Ashley Thompson, specialist, national shelter collaborative
Ashley’s career in animal welfare began nearly 15 years ago when she accepted a receptionist job at a nearby veterinary clinic. Almost immediately, she knew she found her niche. Soon after, she became the Foster Program Manager for Indianapolis Animal Care Services, the largest animal shelter in Indiana and the only open-admissions shelter in the city of Indianapolis.
During her time at IACS, she increased foster productivity by 400% and housed up to 600 animals in foster – more than doubling the shelter’s capacity for care.
In March of 2018, she founded and launched Indy CARES, a first-of-its-kind shelter diversion program serving IACS and providing resources and support to pet owners who are at-risk of surrendering to the city shelter.
Ashley served as Program Director for Indy CARES for 5 years. Her work included vaccine drives and medical clinics in partnership with other local nonprofits, as well as free medical care, spay/neuter, and behavior consultations for pet owners in need. During her time as director, she kept 4529 pets out of the city shelter, vaccinated over 1800 dogs against parvo, and facilitated the spay/neuter for 848 dogs and cats.
In this way, she saw the impact of community-based outreach and pet retention services, and the effect this has on a city’s most vulnerable residents. From there her passion was born - to serve the most vulnerable animals AND humans within her community.
In 2023, she joined the Best Friends Animal Society, Shelter Collaborative team and has enjoyed expanding her reach to shelters nationwide. Ashley enjoys visiting her partner shelters, helping to solve problems, and using data to drive informed decisions.
Ashley prides herself on her empathetic nature and compassion for others. When she’s not working, she spends her time gardening, reading, and volunteering. She currently lives in Speedway, Indiana with her husband, 2 dogs, 2 cats, 4 foster kittens, and a foster dog.