The Animal Care League (ACL) has named Jamie Damato as 
Shelter Director and Alison Staehle as Assistant Shelter Manager. 
“Jamie comes with a long list of credentials in the animal care and
behavior fields,” said ACL Board President Ingrid Pearson.  
“She is also well known in our community through some of her
past work, and will bring her incredible work ethic and talents to 
us in order to maintain the ACL’s reputation as one of the premier
shelters in the Chicago area.”

As Shelter Director, Damato will be responsible for all aspects of
shelter operations, including adoptions and community relations.  
She brings more than six years of professional experience to the ACL. 
Damato specializes in canine behavior consultations and counseling
for problem canines, is a graduate of the Arizona Canine Academy,
and also holds a certification in Behavior Modification and Owner
Education from the Purdue University Veterinary School.  Her ties
to Oak Park go back to 1996 when she founded Out-U-Go Pet 
Care Services, an in-home pet care service.  Damato also works 
as a Canine Trainer and Behavior Consultant at Animal Sense in 
Chicago, where she operates a dog training facility located in a 
veterinary clinic.

“With such strong community bonds and a positive outlook on 
responsible pet ownership, I am honored to be a part of the ACL,”
Damato said.  “I plan to focus my efforts on continuing our 
community presence, improving our humane education programs, 
and providing outreach and support to ACL alumni through workshops, 
conferences, and more.”

One of the new support programs Damato will strive to perfect is a
training program for ACL dogs who have been placed in homes.  
“We’ve always begun training our resident dogs,” she said, 
“but we hope to add to this by supporting the families who 
adopt these dogs by providing continued training opportunities.” 

Staehle comes to the ACL from the West Suburban Humane 
Society where she held a similar position.  She will be in charge 
of daily shelter operation, including animal care and staff management.

“Alison has a lot of shelter experience,” said Pearson, “and is full of 
youthful energy and a willingness to do whatever it takes to insure 
that the shelter runs smoothly.”

The ACL, founded in 1973 as the Village Humane Society, is a 
non-profit, no-kill animal welfare organization serving Oak Park and
the surrounding area.  The ACL is dedicated to finding homes for stray
and abandoned cats and dogs, promoting animal welfare, and providing
humane education programs.  We rely on membership dues, donations,
and proceeds from our fund raising projects to finance our mission. 
You can visit the Animal Care League on the Web at www.acl-op.org.