Three years later, we stand in awe of all that has been accomplished. If there ever was a situation that could be deemed impossible, few could argue that Stockton Animal Shelter wasn’t a contender for the title.
The staff wanted more for the animals, but there seemed to be a perfect storm of bad luck that circled the mountain of “Nos” they faced every single day. Three people were staffed to care for upwards of 300 animals a day, answer phones, man the front desk and take leashes from the never-ending surrender line. The operating budget was so grossly inadequate, there weren’t even funds to fix the air conditioner in a cinder block building located in a city that regularly reaches over 100 degrees. The same was true for over half the dogs. Eight out of every ten cats that entered the shelter did not make it out alive. A soaring unemployment and crime rate topped the nation and landed the city squarely on every undesirable list ever drafted, included Forbes most miserable places to live. In June of 2012, Stockton became the largest city in America to ever file bankruptcy. Not too long ago, you could have easily said that Stockton had every card in the deck stacked against them. Stockton reminds us that where there is will, there is always a way. We chose to shine our very first spotlight on Million Cat Challenger Stockton Animal Services because it has been nothing less than humbling to witness this little shelter with a huge heart continue to reach new heights year after year despite all odds.