Congrats to Ruben and Maritza!
2022 is Valley Animal Center’s 30th year in operation. That’s three decades of saving animal lives! In this new year, Valley Animal Center is preparing for the next wave of growth to ensure better service and care towards our community, customers, and animals.
To make 2022 a year of growth and success, Ruben Cantu and Maritza Lopez, formerly known as the Dog Care Supervisor and Cat Care Supervisor, have been promoted to the new positions of Animal Care Adoption Supervisor and Animal Care Operations Supervisor, respectively.
As the Animal Care Adoption Supervisor, Ruben will supervise and assist the Animal Care Associates in providing the ongoing adoption of any animal under our supervision, ensuring that each adoption is true to our mission statement. He’ll be responsible for the intake of both cats and dogs and promoting shelter pets through online pet adoption portals, media presentations, and media stories, among other duties. We believe this pathway will help Ruben establish a streamlined adoption process. His love of the animals and humble personality will help us continue to successfully fulfill our mission to unite dogs and cats with loving people.
As the Animal Care Operations Supervisor, Maritza will supervise and assist the Animal Care Associates in providing the ongoing care of any animal under our oversight, ensuring that each animal is placed in a suitable adoptive home. She’ll be responsible for overseeing the shelter’s high level of cleanliness, hiring and training of new employees, and customer service, among other duties. We believe Maritza’s strong attitude and compassion for animals will inspire and motivate others to offer the best services to our community. She has proven to be a great asset to Valley Animal Center, and we believe she will be successful in her new role.
With these new positions, we aim to streamline our intake and adoption process while continuing to provide the best overall support for our animals. Please join us in congratulating Ruben and Maritza as they step forward on this new journey. We can’t wait to see the impact they’ll make in their new roles and where they will take Valley Animal Center in 2022!
Mini Interview with Ruben Cantu!
How do you feel about your promotion?
I feel nervous and excited. It’s a big difference from what I’m used to doing but I look forward to the challenge.
What goals do you have in 2022?
I hope to do more in 2022. More adoptions, more intakes, and help more animals.
What does the change mean for you and the shelter staff?
We have a lot to learn but we have a strong staff who I’m very confident can help us grow our reach.
What do you think makes a great leader?
I’d say a great leader is someone who leads by example, someone who’s ready to do every part of the job no matter the task at hand.
Mini Interview with Maritza Lopez!
How do you feel about your promotion?
I am a little nervous but super excited to work closely with Ruben and Cam to do so much more in 2022.
What goals do you have in 2022?
I want to be able to make the team stronger, and like Ruben said, help more animals. I also want to create a flow that allows us to do so.
What does the change mean for you and the shelter staff?
There is a lot to learn, and I want to teach new things to the staff so we can better serve the community and work together even more to get our animals adopted! Everyone’s compassion is so big, and I want to show them that there is power in that.
What do you think makes a great leader?
I think what makes a great leader is one who is determined in their actions, thinks creatively about the future, and works on elevating their staff. A successful leader is a humble leader.