In 2011, while volunteering at Oakland Animal Services, aka the city shelter (do NOT call it the pound!), Ann Dunn noticed that a lack of resources left many of the shelter’s cats without options. She watched people pass over the cats, which were stressed by life in cages, emotionally shut-down, sick or elderly.
Ann Dunn, above with Luca, the director of Oakland Animal Services, has announced her resignation. She’ll remain at the helm until her successor has been found, but whoever it is will have some enormous shoes to fill. (photo courtesy of Ann Dunn and Vivian Chu)
Three years later, she founded Cat Town, where these overlooked cats could learn to be brave from more confident cats and begin to trust people at their own pace and where potential adopters could meet them in a less stressful, more homelike environment. As a result, adoptions soared and the shelter’s feline kill rate fell from 45% to 10.
“She was a godsend for the cats at that shelter,” says Gail Churchill, the vice president of Alameda rescue group Island Cat Resources and Adoption (ICRA).
In 2020, Dunn stepped down as Cat Town’s executive director to take the helm at Oakland Animal Services itself.
“She could have just coasted out of Cat Town, riding the really good work that she had done, but she decided to take the hardest job in Oakland instead,” says Nara Dahlbacka, one of Cat Town’s directors.
“Because of Cat Town, euthanasia rates for cats were low, so we wanted to focus on dogs,” says Dunn.
One of the first things she did was start a foster program and play groups for big dogs, which not only improved their quality of life but also gave the OAS staff a better understanding of the dogs’ personalities and gave potential adopters better information about them.
When the program started in mid-2020 they were able to get 250 big dogs into foster homes. By the end of 2023, the number had grown to more than 1,000 and the kill rate has now plummeted to 5.5%, the lowest it’s ever been.
“One of our dog volunteers who’s been doing this for decades told me, ‘I can finally sleep at night,’ says longtime volunteer Ellen Lynch.
She’s done so many other good things — including monthly veterinarian clinics for low-income or homeless pet owners, expanding shelter hours and reducing adoption fees — all of which have tripled the number of adoptions.
Dunn’s also established a great relationship with the Oakland Police and Fire departments, who now call OAS whenever they’re in an emergency situation involving someone with a dog on a property. OAS will take care of the animal until the person is able to come back. She’s always quick to give credit to her staff.
“They’re extraordinarily dedicated and compassionate, and they do so much with such limited resources,” Dunn said. “It’s an honor to work with them.”
Alas, Dunn has decided to resign from this backbreaking job, although I don’t think she’ll ever retire from saving animals.
“I’m exhausted,” she explains. “This is such hard work, and OAS needs a leader who has the energy to give it everything it requires.”
She’ll remain at the helm until her successor has been found, but whoever it is will have some enormous shoes to fill.
“We’re going to miss her,” says Lynch. “She’s a very kind, thoughtful person who wants to get things right. And she cares deeply for animals and for people who are struggling with animals. In her job, she has had to deal with some very difficult people, but she always treats everyone with respect.”
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“Especially her staff,” adds Dahlbacka. “She’s always looking out for them, even taking a significant pay cut so nobody would have to be laid off. Rescue work is so hard — your pay is terrible, and you’re always having your heart broken, sometimes multiple times a day. But she attracts really fantastic talent, and people stay because of the culture she creates.”
Footnote: The aforementioned ICRA, one of the rescue groups that work closely with OAS, will hold its annual spring fundraiser May 4-5, featuring jewelry, art, plants and handmade goods at Alameda’s Harbor Bay Community Center at 3195 Mecartney Road.
ICRA is an all-volunteer organization, but kitten season is upon us, and they need to raise money to pay for spay/neuter surgeries. For more information onilne, visit icraeastbay.org/get-involved/support-us/events. Also, if you’d like to contribute to the lifesaving mission of OAS, visit friendsofoas.org.
Thank you, Ann, for a job well done.
Martin Snapp can be reached at catman442@comcast.net.