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I’m so glad to be back at Animal Welfare League. As you may know I was Chair of the Board for four years between 2018 and 2022, and have recently returned to AWL as CEO, which means I now get to play a much more hands on role in creating better outcomes for animals all over South Australia. I also get to speak directly to animal lovers such as yourself, whose compassion and generosity inspire me.
2024 officially marks 60 years since our founder, Joy Richardson OAM, established Animal Welfare League in South Australia. In doing so, she began a legacy of love that lives on to this day; one that will outlive us all and result in a South Australia where every pet has a loving home to call their own.
We haven’t quite reached that stage yet, but your love and support over the past 12 months has ensured that almost 3,000 animals were able to find loving homes, and more than 450 animals were reunited with their worried families. All these pets have you to thank for their happy lives, and I really do hope you know that your support is the reason they are now enjoying a roof over their head, a meal in their tummy and endless cuddles on the couch.
We can only tell these happy tales thanks to the incredible support we receive from the community. That support comes in many forms, from people volunteering their time as foster carers or at our shelters, boarding and cremations facilities and op shops, generously donating money to feed, shelter and care for the thousands of animals who come to us each year, or simply engaging with us on social media and voicing your support for the work we do.
Now, 60 years after Joy first opened our doors, the SA community still trusts us to deliver best practice care to some of SA’s most vulnerable animals. I’m proud to work at an organisation with such a rich history and a promising future – a future that involves AWL working directly with the community to ensure that everyone can experience the joys of pet ownership, human and animal alike.
By working together to connect pets, people and community through a lifetime of loving memories, we can leave a legacy of good for animals and animal lovers in South Australia – just like Joy Richardson imagined when she started AWL all those years ago. Something she said way back in 1965 still resonates with me today: “We cannot be happy until we manage to make as many people as possible conscious of the world of animals”. I’m truly excited to build on that sentiment, continue her work and create a world that she would be proud of, where every animal knows what it’s like to be loved.
Warm regards,
 | Steven Weinert | |
