PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. — The Animal Welfare League of Charlotte County got a facelift on Friday as more than 100 volunteers with Kitson & Partners came to the shelter to help out.
AWL is a no kill shelter and is the only “open-admission” shelter in the county, meaning it accepts and cares for every animal that happens to end up there.
Watch Fox 4's Alex Orenczuk report on Kitson & Partners' volunteer day at AWL:
Syd Kitson, CEO of Kitson & Partners, the developer of Babcock Ranch, told Fox 4 the company has quarterly events, some of which are volunteer days. He said AWL was chosen for this event because of its mission.
“We are always looking for ways to give back,” said Kitson. “We’ve got 100 plus people here, and they are doing work, and when you look at what this is about, the Animal Welfare League, and the great work that they do, when you see these animals and the incredible work that they do, we’re just proud to be just a very small part of it.”
The volunteers focused on making improvements in areas that shelter staff and regular volunteers can’t always get to, like yard work, office organization, power washing outdoor kennels and more.
“With over 400 animals in our care everyday, we struggle sometimes to just get the basics done,” said Charles Brown, executive director of AWL. “Which leaves a lot like our play yards, they turn into disrepair pretty quickly. So, to have folks come out and get them back into shape makes it that much more enjoyable for the dogs to go out and the humans to go out with them.”
Brown said while large volunteer events are appreciated, the shelter runs with the help of dedicated daily volunteers, and encourages anyone who loves animals to get involved.
“We run 365 days a year, so having volunteers come in and socialize the dogs, socialize the cats, clean, all those good things make a huge impact in the lives of our animals,” said Brown. “It certainly helps the organization but ultimately it's about coming here and helping all the unwanted and neglected animals of our county.”
To learn more about volunteer opportunities at AWL, CLICK HERE.
