Name: Alison Kleinsmith

Position: Development and Communications Specialist

What pets do you have at home?

Just Mika, a 5-year-old black lab who has taught me some of the greatest lessons about responsible pet ownership, compassion, and living life in the moment.

How long have you been working in animal welfare, and what made you want to work in this field?

My entry into working in animal welfare began when I started at ARL in January of 2021, but my experience with animal care came long before that. I grew up in a household where caring for community cats (meaning cats who may live outdoors for various reasons) was commonplace. Back in high school, I collaborated with a local animal welfare organization to teach my high school service group about caring for community cats, including the practice of trap-neuter-vaccinate-release (TNVR). If you are unfamiliar with TNVR, it is a program where community cats are humanely trapped, spayed/neutered, left ear tipped, and vaccinated for rabies with the intention of reducing their population safely and effectively.

If you can picture this, one weekend in the winter, a group of us high school students sat outside in the elementary school parking lot for hours waiting to trap some cats that were residing on campus. That weekend, we ended up catching 37 cats together! Of course, they were spayed/neutered and safely released later that week. As you can imagine, trapping cats on the weekend isn’t most kids’ idea of “cool”, but everyone was so enthusiastic to learn and support the cause, so it’s an awesome memory that has stuck with me for life – especially because it brought me to where I am today.

How does your department serve the animals at ARL and in our community?

While my department may not directly work with the animals in the same way the rest of our staff does, our development team quite literally keeps the lights on at the shelter every day. By hosting fundraisers and campaigns, having meaningful conversations with donors, and continuing to make the donating process as streamlined and accessible as possible, we are continuing to cultivate a culture of philanthropy that will last for generations to come at ARL.

What might a typical workday look like for you?

In the morning, I can be found writing notes on donor thank you letters, following up with voicemails, or checking my email. From there, I get carried away working on our monthly newsletter content, coordinating fundraising campaigns like our recent Pet Portrait FUNraiser, meeting with or calling donors, and planning other development-related content for our social media or website.

What is one thing you wish people knew about your job?

Speaking on behalf of my relationship with donors, I wish people realized how much every single donation is imperative to keeping ARL’s mission alive. At least once a week, I hear donors tell me how they feel their gift isn’t a lot and wish they could do more, and while I truly appreciate that sentiment, it is my job to let our supporters know just how much every single donation can be lifechanging for animals at the shelter.

With all of that in mind, I have taken this feedback as a reason to work harder towards initiating more conversations with donors of all giving capacities to make sure they know just how valuable their support is. So, whether you have given $1 or $1,000, I sincerely invite you to reach out to me to learn more about the impact your support has made for our animals and team. I am more than happy to give you a tour of the shelter or get together for a coffee any time! (No need to go anywhere fancy, I love a plain black coffee – Don’t judge.)

Tell us about an animal you will never forget.

I will never forget Ricky, the one-year-old terrier who ended up being a hospice case at the shelter. We had recently just gotten a donated x-ray machine up and running thanks to VCA Animal Hospital and the Fleming Foundation, and he was one of the first animals to be radiographed after our staff noticed his signs of having heart problems. Thankfully, we were able to identify that he had a right-sided heart enlargement and was likely experiencing a congenital heart defect, so we were able to provide him with the medical care and monitoring he needed to live comfortably in that time. Like many of the animals we see at the shelter, Ricky was a shining example of staying resilient and enjoying life in the moment even through tough times, and I truly admired his spirit.

If you could cross one thing off your bucket list right now, what would it be?  

One dream I recently achieved was building an in-ground garden for my family. For the past few years, we moved around and grew what we could in containers, so it feels good to finally have a garden filled with vegetables and herbs this year! One day, I hope to have our very own homestead.

Is there anything else you would like to share with your community?

Whether you are a donor, animal advocate, social media follower, responsible pet owner, or you just love ARL/other rescues from afar, thank you for everything you do to support animals in your community! I really love ARL’s vision of building a world where people are empowered to respect and care for all animals with love and kindness, and I have the privilege in this role to know that there are thousands of people in this community who are making great strides to achieve this vision with us every single day. Thank you so much for your compassion and kindness that continues to make the world a better place for animals in Berks County!

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Did you enjoy this article? Check out our other employee spotlight interviews in the blog!