The Animal Care Team is the backbone of Asheville Humane Society. From feeding, cleaning, and monitoring, to bonding, playing, and walking, our Animal Care Team members are essential to keeping our organization afloat. Every Monday we will be highlighting a team member who has shown exceptional care and dedication to the animals in our care and our mission.
Meet Asher
Animal Care Team Member
Asher has been working with AHS for a little more than a year. In that time, he has primarily worked with stray and special needs dogs. We are so happy to have him on the team!
What does it mean to you to work in animal care?
It’s a special opportunity to give back to animals in a meaningful way. Although, I have to give props to the Medical and Behavior teams for bringing the meaning of animal care full circle.
What are some of the best parts of your job?
I’m a dog person through and through (no offense cat peoples), so I really enjoy being able to learn new approaches and techniques from the Behavioral team.
What are some of the hardest parts of your job?
It can be difficult to balance efficiency and care. Sometimes you want to give more time and attention to an animal, but there is a certain time frame you need to work within in order to complete your tasks.
Have you had any moment that has really stuck out to you as a reason you keep coming back? Or, why do you keep coming back?
Growing up, I had an English Bulldog while in high school. His name was Fergus, and he was my best friend. He was such an amazing companion in my life that I decided I wanted to take my love of dogs and pursue a career in this field of work. This is partly my way of giving back to the animal kingdom, but I get more out of it than I put in, so it’s really more of a privilege than anything else.
Why do you feel so passionately about animals?
For me, it’s always been an innate thing. Before I can remember, my parents would tell me that I ‘have a way’ with animals. But beyond that, my experiences with animals has always motivated me to continue to give back in any way I can.
What do you want the public to know about your job?
That I work with an incredible staff that shares a lot of the same heart and dedication as I do for these animals. And I’m just very appreciative of everything the community has done to make our jobs easier so we can help make the lives of these animals more meaningful.
