Hi everyone,
I’ve been wanting to sit down and write this for a bit, and honestly, the best way to do it is just to talk to you.
I’m new in this role, but I’m not new to this work. Over the past few weeks, I’ve spent a lot of time walking the shelter, watching how things flow, looking at the data, and trying to really understand what’s happening here—not just inside our walls, but out in the community too.
I know there’s been a lot said lately, and some of it has been hard to see. I’m not going to get into all of that directly, but I do want you to know that I’m aware of it. What matters most to me right now is making sure we’re grounded in what’s actually happening.
Right now, our live release rate is 86%, which is up 7% from this same time last year.
That matters. It means more animals are leaving here alive, and it reflects a lot of work from the team.
At the same time, here’s the full picture.
So far this year, we’ve taken in 1,177 dogs—337 owner surrenders and 840 strays.
During this same time last year, we took in 1,436 dogs—378 owner surrenders and 1,058 strays.
That drop matters too. It means fewer animals are coming into the system overall, and that’s a good thing.
But 840 strays is still 840 strays.
That’s hundreds of animals out in our community without a safe place to be—relying on someone to notice them, stop, and help.
And then there’s another number that’s been sitting with me since I got here—48 animals that arrived already deceased.
Those animals matter too. They were part of someone’s neighborhood. They should have made it home. And they didn’t.
We are also the only place in our area that receives and holds animals that come in deceased from Animal Control, along with animals that are euthanized for humane reasons. That’s part of the responsibility of being a municipal shelter, even though it’s not something people often see or think about.
I’ve also heard the concern that owner surrenders are automatically euthanized. That’s simply not how we operate. Every animal that comes in is evaluated. We look at health, behavior, and what options are available. Some cases are straightforward, some are not—but none of those decisions are made casually or based on how an animal arrives.
One of the changes you may have noticed is our adoption hours shifting to the afternoon. That came directly from looking at our data. Most adopters were coming in later in the day, while mornings were where our staff were trying to clean, treat, and move animals through the system at the same time. It wasn’t working the way it needed to.
Now, mornings are focused on getting animals ready—clean kennels, medical care, behavior work—so when you come in, you’re meeting animals that are truly ready to go home. It may seem like a small change, but it makes a real difference for them.
But numbers never tell the whole story.
We are an open-admission municipal shelter. We don’t get to choose what comes through the door. We take in the injured, the sick, the behavior cases, the strays, and the ones with nowhere else to go. That means some of the decisions we face are not easy—but they are always made with welfare and safety in mind.
If I’m being honest, the biggest thing I see right now isn’t inside the shelter—it’s outside of it.
Animals are getting out. They’re roaming. They’re ending up in the street.
And that’s how we get to 840 strays—and 48 that never made it here alive.
For every animal that makes it through our doors, there’s another story behind it. And sometimes those stories don’t end the way they should.
I’m still learning, still asking questions, and still working with the team to improve things every day. That’s going to take time, but the direction is clear—better systems, better communication, and better outcomes for animals.
If there’s one thing I’d ask from the community, it’s this: keep your pets safe. Secure yards, leashes, microchips, ID tags—those things matter more than people realize. They’re often the difference between an animal making it home or not.
I’m really glad to be here. I care deeply about doing this right, and I’m committed to being open about where we are and where we’re going.
Stephanie Lewis
Executive Director
ASCMV