Mary Brill brings a variety of experience and a passion for animals to the El Dorado Animal Shelter, as she takes over as the Animal Shelter Attendant, following Donna Sharp’s retirement.
“I’ve been doing this since I was out of high school; even before that I was a volunteer at the zoo when I was in high school,” Brill said.
Her experience includes working at a boarding kennel, working at the zoo, managing a doggie daycare facility and working at the Cowley County Humane Society. She also ventured into private practice when she took a job with a veterinarian.
“I went from homeless animals to well-loved at a very prestigious vet clinic,” Brill said. “I learned a lot there.”
After deciding to take the summer off to have some time for herself, Brill briefly worked at Amazon before finding the job opening at the El Dorado Animal Shelter.
“I was looking, and it just fell in my lap,” she said. “I received encouragement from my friend to apply and I had the skillset and knowledge, so I jumped in with both feet.”
Brill was familiar with El Dorado because her daughter, Taylor, lived here for a year while she was attending Butler Community College.
Brill’s love for animals started at a young age. She said she grew up in a house where they had one dog and one cat. She also got gerbils for Christmas one year. “I’ve always had animals,” she said, adding that she has two dogs now – a Chihuahua and Rottweiler. These are her two favorite breeds.
Brill has enjoyed her various jobs with animals, including in shelters.
“I would say it was always a challenge I was up for,” she said. She recalled one unique case when she had a mother cat with one kitten and a mother dog with two puppies. One of the puppies didn’t make it and the mother rejected the other one, so Brill but the puppy with the mother cat and she let it eat along with the kitten. They ended up adopting the puppy and kitten together. The puppy even learned to use a litterbox because the mother cat taught it to.
Brill is looking forward to her time in El Dorado. She said one of her goals is to continue the great strides with the rescues to help animals find homes.
Brill began working at the Animal Shelter on Dec. 2.