Chaffeeâs Got Heart Committee recognized Amber van Leuken, Executive Director for Ark-Valley Humane Society.Â
âPrior to COVID-19 we were shelter based,â van Leuken said. âBefore the stay-at-home order, the majority of animals came into our shelters and stayed there until they were adopted or reclaimed by their owners.â Â
Once stay-at-home came into effect, the shelter shifted to a foster-based model of care which is not the standard of care the majority of animals in the shelterâs care.Â
Ark-Valley also shifted to virtual services.Â
âWe first scrambled to get all our forms and service information available through our website and made it possible for people to pay through our website for our services,â van Leuken said.Â
We are extremely excited to bring you the films for the 2020-21 Bow Wow Film festival for the fourth year in a row.Â
This yearâs event will look different than years past, being held virtually to ensure the safety of our animal-loving community.
Even though we are watching this in our homes and not in a theater full of other animal lovers, we can still celebrate our community and all the amazing people who are a part of it, people around the world working hard to make this world a better place for pets. Â
Before the films kick off, make sure to check out a brief message from Ark-Valley Humane Societyâs Executive Director, Amber van Leuken.Â