Marti is genuinely such a good and helpful person. The most responsive, on top of everything, hard working person at DCAS. Staff, volunteers, and the animals will suffer greatly in her absence.
R
Rowan Jordan
19 hr ago
Marti is the reason I continued to foster. The genuine care and compassion she shows towards animals is what inspired me to continue to foster.
K
Kimberlie Hall
1 day ago
Having fostered kittens for DCAS for the past 10 years, I have seen the many positive changes that Marti has made to the foster program and for care of the cats and kittens there. It was because of her that I sometimes took on more challenging kittens. I knew I would have her support. She wanted nothing but the best for all the kittens. This is a huge loss for DCAS. Leadership needs to take accountability and fix the things that pushed a great employee out the door.
J
Jessica King
1 day ago
I want to echo what everyone else has already said. Marti is extremely talented at not just caring and advocating for kittens and cats, but building the relationships and infrastructure to help keep a broken system from total collapse. The nature of kitten fostering is grueling. It is truly life and death business, and it’s lonely. Marti has built a community of helpers who actually have a place to lean on one another and to learn from each other, and it’s saving lives.
J
Jennifer Vance
1 day ago
I was thrown into the fire when I started fostering as a friendly finder, coming into DCAS on a day Marti was off. Truly wasn’t even given any supplies or help on what to do. Fast forward to bringing the kittens in for vaccines, she was nothing but helpful. And when I lost one, she was the kind soul I needed to reassure me. She has been endlessly encouraging and a fountain of information. The cat foster program will suffer without her, and I question DCAS’s commitment to cats in general.
E
Emma Guinnessey
1 day ago
Since arriving, Marti has made and sustained so many improvements to the cat foster program at DCAS. Having been a foster herself, she knew of pain points like infrequent communication, inconsistent kitten fostering information, and difficulty getting access to vet services. She’s advocated for humane kitten care and volunteers every day, limiting volunteer burnout by selflessly taking it on herself. Marti is amazing for taking on so much and still finding time to nurture the foster program.
Z
Zach Ziner
1 day ago
Marti is the best! We foster because of her care and support. The lack of support she has been given by the management at the animal shelter is pathetic. She has done more than anyone could imagine with the resources she’s been given! #justiceformarti
M
Michele Surprenant
1 day ago
Marti is very reliable, extremely knowledgeable about cats, never says anything bad about other staff and is professional. She multitasks like a ninja and is truly an advocate for cats and kittens.
I
Ivi Schlebach
1 day ago
I started fostering by accident, I continued fostering because of Marti. Marti is one of the most hardworking and dedicated individuals I've had the honor to know. These news comes as a terrible blow to our fostering community. She has been our greatest teacher, advocate, and ally. I refuse to foster for DCAS any longer until Lifeline acknowledges their lapse in judgement, as it is clear it has critical structural and managerial faults that have pushed out the one person holding it together.
H
Heather Moulton-Meissner
1 day ago
I began volunteer work at Lifeline this year, and VERY quickly found myself joining the ranks of kitten and cat foster. Marti has created a community of dedicated feline fosters who help each other with coordinating foster care, answering questions, and sharing both the triumphs and tragedies of the many lives this work has saved. We stand in solidarity, care, and love for such a talented coordinator!
M
Megan Christian
1 day ago
To support what is right.
L
Lee Blankenship
1 day ago
Marti is a shining gem in this community. When she was seeing how lonely and heavy kitten fostering was for her volunteers , she created a discord for the volunteers to connect with socially and discuss kitten safety and protocol. As a person, I was able to come to Marti with my fears and insecurities about fostering kittens and she listened and supported me through the scary times. It is in my opinion that this program is held together by Marti’s superior dedication, intellect and strength.
H
Hannah Stern
1 day ago
Marti’s dedication to helping animals in need is unmatched, and DCAS will be worse off without her. For the future success of any staff who take up her responsibilities, the animals they care for and the fosters they support, DCAS has a responsibility to address the structural inequities that led to her departure.
J
Julia Brackin
1 day ago
Marti genuinely single-handedly made fostering worthwhile for me. She has an unmistakable passion for kittens and it is an embarrassment to DCAS that she was practically forced to resign like this. You will never find someone who will work so much for so little again. Truly a wonderful caretaker and person, and a devastating loss for all of us cat fosters.
B
Brandon Portalatin
1 day ago
I’m signing in support of Marti because I’ve seen how much of the foster program depended on her dedication, compassion, and willingness to give far beyond what was expected or compensated. She didn’t simply fill a position; she built a community, supported fosters, and put animals first. Marti deserved better than to be pushed to resignation. Her work mattered, the lives she helped save mattered, and she deserves to know that we see and appreciate everything she gave.
V
Valerie Lancaster
1 day ago
Losing Marti is going to result in the death of so many kittens and even cats in DCAS care. She is the single most knowledgeable person on staff regarding cat care and has single handedly breathed new life into the kitten foster and volunteer program. She is constantly looked to by people at all levels of the shelter for assistance with cats and kittens. That she was pushed out is going to highly impact so many little lives for the worse.
L
Logan Isitt
1 day ago
Lifeline Dekalb County Animal Services needs accountability.
P
Payton Taylor
1 day ago
Cats are family
C
Celest Flores
1 day ago
Featured
I wouldn’t be a DCAS foster without Marti’s expertise and the love and care she has for both her fosters and the kittens. She makes fosters feel seen and heard and it’s devastating that these circumstances ultimately led to her resignation. The DCAS foster program won’t be the same without Marti’s guidance and support!
A
Aiden Gonzalez
1 day ago
J let me know some of the things that have occurred and as someone adopting one of these kittens. I feel inspired to stand by this!
Marti is genuinely such a good and helpful person. The most responsive, on top of everything, hard working person at DCAS. Staff, volunteers, and the animals will suffer greatly in her absence.
Marti is the reason I continued to foster. The genuine care and compassion she shows towards animals is what inspired me to continue to foster.
Having fostered kittens for DCAS for the past 10 years, I have seen the many positive changes that Marti has made to the foster program and for care of the cats and kittens there. It was because of her that I sometimes took on more challenging kittens. I knew I would have her support. She wanted nothing but the best for all the kittens. This is a huge loss for DCAS. Leadership needs to take accountability and fix the things that pushed a great employee out the door.
I want to echo what everyone else has already said. Marti is extremely talented at not just caring and advocating for kittens and cats, but building the relationships and infrastructure to help keep a broken system from total collapse. The nature of kitten fostering is grueling. It is truly life and death business, and it’s lonely. Marti has built a community of helpers who actually have a place to lean on one another and to learn from each other, and it’s saving lives.
I was thrown into the fire when I started fostering as a friendly finder, coming into DCAS on a day Marti was off. Truly wasn’t even given any supplies or help on what to do. Fast forward to bringing the kittens in for vaccines, she was nothing but helpful. And when I lost one, she was the kind soul I needed to reassure me. She has been endlessly encouraging and a fountain of information. The cat foster program will suffer without her, and I question DCAS’s commitment to cats in general.
Since arriving, Marti has made and sustained so many improvements to the cat foster program at DCAS. Having been a foster herself, she knew of pain points like infrequent communication, inconsistent kitten fostering information, and difficulty getting access to vet services. She’s advocated for humane kitten care and volunteers every day, limiting volunteer burnout by selflessly taking it on herself. Marti is amazing for taking on so much and still finding time to nurture the foster program.
Marti is the best! We foster because of her care and support. The lack of support she has been given by the management at the animal shelter is pathetic. She has done more than anyone could imagine with the resources she’s been given! #justiceformarti
Marti is very reliable, extremely knowledgeable about cats, never says anything bad about other staff and is professional. She multitasks like a ninja and is truly an advocate for cats and kittens.
I started fostering by accident, I continued fostering because of Marti. Marti is one of the most hardworking and dedicated individuals I've had the honor to know. These news comes as a terrible blow to our fostering community. She has been our greatest teacher, advocate, and ally. I refuse to foster for DCAS any longer until Lifeline acknowledges their lapse in judgement, as it is clear it has critical structural and managerial faults that have pushed out the one person holding it together.
I began volunteer work at Lifeline this year, and VERY quickly found myself joining the ranks of kitten and cat foster. Marti has created a community of dedicated feline fosters who help each other with coordinating foster care, answering questions, and sharing both the triumphs and tragedies of the many lives this work has saved. We stand in solidarity, care, and love for such a talented coordinator!
To support what is right.
Marti is a shining gem in this community. When she was seeing how lonely and heavy kitten fostering was for her volunteers , she created a discord for the volunteers to connect with socially and discuss kitten safety and protocol. As a person, I was able to come to Marti with my fears and insecurities about fostering kittens and she listened and supported me through the scary times. It is in my opinion that this program is held together by Marti’s superior dedication, intellect and strength.
Marti’s dedication to helping animals in need is unmatched, and DCAS will be worse off without her. For the future success of any staff who take up her responsibilities, the animals they care for and the fosters they support, DCAS has a responsibility to address the structural inequities that led to her departure.
Marti genuinely single-handedly made fostering worthwhile for me. She has an unmistakable passion for kittens and it is an embarrassment to DCAS that she was practically forced to resign like this. You will never find someone who will work so much for so little again. Truly a wonderful caretaker and person, and a devastating loss for all of us cat fosters.
I’m signing in support of Marti because I’ve seen how much of the foster program depended on her dedication, compassion, and willingness to give far beyond what was expected or compensated. She didn’t simply fill a position; she built a community, supported fosters, and put animals first. Marti deserved better than to be pushed to resignation. Her work mattered, the lives she helped save mattered, and she deserves to know that we see and appreciate everything she gave.
Losing Marti is going to result in the death of so many kittens and even cats in DCAS care. She is the single most knowledgeable person on staff regarding cat care and has single handedly breathed new life into the kitten foster and volunteer program. She is constantly looked to by people at all levels of the shelter for assistance with cats and kittens. That she was pushed out is going to highly impact so many little lives for the worse.
Lifeline Dekalb County Animal Services needs accountability.
Cats are family
I wouldn’t be a DCAS foster without Marti’s expertise and the love and care she has for both her fosters and the kittens. She makes fosters feel seen and heard and it’s devastating that these circumstances ultimately led to her resignation. The DCAS foster program won’t be the same without Marti’s guidance and support!
J let me know some of the things that have occurred and as someone adopting one of these kittens. I feel inspired to stand by this!