On one of Supervisor Brigid Wasson’s first days on the job six years ago at the Santa Clara County Animal Shelter in San Martin, she looked over the list of animals set to be euthanized.
One dog in particular caught her eye. The canine, named Coco, was categorized as a Labrador mix and described as “not friendly, very stressed out and not a good candidate for adoption.”
Wasson, 42, of Gilroy, brought the dog outside to get a better look, played with it and discovered it was in fact a rare and desirable breed of hunting dog called a Weimaraner. Wasson immediately photographed it – replacing an older picture of the dog previously posted on the shelter’s website – re-tagged it with its proper breed name, and, by the end of the very next day, was approving its adoption papers to the NorCal Weimaraner Rescue.
“I remember that dog (‘a silver-colored pointer-type dog’) and think of all the thousands of animals over the years since then that can be saved with just some simple steps,” said Wasson, who recently accepted a new position as Animal Care and Control Director for the County of Sonoma’s Department of Health Services.
“It’s very bittersweet because it’s a move up – I’m moving to a great department and a great community – but I’m really going to miss everyone here,” continued Wasson, whose last day in San Martin is this Saturday. She is set to begin her new job Sept. 25.
“This is a great community as well, one that has been supportive of the changes at the shelter over the years,” Wasson added.
Wasson said the biggest change she was able to spearhead during her time at the shelter located at 12370 Murphy Ave. was improving the animal life-saving programs. When she arrived in 2008, the live-release rate was “barely above 60 percent.”
Today, it’s above 90 percent.
The live-release rate is based on any animal that comes in to the facility for whatever reason and is either adopted, goes to another rescue organization or is returned to its original owner.
“Today, I think about it as proof that in order to be successful at life-saving, it’s not about money or having a fancy facility, it’s just about a change in attitude,” Wasson explained.
Wasson said her goal in San Martin was to have a 100 percent adoption rate, “which we’re pretty close to having.”
As the Animal Shelter Supervisor, Wasson was in charge of all operations, including daily care of the animals; organizing medical care; behavioral evaluation and training; the adoption program; and managing the volunteer program.
“I’ll miss all the friends I’ve made. I’ll miss the small town atmosphere,” said Wasson. “It’s a very tight community, and one that really welcomed me as an outsider from another community.”
Moving to another community such as Sonoma County was appealing to Wasson because they have “done a lot of the groundwork to prepare for the future” in terms of life-saving programs and customer service.
At her new post, Wasson will oversee 26 non-management employees at Animal Care and Control and work with a budget of about $4.5 million, according to a report in the Santa Rosa Press Democrat. The salary range for the position is from $88,000 to $107,000 a year.
Wasson said she will have more authority and responsibility in her new position. She noted the network she has already built through relationships with other shelter supervisors will be beneficial. Her goal is for “state-wide and nation-wide change in the paradigm of animal sheltering,” she said.
Wasson said the animal shelter in San Martin will seek a temporary fill-in while it searches for her permanent replacement.
