Diana Aldridge has several administrative duties connected with her job as executive director of the Hinsdale Humane Society. She compares managing the not-for-profit shelter to running a business.
“Essentially we are a small business,” said Aldridge, who has been executive director for 14 years. “We have clients, a budget, bills to pay, taxes to file and a building to maintain.”
There are many business-related tasks, but her background as a teacher has helped Aldridge achieve the society’s goal to educate the public, she said.
“Education has always been our focus,” said Aldridge, who has a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. “It is very important to educate the consumer.”
It’s unlikely a person would make an important purchase such as a car until after doing some research. The same holds true for adopting a pet, Aldridge said. “If you were buying a car, you’d probably use a consumer’s guide to do your research. You would want an unbiased opinion.
“We advise people to use an unbiased source to research the breeds they’re interested in. We have information available for those interested in doing that. We don’t advise going to the breeder because you’re not going to get an unbiased opinion that way,” said Aldridge, who taught elementary school for 3 1/2 years more than 20 years ago.
Aldridge and humane education director Nikki Dahlin, who is a wildlife rehabilitator, have developed education programs suited to people of all ages. Volunteers and staff members address schoolchildren, community organizations and senior citizens’ groups. Program topics include an introduction to pet owners’ responsibilities for primary grade pupils and an examination of the connection among all living creatures for 7th and 8th graders. Other presentations include information on pet care, endangered species and stray animals.
At the shelter, staff members and volunteers invite people to “browse, window shop and ask questions,” said Aldridge, who lived in Hinsdale for 26 years before moving to Oak Brook and then to Clarendon Hills. If a family is interested in a particular animal–a dog, for example–they are put on a list. A counselor is assigned to the family to answer questions and offer information about the animal.
The counselor talks to the prospective pet owner about the animal’s needs, such as a fenced yard or who will let the dog out during the day.
“We want to make sure the pet has a lifetime home, a permanent connection to a family,” said Aldridge, who has a cat and a dog she adopted from the shelter. “We also want the people to be happy about the adoption. We give them as much information as possible.”
“Educating the public works,” Dahlin said. “Education makes such a difference–a quick difference. We see the results almost immediately in terms of less animal neglect and abuse.”
Aldridge does “a great job of getting the word out,” said Dahlin, who has been working at the shelter for a year. “Education is definitely our mission. She is very serious about meeting our responsibility to educate.”
Many people don’t think about factors such as the dog’s size or whether it sheds, will have enough room to exercise or is suited for young children, Aldridge said. The shelter usually has that kind of information on animals because most are brought there by private owners who give a detailed history of their pet before giving it up.
Staff members also screen animals for temperament characteristics. The objective is to determine whether an animal is docile or dominant, important information when placing an animal in a family with young children.
“We have a big responsibility to our clients,” said Aldridge, who is the mother of two adult children and the grandmother of 8-month-old twin boys. “They trust us to find a good pet for the family, and we take that (responsibility) seriously.”
“I’m most impressed by Diana’s professionalism,” Dahlin said. “The shelter is so well run–it’s clean, and everything is in order. It’s that way because she’s well organized and very professional.”
Julie Liesse, a volunteer who has adopted two dogs from the shelter, says Aldridge is “incredibly enthusiastic, positive and very diplomatic. She’s very passionate about her work and about educating the public. But she keeps her balance and is able to see all sides of an issue.”
Humane issues tend to polarize people because they are emotional, said Liesse, who lives in Hinsdale. “The public isn’t well educated about how to handle humane issues, but she is very good at smoothing the waters–she has a calming effect, which makes her a good ambassador to the community and to the bigger humane movement.”
Aldridge has “always loved animals,” she said, and had several pets while she was growing up in Grosse Point, Mich. “Even as an adult, I always had pets. They’re good company and I enjoy them.”
Her love of animals originally prompted Aldridge to look into volunteer opportunities at the shelter 17 years ago. She had a friend who was on the shelter’s board of directors. “She told me about the shelter and that they always needed help,” Aldridge said. “She suggested I become a volunteer.”
Aldridge became a volunteer in 1983 and began visiting schools to talk to students about caring for pets and the shelter’s role in the community. She also was part of the shelter’s pet therapy program, in which volunteers bring animals to visit the sick and elderly at hospitals, nursing homes and retirement communities.
In January 1985 Aldridge became the shelter’s volunteer coordinator. About a year later she was hired as executive director.
When Aldridge took over as director, there were about 25 volunteers and three education programs. Today there are more than 100 volunteers and 11 education programs.
Her administrative duties include supervising seven staff members, setting the budget and paying the bills; keeping stray-animal contracts, permits and insurance up to date; and overseeing shelter repairs and renovations done by contractors. She also writes a monthly column about animal issues for a local newspaper.
She also helps with fundraising and special events, maintains a donor base by keeping in contact with those who support the shelter, and writes thank you notes to clients who send updates and pictures of the pets they’ve adopted from the shelter.
Aldridge enjoys all aspects of her job, but her favorite part “is to see the right animal placed in the right home,” she said. “It’s a great feeling–especially if the cat or dog has been here for a long time. You start to worry about finding the right home for it. When it’s adopted, there’s great rejoicing around here–great rejoicing.”
As with any business, there are challenges. “The biggest frustration for me is when the public challenges us about an adoption,” Aldridge said. “Our staff is very knowledgeable, and we do everything we can to match the pet and the pet owner. But there are people who question our experience and knowledge.”
As for her work at the shelter, Aldridge said: “It’s very rewarding to receive positive feedback from the people who adopt from us. We get pictures and wonderful letters, testimonials about how much they love the animal and how well it fits into their family.
“It’s a great feeling to know we’re making a difference. It makes our day.”
For more information on the Hinsdale Humane Society, call 630-323-6124.
SOCIETY IS A FRIEND TO 3,000 ANIMALS A YEAR
The Hinsdale Humane Society is a not-for-profit shelter operated by staff members and volunteers who care for more than 3,000 animals a year.
The society, at 22 N. Elm St., was founded in 1953 by residents concerned about stray animals roaming the village. It is dedicated to the care and adoption of unwanted and abandoned animals, said Diana Aldridge, executive director.
The shelter offers 11 education programs on topics such as spaying and neutering, obedience training and pet safety.
The society also provides more than a dozen services, including shelter tours, animal adoption counseling, reuniting lost pets with their owners, dog obedience classes, behavior counseling and foster care for young or pregnant animals.
Most of the shelter’s adoptable animals come from private owners and have detailed histories, Aldridge said. Unclaimed strays also are available.
On an average day, the shelter has about 15 dogs and 10 cats up for adoption. It sometimes has other animals such as birds, guinea pigs and rabbits. The adoptable animals are purebreds and mixed breeds of various sizes, ages and temperaments.
Staff members work with prospective owners to select the pet that best suits their family, Aldridge said. Clients who adopt animals are asked to pay $50 to help cover the cost of shots.
Adoption rates vary, but figures from November through February indicate that 326 out of 501 animals were placed with clients. Animals are euthanized when necessary.
“We try to place every adoptable animal,” Aldridge said. “There’s a lot of in-depth counseling about the animal’s needs, and what’s expected from the family. Adopting a pet is a big responsibility.”
The society’s budget of about $300,000 comes from fundraisers, private and public donors.
The society is open from noon to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. It is closed on Mondays.
Animals can be viewed on the society’s Web site (www.hinsdalehumanesociety
.org).
For more information about the Hinsdale Humane Society, call 630-323-6124.
DIANA ALDRIDGE
Age: 60.
Title: Executive director of the Hinsdale Humane Society.
Education: Bachelor’s degree in elementary education, 1961, University of Michigan at Ann Arbor.
Favorite part of job: “To see the right animal placed in the right home. It’s a great feeling, especially if the cat or dog has been here for a long time. You start to worry about finding the right home for it. “
Biggest challenge: Having clients accept the society’s recommendations concerning the match between pet and family. “The biggest frustration for me is when the public challenges us about an adoption. Our staff is very knowledgeable, and we do everything we can to match the pet and the pet owner. But there are people who question our experience and knowledge.”
Advice: “You have to keep your sense of humor with this job, as with everything in life. “
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COMMUNITY FOCUS SECTION
Oak Brook & Hinsdale
This is the second of four special sections about Oak Brook and Hinsdale that the Tribune is publishing in 2000.
Part 3, coming Sept. 6, will look at issues in education in Oak Brook and Hinsdale.
If you have any comments or suggestions about this issue or future Community Focus Sections, contact Pam Becker at 312-222-4208.
