Shifting the Mindset in Municipal Sheltering with Heidi Williams, Director of the Ingham County Animal Control & Shelter

"Have integrity, do the right thing, and the rest of it falls into place."

This episode is sponsored in part by The Urban Cat League, Doobert.com, and Maddie's Fund.

This week, Stacy sits down with Heidi Williams, director of the Ingham County Animal Control & Shelter in Mason, Michigan. Ingham County is a municipal shelter that takes in approximately 3,000 animals per year. The county launched a TNR program in 2023 to provide support to the estimated 50,000 community cats that call Ingham County home.

Stacy and Heidi talk about her background as a first responder, and how she came to find herself in animal control and sheltering. They discuss her unique perspective as the director of a municipal shelter, and how they worked with the community to build support for a county-supported TNR program. They also discuss the role of managed intake, the importance of empowering and supporting your staff, and the other important changes Heidi has made during her tenure to help her organization become a well-respected destination adoption location. 

For more information about Ingham County Animal Control & Shelter or to get in touch with Heidi, visit snipandclip.org or AC.ingham.org.