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Allison Raynor - In the Show Ring
Meet Allison Raynor, affectionately known as Alli by friends and
colleagues, a long-time LA/SPCA volunteer and a member of the
LA/SPCA Capital Campaign Committee. Alli is working behind the
scenes to help realize the Dorothy Dorsett Brown Louisiana SPCA
Campus to its complete vision. As we embark on a new journey
with the recent opening of the Animal Rescue and Care Center (ARCC),
we are so thankful for the people who believe in our mission and
support the work we do; people like Alli.
Define someone as an animal lover or advocate, and you may
mistakenly think you are armed with all there is to know about
such a person. Yet not unlike the varied creatures great and
small they care for, you will find an array of individuals whose
souls and personalities are as diverse as the Siamese cat, the
Corgi mix, the Pit Bull puppy, the black Lab or the orange tabby
whose lives they touch. Likewise there are those who have made a
career out of their affection, and others who do so as
volunteers and community beacons.
Alli Raynor is one such beacon of light whose path took her by
chance to Japonica Street, the location of the LA/SPCA shelter
before it was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina, over thirteen
years ago.
After selling her horse and feeling the need for another animal
companion, she decided one day to go to the animal shelter. Her
first day there she saw Rex, now a 13-year-old Shepherd mix, who
became the first of her LA/SPCA adoptions. Her life with Rex
also marked the beginning of her commitment to the LA/SPCA and
all things animal-related. For someone who had never been in an
animal shelter before, Alli said, “I was just amazed at how many
animals were there . . . and there were so many nice dogs and I
just asked someone how I could help.”
In short order, Alli helped on all levels, from spending time
with the animals to filling water bowls to hosing out the kennel
cages. She also saw something beyond their immediate needs that
kept her coming back.
Growing up in Long Island, New York, Alli’s path to caring for
animals was anything but direct. She describes herself as
someone who growing up “did not play at all’ with the family’s
golden retrievers and cats, didn’t like the smell of her
sister’s horse and didn’t actively seek animal companionship
until her 30’s. So being at the place she is now, “My whole
family finds this bizarre,” she notes. But for those who know
Alli compassion is an indelible part of her personality. Dr.
Coller Ochsner, a friend of Alli’s, explains. “She sees all
animals as God’s creations and she will go to the end of the
earth to protect them. She displays unconditional love to both
humans and animals, using her energy to be positive and helpful.
She is a modern day St. Francis of Assisi.”
 Alli also contributes to the organization in other ways, from
encouraging people looking for a pet to consider adopting an
animal from the LA/SPCA or taking people to the shelter who
wouldn’t go on their own; to educating people about the
organization and just how many animals they have to care for and
house; to competing in the
Chairdog Challenge raising money for
the shelter. “Some people ask me how can you take an animal that
you find to the SPCA and I try to point out that the animal will
not be at risk of being injured on the streets. It’s going to be
safe, it’s going to be fed, and it’s going to be watered.” Alli,
who works in the Alumni Department of Newcomb College, has also
been involved with the Trap/Neuter/Release program for the feral
cats that roam the university grounds.
In addition to the Louisiana SPCA, she also works with other
humane organizations in various capacities. “It’s about finding
some comfort or a home for the animals. Everything else is
superfluous.”
Alli has adopted several animals from the LA/SPCA, rescued
strays from the streets and even fosters for various rescue
organizations. Along with Rex, she currently has two cats,
Scoopie and Sumdgie, and three other dogs, Jeffrey, Audubon
(Bon-Bon) and her last rescue, Timo. Alli says she chose the
name Timo, short for the Spanish word ultimo, which means “the
last one,” as a self-reminder when she considers taking in
another animal.
She sees her pets as family members. “They’re not appendages;
they are part of what I choose to live with. I choose to
surround myself with hair, dirtballs and muddy feet,’’ she
jokes.
“They’ve taught me about warmth and happiness, and how to hang
loose, and I think they learn things from me as well.’ With each
one, Alli appreciates the uniqueness. “I love the variety. They
are the spice of my life and each of them tells a different
story.”
One of the stories in the history and future of
the Louisiana SPCA is Allison Raynor. Hers tells a tale of compassion, commitment
and animal love.
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