Animal Welfare League Welcomes New Director, Coordinator
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
The Animal Welfare League of Kosciusko County board of directors recently welcomed Valerie Clarkson as executive director and Rhonda Lewis as shelter coordinator.
Lewis has worked with the shelter for six months. She is a hands-on coordinator who cares for each individual animal as if they were her own. Lewis takes the time to show the animals that she loves them, even in the most difficult aspects of her job.
Lewis is in charge of the day-to-day medical care of all animals at the AWL. She quotes Martin Luther King when asked about her opportunity at the shelter, "Your life begins to end once you become silent about things that matter."
Clarkson, who has earned the name "The Dog Whisperer" from her co-workers, has a business and accounting background.
A native of Indiana, she has lived in and around Kosciusko County for 45 years.
Clarkson is excited about the new position and she said she is looking forward to increasing education and awareness of the facility and its services.
"It is important for the community to know that we are much more than just an animal shelter. These animals have silently touched all our lives. This position allows me the opportunity to be their voice," she said. "We have several wonderful programs like the spay and neuter plan to help educate on population control."
The AWL's ultimate goal is to build a new, clean, disease-free shelter to provide healthy, well-adjusted, loving, life-companions to adoptive families.
The first step in the process is to find someone willing to donate one to three acres of land, then through community fundraising, donations and grants, build an interim home for the homeless animals.
AWL is a non-profit organization and survives on donations, volunteers and some county- and city-allocated funds.
"Sadly," Clarkson said, "we are forced to euthanize for space. We shelter animals that come from Burket, Claypool, Etna Green, Mentone, Milford, North Webster, Pierceton, Sidney, Silver Lake, Syracuse, Winona Lake, Nappanee and Millersburg, not only Warsaw. Just driving around you can see Kosciusko County is pet friendly and an animal-loving community - we just need more local support."
Clarkson and Lewis invite anyone interested in learning more about the Animal Welfare League to visit the shelter, volunteer or donate items.
The next board meeting is Sept. 18 at 6 p.m. at Courthouse Coffee on Buffalo Street across from the courthouse, Warsaw
Information on available pets, how to become a sponsor and/or volunteer, and up coming fundraisers is on their Web site:
www.awl-warsaw.org [[In-content Ad]]
The Animal Welfare League of Kosciusko County board of directors recently welcomed Valerie Clarkson as executive director and Rhonda Lewis as shelter coordinator.
Lewis has worked with the shelter for six months. She is a hands-on coordinator who cares for each individual animal as if they were her own. Lewis takes the time to show the animals that she loves them, even in the most difficult aspects of her job.
Lewis is in charge of the day-to-day medical care of all animals at the AWL. She quotes Martin Luther King when asked about her opportunity at the shelter, "Your life begins to end once you become silent about things that matter."
Clarkson, who has earned the name "The Dog Whisperer" from her co-workers, has a business and accounting background.
A native of Indiana, she has lived in and around Kosciusko County for 45 years.
Clarkson is excited about the new position and she said she is looking forward to increasing education and awareness of the facility and its services.
"It is important for the community to know that we are much more than just an animal shelter. These animals have silently touched all our lives. This position allows me the opportunity to be their voice," she said. "We have several wonderful programs like the spay and neuter plan to help educate on population control."
The AWL's ultimate goal is to build a new, clean, disease-free shelter to provide healthy, well-adjusted, loving, life-companions to adoptive families.
The first step in the process is to find someone willing to donate one to three acres of land, then through community fundraising, donations and grants, build an interim home for the homeless animals.
AWL is a non-profit organization and survives on donations, volunteers and some county- and city-allocated funds.
"Sadly," Clarkson said, "we are forced to euthanize for space. We shelter animals that come from Burket, Claypool, Etna Green, Mentone, Milford, North Webster, Pierceton, Sidney, Silver Lake, Syracuse, Winona Lake, Nappanee and Millersburg, not only Warsaw. Just driving around you can see Kosciusko County is pet friendly and an animal-loving community - we just need more local support."
Clarkson and Lewis invite anyone interested in learning more about the Animal Welfare League to visit the shelter, volunteer or donate items.
The next board meeting is Sept. 18 at 6 p.m. at Courthouse Coffee on Buffalo Street across from the courthouse, Warsaw
Information on available pets, how to become a sponsor and/or volunteer, and up coming fundraisers is on their Web site:
www.awl-warsaw.org [[In-content Ad]]