PAWS Profile: Susan Robinson
Nearly ten years ago Susan Robinson rescued her first dog, Sadie Mae, from a shelter in Fort Wayne. “That is when I started to become aware of the plight of homeless animals,” Robinson said. She had been using her Master’s in Directing Theatre to teach high school and college acting and directing for 14 years when she decided to move to Chicago. While preparing for her move, she saw an article on the Best Friends Animal Society website featuring a Chicago magazine article on PAWS Chicago’s efforts to build a No Kill city. She immediately decided it was where she wanted to work.
She had come at precisely the right time, when PAWS Chicago’s Lurie Spay/Neuter Clinic was looking to drive people from targeted zip codes (those lower income areas that correlated with the highest number of stray calls to Animal Control) to spay and neuter their pets.
“The greatest reward is working for an organization that is truly making progress and making a difference.”
When Robinson began in February of 2004 there was no Community Outreach program at PAWS Chicago. Over the past four years, she has helped more than double the number of surgeries performed at the Lurie Clinic each year: from 6,202 in 2003 to 14,154 in 2007. Most importantly, the percentage of surgeries performed for free for families who need it most have increased from 37.5% to 72%. It is no coincidence that during this time, the number of pets take in by Animal Control has markedly fallen, decreasing the number of homeless pets killed in Chicago.
Robinson has developed presentation curriculums for Pre-K children through senior citizens, covering spay/neuter, proper pet care, dog fighting, the link between animal abuse and other kinds of violence, avoiding dog bites, and Trap-Neuter-Return. She has also created a teach-the-teacher program, training volunteers, girl scout leaders, boys and girls club leaders and teachers on the material.
Robinson’s ultimate goal is to continue to make a difference in Chicago and, she adds, “hopefully on the National level as we spread the word about the successes of the No Kill movement.”
Call Susan at 773-475-9425 or email her at surobinson@pawschicago.org.
Possibly Related Posts:
- Lurie Spay/Neuter Clinic Seeds Chicago’s No Kill Transformation
- Volunteer Spotlight: Patty Smith
- Volunteer Spotlight: Melissa Ziberna
- PAWS Profile: Deborah Chapman
- PAWS Profile: Lynne Styles
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