Albion Assistant Project Manager Celebrates ‘Adopt a Shelter Pet Day’ in the Best Way
Albion has had a long relationship with the Atlanta Humane Society! To date, we have developed not only their headquarters location but a great working relationship with their team. For Assistant Project Manager, Savannah Newsome, her work with AHS not only provided great work experience and ongoing partnerships but a new best four-legged friend! Hear from Savannah about her adoption story to find Oliver!
Tell us about your work with the Atlanta Humane Society
SN: I have worked with AHS on a few different projects in different ways! For the new Headquarters, I worked on the estimating and preconstruction team. When the Duluth Adoption Center closed down, I was the Project Manager for decommissioning the space. My most recent, and most impactful, work has been as the Program Manager for their 2023 Capital Improvement Grant! It was incredibly rewarding to see the starting condition of the 10 grant recipient shelters and to help them renovate, expand, and improve their operations to help save more dogs! It was incredible to see the direct impact that projects up to $30,000 can have to completely change the lives of homeless pets in rural shelters.
How long did you work on the project? Were there any specific tasks you focused on?
SN: I joined the 2023 Capital Improvement Grant project team in late April 2023, and we finished the majority of the projects by September 2023. The ten shelters all had different scopes of work, but generally, we were updating the rusted kennel fencing, adding shade structures for outdoor kennels, and laying concrete for either more kennels or for volunteers to get to the kennels safely. A couple of locations also received HVAC systems, which is crucial for the comfort of dogs in the heat of the summer in South Georgia!
Tell us about your relationship with the Atlanta Humane Society!
SN: The Atlanta Humane Society has always had a special place in my heart, as I am a huge advocate for adoption. Plus, having been born in raised in Atlanta, it’s an organization that I’ve always known, whether I saw them at adoption events or knew friends and family who had gotten their fur baby from AHS. When the opportunity came for me to help on the construction side of adoption, I jumped at the chance!
What led you to pet adoption?
SN: I’ve always wanted to adopt once I was ready for a dog or cat. There are just too many animals that are without families and either live in a shelter for too long or are put down because there isn’t space, completely breaks my heart.
Had you ever adopted before?
SN: Nope! My family tried when I was young, but my younger siblings were too little for the shelter we were interested in to let us take home a puppy.
Oliver’s Adoption Story
SN: I got Oliver in July of 2020! I knew I wanted a medium to large size dog that I could take with me on walks and runs. I also wanted an adult dog, because they are less “attractive” to other adopters since many usually want puppies, plus, I wouldn’t have to worry as much about potty training and the crazy energy that comes with a puppy. I had been looking at the adoptable dogs in Georgia for about a month before Oliver popped up on the website. He looked to be a black lab, a bit on the petite size, so I reached out to make an appointment to meet him! When my mom and I showed up for the “Meet and Greet” however, a short, stout black lab mix was who greeted me. I was so confused, but the second I sat down in the play yard, Oliver immediately tried to sit in my lap, he was just so sweet and friendly that I couldn’t say no, so I took him home that same day! My favorite thing is when people ask, “What is he?” because it’s the greatest guessing game, everyone has a different thought on what breed makes him so short. I may not ever know what combination of genetics gave me such a short king, but I do know that he is 100% the best boy.
