Working with the community to benefit shelter animals

TEAM has been “Teaching Everyone Animals Matter” for nearly 15 years. From the beginning, TEAM’s all-volunteer board of directors and corps of volunteers have worked hard to improve the health, well-being and adoption prospects of the animals at the shelter in two primary ways: by underwriting a level of veterinary care for them that might otherwise not be possible, and by supporting those who work tirelessly to give them second chances through foster care, sponsorships and adoption.

The cornerstone of TEAM’s work is its Special Medical Needs Program, begun in response to an outpouring of support for a dog who had been severely burned in a drug-related house fire. Although that unfortunate dog didn’t survive those injuries, the program lives on, funding specialized veterinary care and treatment for other injured and neglected animals coming into the Sacramento County shelter. Program funds also provided medical equipment and supplies for the shelter’s small on-site medical trailer. TEAM continues to underwrite spay/neuter services for the FUR (Friends of Unwanted Rabbits) program, which houses and re-homes shelter rabbits, and regularly contributes to various adoption activities, including the LAPCATS program. TEAM also helped launch the shelter’s new “Spay/Neuter Commuter” van.

TEAM has made public education about animal issues---particularly the public’s responsibility to companion animals---a top priority. Urging the public to “Always spay, always neuter, always ID, always adopt a shelter pet,” this message remains at the heart of TEAM’s work. TEAM is a proud and consistent supporter of the community’s annual “Spay Day” event and the SAAC Spay/Neuter Voucher Program, and has taken the spay/neuter/ID/adopt message to countless venues and media outlets large and small.

There’s not enough space to thank all those who have helped make TEAM a success over the years, but there are three people whose guidance and support were invaluable from the start: Dan Lawer, DVM, whose expertise and hands-on help with TEAM’s bylaws made the vision a reality; former county executive Bob Thomas, who first mentioned the idea of a nonprofit shelter “friends” group and lent his support along the way; and the late Pat Wright, an original board member whose goodwill, generosity, upbeat personality and genuine love of animals embodied the enthusiasm for the TEAM endeavor.

We’ve seen many positive changes evolve at the county shelter over the last 10 years, though the number of animals relinquished and euthanized there is still too high. For some of us, progress will always move too slowly, but it is nonetheless all around and gaining momentum.

And our work for shelter animals goes on.