WHO ARE WE?
The volunteers at Anne Arundel County Animal Control (AACAC) created Friends of AACAC in 2014 because the animals need our help – and yours! In addition to the hundreds of hours of time our small cadre of volunteers donates each month, most of us have dug repeatedly into our own pockets to provide items that aren’t in the shelter’s county budget but that help make shelter life a little better for the animals and/or encourage adoptions. We did – and still do — this willingly to help the animals and to support the hard-working staff of AACAC. But because there is so much more to be done than our little group of volunteers can finance, we created Friends of AACAC, an IRS-registered 501(c)(3) charity that solicits donations that we use to improve and to SAVE the lives of the homeless animals at the shelter.
FEIN: 47-1552999
Maryland Sales & Use Tax Registration Number: 15692067
Lisa became an Anne Arundel County Animal Control (AACAC) volunteer in October 2011 because “I wanted to help the homeless animals in this county and reduce their euthanasia.” Lisa created Friends of AACAC, a tax-deductible nonprofit, after the County Council refused to allow the shelter to keep monetary donations. She owns her own CPA firm, which she says “feeds my bank account. Helping the homeless animals feeds my soul.” Lisa, the shelter’s cat volunteer coordinator, has a dog, Dudley, and three cats – Ashley, Gracie and Haley (pictured).
I like being a volunteer because I truly love dogs,” says Donna, the dog volunteer coordinator, who started at AACAC in September 2012 after seeing how short-handed the shelter was when she adopted Dudley (pictured). “What surprised me is the great friends I’ve made with the other volunteers and staff. I have met many wonderful people who have adopted and very dedicated people involved in the various rescue groups that we partner with.” Her pets now are Bear, a German shepherd mix; Copper, a foxhound; Baxter, a beagle; Lucy, a cat – and lots of foster kittens.
Kristi, a retired Army colonel who also volunteers in the Baltimore Washington Medical Center’s emergency room, started helping with both cats and dogs at AACAC in August 2013 after someone asked “if I’d like to spend time caring for needy animals and giving them comfort and attention until they find a new home. So glad I was asked and said yes.” Her pets are Shiloh, a 14-year-old short-haired gray and white cat; Remington, a one-year-old medium-haired tuxedo cat (pictured) and Kacian, a 10-month-old short-haired black cat. Remi and Kaci came from AACAC .
In addition to a busy work schedule and her AACAC efforts, Anna also volunteers with several animal-related nonprofits. “I love to balance my work life by volunteering and helping to be part of the solution,” Anna says. She started at AACAC in December 2012 to help the animals and “to meet people with the same passion for animals that I have. I also wanted to help debunk the rumors of ‘the dog pound.’” Her pets are Gracie, a rescued pug, and Petunia Picklebottom, a Himalayan cat recently adopted from AACAC .
When she began volunteering at AACAC in January 2014, Chris thought she’d spend a handful of hours each month walking dogs, but she quickly was immersed in several shelter activities, including working with its rescue coordinator to find homes for animals that otherwise might not be adopted. Chris is a retired newspaper reporter/editor who writes the Friends’ Facebook posts. She has three cats, JJ, Midget and Pershing — all foster failures from AACAC – and just adopted a 10-year-old Westie, Tay, from the shelter.
I became a volunteer (in June 2013) because I wanted to bring as much joy into the lives of shelter animals as possible,” says Robin, the secretary of the Friends’ board. “I love taking the dogs out and spending time with them in the play yards. They give me back way more than I give them.” She works part-time at her family’s business and enjoys tennis, but family “tops the list of my favorite things.” Her pets are Laker, a golden retriever; Harlow, a mutt; Nikki, a short-haired torti ; and the baby of the family, Pippa, a crazy calico. Both cats are from AACAC .