by Jenessa Cutler, CEO

It is with great pride and happiness that I announce I have accepted the position of the very first CEO of Pets Alive. For those that might not know me, I have most recently been employed as the Business Office Manager for all three Pets Alive locations focusing on streamlining our operational processes. Prior to that I served as the Executive Director at Pets Alive Westchester. And before all of that I was the Executive Administrator and Shelter Manager at Pets Alive in Middletown.
I can still remember first joining Pets Alive. Overwhelmed and excited, I was completely in awe of the staff and the volunteers who were here all day and sometimes long into the evening. They gave up time with their families, their own animals, their own lives just to make sure each and every animal was loved each and every single day. In those days we only had the one facility in Middletown and maybe seven full time staff members. I was so honored to join them. Today, I am even more honored and humbled to be a part of this growing team who have a shared passion and commitment to animal welfare. Pets Alive is not about any one person, it is the result of a collective group of people that believe in the same idea-life is precious and it is sacred. That we must end the killing of animals in our nations shelters. That it is not enough to simply pull an animal to safety but that we commit to the health and well-being of that animal for life!
Over my years with Pets Alive I have been blessed to work with some truly powerful and inspiring animal welfare advocates who provided lessons that have guided me: to never be afraid to stand up and be loud for the things I know are right; to do my homework, research and reach out to others-not just assume I know the answer but to make it my job to find the answer; that in this field there are many crucial decisions to be made and many times there isn’t just one right answer but it’s up to you to make sure that each and every decision made is always based on what is best for the animals; and most of all that even when it seems like everything is stacked against you and you just have nowhere else to turn-believe in the people around you-the strength, love and passion within this amazing organization will always pull us through.
Alongside all of these people I have had the opportunity to gain the experience and knowledge of both success and failure. I firmly believe that an organization can only learn, grow and flourish when it is willing to seek out its’ flaws and do whatever is necessary to correct those issues. We cannot fear change but rather embrace it with honesty and integrity. We need to honor our roots and at the same time make the changes that will help solidify the future of Pets Alive. The Pets Alive we all know and love so much. The Pets Alive that found new life with renewed passion in the wake of the loss of its dedicated founder. And The Pets Alive that has and will continue to save thousands of lives.
The new structure here at Pets Alive is crucial to our survival and our ability to continue to further our mission. As CEO I will oversee the overall operations of our facilities and provide support to our Executive Directors and Board of Directors. We will work as a cohesive team in order to set and achieve our goals. Pets Alive is fortunate to have amazing people who serve as staff and volunteers and each one has something unique to bring to the table. We will continue to identify these strengths and utilize them to benefit the entire organization. Each facility will continue to operate under their Executive Directors just as they do now. They will continue to follow the same policies, procedures, mission and values. We will strive to be bigger, better and stronger-to save more animals each year than the last. We will continue to be a resource for any organization that will choose life over death by pulling animals on kill lists and assist in mass rescues due to hoarding, abuse or puppy mills. We will continue to provide the utmost quality of care, treating each animal, no matter their background, with the same care and kindness.
 2014 has so many exciting things already developing. We cannot thank you all enough for your continued support. Each and every one of you IS Pets Alive. We understand sometimes change is scary, or hard, or just plain confusing and we try not to overwhelm you all with a lot of this type of stuff. Please know that my door is always open-well, OK not technically open, I have several feline office mates who would love to sneak out and roam the hallways-but I’m more than happy to answer any questions, address concerns, or anything in between.

 
 
Our mission is to improve the lives of companion animals everywhere by any means possible, including rescue, adoption, advocacy, collaboration, intervention and education.

 
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