Staff Profile: David Goldberg, Animal Care Officer

by Emily Gothmann

This month we get to meet David Goldberg, who has 24 years of experience with the shelter. Starting as an enforcement officer, David has devoted most of his career to animal welfare. We are so fortunate to have him here. Please say hi and thank him for his hard work the next time you see him at the shelter.

David Goldberg, Animal Care Officer

How long have you been with SAS and what is your role?

I started in 1994 as an enforcement officer. I responded to calls of animal bites, menacing animals, animal cruelty, leash law, noise complaints, scoop complaints, etc. I also patrolled parks with another officer for leash law violations. I then transitioned to be an animal care officer and started doing anything that can improve animal care at the shelter.

What was the path that got you to animal welfare work?

I got a part time job in Olympia, WA as an emergency response officer. I handled calls that came in overnight or on the weekends that couldn’t wait—for example, injured or vicious animals, bites and noise. I was very fortunate to have some good training opportunities and was sent to the Thurston County reserve police officer training course. The training definitely prepared me and helped me better handle injured and vicious animals on the job. It truly takes both skills and patience to care for and gain trust from the animals.

What is a typical day like?

There is no such thing as a typical day in this job but we do have an everyday routine. We arrive at 9:00 AM to clean, medicate and feed the animals until we open at 1:00 PM. During this time, dogs get out for walks. Everyone is assigned an area to clean (dog area, cat area, critter area, etc.). We also do SAFER temperament evaluations for the dogs. We make ‘available’ animals whose stray hold is up after evaluating them. Some animals may need more time to acclimate and may not be put up for adoption right away.

From 1:00 PM – 6:00 PM we are open for adoptions, redemptions, surrenders, and strays. We counsel potential adopters and help them pick the right animal for their situation. We also give advice via phone. As the end of the day approaches, we give evening meds and walks again. Staff takes dogs that aren’t ready to walk with a volunteer and we try to get the dogs out at least 2-3+ times a day. The other dogs can go out as many times with potential adopters during the day, but the walkers still take them out in the late afternoon.

What is the most rewarding part of your job?

I feel especially fulfilled at my job when I can help an animal find a permanent home that I know is the best family for the animal. The other rewarding part of the job is seeing people who thought their pet was lost forever find him/her due to the microchip after the pet was missing for months or years! The heartwarming and emotional pet-owner reunions are so precious to me.

Are there memorable animals who stick out in your mind?

Every animal is unique at SAS and there really are too many to mention here. However, we had an Iguana named Zep who had what you might call a “strong personality” which I took a liking to. He could be challenging at times but also very sweet.

Who are your pets at home?

I have two cats from SAS. Sam (Tuxedo) was from a litter of feral kittens but he wasn’t very good at being feral by the time I adopted him when he was 4-5 months old, thanks to the great foster parenting! George (Black) is 1-2 months older than Sam. George came to me, so to speak, when I was conducting a cruelty investigation: a man with medical and mental problems failed to notice George was inside his garbage bag when he put the garbage down the trash chute from the 9th floor. Luckily the maintenance man heard meows from the trash compactor and checked it before turning it on. George crawled out and was covered in garbage and limping. The good news was that by the time I got him to the vet, he wasn’t limping at all. The vet said he was fine and healthy other than needing a bath.

What are your favorite activities outside of SAS?

I have a private pilot’s license and I love flying but it has gotten too expensive to continue. I enjoy cycling (Road and Mountain) when I get out, but I haven’t ridden in years.