In animal welfare for 20 years, KAREL I. MINOR has been executive director of the Berks County Humane Society since 2004. Prior to his current position, he worked with the Chester County SPCA and the Perkiomen Watershed Conservancy. He lived in Berks for 12 years, but now lives just over the Berks-Chester line, in the Warwick area, with his human family–wife, Kim, and three young daughters: Violet, 7; Lilly, 9; and Jane, 12–as well as a flock of pampered chickens and a sweet Labrador Retriever, Treetop, who came home for a weekend visit in 2007 and never left.
You must be an animal lover. How did you get into this line of work?
I am. I always wanted to be a vet, but it wasn’t in the cards, mainly for financial reasons because veterinary school is very expensive. I have a degree in Earth-based science, with animals as my primary interest. It’s turned out for the best because I thoroughly enjoy my job and I get to do some of the good that veterinary medicine does, and then some.
You’ve been in animal welfare for two decades; how has it evolved?
In that time, I’ve done everything from education and fundraising to adoption counseling. Now I oversee the organization in every way, but mainly I want to strengthen the message to the community we serve. There have been big changes over the past decade. For instance, one misconception that the public used to have, that I think we’re overcoming, is that all shelters are pounds. They are not. The round-‘em-up-and-euthanize philosophy of even the 1980s is no more. That way of thinking was why I stepped out of this for a few years to work in nature conservation. I felt like I couldn’t make a difference–but now we really are.
How did this positive change come about?
We stopped asking how to stop the problem [of unwanted pets] and began asking how to prevent issues in the first place. For example, we’re working with dogs that have behavioral issues before they’re adopted, to make them more adoptable. Also, rather than wondering why someone took in a pet without the means to care for it, we now offer assistance for vet care and other needs. This is determined according to what people can pay, based on income. Fees can sometimes be as little as $20. If you give people what they need to be great pet owners, they are. We’ve seen it. Also there’s a generational component to pet ownership, so if children see responsible care, they’ll learn that and be good caregivers themselves.
Is cost a big concern for many pet owners?
Yes, but it’s not a good reason to avoid keeping or caring for a beloved pet. They are family members, and we want to keep families together. The economy has made that hard for people, especially those who are out of work. This program keeps pets with their owners and allows people to give good care. We don’t undercut local vets, but we can help people who need it, to help their animals.
When you’re not at work, what’s your favorite way to spend time?
With my family. My wife and I have such fun with our daughters and we want to make memories with them. They’re at the perfect ages to do that – we spent our summer vacation at Disney World and snorkeling in Florida, which I remember doing when I was a kid. I realize childhood doesn’t last forever, so spending the most time I can with my family in these years is important and lots of fun.
What do you think some people would be surprised to learn about you?
I’m a gardening fanatic. My house has 100-year-old gardens that I love to work in. As a student, I had summer jobs tending gardens, so I can be found with my hands in the soil. I’m also a tropical fish enthusiast; I used to design expensive coral reef systems for clients, some of whom spent as much as $50,000 on them. I got away from it for a while, but would like to go back to it – just for myself. I’m also a closet artist and musician, which is probably why so many [Humane Society] events include music and art.
That makes sense, since the arts – like pets – add joy to life.
Definitely, all of it makes for happy times. Adding the arts to our events has made them so successful, so I am grateful to the performers and artisans who participate in events like our Art for Arf’s Sake art auction every spring, and the 35th annual Walk for the Animals-Walktoberfest, which is Sept. 22 at FirstEnergy Stadium, Reading.
BY MICHELLE E. BIGGERSTAFF | PHOTO BY JOHN SECOGES
