Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Caring for animals is Bella Vista shelter director’s passion
BELLA VISTA — Sherri Elam, the Bella Vista Animal Shelter’s new executive director, said she has been caring for all kinds of animals since she was a child.
“My love of animals and passion to help them is what drew me in,” she said. “The best part of my job is seeing them get a loving home.”
Elam said she grew up around animals because her father was a lover of animals.
“We had mules, horses, cats … I raised three raccoons. When I got off the bus, they’d come running,” she said.
Elam used to take in injured animals such as birds and nurse them back to health, she said. She raised horses, fed deer and left food for feral cats. She took in animals that people were going to put down because they were moving away, she said. She now has two outside dogs and two inside cats.
Elam said about five years ago she had a rooster named Cockadoodledoo, and he loved dog food. The rooster would gather up the dog food and feed it to the hens before he would eat, she said. A dog attacked him at one time, and she nursed him back to health. She said she was very sad when he eventually got old and died.
Elam has lived in Springdale her entire life and has a financial and operations management background. She said she built four companies from the ground up and “kind of retired” in 2014. Her parents got sick, and she moved them in with her.
“I thought, ‘I need something,’ and this is it,” Elam said of her new job at the Bella Vista Animal Shelter. “It’s gratifying. Everyone loves the animals. We have volunteers that come in every day, so the animals are always being loved on.”
She added, “I was looking for a job, but I’ve done the rat race thing. I wanted something gratifying. This is special. The animals come first.”
Elam said she has done some fundraising in the past but has a lot of experience in operations. Her role includes taking care of finances, legal compliance, fundraising, marketing and interacting with the board.
Former Executive Director Nancy Cullins is remaining with the shelter as a “super volunteer.”
“She just loves it,” Elam said. “I have some big shoes to fill. I couldn’t ask for any better help.”
Elam has applied for a grant from the Bella Vista Foundation to improve the shelter, hoping to build three new dog nurseries, nine dog runs and an educational room for school tours. She hopes to invite school tours in order to teach children animal safety.
Several events are planned throughout the year, and Elam said she would like to add an adoption event when it gets a little warmer.
Events being held this year will include: Brats and Dogs at Allen’s Food Market on April 27; Cinco de Meow at Las Fajitas in Sugar Creek on May 5; a Pet Blessing (by Pastor Judy McMillan of the Presbyterian Church of Bella Vista) at 10 a.m. June 9 at Bella Vista Dog Park, 59 Glasgow Road; a weeklong charity sale June 22-29 at 2 Leafield Lane; Pars 4 Paws on July 13 at Kingswood Golf Course; Chips N Dips (microchipping and baths for dogs) at the shelter on Aug. 10; Pups in the Pool on Sept. 28 at Kingsdale Pool; Wiener vs. Corgi Races on Oct. 12 at Bella Vista Softball fields, 59 Glasgow Road; Giving Tuesday on Nov. 26 and Santa Paws (holiday cards from the shelter) throughout the month of December.
Elam said she would also like to work on the shelter’s Instagram account by getting someone to video short reels.
“A lot of times when you walk into a company there’s so many issues, and there’s just not [issues here],” she said.
She added, “My first priority is the well being of the shelter. It’s kind of become my family-away-from-family home.”