New Volunteer Orientation 2024

Orientation Topics

• Why does Motley Zoo exist?
• Our Mission
• Motley Zoo’s Board
• Our Values
• Why Motley Zoo Rocks!

Why does MZ exist?

Bryan and jme Thomas discovered rescue after they adopted Jasmine, a dog that had been fostered.

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They became aware of the plight of animals dying in shelters- primarily due to overpopulation and time/ space limitations.

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They also realized how simple it can be to foster and help save these animals from unnecessarily euthanization.

MZ’s Start

Through fostering with other organizations, they met other like-minded rescuers who shared their vision:

Increased support for animals and the people dedicated to caring for them.

As they continued fostering- seeing what worked and what didn’t- the concept for a different kind of rescue was born.

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In February of 2009, Motley Zoo Animal Rescue was established!

15 Years!

February 23, 2024 marked 15 years in operation-

& more than 4,500 animals saved!

What is Motley Zoo’s Mission?

To understand our mission, you must first understand the biggest problems we currently face:

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• Record number of animals in need/ surrender requests
• Record decline in humans supporting rescue
• Buying from breeders increasing
• Veterinary care access decline & cost increase

2023-2024 Crisis

We are currently experiencing the worst crisis we’ve ever seen in animal welfare.

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More people than ever are seeking to surrender/ rehome their pets, while the interest in adoption, fostering and donating has declined dramatically.

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• Animals in need are UP 4-5 times past averages!

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• Adopters, fosters, volunteers and donations DOWN by more than 50% than past averages!

Buying leads to dying!

• Currently, healthy, adoptable (and often purebred animals) are losing their lives in record numbers in the US- especially large dogs (often GSD’s, huskies, pit mixes- even doodles)!

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• During the pandemic people could not find enough animals to adopt, and buying from breeders increased- and has not slowed

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• Sadly, most breeders will sell anyone, anything (often in pairs) and many people get what they “wanted”- but not what they needed (or would/ could manage long term).

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• Now that the puppies have grown into dogs with real needs/ challenges, people are not interested in keeping them.

Niall Horan is a purebred Pumi- a Hungarian herding dog. He is the “busiest” dog we’ve ever had, yet a breeder sold him as a puppy to a 80yr old person in an apartment!

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We’ve had him for adoption for 3 years!

Adoption is the ONLY option!

• We were making progress with adoption as the number one source of pets before the pandemic, but the complete change has set our mission back a decade.

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• We are working hard to recruit adopters, fosters, volunteers and donors to support adoption as the primary option of finding a pet.

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• This is a major challenge when people have changed in mindset- ie society is different now and have less patience, tolerance and also need “immediate gratification”.

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• As well, other world issues are further overwhelming people and causing challenges to keeping pets or supporting animal welfare (if that is even on their radar anymore).

Balerion is a husky pup we took in at 3mo old May 2023- yet we still have him up for adoption as there are too many huskies and not enough adopters.

Veterinary Care Crisis

• As well as a decline in adoptions, access to affordable veterinary care has decreased.

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• Veterinary costs have increased 2-3 times since the pandemic.

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• There is a record shortage of veterinarians in the field- or those planning to enter- which started pre-pandemic and has since gotten worse.

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• During the pandemic, many veterinarians were fatigued by angry people have left the field for mental health reasons.

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• Veterinary care is already a field with significant mental health issues, including a high rate of suicide.

Veterinary Care Crisis

• Fewer people are entering the field due to the prohibitive cost and duration of schooling. For less cost and time they can become human nurses.

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• Despite evidence of the increasing issue, schools have continued to be too strict in who they qualify for their programs- and are not adapting to the trend that more students are needed to even maintain the current ratio of pets to vets.

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• A small movement is being made for schools to offer a more varied level of veterinary care experience and to better utilize Vet Techs to supplement the lack of doctors and to let more students into programs- but this will take many years to fix.

Human Issues

• While one part of the population has disposable income and animals, more than 50% of people can’t afford their pets in WA state alone.

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• People are making career changes and moving (A LOT) post-pandemic and often people can’t/ don’t find housing that includes their pets.

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• More and more rentals are charging ridiculous amounts for the luxury of having a pet. It can cost an extra $200 or more in “pet rent”- when human living costs are exponentially rising too.

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• People perhaps didn’t do the work to properly train and socialize their animals and are now experiencing troubles- either because they don’t want to or can’t afford to.

What is Motley Zoo’s Mission?

Motley Zoo is dedicated to improving the lives of animals near and far by not only rescue, rehabilitation and education but by elevating their status in society to that of sentient family members, not just property.

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This means we advocate adoption, training/ socialization, spay/ neuter for responsible pet ownership and believe animals deserve humane, loving care- not exploitation.

MZ Mission Concepts

1. To end the euthanization of healthy, adoptable pets through advocacy of rescue/ adoption and spay/ neuter advocacy. 

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• Often people don’t know the importance of spay/ neuter (including health benefits) and how quickly their animals can reproduce.

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• They don’t have access to affordable spay/ neuter options.

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• People buy animals from breeders, pet stores and puppy mills rather than rescue- so sterilization is an additional step and cost.

Motley Zoo’s Mission

How we combat pet overpopulation:

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• We promote rescue and adoption only. Most people do NOT need (and cannot manage) a purebred pet and their intense breed traits.

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• We promote spay/ neuter as a health and behavioral benefit- and the only way to ensure no unplanned litters happen.

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• Hormone driven behaviors like marking, escaping etc are a huge reason people struggle to manage their intact animals. We help them see that intact pets can jeopardize their longevity together.

Motley Zoo’s Mission

2. To end animal neglect, abuse & homelessness

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• Animals are often neglected, abused, abandoned and harmed by people whether intentionally or through ignorance.
• Owners often have personal problems or financial issues that prevent them from properly caring for their pets

Motley Zoo’s Mission:

This is often because people:

• Get angry and frustrated with animals due to unrealistic expectations.
• Don’t’ know their true requirements in order to care for them properly
• Have too many animals and can’t afford them
• Don’t prioritize training and socialization
• Reinforce bad habits or fail to provide structure
• Animals are the first to be “forgotten” and let go of when things get hard

Motley Zoo’s Mission

We combat abuse/ neglect by:

• Rescue, rehabilitate and rehome animals directly.
• Provide training opportunities for fosters and families in need of support.
• Rehabilitate animals with challenges (medical or behavioral) through extensive and expensive training and veterinary care.
• Work to educate owners about responsible pet guardianship and proper care.

Motley Zoo’s Mission:

4. To alleviate the suffering of animals

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• Animals suffer at the hands of humans whether due to ignorance, negligence, lack of training, medical care or for financial reasons.
• Most times the undue suffering is not caused intentionally but must be remedied either way.
• Some animals cannot be “fixed” or they are suffering to an extent that quality of life is in question.

Motley Zoo’s Mission

As a result, Motley Zoo must:

• Ensure all animals we come in contact with/ care for directly are sterilized and have a high quality of life standard
• We remove obstacles to adoption and provide care and training so the animals can become more adoptable.
• Take responsibility when animals are suffering or dangerous and cannot be rehomed lest quality of life suffer (for them or others around them).

Motley Zoo’s Mission

• This means that while we work to save every single animal, circumstances beyond our control may dictate otherwise.
• We must never let an animal suffer emotionally or physically.
• We have lost very few animals in our entire history. Those we have, are mostly due to unfixable, terminal health issues.

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Despite taking very difficult cases,

we are still very successful with

99.9% of animals adopted!

Motley Zoo’s Mission

5. Improve the lives of animals everywhere

• We do not turn a blind eye to animals in need, wherever they may be

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• We buy and utilize humane, organic and sustainable products and pet food made without animal testing or strict animal confinement.

Motley Zoo’s Mission

Pre-pandemic we rescued animals from all over the state, country- and even the world!

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However, right now, we are focused within Washington State as the crisis is significant here.

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It’s also become financially prohibitive to consider animals that require transportation as costs have risen dramatically and US laws have changed.

Motley Zoo’s Mission:

We combat this by

• Focusing locally on animals who don’t require extra time or transportation to assist.
• WA has a very collaborative animal welfare system so no shelter sits empty while another euthanizes
• Animals are transported from areas of low population/ adoption interest to those more populated
• In the past, many animals adopted out in WA have come from outside the state

Motley Zoo’s Mission

6. Elevate the status of animals in society

• We believe animals are sentient beings, capable of complex emotion and thought.
• We work to create a better awareness and understanding of animals and their value in our lives and in the world.
• We advocate for better animal care for those in our homes and beyond.
• We believe all animals- especially those which may be used as food- deserve a humane life and death.

Motley Zoo’s Mission

As a result:

• Some of us are vegetarian/ vegan- though this is not a requirement, and no one is judged for their choices!
• However, we do not provide meat at MZ sponsored events.
• We do not regulate what volunteers or fosters eat in the facility or at events.
• We may participate in events that serve meat (although not as the main purpose/ focus).

Motley Zoo’s Board

MZ’s Animal Care Driector:

Pate (sounds like “Patty”)

Pate lives on-site at our Monroe location. She is responsible for the management and care of all the animals we have (upwards of 100 at a time).

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She coordinates with fosters to determine what the animals need- and also finalizes the dog adoption decisions, ultimately making the matches that last! She also oversees our all-volunteer cat team to support their efforts.

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Pate has fostered thousands of babies (especially those with special needs) and is the genius behind our animal care standards.

Motley Zoo’s Board

Executive Director:

jme

jme is responsible for the overall direction and management of the organization which involves many aspects.

jme and Pate have been partnered since 2010 to build Motley Zoo into the organization you see today- and it’s through their collaborative efforts and complimentary skills/ interests that has ensured MZ thrives.

jme has fostered thousands of animals, and creatively leads MZ forward.

Motley Zoo’s Board

Director:

Bryan

Bryan and jme are married and have been working together to build MZ since inception in 2009.

Bryan works as a video game designer full time but lends his artistic skills toward MZ’s remarkable branding and marketing. He also helps with the MZ property maintenance and upkeep.

He loves fostering animals and he is grateful for all MZ has taught him and how his life has been enriched greatly through his effort and involvement.

Motley Zoo’s Board

PR Director

Christi

Christi is a Board Director and works to promote our mission in the public eye- often through our involvement with musicians and events, but also through her experience as an art teacher.

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She can be seen at most MZ events, especially concerts and she’s also a foster to many animals.

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As well, Christi pioneered and manages our “paint and sip” event, Paint Fur Paws fundraiser where people come together to learn to paint their pets in an effort to raise funds for our animals.

Motley Zoo’s Board

HR/ Bookkeeping/ Donor Manager

Linda

Linda brings over 20 years of experience in accounting to her role at Motley Zoo. She began her journey with Motley as a volunteer in 2018 and transitioned to an employee in 2022.

Linda's commitment to animal welfare extends beyond her professional life; she adopted Nathan Chen from Motley Zoo in 2018. Nate came from a Korean Meat Market and he has since become her cherished companion and daily walking partner.

Linda also plays a crucial role in donor management and assists with event coordination at Motley Zoo. For inquiries related to donor management, Linda is the go-to person, leveraging her expertise and passion for supporting MZAR's mission.

Motley Zoo’s Values

1. Animals are our clients first. People are served by the animals getting what they need as the priority.

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There is nothing more important than the animals and their needs- which are always very black and white.

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It is our job to be objective without exception.

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Motley Zoo’s Values

• Human hopes, expectations and desires are never simple- even when the animals’ are.
• People can be very emotional when dealing with animals and adoption
• Making people happy can be extremely difficult- especially when multiple people want one animal
• However, it is because we ensure the animals come first which ensures we are successful creating lasting matches!

Motley Zoo’s Values

2. Animals are more valuable than the number at the bottom of a veterinarian’s bill

• We believe all animals are valuable and deserve a chance no matter the cost
• We are very pragmatic about what is possible and reasonable- we just don’t put cost first
• We do not believe in unnecessary or risky options to unnaturally extend life

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30% of the animals we care for are special/ medically needy

Motley Zoo’s Values

3. Exceed expectations

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We believe in going above and beyond as our basic standard.

• Whether it’s for animals or people, we extend ourselves to accommodate and support those who need our help
• We cannot always help directly- but we will always provide resources
• This is the core of our culture, especially in how our volunteers & crew go above and beyond in their work- and for each other.

Motley Zoo’s Values

4. Never stop improving.

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When we know better, we do better.

• We believe the minute we stop reflecting on how we can do things differently/ better, we begin to fall behind.
• We are always invested in thinking, planning, innovating and adapting to be the best rescue there is- not just our best.
• Thankfully, we are frequently told we’re doing just that- which keeps us motivated to continue the work to keep making that possible!

Motley Zoo’s Values

5. Safety and prudence are the only options!

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We do not take risks and chances with animals or people!

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• We quite literally have animals’ lives in our hands, so we do not take risks with their care or placement.
• We err on the side of prudence, no matter the effort or expense.

Motley Zoo’s Values

• We do not “hope” for the best. We make decisions that we are confident in and stand by 100%
• We are completely transparent about the animals, their needs and behaviors and whether they are right for a foster or adopter
• We must be confident in an adopter’s capacity to care for and provide for the animals’ needs through an extensive process of getting to know them

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Adoption is a process

of ongoing engagement- rather

than performing a transaction!

PHEW!

Now that you know what we do and why, let’s explore the structure and definition of Motley Zoo!

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Motley Zoo is:

• A rescue (vs a shelter)
• Foster Based
• Volunteer Powered
• No Kill
• 501c3 nonprofit
• The first of its kind!

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MZ is a rescue- not a shelter

• Like a bookstore and library both have books, so do animal shelters and rescues, but they operate differently!
• They are fundamentally different in how they can serve both animals and people
• Their operations are complimentary: each does what the other can’t so the greatest number of animals can be saved
• As well, people are served in different ways
• It is important you understand these differences so you can speak accurately about our mission

Please see our website for more:

“About Us” >>> “What We Do”.

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Foster Based

• Foster based means the animals primarily live in private homes, not in kennels/cages in a single building- though we do now have a “mini shelter” in Monroe for longer stays
• Families treat the foster animals like their own and offer a setting of an adoptive home
• This allows fosters to “test drive” the animals which helps them adjust, get trained, recover and find homes that best match the animals’ needs
• Foster based organizations are a network of individuals utilizing the internet to coordinate, more so than meeting in person, in one place

Volunteer Powered

• Shelters are often larger, heavily funded organizations with staff- while rescues don’t often have much staff at all
• This creates differences in how they serve people in terms of time and personalization, primarily
• Volunteer powered organizations typically cannot meet “same-day” demands of surrender or adoption
• Rescues are limited by the capacity of their fosters/ volunteers- what they are willing, available and capable of doing

No Kill

• No kill means animals are not considered for euthanization for time or space
• Issues of quality of life and safety/ danger are however still considered “on the table” within that definition

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Animals have a home with us unless and until-

barring any serious/ unchangable health or behavior issues.

501c3 nonprofit

• An organization that is recognized by the IRS as official charitable institution
• Within the IRS guidelines, donors are eligible for tax deductions for contributions made to our mission
• Nonprofit means we operate at a loss- that expenses are always more than revenue
• Those cost differences are made up by donors
• 85% of our donors are “average” individuals giving what they can, when they can
• It does not take wealth to be a donor! Even $5 or $10/ month makes a big difference!

MZ is UNIQUE!

• Nothing like Motley Zoo’s model has ever been done before
• Our strategy is unique and fresh, and we have a strong brand and culture
• We pioneered the hybrid organization of rescue with a physical facility before COVID forced other orgs to change
• We are the first to establish a dog daycare-as-fundraising program (until 2022) and boarding kennel (2022- present)- especially on such a scale!

Motley Zoo ROCKS!

• Motley Zoo makes rescue fun, exciting, empowering and hopeful.

(Sorry Sarah McLaughlin!)

• We believe everyone can make a difference for the animals, everyday through small efforts.
• You don’t have to change much to make huge change in the world of an animal!

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YOU ARE A RESCUE ROCK STAR ALREADY!

We help you apply yourself and achieve your goals!

Motley Zoo ROCKS!

• You work for the animals when you’re volunteering

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• They need you to be accountable and reliable

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• We work together, supporting each other to make sure the animals get the best care

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Motley Zoo ROCKS!

Through volunteering, we will help you achieve your goals to help animals in need.

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We do not know what you are capable of, so it is up to you to inquire, invest, engage, apply yourself and take initiative to take action!

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We will show you the path, but it’s up to you to take it and to determine how far you will go!

Motley Zoo Volunteer Roles

• On-site in Monroe working with dogs (owned & homeless)
• Aid in cleaning, care and upkeep
• Raise funds for the rescue animals through Woods Creek Boarding Kennel
• Training, socialization of adoptables

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• One off events
• Pop up Puppy/ Kitten parties at private/ corporate events
• Meet & Greets- casual meeting for public of animals at pet stores etc
• Concerts- backstage and public booth

Motley Zoo Volunteer Roles

• Fostering animals
• Usually dogs or cats
• Some small animals/ exotics
• An additional application is required to foster (see “Foster FAQs” on www.motleyzoo.org)

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• Remote/ Flexible
• List unusable donated items on Offer Up/ Facebook Marketplace
• Help with online animal promotion (bios, pics, vids)
• Website, Social Media and IT support
• Design tshirts for www.mzbehindtheseamz.com
• Create/ sell crafts/ products for sale to benefit MZ
• Coordinate committees/ teams

Motley Zoo ROCKS!

There are so many ways you can directly change the lives of animals in need!

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There is a lot of work to do, and we need you to make it happen!

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YOU determine what

Motley Zoo can accomplish!

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Let’s get started!

Motley Zoo ROCKS!

Please take the quiz for this section of volunteer orientation so you can review your understanding of Motley Zoo’s

• Reason for being
• Mission
• Values
• Structure

That way you can best apply yourself to the animals’ needs!

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