Name: Ellamay Cassidy

Position: Lifesaving Programs Lead

What I was doing before ARL: In college, getting my bachelor’s degree in biology and a minor in environmental studies

Pets at home: Ollie (cat), 3 years old, Odin (cat), 1 year old

Tell us about some of the roles you and your team take on to help the animals under our care: Our team focuses on placing animals into foster homes, coordinating transports to partnering rescues, and helping plan and run off site adoption events to help more pets find loving homes! We work closely with volunteers, fosters, and partners to make sure animals get the best second chance possible.

How long have you been working in animal welfare for? What made you want to work in this field? I have been involved in animal welfare officially since 2023 but have owned and have had a passion for animals my whole life. I always knew I wanted to be involved in the animal care field and truly make a difference for animals.

An animal you’ll never forget: There are so many animals I will never forget but one that stands out is Queen, a black Pit Bull Terrier at ARL who was very shutdown and scared. I was able to spend a lot of time with her and take her on walks to help her come out of her shell. She is now in a loving home and looks so happy!

What is your favorite memory at ARL? Some of my favorite memories here at ARL is seeing any of our long-term stay animals finally get adopted!

If you could cross one thing off your bucket list right now, what would it be? One thing I would love to cross off my bucket list is going ice skating at the Eiffel Tower!

What is one thing you wish people knew about your job? I wish that people knew about how much heart and behind-the-scenes work goes into every success story. Every transport, every foster placement, and every adoption takes a lot of coordination, teamwork, and love.

Any last words of wisdom? Saving one animal won’t change the world, but for that one animal, the world will change forever