We recently connected with Dana Madej and have shared our conversation below.
Dana, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.
One of the boldest decisions I’ve ever made was stepping into my current role as Shelter Supervisor. I never planned to be the boss, and honestly, I’d already turned down the opportunity a couple times in the past. I have worked in the animal field since I was 17 and while the majority of that time I was in the veterinary industry, my heart was yearning to help in a different way.
I took on a position at the local county animal shelter as a receptionist. At that time, we were located in a decades old building that could only hold a handful of animals and the number of staff and amount of elbow room was just as lacking. I loved that job, and I could feel the impact we were making every day. Unfortunately, Covid hit just a couple months after I started and my finances changed. I stayed for two years, but eventually realized, I needed to find a new job that could support me. So I changed my career trajectory completely and became a Registered Environmental Health Specialist. I learned a lot and really enjoyed that job too, but my heart has always been with the animals.
In 2023, Jackson County built a brand new animal shelter and it is beautiful with about 3x the capacity of the old one. From there, it felt like a whirlwind! The supervisor at the time ended up on a medical leave that never resolved. Because my employer (the County) remained the same throughout all this, I was able to come to the shelter and help out. There was a new building and just three employees at the time. So I was splitting my time between my job writing permits and tending to the animals. Before I knew it, I had somehow unofficially started managing a team of animal control officers. The concept seemed wild to me, but the process came naturally. My team saw it before I did. Before I was even offered the Supervisor position, they had already been following my lead and gave me that respect; something that I thought was meant for someone else, turned out to be lined up for me. Between my academic knowledge, lifelong experiences, and sense of justice, I found that I landed in the right position at just the right time!
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
As soon as I was old enough to work, I started looking for ways to get involved with animals. I was lucky and got to start at a veterinary hospital that taught me on the job with no previous work history. I knew right away that this was the right move for me. I went on to graduate from Berry College with a B.S. in Animal Science and returned back to my career in the veterinary field. Even though I loved my job there I knew I didn’t want to be a vet. I wanted to be more hands on with the care of the pet and be the one to administer the meds and run the bloodwork or prep them for surgery and be there for recovery. Those are things that are typically delegated to vet techs and that is more up alley. I worked that field for a long time and because of that, I was able to work with the humane society, animal control and even the police force canines. My understanding of animal welfare expanded and I realized that the more vulnerable pet populations could really use some support. Paying clients are one thing, but there’s a much larger number of pets without parents. This is when I opened my heart up a little more.
Once I was afforded the opportunity to work in the animal shelter, I got to work right away. I changed little things like better signage and adding in canned food. I also enhanced some other aspects by bringing my medical knowledge and applying that to create new standard operations. That was in the “old building”, before I was Supervisor, and before the county built the new facility we’re housed in now. Since I’ve been at our new place, where we gained a lot more space and increased our capacity by nearly 300%, I have really enjoyed being able to engage in our community through our work in animal control and sheltering.
My section is a branch of the local health department so our main mission is to protect the public against Rabies through pet vaccinations at shot clinics, education, and quarantine or testing of suspect animals. Of course, there’s much more to the job than that. We are unique in that, we not only facilitate the intakes of strays and promote adoptions, but we are also responsible for the enforcement of local ordinances and state laws that pertain to animals. Usually this comes in the form of nuisance complaints, such as the neighbor’s dog who is getting out of the fence. Other times, it can be as serious as animal hoarding or abandonment which both result in severe health issues. Last year, we investigated a case for PETA, and earlier this year we seized a bunch of dogs that were in a horrific abusive situation. We have taken out charges on several people who proved to be guilty of severe cruelty. The local police department even wrote each animal control officer a personal letter of gratitude for the contributions and relationship we’ve been able to create. They then went a step further and expressed that in a newspaper article. Animal Control Officers just don’t seem to get enough recognition in general. but we’re getting there! The vote of confidence from our fellow law enforcers is exactly the kind of partnership I am working to create.
This past year, one of my main objectives has been to grow our network. We are partnered with big names like the ASPCA, and Best Friends Animal Society, but I have also established some great partnerships with several local rescue groups who help us keep a revolving door to continue accepting new intakes. Additionally, there are several local small business owners who have become sponsors, meaning that they have paid a pet’s adoption fee and removed that financial barrier. With that, we’ve been able to have several pets every month that are free, and also host adoption events around town where the fees are waived! It’s proven to be a great tool and we just love that our community loves us back!
It’s been proven that kennel stress can manifest when the pet does not get enough enrichment which leads to behavioral issues that weren’t present before. In order to combat that, I’ve implemented new programs that have really made a difference. The most impact comes from our volunteer program. Volunteers come six days a week and make sure each animal has gotten some attention and love outside of their enclosure. We have several play yards and even a beautifully paved trail that the dogs can go walk. Even our cats get to experience free time on the floor and express their natural feline behaviors. Other programs include Dog-Day-Out and Foster-to-Adopt where the animal gets a chance to spend time with a person outside of the shelter for a few hours or days at a time.
All of these concepts work together and encompass a new movement called SMART. Our shelter team just went through the training and has rebranded to Saving More Animals Responsibly Together. This just means that we collaborate with the community to provide solutions because the pet overpopulation issue is a problem that we all created, and we can all be a part of the solution. We are forging a new path in the way we manage our shelter by providing education and resources along with responsible treatment and transparency. Our team does amazing work and I am so blessed to have found my calling!
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
Well I’ve been working in the animal field for 20 years now and so people remember me from my past work placements in the veterinary field a lot. I love that people see me and think animals! I love that I can also be a resource and an advocate for good pet ownership. Though, I’m definitely the one who greets your dog first because I remember him as a pup, but then I struggle to remember your name… so I just say “Hey Sparky’s dad!” My focus has always been on the animal first and the animal knows it too!
I have found that kindness and empathy go a long way. People get into animal welfare because they love animals, but with that you always have to deal with the human that picked them up, and sometimes that is the hardest part. Through lots of experiences, good and bad, I realized that it is up to me to make a bad situation better. Whether its a pet owner, a Good Samaritan, or a dog that has been abused I want to help them. There’s always more than one way to go about something and I really enjoy coming up with creative solutions. Communicating with the public only goes so far if they actually hear what you’re saying though. So it starts with listening, and putting yourself in their shoes. That goes for both pets and people. A lot of times, the solution is to just connect them to the right resources and help them along the way.
Honestly, I think my reputation has been founded on just being empathetic and thinking outside of the box. I’m not afraid to ask questions and challenge the norm if we can consider a different way. I seek to understand and truly just want to make a positive impact. My community means a lot to me and I’m proud to provide some new ways for our animals to find homes. One thing most can agree on, is that the animals deserve better and I’m always striving to do what’s better for them. While some of my ideas are my own, a lot of times I have brought in concepts that I gained from my past colleagues or the veterinarians I’ve worked for. I feel like its so important to surround yourself with other professionals in your field. Again, it goes back to just listening, and that information can be so valuable.
How do you keep your team’s morale high?
I never thought I would enjoy managing a team, but I never took into consideration how uplifting that can feel. Having a group of people on the same mission who care as much as you do is the dream, and that’s my team!
I walked into my role with a skeleton crew, and as we began to fill the positions, I found that we still needed more people. So I advocated for a bigger team, I created a flow chart, and I wrote out job descriptions. I met with the county manager and requested several more positions, including another supervisor! In order to have a motivated team, you need members that are fired up, not burned out. Thankfully my wishes were supported and so our squad grew!
It’s important to recognize everyone’s contributions and help them realize their superpower. If you can find that one thing that you’re really good at, then there’s a feeling of belonging that follows. Waking up to start the day with a group of people that respect you and appreciate your work is key to inspiring a high morale. So at my facility, some of the different superpowers my team has includes organization, a positive attitude, new ideas for enrichment toys, fractious cat handling, behavior training, medical knowledge, trapping methods, connecting with law enforcement, and I could list a dozen more. The bottom line is that you want each person to know they are appreciated in some way.
Another way I’ve learned to manage my team well is to take feedback. Paying attention to what works and what is needed can really make a difference in the day-to-day operations. For instance, I have been replacing the tools we use with newer, and updated items. That makes the task more manageable and sometimes even safer! Another example, is when I rearranged the staff room to create more work space for each employee. The design that was laid out had everyone bumping elbows and frustrated at the lack of desk area. It’s the small things that are most appreciated sometimes. I do hold a meeting every month and listen to what the team has to say, but honestly they don’t always speak up then. I’ve learned though, that just by making myself available, a lot comes out through casual conversation!
A lot of the work that is done are solo tasks like cleaning the cages, or investigating a case, so I feel like it’s important to make sure there are opportunities for the whole group to get together. I started holding trainings every month for the staff so that we can learn and grow together. But we also do fun things like have potluck days, and decorate the office for the season or holiday. We dress up our animals and do photoshoots. We celebrate birthdays, and we all gush over the cute litter of kittens that need extra love. One of the best perks of the job is that there’s always a pet that you can sit with which in turn lifts their spirit and yours. Just having a little fun on the job time can rejuvenate the day and the person!
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