Today we’d like to introduce you to Ondrea Johnson.
Hi Ondrea, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
My love for animals began as a very young child. I grew up on a farm in West Tennessee and my parents would tell you I’ve been rescuing animals for as long as I can remember. I would somehow find abandoned puppies, stray cats, and every imaginable bird, lizard, or other animal and bring them home to be loved.
I moved to Franklin in 1999 and quickly became involved with the community. I’ve served on the Franklin Special School District’s Executive PTO, been a volunteer for Franklin Tomorrow, founding member of the Eat the Street Food Truck Festival to benefit the 21st Judicial Drug Court, Snooty Giggles Dog Rescue volunteer, served on several community event planning committees, and prior to joining the Williamson County Animal Center, I was the Director of Development for Williamson County CASA where I still serve on their Advisory Board. I love this community and the people that make our County such a great place to live. I’m honored to serve in this capacity and proud of the work our Mayor, the County Commission, and all the County staff accomplish that makes us such a popular place. It’s been an amazing tenure at WCAC. It was a very special time to join this effort as I’ve gotten to be intricately involved with the design and execution of our new, state-of-the-art Animal Center. I can’t wait to share it with the community.
In my private life, I am married to Glenn Johnson, Franklin’s Fire Chief. We have five children, six dogs, two cats, four goats, four cows, a horse, and a gaggle of chickens. I can’t imagine a better place to live and work than Franklin, TN.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
As they say, smooth roads don’t make great stories. I’ve faced challenges, just like everyone in leadership positions and sometimes, we have to make decisions that aren’t easy, but I’ve been extremely blessed to have an amazing support system throughout my life. I was raised by parents who never told me there were things I couldn’t do. They encouraged me and believed in me. Growing up on a working farm instills a great work ethic in a person and that has been the single most important element to overcoming the challenges in my life. Of course, I’ve made mistakes and I’ve encountered obstacles, but I’ve been so fortunate to have people who believed in me, stood behind me, coached me, and ultimately trusted me, both personally and professionally. No one accomplishes things alone. I never take for granted the people who trust me with opportunities.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
The Williamson County Animal Center is a tax-payer funding municipal animal shelter that serves the citizens of Williamson County. We are here to serve the citizens of this community through adoption, education, enforcement, and spay/neuter services. What that means is that we assist the community with their animals in many aspects. When someone has an animal, they can’t keep for whatever reason they can surrender the pet to us. Sometimes, people need assistance with their pet temporarily and through our non-profit support group, Friends of WCAC, we can provide food and other supplies to allow families to keep their pet. Other ways we help the community is through our spay/neuter clinic, which is generously funded through private donations. Of course, we are an Animal Control facility, which means that we enforce the laws of the State and the county’s ordinances regarding animals, which includes leash laws, rabies regulations, and other safety and animal welfare concerns.
My goal is that our Center be known for being a resource and a partner to our community. We don’t want to be a last resort for people, we want to partner with our citizens to help them keep their pets, comply with regulations, and be the first place people come when they want to add a new friend to their lives.
I’m extremely proud of the team of animal care professionals we have assembled here at WCAC. Our staff works tirelessly every day to make sure the animals in our care and throughout the community are well-cared-for, safe, and live the best lives possible. Our staff works 365 days a year, through ice storms, the pandemic, national holidays and every other imaginable scenario; our team shows up and serves.
I would say that our differentiating factor is our volunteer team. We have a robust volunteer program and we could not do what we do without the literally thousands of hours of volunteer service every year. Last year, our volunteers logged hours equivalent to 7.5 full-time employees. Both cat and dog volunteers counsel adopters, provide enrichment, serve the shelter (think hundreds of pounds of laundry daily) in a host of ways, and pitch in in every way imaginable. We have some of the most committed volunteers I’ve ever known. Dog walkers arrive at 7 AM seven days a week for what’s known as “sunrise crew” until 6 PM, the “Yappy Hour” crew. Our dogs get walked at least three times each day in addition to a playgroup that happens each weekday. Since my arrival, we have implemented Dogs Playing for Life, a program that provides dog playgroups for “every dog, every day”. We have a trainer who comes weekly, funded by Project Reward. She has implemented kennel protocols that don’t just allow the dogs to get out of their kennels but teaches them leash skills, entry and exit “manners” and so much more. When you adopt a dog from us, it’s undergone some basic manners training by the time it enters your home. Cat volunteers help harder-to-place cats through a program called “Cat Pawsitive”. Other volunteers foster, particularly cats and kittens. This year alone, we have had over 300 kittens in foster care, some of them “bottle babies” that need constant attention. Still, other volunteers come in daily to help with drop-off and pick-up of animals coming to the shelter for spay/neuter services. Virtually every adoptable animal in our building is served by either a cat or dog volunteer every single day of their stay here.
We want people to feel happy when they visit our building. We are a place of hope for homeless animals.
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
Honestly, though it sounds sappy, my home makes me happy. I love our home, spending time with my family, entertaining friends, and just being with my pets. Sometimes I’ll just lay in the floor with my dog Hazel and it immediately just changes my whole perspective. My husband, my children, my family, and my faith are the foundation of everything I do. But having animals in my life has been the constant source of happiness for me since my first pony, Twilight, which my dad bought me before I was born.
Contact Info:
- Email: ondrea.johnson@williamsoncounty-tn.gov
- Website: http://adoptwcac.org
- Instagram: wcanimalcenter
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WCanimalcenter
Image Credits
Penny Adams Pet Photographer
