ashley douglas

Ashley Douglas went from counting pills into prescription containers to counting pets getting adopted at Lynchburg Humane Society. And if there’s anything that she learned before leaving college after two semesters, it was a lesson that could’ve never originated from any lecture.

The pharmaceutical industry bored her.

With a job at LHS devoted to finding forever homes for pets, Ashley unexpectedly found a sort of home there herself, right alongside the cats and dogs that meander around the intentionally decorated rooms that do, in fact, mimic a house: one being the kitchen, the living room, the back porch, etc.

During her time in the pharmaceutical industry, she also worked at Westlake Cinema, perhaps a utopia for any movie-diehard born in Bedford, Virginia.

However, years later when the infamous pandemic arrived and the operations of the film industry were some of the first to go, Ashley had no choice but to leave behind the managerial position she acquired.

This inevitable fate to her career forced her to embark on something new—a job certainly not void of plenty of barking itself.

Fresh into her thirties, Ashley started a new era as a receptionist, greeting guests and mingling with the animals. Three years in, she now thrives as the Volunteer and Events Coordinator, a role upgrading her to have her own private office; a perk that perfectly coincides with Ashley’s introverted nature.

Although she certainly wouldn’t consider herself a social butterfly, Ashley’s colorful personality still shines through her endeavors in rich ways. Between raising money for the pets and being in charge of hundreds of volunteers that show interest in the work being done at the humane society, her leadership strengths shine at the forefront.

Ashley started one initiative on staff called “The Glitter Gang,” which originated from the desire to make the rest of the employees feel encouraged amidst draining work days. This initiative was devoted to finding ways to boost morale for the team that allocates so much time and energy into their work.

Ashley’s passions are evident through endeavors like these. Her zeal fuels creativity.

“I write the ‘We Were Adopted’ blogs every week,” she said. “I’ve never really been a big writer, but it’s [about] the fun behind the stories of a specific pet that gets adopted. Sometimes those are really easy to write.”

Although she certainly misses her days at the theater, it’s not lost on her that just a few years ago a new door opened that may have never presented itself otherwise.

Before, it wasn’t uncommon for Ashley to pull a 40-hour work week, sometimes not leaving the theater until the final late-night showing let out. In her current position, she is working to discover what it means to administer a healthy work-life balance.

“I’m here a lot,” Ashley said. “It can sometimes be very draining and you don’t realize that until you’re pulling overtime. But sometimes it’s really good.”

Being a hardcore animal lover, Ashley once developed a tight bond with Shinobi, one of the residents at the humane society that had an extensive stay of nearly three years before his adoption.

Because she eventually had to endure the heartbreaking departure from her black-and-white spotted work companion, Ashley now tends to gravitate toward the high intake of cats.

shinobi

“Helping get cats out of this building and into homes is such a goal,” she said. “Everybody loves dogs and wants to take a dog home no matter their age, but when it comes to the cats it’s just so much harder.”

While cats and dogs make up the most of the humane society pets (with an occasional 10-year-old blind ferret named Louis), Ashley’s childhood experiences with animals transcend typical household pets.

louis, the 10-year-old blind ferret

“I have had any pet that you can think of growing up,” she recalled. “My grandma was a vet and they were farmers so we had horses and chickens and pigs. I literally had a pet pig when I was five.”

From hamsters to horses to Ashley’s first dog, Jack the Jack Russell terrier, it’s clear from the very beginning that her heart has not only always been for helping animals, but also for spreading the joy that can only come from the love of a pet.