Meet Sarah Swanty | Executive Director & Co-Founder

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sarah Swanty and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sarah, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
15 years ago I cofounded Fort Collins Cat Rescue & Spay/Neuter Clinic which has since become Animal Friends Alliance after merging with Animal House Rescue & Grooming. In 2005 I was working on my undergraduate degree in Zoology with the idea of applying for veterinary school. I have always loved animals and science, so pursuing a career in veterinary medicine seemed like the logical career choice for me. Around this same time I began volunteering for an animal sanctuary, and this was when I found out how many cats and dogs die in animal shelters in our country every year due to pet overpopulation (In 2006 approximately 6 million cats and dogs were entering animal shelters in the United States each year, and approximately 50% of them were being euthanized. The majority of those euthanized were cats.). Not only was I devastated, I was also shocked. As an animal lover that had been working in veterinary hospitals for years at this point, I couldn’t believe that I wasn’t aware of this, and once I knew, it was all I could think about. I knew I had to do something to make a difference and so a good friend of mine and I decided to start a cat rescue in our area.
It wasn’t long after starting Fort Collins Cat Rescue that we realized the only real way we were truly going to make an impact on the pet overpopulation area in our community was by opening an affordable spay/neuter clinic that all community members could access. Six months after founding Fort Collins Cat Rescue we opened the first low-cost spay/neuter clinic in Northern Colorado.
From there the organization has continued to grow and evolve to attempt to meet all of our community’s needs when it comes to animal welfare. We have added a pet food pantry, a community cat program, and in 2020 we merged with Animal House Rescue and added dog sheltering and adoptions.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
What makes me most proud of Animal Friends Alliance is our continual drive to evolve and improve, to never become complacent in our work and think we have done enough. In the last 15 years Animal Friends Alliance has completely changed the animal welfare landscape in our community, and has been a contributor to the shift in thinking in our entire animal welfare industry. We set out to solve the problem of pet overpopulation, not just treat the symptoms. We’ve helped tens of thousands of dogs and cats and the people that love them. This work has been achieved through grit and determination, and never losing sight of the mission.

We have a mantra within our staff team at Animal Friends Alliance, and it is “do the right thing for the right reason”. We use this to guide us when encountering difficult situations and decisions.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Well, of course I would have to take them to both of the Animal Friends Alliance campuses!

Gosh, I’m a little embarrassed to admit how little I have gotten out in the last 15 years, but I do certainly have some favorite places! I’m a vegetarian and so I LOVE both Avogadro’s Number (Tempeh Burger? Yes, please!) and Tasty Harmony. After a tasty meal we would need to head to Coppermuse for a Dapper Dill! And since I am a mom with three small boys, we would have to hit up at least one park and we definitely love Twin Silo. Some live music in Windsor at Boardwalk Park would be the perfect way to end a day.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Oh boy, where to even start….. I would need to start with Anna Neubauer who was just brave enough & crazy enough to start a cat rescue with me. Then it would be Dr. Tom Welsh, a local veterinarian, who lent us his veterinary equipment and surgical skills to get our spay/neuter clinic started in the beginning. From there it is the people in our community that were willing to put their trust into two young people that had a vision of a community that took better care of its animals.
Also my family that has always supported me and encouraged me in this endeavor.

With all of that said, if I had to dedicate this to one group, it would be my staff family. Never have I met so many incredible, hard-working, dedicated, and selfless people. People ask how I have worked in the animal welfare industry for 15 years without burning out, and the answer is that I am surrounded by people every day that I love and respect. They definitely keep me going.

Website: savinganimalstoday.org

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/AnimalFriendsAlliance/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AnimalFriendsAlliance

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3gRg5WYNB_Her2ysYbMT7Q

Image Credits
Autumn Parry Photography