Did you know that according to an annual Edelman Report, trust between nonprofits and donors is on the decline. Maybe trust in general is on the decline? You tell me what you think.
What I am learning about “trust” is that community trust has a profound impact on what we do at Animal Harbor. From staff and volunteer relationships, board engagement, public interaction, animal husbandry, and donor connection, trust within these relationships matters most. Establishing trust creates a strong bond between stakeholders in the organization and provides the strong foundation needed to move the lifesaving mission forward.
We fiercely believe in transparency at Animal Harbor which is why I want to share something important with you today.
Let’s get right into it. Some people in our community really misunderstand our transport program. At first glance, it does seem a bit odd, right? Why transport animals out of state when there are homes for them here?
Okay, let me stop you there.
Sadly, there aren’t enough homes here, but that can't stop us from saving lives. Since 2022, we have been in an overpopulation and owner surrender crisis. For every 10 homeless animals coming in, only one gets adopted locally. Ouch…
Most good pet owners in our community are at capacity or just don’t give pet adoption a chance. I know, that really stings. It stings for us too.
But the good news is there is another way to find loving homes and meet the ever increasing needs of the homeless animal community- through rescue to rescue transport. We aren’t just “shipping” animals to another state. We have collaborative and strong working relationships with our partners built upon….you guessed it, trust!
I want to share a story.
Meet Brooke.
Brook, along with her brother and mom, sat in a cramped animal control kennel for some time before being pulled by Animal Harbor. She was fostered, fully vetted for adoption, and was shown very little to no adoption interest after three months. After being in bad living conditions and in the shelter system for at least six months, Brook finally got a yes not only from a partner rescue, but an adopter in their network.
After Brook arrived at Saving Paws Animal Rescue, she had a meet and greet scheduled and was adopted the next day (see the adorable girl on the right).
The sad reality is that highly adoptable, loving, and amazing cats and dogs are experiencing longer shelter stays than ever before.
Without radical trust and collaboration in our partners and their policies and protocols, these animals would still be in a shelter and not in a home.
I like to think that the animals coming into our care trust that we are making the best and most selfless decisions for them. I hope that YOU believe that too.
I share this today because trust matters. Trust is the difference in life and death.
Trust is the difference between humans taking action or taking no action.
I have learned in the five years that I have been at Animal Harbor that trust has the power to move mountains. Without trust, we cannot do the good work that we do.
Please comment if there is a bridge that I can gap for you so that we can become better power partners for the animals.
Most sincerely,
Emily Holland
Executive Director
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