Pittsburgh,
pennsylvania.
That's what got me started intothe animal world, although I
loved animals all my life.
So you know, it's justsnowballed from here, from there
(01:54):
.
Speaker 1 (01:55):
Awesome.
Well, one thing that we ask onthe hub, to start off, is we
like to ask people what wastheir very first job.
Speaker 2 (02:05):
I've been working since I was 14 years old and
actually my first job wassitting in an empty house that
was available for sale andshowing any interested people in
the property carpet samples andthings like that and showing
them that the layouts forpossible future homes to be
built, and has absolutelynothing to do with what I do now
.
Speaker 1 (02:24):
Right, so.
So how did that come about?
Speaker 2 (02:28):
I don't know.
So a friend that was theconstruction person there just
knew about me and they neededcheap labor.
Speaker 1 (02:35):
So this was in Connorsville?
Yeah, it was in Connorsville.
So it was like a housingdevelopment, or was it a person
to build her, or both Okay, itwas fun.
Interesting, so did they payyou, okay, or?
Speaker 2 (02:47):
no, but it was okay.
It was more than I was makingsitting at home, so yeah,
awesome.
Speaker 1 (02:53):
So you're the clinic manager and co-founder of Animal
Care Alliance.
So tell us what sparked yourpassion for animals.
Kind of go back to yourprevious comment about you know
about yourself and then kind ofhow ACA began.
Speaker 2 (03:08):
Okay, well, I grew up loving animals.
My family were, you know.
We always had animals dogs,cats, whatever happened to come
through the yard, and I was eventhe person that other kids in
the neighborhood would come towhen they found an injured
kitten or the dog theneighborhood dog got hurt or
something like that.
So it was just a natural thing.
Animal Care Alliance actuallygot started with a $7,000 grant
(03:30):
from the Wayne County FoundationIn 2006,.
We wrote a grant asking for$7,000 to start a community
spain-neuter program.
It was definitely needed andit's still needed in this
community.
So I remember it was the fallgrant cycle and I remember
exactly where I was when staffcalled me and said, hey, we got
(03:50):
a letter here from the WayneCounty Foundation.
I said, well, open it.
And they said that our grantwas funded and $7,000 happened
to be enough to purchase somerefurbished anesthesia equipment
and hire a couple of part-timevets, and we were located at
Help the Animals shelter at thetime.
So we did between 2007 and 2011, 4,500 surgeries, spain-neuter
(04:14):
surgeries, in a room about thissize.
Speaker 1 (04:16):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
So by 2011, we had outgrown our space and we were
kind of taking away from whatHelp the Animals mission was,
because we were an interference.
We still work very, very wellwith them, help them with
whatever they need and viceversa, and it's just kind of
snowballed from there.
Speaker 1 (04:32):
Wow, that's great.
So on the website I mentionedearlier that your mission is
providing quality, affordableveterinary and spain-neuter
services.
So I visited you recently atACA and early on in our
conversation you did make apoint that you're not a shelter.
That's not part of your mission.
(04:52):
But I can say that firsthand.
I felt like there was a lotgoing on there at ACA and just
tell us a little bit about thescope of the organization and
what happens there on aday-to-day basis.
Speaker 2 (05:09):
Well, our veterinarians primarily deal
with domestic animals, which isproviding low-cost care,
affordable care for dogs andcats, the occasional rabbit.
But a lot of people come to uswith a cat that they found on a
country road, hit by a car, or alitter of kittens.
Like I said, we're not ashelter, but sometimes you know,
if they're so sick that they'renot going to survive anywhere
(05:31):
else, we will cave and take careof those animals.
So that ends up costing ourorganization an awful lot of
money, because not only do wepay the vets to provide the
medical care and then we have topay for spay-neuter,
vaccinations, housing.
You saw our staff that day.
We have pretty good-sizedanimal care staff and that's
what they do, and we don'trecoup any money from these
(05:52):
animals.
We find them homes, charge aminimal adoption fee and that
doesn't even cover the spay orneuter that we put into them.
But somehow somebody's takingcare of us somewhere a big part
of the time and we feel like Idon't know.
We just keep going doing whatwe think is right.
Speaker 1 (06:10):
Well, you and I had sat down in a little coffee room
or break room and people comingin and out.
I mean it seemed like there wastons of people in there working
that day.
I mean I was impressed at howmany people were there and all
of just the activity going on.
Everyone just seemed super busy.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
We love our new facility.
We built a new veterinaryclinic.
We'd never had a physicalbuilding that was designed to be
what we wanted it to be.
So we built a clinic five yearsago and it's multi-rooms, lots
and lots of different spaces,and those rooms, just like you
just said, they become what weneed them to become.
That day.
We don't really have aconference room, so that day it
(06:51):
was the break room, the officethat was supposed to be mine.
I was never in for a single day.
It became the wildlife room andnow it's the kitten room.
So things just change as needed.
Speaker 1 (07:01):
I mean, it looks like you could have way more space
than you have now.
Speaker 2 (07:06):
And we'd fill it up, yeah.
Speaker 1 (07:08):
It was really impressive.
So I know you charge.
You speak about charging forspay and neuter devices.
How do you find organization tooverall mean so you take in
fees for that?
That I assume helps some, but Idon't.
I don't think that coverseverything it really doesn't.
Speaker 2 (07:31):
We also sell fleet control products, heart room
prevention.
Our veterinarians Seeappointments.
That helps bring in money.
So if you got a sick kitten, wecharge an office, call for that
and then whatever the meds cost.
So we raise money doing thatkind of thing.
But I'd like to say that there'sa national shortage of
(07:51):
veterinarians Across the country.
It seems like probably 50% ofthe the clinics are looking for
veterinary help just becausethere are too Few of them.
So it depends on how manyveterinary hours.
As far as how, you can onlymake money if you have a
veterinarian there.
So we're a little shy right now.
But actually we have a newveterinarian starting this
coming Wednesday and shespecializes in exotic pets.
(08:12):
So you have your hedgehog or asick iguana or a Snake with a
ulcer on its scales or somethinglike that, so she'll be able to
do that.
So I think that's really gonnabroaden our scope and we can
reach out to, you know, evenother communities.
You pretty much have to go toIndianapolis or Cincinnati to
receive Exotic care right now,so we're really excited about
(08:33):
that.
Speaker 1 (08:33):
Well, why do you think there's such a shortage of
veterinarians?
Speaker 2 (08:38):
I might get myself into trouble here, but 50 years
ago, when you know the, the maleveterinarians that helped us,
you know, start this business,graduated from vet school.
The graduates were all men andnow they're all women, all women
.
So, which is wonderful, youknow, they're compassionate,
they're fabulous veterinarians.
But you get out of school, youget married in a couple years,
(08:59):
you want to have kids, you wantto work part-time, go to the
soccer games and stuff like that.
I think that is drastically cutinto and I don't think it's
just the veterinary world, Ithink it's it's dentistry and
medical doctors and that kind ofthing.
So it's, it's not just us, butit is a problem right with
veterinary care that is.
Speaker 1 (09:18):
I mean I know there are Insurance policies or plans
that you can get for youranimals.
I would say that is probably avery low percentage of what pet
owners have.
So mostly the cost associatedwith caring for your pets is
really out of pocket for peopleI can see in the healthcare
industry.
(09:38):
You know there's lots of.
I think, in the medical fieldthere's lots of frustrations
because of insurance andwhatever.
But in veterinary care it's alittle different, because
everyone's making a consciouschoice to own a pet and they
know they're going to pay forthat.
So I I Don't see that healthcare is a deterrent, so I Just
(09:59):
don't know.
I mean, it seems like there'sso many animal lovers, but it's
probably pretty tough to getthrough veterinary school.
I don't know what it.
What involves?
What do you?
What would it involve?
Do you know all the ins andouts of that?
Speaker 2 (10:12):
I just know what I hear they say it's harder to get
become a veterinarian than itis a physician.
The part of that is that thereare fewer veterinary schools out
there.
Speaker 1 (10:22):
Can't really say you know there's in the medical
field.
There's Like nursepractitioners.
Is there such a thing inveterinary care there?
Speaker 2 (10:29):
isn't and there should be.
I don't know, I mean it mightnot be in my lifetime, but I
think at some point it's gonnahave to happen.
Because Us, for example, mostlywhat we want is to have
somebody doing space and neuters, just assembly line space and
neuters all day long.
That's the only thing that'sgonna make a sizeable difference
and ethical difference in theoverpopulation problem.
(10:50):
But there there isn't thatDetermination at this point in
time seems like that wouldreally help a lot from what
you're saying yes.
Speaker 1 (11:00):
How does being a not-for-profit help the
organization versus if it's afor-profit?
Speaker 2 (11:07):
Organization.
People can make donations to usand take them off of their
taxes.
We don't have to pay taxes onmost of what we buy.
It helps.
Speaker 1 (11:17):
It's not huge, but it helps so it does help a little
bit with your cause Outside ofFunding.
What are some of the otherstruggles that you experience at
ACA?
Speaker 2 (11:32):
I would say mostly just the frustration that there
is such an overpopulationproblem of dogs and cats in this
community.
We do a lot of things wrong.
There are parts of the countrythat do everything right.
For example, there's a A bigpart of Toledo that's a fairly
affluent area and that doesn'tmean that they're gonna get good
homes.
But they do the right things.
(11:53):
They don't let their cats outunspade, unneuter to repopulate
and they don't have the backyardbreeders thinking I'm gonna
make get rich from breeding mypit bulls and that kind of thing
.
They do it right.
So some of those organizationsare just fabulous and they will
contact us, sometimes a coupletimes a year and say, hey, we
don't have any kittens right now.
We're gonna do a transport andwe are gonna come down and, if
(12:15):
you can, supplies with kittensthat have had health checks and
that kind of thing.
We'll take them off your handsand we know that they're gonna
find good homes up there.
Speaker 1 (12:23):
You know they do screening and that kind of thing
and so do you work with this,with them, on a regular basis?
Speaker 2 (12:29):
As often as possible.
Right, because if we send 20kittens to Toledo that we're
comfortable, are going to areally good place, we can take
in 20 more.
Speaker 1 (12:38):
Okay.
What can our followers andothers in the community do to
help?
Speaker 2 (12:46):
Donations are always, always welcome and much needed,
even like the local Krogerstore.
If you can go to Kroger'sonline, there is a way that and
it doesn't cost you anymore whenyou purchase your groceries,
but you can Dedicate a certainamount of of money that will go
through Kroger's to us directly.
(13:06):
There are some things like that.
So, most important thingsspaying through your pets.
Get them spayed and neutered.
Speaker 1 (13:15):
Well on your site, if you go to animalcarealliancecom
, there you have a donationbutton right.
Speaker 2 (13:22):
Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 1 (13:23):
So that that's a pretty simple way to go and make
a contribution to ACAAnimalcarealliancecom.
When someone Googles animalshelters in our community,
several show up.
I can help the animals and willfell welfare league, second
chance whiskers, liberty AcresUnited, and you come up as well.
(13:47):
You're not a shelter, but ACAcomes up.
Do you partner with any ofthese shelters?
You did mention help theanimals, but is there any
partnership going on?
Speaker 2 (13:55):
Absolutely.
We work very well witheverybody and I can tell you,
when I came back here, as I said, from Pittsburgh 30 years ago,
it was not like that.
Everybody was their own entityand it was just Nobody worked
together and nobody would takeany advice from anybody else.
And that has changed so muchand it's it's a good, good thing
.
We should all be working forthe, for the same goal.
So, okay, for example, we have areally nice relationship with
(14:18):
Purina distribution center inVandalia, ohio.
Yeah, and they used to belocated in Richmond and this was
probably 15 years ago, and wewould go every week and collect
broken bags and tape of pet food, tape them up, share them with
other shelters, and To the tuneof over a hundred thousand
pounds a year.
So today we're sending thebiggest you haul that they have
(14:38):
to Vandalia.
They called us a couple daysago and said they had excess dog
food, so we're gonna getprobably 20,000 pounds of dog
food and we have Animal ohwhat's it called?
Months.
There's an action for animalsin Muncie is coming this
afternoon early, and then animalwelfare league is meeting us
there at about 230.
Help is meeting us at three, sowe're gonna be able to share
food with them, not just fortheir own pets, but they have
(15:01):
food pantries that they helppeople with.
It Fallen on hard times andcan't afford to feed their dogs
right, right, the.
Speaker 1 (15:10):
So what kind of a dent does that amount of food
make?
And you go through that prettyquick.
I mean, where do you store all?
It sounds like a lot of food,but maybe it's not.
Maybe it is a lot of food.
Speaker 2 (15:22):
Yeah, we have actually a 40-foot shipping
container that we Rented about ayear and a half ago when Purina
called and said, hey, we've got40,000 pounds of food.
We got 40,000 pounds of food inone day, so we rented a
skidloader and a whole bunch ofpeople with muscle came and it
was really cool.
But then we also got anothergrant this spring from the Wayne
(15:43):
County Foundation that helpedus pay off that shipping
container.
It's a good thing because, youknow, not everybody has has the,
the, a facility or ability tostore that.
That's like rodent free and Notgonna get rained on and things
like that.
So we love having thatopportunity and then whenever
possible we've got we can sharewith other organizations.
Speaker 1 (16:04):
So I mentioned these different organizations.
Do you feel like we have it?
Is there enough shelters in theWayne County area?
I mean, is there?
What's what do you think thecurrent need is, given what our
situation is with it?
Speaker 2 (16:21):
We definitely need a city, another shelter, a city
and county shelter, the thecounty contract.
Right now are animals found inthe county.
You're supposed to go to theanimal welfare league.
They have that contract.
The truth is it's not a real bigfacility.
They often don't have room andso a lot of times those animals
will stay on the street.
Same thing with Richmond.
Richmond contracts with HenryCounty, newcastle, so any stray
(16:45):
found in Richmond is supposed tobe picked up by the animal
control officer and taken toNewcastle.
Well, that's a long drive forone thing, and also then
sometimes people don't knowwhere to look for their pets.
You know, my dog is missing.
It's not here in any of theshelters and they don't think to
go to Newcastle.
It's.
It's kind of crazy, and veryoften Newcastle is full.
So what they're told is to justleave them on the street.
I mean, richmond PoliceDepartment is through no fault
(17:07):
of their own, and the animalcontrol officers will say, hey,
I've got nowhere to take them,just just put them back where
you found them.
So we're seeing an increase inlike emaciated dogs found in the
country and things like that,and I think People when forced
with trying to find a place fortheir pet.
If there's nowhere to go,sometimes they'll just leave
them in an alley, and it's verysad.
Speaker 1 (17:29):
So what do you think the answer is to try to make
that happen.
Who would help drive that tohappen?
Speaker 2 (17:38):
There's a lot of.
There's a lot of discussion,there's some government money
out there I'm not Good atdiscussing and that kind of
thing, just because I don'tquite understand it all but the
city and the county are bothinvolved in trying hopefully
trying to make something likethat happen.
One Problem I heard was that,you know, some of the
(18:00):
decision-makers said that it'snot sustainable.
The animal shelter isn'tsustainable and I don't
understand how anybody can saythat without talking to the
people who are Going to beresponsible for, for making it
happen.
You know, because, for example,fallen officers Sierra Burton,
her family is lending totalsupport to either.
(18:22):
Calling the shelter after seenaming it after Sierra, since
she was an intense dog lover,our animal lover in general, and
I Mean just simply lending hername to some of those projects,
I think would be a hugemoneymaker.
People would love to contributeto that.
Speaker 1 (18:38):
Right, it just needs to be, you know, somebody take
that cause and be in charge ofit and help drive it along the
way.
Talked about in in our areaseems like we have a lot Our
issue with.
With stray animals is probablybeyond the norm.
(18:59):
Is that kind of what you said?
I think so.
Speaker 2 (19:03):
I actually stopped and at the clinic this morning
on my way here to ask our staffmembers who watch like Richmond
Pet Community things and askthem how many stray animals
they're seeing on their postedevery day.
And they said three to fiveevery single day and most of
them are strays that don't havea home to go back to.
(19:23):
So what's supposed to happen tothese animals?
Speaker 1 (19:26):
Right.
I don't know if there's, ifthere's certain laws on the
books about animal care thatjust maybe aren't being enforced
, or and maybe that creates moreof the problem.
I don't know.
I've not personally researchedthat enough to really know.
Maybe you don't know either.
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (19:43):
Well, I was part of a group that I think it was 2010.
We went before city council andasked them to change some or
adds to some ordinances to makethings a little tighter, and one
of those was that if your dogis running or your dog is
producing puppies that kind ofthing and you're caught, you
have two choices you either getyour animal fixed within 30 days
(20:04):
or you buy a breeder's permitfor $100 and that's a drop in
the bucket.
You know $100, but they evendiscussed city tags were
supposed to have a breeder'snotation on them.
Now that that could help.
I mean, is it going to changethe world?
No, it's not going to, but itmight.
It sends a message.
You know I'm going to get introuble or animal control is
going to knock on my door if I,if I breed my pit bull one more
(20:26):
time.
You know, and I think it's,it's a step in the right
direction, but it's not enforced.
Speaker 1 (20:30):
Right, that's the problem.
You have all the rules in theworld, but if if it not being
enforced that they'remeaningless.
Right Beyond what might be theobvious, is there anything else
about why it's important forpeople to spay a neutered pet?
Speaker 2 (20:46):
The health of the pet itself.
Yeah, we see testicular cancerin unspayed, unneutered dogs,
prostate cancers and problems.
Females get breast cancer ifthey haven't been spayed.
They get a condition calledpyometra, which is deadly.
It's an infection of the uterusand if you don't remove that
(21:08):
uterus right away, or sometimeseven if you do, the animal will
pass away.
It's just to protect the healthof your pet.
Speaker 1 (21:16):
Right, and I don't think people really I didn't
know that, I mean I mean mostpeople, I think get their pets
spayed in neuter so they don'thave unwanted puppies or kittens
.
They don't think about thehealth side of it.
So I think that's reallyimportant to learn today, just
in our conversation.
Speaker 2 (21:34):
Can help with aggression too.
So if you have a male, that's alittle pushy.
Sometimes neutering it's hugewith cats.
I mean, we see, if you neuter amale cat that's aggressive, you
got a whole different catwithin 30 days.
I mean, all that testosteroneis out of the system and it's
really interesting to watch.
Plus, then you, you don't haveall those unwanted kittens.
Speaker 1 (21:55):
Right.
So my wife and I, over the past30 years, have had to have
three of our pets euthanized andeach time it was just totally
agonizing.
The decision I mean just theexperience is terrible, but in
each case, you know, we feltlike we made the right decision.
However, it's just an awfuldecision to have to navigate
(22:19):
through.
What advice can you give ourfollowers how to walk through
that decision when it's the timeto do it?
I mean, it's just tough.
Speaker 2 (22:30):
Yeah, it's very hard, but sometimes it's the kindest,
the last, kindest thing you cando for that animal too.
If it's down to no quality oflife, it's not eating or it
can't stand up.
You know, we see it a lotpeople just wanting to hang on
till the, you know, till there'sabsolutely nothing left.
And it's hard for any of us,you know.
But I think that animal, if youwatch closely, will let you
(22:50):
know.
You know I'm not having funanymore.
You know I don't want to eatanymore, I'm in pain, that kind
of thing.
And it is hard, but again, it'svery often the kindest thing
you can do.
Speaker 1 (23:01):
Our recent cat was a cat and we lost her and she I
mean she was over 17 years old,which I think is a pretty good
life.
A very good lifespan, yeah fora cat, but she had some major
medical issues and she had lostover half of her weight and she
was just, she was just becametotally inactive and wouldn't
(23:25):
eat and, agonizing as it was, itjust felt it was time.
Speaker 2 (23:30):
Yeah you told me about her and, yeah, it jerks at
your heartstrings, but itsounds like you did the right
thing.
Speaker 1 (23:36):
So if somebody is thinking of getting a pet,
what's your advice to them?
Because sometimes I thinkpeople get take on pets for the
wrong reasons or they it's.
It might be an emotionaldecision at times, and then you
(23:57):
have this animal that now theyreally shouldn't have.
I mean, when you're consideringadoption or getting a pet, what
can you offer?
Some advice or some things youpeople should really consider.
Speaker 2 (24:09):
You're right, it's.
Sometimes it's just an aknee-jerk reaction.
You know, oh, this is cutepuppy, we're just gonna get it.
Or this I love this cat and butwe don't have any litter, we
don't have any food.
We haven't thought this through.
Or you know, we had a couplecome in not long ago with two
ducks and we took the ducks andthey said, well, it's not
working out in our apartment andI thought, well, duh, you know
(24:33):
why don't you get two ducks foryour apartment?
But it's the same with dogs andcats.
You know our veterinarian, drKostik.
We love her so much and she andher family have Irish wolf
hounds.
Well, these things are huge.
I mean, they're like 150 pounds, something like that but she's
got space for them, she's gotyards and a yard and they walk
them all the time, you know.
So people just need to do theirhomework and think it, think it
(24:56):
through, if I can carry it intoreptiles, we have an 80-pound
sulcata tortoise.
I would never, ever go out andpurchase something like that.
It was dumped in GlenmillerPark six years ago when she
weighed 11 pounds and we takeher to schools.
She's getting so big it's gonnabe hard to do it much longer
but to teach kids.
Hey, you got to do your homeworkbefore you get one of these
(25:18):
things.
It's gonna outlive you, it'sgonna outweigh you.
It can't be out in the wintertime.
Not everybody wants a sulcatatortoise laying in their living
room in the winter time.
So, and it's the same thingwith dogs and cats how much time
do you have?
Do you have time to spend witha dog if you don't get like I
don't know something easy going,like I don't know a young lab
or an old lab or something likethat?
(25:39):
But don't go get a cattle dogor don't go get a border collie
if you have no time to spendwith it and there's a big
difference between obviously I'msaying something obvious, but
cats and dogs, you know they,you know they.
Speaker 1 (25:54):
They're so much different in their care, aren't
they?
And, as far as you know,getting a cat might be better
than getting a dog for somepeople or vice versa.
I don't know.
Seems like there was anotherthing I want to add.
Oh, if we, if we see youmentioned a little bit earlier
if we see an animal loose, justrunning loose, or an animal
(26:18):
injured, what's your best adviceabout what to do if you, if
somebody sees that?
Speaker 2 (26:25):
I don't know, I really don't know.
I mean, we'll tell people, callthe police department and
they'll call back and say theysaid they can't do anything.
Or, and again, it's not theirfault, it's just out of control.
Shelters in general have havechanged over the years, and I
think they're.
I was watching Fox News theother morning and they were
talking about an Indianapolisshelter that was reaching out to
(26:47):
neighborhoods like if theneighborhood had a stray dog or
something like that.
They would even provide themwith food and resources to try
and keep that dog in theneighborhood.
Maybe they'll find its homefast, you know or something like
that, rather than put it into ashelter.
Shelters so often have becomejust warehousing facilities and
you know, I think it's like 22%of the animals are reclaimed
(27:11):
something like that A hugeperson are never reclaimed.
I don't really have any advice.
Speaker 1 (27:18):
It was.
I believe it was the summerbefore last we had I live out in
the country and we had this.
This dog was a really sweet dog.
It was real skittish, itwouldn't let you get near it, it
wasn't aggressive, it just wasscared and it ended up.
Another family member livednear us and this dog ended up
(27:40):
kind of gravitating to thatproperty and just kind of hung
out on the porch and it wascared for and fed for a while
and luckily we were able to findkind of a local rural family
that wanted this is a little bitlarger dog that ended up
wanting a dog and I, from what Iknow, that dog end up going
there and living there.
(28:00):
But you know, you know we hadmade calls to try to get help
and and it said, yeah, we'll beout but they never came.
They never came in.
I suspect they're overwhelmedwith people calling about
animals in our community.
From from what I'm hearing fromyou, we have a little bit of a
of an issue, more so than maybemaybe what other communities
(28:23):
might we.
Speaker 2 (28:24):
We probably get 15 to 20 calls a day, more about cats
than anything else and it'sreally hard to say no, there's
nothing we can do.
But there's nothing we can do.
Speaker 1 (28:36):
One thing I wanted to remember to ask you about or
share, is when I came to yourclinic, you took me over to your
wildlife section.
Tell, tell, tell us a littlebit about the wildlife that we
have.
Speaker 2 (28:49):
We're the only organization within a multi
county area that is licensed byIndiana Department Department of
Natural Resources and you andus Fish and Wildlife Service to
rehabilitate or care fororphaned and injured native
mammals and raptors andsongbirds.
So, again, the only one.
So we get them from miles andmiles and miles around.
(29:10):
In the spring, march throughJuly, is the peak time we're
getting baby raccoons, babyfoxes, possums, almost all year
long.
Yeah, this time of year we see alot of raptors that are just
not faring well because you knowthey say something like 90% of
(29:31):
them never make it through theirfirst year of life.
So, mom and dad, you know,teach them as well as they can
to hunt and then set them freeand very often they just they're
not street smart, they're like14 year old, go and say and make
your way in life.
So we get a lot of those.
Right now we have, I think,four red tails, two barred owls,
five Eastern screech owls.
(29:51):
We got a great turkey vulturethat I love more than life.
I love to see so much fun totake to school.
So we also have educationpermits and we use those animals
, the ones that aren'treleasable, to take to schools
and co-environmental center andHayes Arboretum and public
events just to teach peopleabout conservation and their
(30:11):
species in general.
Speaker 1 (30:13):
Because some of the animals that you care for in
your wildlife section they can'tbe released into the wild
because of some type of aninjury that just makes it
impossible for them to be letout in the environment.
That correct, yes, and that'swhere you have an opportunity to
use, you know, them toparticipate in education, right,
(30:33):
I've seen some pictures of youdoing that.
Seems like that's somethingthat you really love to do.
Speaker 2 (30:38):
It is fun.
It's kind of different.
We have there's a species ofowl in Indiana called a
short-eared owl.
At one point they wereendangered and I thought they
still were, but evidentlythey've passed through that
stage.
But I had only seen one in mylife and that was about five
years ago and that one came tous very injured and it didn't
survive.
And then within the last monthwe've gotten two, and one of
(31:01):
those was so badly injured thatit didn't survive.
But we've got this other one.
It's just the coolest littlecreature.
It looks so different I mean itdoesn't look like the normal
owls that you see and it's aboutthree times the size of a
screech owl, a bit smaller thana barred owl.
So it's a cool bird.
Speaker 1 (31:17):
You don't get to see owls out in the wild that much
because they're nocturnal Iguess, but they're such amazing
and beautiful animals to see.
I mean it was kind of cool toget to see these barn owls that
you have, because you don'ttypically see them I mean it's
rare that you do they are justabsolutely gorgeous.
Speaker 2 (31:36):
They are, and sometimes at night I'll hear
them calling.
We've released some barn owlsout on that property too, and so
I'll hear them calling out andothers in the woods answering
back.
And I always wonder is it onethat we took care of or yeah,
but it's fun.
Speaker 1 (31:52):
So is there anything else that, today, you'd like to
share with our followers?
Some words of wisdom.
Speaker 2 (31:59):
Span you to your pets for their health and for the
community in general.
No, we can always use donations, always, always.
Speaker 1 (32:08):
Yes, and, like I had mentioned earlier, if you go to
animalcarolinescom, there's areally simple way to donate to
your organization.
So I hope people listening theywill do that.
I can speak for myself.
They do a wonderful job thereand they've got a lot of people
working to help the cause.
(32:29):
How, outside of makingcontributions, do you have many
volunteers?
How does that work?
Speaker 2 (32:36):
We have a few volunteers.
We have an awful lot of Earlhamstudents that volunteer and a
big part of that is we like tomentor students who are
interested in making some kindof wildlife or veterinary
medicine their life's work.
So we do a lot of mentoring.
Actually, we've had threestudents or interns be accepted
(32:56):
into veterinary schools in thelast few years, so we're kind of
proud of them Absolutely.
Patting ourselves on the backfor having a little something to
do with that.
But yeah, we like to havevolunteers.
Animal care is a huge part ofwhat we do.
Again, we don't make any moneyfor that, so we try to be
careful.
So if anybody wants to come andhelp us scoop litter boxes,
feed cats, socialize cats thatare scared when they come in,
(33:19):
that's always very, veryvaluable.
Speaker 1 (33:22):
So you can use more money?
Of course, absolutely so.
Do you need more volunteers?
Would you take?
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (33:27):
we could take volunteers.
Speaker 1 (33:28):
So if I'm interested in coming and even just spending
time with some of the animalsthat help, you know, just care
for them or do tasks.
What's the best way to makethat contact with Animal Care
Alliance?
Speaker 2 (33:43):
Just call the clinic 488-2444-ERC-765.
And there's always be a staffmember that would be happy to
talk to you about volunteeropportunities.
Speaker 1 (33:54):
Great, awesome.
Well, thank you for joining ustoday.
Speaker 2 (33:57):
Thank you, it's been fun.
Speaker 1 (33:58):
I've really enjoyed the conversation and hopefully
those listening and watchingthey'll have a greater
appreciation for what AnimalCare Alliance does and the
different shelters and there'sdefinitely a need out there and
hopefully, if you're inspired towant to help, you've got a
(34:20):
couple of ways to do that Thanksto Manpower Sponsor.
They've been in the communitysince 1966 and invest a
community partner, helpingcompanies win.
So for more information aboutManpower you can go to
mprichmancom.
Thanks, joyce, thank you, loveit.
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