Name: Alexi Neiffer

Position: Animal Care Specialist – PT and Engagement and Training Coordinator 

How long have you been part of the ARL team: I just came up on my second anniversary here at the ARL! I was a full-time animal care specialist for about 1.5 years before starting my new coordinating role back in August of 2025.

You split your time between Animal Care and Engagement & Training. What do you enjoy most about working in both areas: I love that both my jobs are all-encompassing. I get to work directly with the animals and volunteers in the morning, and then by the afternoon, I get to assist with providing additional training opportunities or fun engagement activities for our staff and volunteers! My split role also helps me see more of the team across all departments, aside from the two I mainly dwell in.  

How does your experience working directly with shelter animals help you in your engagement and training role: I started in animal care, where most people start their pathway journeys here. It was tricky to start at first because at the time, there wasn’t a clear training structure, and you had to jump right into the thick of it all and be comfortable enough to ask questions along the way; you could miss important things. It wasn’t to say no one was trying to help teach me along the way, but the shelter environment moves faster than people think, and it takes an experienced staff member time to train a new one.

Since experiencing that process and witnessing similar starts for people both in animal care and other departments (as well as volunteers), I had a strong passion for wanting to be a go-to person to help train anyone new, as the toughest part of anything is always starting. I got joy making people feel welcomed and comfortable, which in turn just meant they were more likely to come back and help, which inevitably helps benefit the animals which is what we’re all here for anyways!

What’s something you love teaching others about working with animals: Just because an animal may not be as outgoing or have a few behavioral concerns to them, doesn’t mean they’re a bad individual. All of our animals come from different backgrounds and are being put into a stressful environment, which is a shelter. Even though staff and volunteers do their best to make their time here as stress-free as possible, it can still all be scary or frustrating, and animals express that in so many different ways, just like us people. Sometimes, taking those few extra seconds with a very energetic dog or shut-down cat can make such a huge difference to that animal, and you get to see a side of them that most people would’ve overlooked without considering all the different factors that animal has gone through.

I also love getting to teach new volunteers or interns just how much we do here at the shelter, especially behind the scenes. I like breaking down what they thought they knew about a shelter and getting to witness in real time them realizing that there are so many opportunities to help give back to the animals than just donating money. I love getting to explain the different processes of why we do things and breaking down the positive ripple effects each little task creates, and overall, goes back towards benefitting the animals. Equally, I love recognizing people for doing what seems like minor tasks, but emphasizing just how much of an impact that task at hand is going to help out staff members immensely. Being able to recognize people for all that they do and watch them get excited or smile when I verbalize my appreciation just fills something within me that I can’t explain, but can often be a highlight to my day. 

Is there a particular animal or adoption story that has stayed with you: My cat Lilly is a prime example of how looks can be deceiving. I adopted her back in August of 2012 as an early birthday present, and I found her back in our cat room in colony 3. At the time, people could walk into the cat colonies freely, and when I went in, all of the cats swarmed me except for her. Everyone in the colony was very sweet and vocal, but she sat turned away from me on the one shelf and didn’t move a muscle. I sat with her a little bit as she hissed at the other cats who came near, and just kinda chatted with her a bit. I let her sniff my hand, and eventually, I gave her a small pet on the head. She was still unsure of me, but after a few minutes, she nudged my hand with her nose, and instantaneously, I knew she was my cat. I remember my mom vividly asking me if I was sure I wanted to take her and tried to suggest one of the other cats in the colony who was more friendly, but I just had this connection with her. We both weren’t fond of other people/cats and often came across as standoffish. But I secretly knew she had a sweet side to her and knew even if no one else could see that, I would understand it the most. She’s been my ride or die ever since, and she will be 15 years old in November! 

Equally, one of the dogs I worked a lot with when I was primarily in animal care is one of our current foster dogs, Chase!!! He is my sweet angel baby looking gremlin with the toothiest smile you ever did see. He first came into our care close to around the time I started working here, and was actually the first (and ONLY) dog I forgot to lock his kennel door on, and he escaped one day mid cleaning! Rather than letting the situation get the best of me, I decided that day I would be working with Chase until he got out of here. Sadly, that day has yet to come, and he started to decline mentally and was becoming more of a behaviorally challenged dog in the kennel, so much so that I was one of the only few staff members who were comfortable enough to walk him. He was one of the first behavior dogs I got to work with a lot one-on-one before we got him out to foster, finally. I loved spending our training sessions in the Bungalow that we have on campus, as well as giving him a break by playing out in our play yard. I learned a lot through him, both gaining new animal behavior knowledge/skills, as well as he opened my eyes to just how long an animal can sit in a shelter and how much of a toll it takes on them mentally. While I do miss seeing him in the kennels each day and getting to walk or work with him, I’m forever grateful for the fosters who took him in and hope they keep taking in more dogs like Chase.  

What keeps you motivated on challenging days at the shelter: I just remind myself who I’m doing this for: The Animals. I think of all the working parts it takes to look after all these guys from each department, as well as I think back to who all took care of my Lilly back when there weren’t as clear or set structures in place. Even when the day throws a challenge at me, I know people in the past were able to push through with fewer resources than we have today, and that helps push me to go a little further.

Do you have any pets at home? If so, tell us a little about them: I have 3 cats and 4 rabbits at home! All of them were rescued in one way or another, but all my cats I rescued here at the ARL.  

I love my cat Lilly so much that when I found two boy tabby’s had almost identical markings to her, I knew they were coming home with me. All of my cats do share a funny naming scheme; their names are Lilly, Link, and Logan. Fun fact, both Link and Logan were from two larger surrender cases that we had come through (each from a different case), and they are not only inseparable from each other, but they are HUGE lovebugs and love people.

As for my rabbits, it initially started off with me temporarily housing a rabbit for a friend of mine, but has now resulted in my 4 bundles of fluff over the past 5 years. I have two pair-bonded sets that I call my “Clouds” and my “Voids” as I own two primarily white and two primarily black rabbits. Their names are Freddie, Monty, Chica, and Roxy from the Five Nights at Freddy’s Franchise. Both my girl rabbits are Lop-eared mixes while my one boy is a lionhead and the other boy is a mini rex.  

My cats and rabbits get along for the most part! Link loves to sleep beside them the most, but Logan will often try to play with them (some days they tolerate it, other days they’ll chase after him, which is always funny to watch).

What makes ARL special to you: Aside from the animals, of course, it would actually have to be the people. From the staff members working the departments, to the volunteers who come in on their own time to help us out, to the various members of the public who donate items to us or speak excitedly about a pet they adopted through us, everyone does something so incredible each time they come here that again, it just circles back into benefiting our animals. I love the community the ARL has built, and I’m even more grateful to be a part of that and get to share with others who haven’t experienced what it’s like to walk through our doors and know what all we do. 

What song would be the theme song for your workday at ARL: Coconut Mall from Mario Kart Wii. I feel like it captures just how fast and crazy it can get, but the silly, goofy tunes are direct parallels to the good memories I make with the people and animals along the way.

Final words of wisdom: No matter what the situation is at hand, take time to pause and be considerate and kind. We never know where someone’s coming from, how much they know, or what their next plans are. It’s so easy to act or react in the moment, especially when things are stressful or frustrating, and those quick snap decisions can turn an entire experience sour so fast. Humans love to hold onto the negativity of things, and it often can feel impossible to stay positive in this day and age. But like how I treat any behavior animal that comes through our care, I like to pause and picture where the other person/animal might be mentally. Most people often have good intentions, and I like to believe that’s what everyone is here for. Life is just tricky to navigate at times, and day-to-day challenges don’t make it any easier. You’d be surprised how taking those few seconds to pause and reflect can really change not only that person/animal’s day around, but even your own. Ultimately, always choose kindness and try to see the good in individuals.