Time Flies when you’re having fun! Celebrating 30 Years of Compassion and Care: Mission Viejo Animal Services Reaches a Milestone
Was 1993 really more than three decades ago?
It’s been such a privilege to be part of Mission Viejo Animal Services (MVAS) as we celebrate 30 years of working to save pets and help our amazing wildlife! I am grateful to the City of Mission Viejo management which in the early 1990s dared to dream of something better for the animals and people in our community. Over the past three decades, MVAS and our support organization DAWG have raised millions of dollars and worked to truly improve the lives of thousands of animals. (We’ve also helped some families grow in the most delightful ways!)
We thought it would be fun to gather some reflections from those who believed an animal shelter in Mission Viejo was a fantastic idea, I am extremely grateful to these visionaries and hope I have lived up to their ideals. I am also incredibly thankful for the support of our animal-loving community. We couldn’t celebrate this milestone without you!
~Michelle Claud-Clemente, Director of Animal Services
- Sharon Cody, President and Founder of DAWG, Former Mayor and Council Member, City of Mission Viejo
When did your involvement with MVAS begin? After my election to the City Council in 1990, I had an opportunity to visit the San Clemente Shelter and speak with their volunteers. At the same time, I became deeply concerned about the poor animal control and sheltering service our City was receiving from the County of Orange. I was alarmed at their extremely high euthanasia rates.
In what capacity have you been involved with MVAS over the years? In January 1992, the City Council decided to begin providing its own animal services, and within a year, the Mission Viejo Animal Services Center was built and ready to care for the City’s homeless pets. So, to answer your question when I became involved with MVAS, it was at a time when the dream of our own shelter was an idea that was quickly gaining support from animal lovers in the community and with members of the City Council, too.
What are you most proud of with MVAS? The incredible support from the community, from the 150 volunteers who help care for the animals to the numerous donors who help our non-profit Dedicated Animal Welfare Group raise funds to pay for medical care for our homeless pets. It makes me feel so blessed to have been able to be part of something so heartwarming and wonderful.
More than 45,000 animals saved and over $2 million raised only begins to talk about the success of Mission Viejo (shelter) Animal Services over the past 30 years. I often refer to the shelter as our little shelter with a big heart. If you feel as I do that sometimes kindness in our world seems in short supply, just come to the shelter. The staff and volunteers have created an environment of love and support for orphaned pets that will fill you with joy.
Over the 30 years, my volunteer work at the shelter has included helping with the foster care program and arranging for medical treatment for the animals. Today, I continue to help DAWG raise funds for sick and injured animals. Once they are returned to good health, DAWG helps with adoption events to be sure they find a fantastic forever home.
Any hopes or aspirations for MVAS in the future? There is not much I can hope for in the future because our beautiful shelter including the staff and the many volunteer opportunities has already outpaced any dream I have ever had for what MVAS could be. There is much to be grateful for!
- Keith Rattay, Former Assistant City Manager
When did your involvement with MVAS begin? My involvement with the MVAS center started in 1985 as a young landscape architect fresh out of school. At that time, it was called the South County Animal Services. Mission Viejo was not a city yet.
What capacity have you been involved with MVAS over the years? I first started as a consultant helping to design and construct the first phases. I worked with Rich Rauh, the original architect in 1985. In 1995, I was the Maintenance Service Manager and took over the infrastructure management of the facility. In roughly 2000, I became the director of Public Services and took a more active role in the daily operations and design of the various expansion that occurred at the facility. In 2011, I became the City Manager and Senior Manager over the shelter operations. In roughly 2020, the shelter became its own department, and the overall operations became more independent under the city manager umbrella.
Do you have any funny stories to share? I once volunteered at a rabies vaccination clinic. I was helping microchip the dogs, so I grabbed the skin on the neck of the dog and inserted the needle only to find I inserted it in one side and out the other side. When I pushed the syringe, the chip went flying and never made it into the animal.
What are you most proud of about MVAS? I am most proud of how we have such a great reputation, and our mission is so strong that four cities chose to join with Mission Viejo and love our services. That is a great accomplishment and says a lot about our program. I am proud of all the work staff does: They stick together, support each other and focus on quality of care and quality customer service!
Any hopes or aspirations for MVAS in the future? The MVAS center remains sustainable and lives on for 100 more years saving animals, reconnecting animals with families. I love seeing the smiles on families when they are walking out with a new family pet. Nothing better!
- Debbie Gordon, Volunteer
When did your involvement with MVAS begin? I started volunteering at the shelter in May of 2002. I didn’t start with any set idea of what direction that volunteering would lead. I just offered to help wherever it was needed. They were excited that I had some bunny experience because there were no rabbit volunteers. But there were no rabbits at the shelter when I started. There were few volunteers in any area.
In what capacity have you been involved with MVAS over the years? I walked dogs and helped in the cattery for several years in addition to taking care of the rabbits when we had some. Eventually, there were plenty of volunteers for dogs and cats as well as a lot more rabbits. I started taking care of rabbits exclusively.
Do you have any funny or interesting stories to share? I had two escapees worth mentioning over the years. My first was a dog named Donny. I was walking dogs by myself, and he darted for the kennel door when I was putting him back. I grabbed his tail as he was 3/4 of the way out of the kennel and yelled for help but no one was around. He was strong, but I was able to pull him into the kennel enough to shut the door with both of us inside (a big no no). He was my favorite dog for quite a while for letting me pull him back in the kennel by his tail without getting upset.
The second escape was a rabbit that jumped the x-pen and squeezed through the gate in the play yard. He then got through the fence and onto the back service road. I had to run all the way around the building to try and find him. When I got to the backside of the play yard, he ran back into the play yard. So, I ran all the way back around the building and of course he ran back out. Thankfully, I only had to go back around the building this last time. He came farther into the play yard, and I was able to block his escape route. After that, the first thing I did was block the gate before any bunnies were put in the play yard.
What are you most proud of with MVAS? I am most proud of the great reputation the shelter has in the community and I hope that continues in the future.
