Volunteers, as anyone will tell you, are the lifeline of an organization, including those – some would say “especially those” – working with animals. Which is why Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin’s goal in 2024 for the city’s Animal Control and Care was to double the number of volunteer hours.
That’s unlikely to happen, however, for one unfortunate reason: Since the end of July there have been none on site at the shelter on South River Street.
That’s when all those non-paid workers, including some who have been donating their time for many years, were dismissed, and told they would have to reapply when the program starts up again, which the city says will happen sometime before the end of the year.
In the meantime, more than a dozen former volunteers who reached out to me insist the situation at the shelter has been going to the dogs for some time now.
Among their concerns: Hours were cut so volunteers can only work from 10:30 a.m. to 3:45 p.m., the foster care program closed and the overall care of the animals, especially socialization, has suffered as their responsibilities were curtailed, they said. Among the allegations: Water bowls inadequately filled, kennels not properly cleaned and beds the public raised money to buy going unused, they said.
Volunteer Ashley Delaney, one of the few who agreed to let me use her name, insisted “staff at the shelter gave the impression of meeting the bare minimum” when it came to feeding and watering the animals. “And too often,” she said, “glaring health problems were missed.”
Shelter management strongly denies these accusations. But everyone agrees there’s been plenty of drama taking place behind the scenes for quite some time, with much of it centered around a staff member who volunteers say treated them with little respect. One volunteer told me she was even accused of not having the emotional and mental health to work in such a shelter.
What type of shelter Aurora Animal Control and Care is seems to be a critical sticking point in this unfortunate animal tale.
Manager Kameron DeBoer admits things were confusing, even chaotic, when she took over leadership last November, but insists the biggest issue with the volunteers boiled down to “miscommunication.” So many protocols needed changing because they had become used to operating under more lenient guidelines, she insisted.
The city-run shelter has a complicated history with volunteers, including its breakup with the Humane Society of Aurora (now HSA and the Fox Valley), which was formed in 2015 but cut ties with Aurora Animal Control and Care right before the pandemic lockdown.
The reason, according to HSA President Tari Crema, was the city’s refusal to provide the transparency they asked for. In 2019, she said, the city wanted a memorandum of understanding that would outline what volunteers could and could not do, but negotiations stalled when the HSA demanded more transparency.
“The more we negotiated, the less access we got,” said Crema of the discussions that went on for two years. “That is what killed the deal. We walked quietly away.”
A few volunteers stayed on and others not associated with the Humane Society signed up. DeBoer maintains that when she came on board as manager a year ago, “there was little structure,” and when she began implementing more rules, tensions began to rise.
“We are an animal control shelter,” insisted DeBoer. “And for liability and safety reasons we must maintain stricter protocols.”
For example, she claimed, some volunteers had unfettered access to animals that had not even been vaccinated or been through a behavior assessment, with others performing duties – such as cleaning out cages – that need to be handled by union employees.
“When we tried to explain things, they were not accepted or understood. Our main mission is public safety, which has created a lot of issues,” said DeBoer. “That doesn’t mean we don’t do all we can for the animals under our care. But we have to know that when these animals go out they will not maul (a child) at the bus stop” or have medical issues that could be spread to the community or land them back in the shelter.
The volunteers I spoke with deny their issues were tied to the Humane Society’s demands. They insist they never asked for access to dogs off the adoption floor, and that any cleaning they provided was appreciated by the kennel staff because of how busy they were.
A lack of transparency and respect, they maintain, were at the heart of the problem. In June, a longtime volunteer who had been fostering cats was dismissed because, she said, “I was told I asked too many questions.”
DeBoer praised that volunteer for her many years of service but said she had no choice but to let her go because “it was obvious we were no longer on the same page.”
Tensions came to a head in July when a bout of kennel cough hit and dog volunteers were not allowed into the facility.
“I understand why the volunteers were upset,” said DeBoer, but felt she had no other choice than to shut down the entire volunteer program and do a complete reboot.
DeBoer says her biggest mistake was not doing this revamp sooner, before it got to this unwieldy and emotional point.
“There was so much chaos going on under a change of leadership that the new program we wanted to build fell away,” she added. “Now that we are settled, we want to do it right. Volunteers are critical.”
And the new program, she promised, “will be bigger and better.”
That’s a tall order considering there were up to 120 volunteers at one time under HSA, although some roles were outside the shelter, such as coordinating events or picking up donations, said Crema, who underscores the need for volunteers, particularly in facilities where animals can be hard to place.
Unfortunately, adoptions are down at the Aurora facility, as they are across the board nationally, because of the economy.
Aurora Animal Control and Care has made great strides in its reclaim and transfer rates, DeBoer told me, and has also strengthened its once-fragile relationships with rescue groups. While the smaller, more desirable breeds tend to go out to these private organizations, it’s necessary to make room for the dogs that, because of their breed, size or age, linger in the shelter’s adoption room, she explained.
Speaking of which, another sticking point with these sidelined volunteers is the fact the public is no longer allowed to walk through the kennels, which they insist negatively impacts the dogs because it cuts back on their opportunities for human interaction.
Instead, photos of the adoptable cats and dogs are displayed in the shelter foyer, where prospective owners can pick out the ones they are interested in for one-on-one meetings. The reason, said DeBoer, is the high level of anxiety dogs go through when a visitor walks between their aisles.
The new system, she added “has made a huge difference,” but that if needed “we will reassess it.”
There’s no question lines have been drawn in the sand. Which led to an obvious question to management: Is there a place for these volunteers – who have so much passion and experience – in the new program being promised by the city.
“If they conform to guidelines they are welcome,” said Derrick Winston, director of Public Facilities, adding that there’s just a few mechanical/IT issues to be resolved before applications for the new volunteer program will be rolled out.
Both he and DeBoer professed appreciation for all the volunteers did, but say they want to make sure these issues don’t become problems again in the future.
In the meantime, HSA’s Crema said she reached out to shelter management multiple times to “let them know we have considerable resources and are willing to help” with sponsorships for the animals.
Likewise, former HSA board member Deborah Rudel said she applied in June of 2023 after Aurora Animal Control and Care posted a need for volunteers on the website. But despite going through a vetting process and repeated inquiries, she was told in September the shelter was “too busy” and it was best she apply somewhere else.
“That doesn’t make sense … these animals need socialization,” Rudel insisted. “They need to interact with people in order to give them a fair chance to acclimate to someone’s home.”
Vanessa Montano said her two years at the shelter turned out to be a great stress reliever when she was undergoing treatment for cancer. But the 27-year-old Aurora woman never felt appreciated for all those extras she did, including shooting videos and photos of the animals for the public, and making a Thanksgiving meal last year, complete with turkey, sweet potatoes and green beans, for all the dogs.
“All I want is to go back and be able to continue doing what I used to do,” Montano said, echoing the sentiments I’ve heard from so many others the past few weeks.
DeBoer acknowledged the hurt feelings, as she did the many issues that have to be addressed.
“With this new program,” she told me, “we are going to try to make volunteers feel appreciated and involved.”
dcrosby@tribpub.com