Proclamation
John Lipp joined the Friends of the Alameda Animal Shelter (FAAS) Board of Directors in 2011 during the critical “Save the Shelter campaign,” and helped ensure the shelter’s survival amid City budget cuts. He was named Executive Director in 2017 and played a pivotal role in fostering a mutually beneficial relationship between FAAS and the City.
At the end of June, John will retire from his dream job at FAAS, where his legacy includes his passionate advocacy for the power of the human-animal bond that reflects his motto, “One day at a time, one animal at a time, one life at a time,” as well as his remarkable fundraising abilities, inspiring hundreds of community members to become FAAS volunteers, and helping thousands of animals find their forever homes, including his own beloved dog, Chance.
While we will miss John dearly, John leaves FAAS in great hands, with more than 30 talented and passionate staff who work daily to run the main shelter on Fortmann and the South Shore Adoption Center, along with more than 200 caring and giving volunteers, and a compassionate and tenacious Board of Directors.
During John’s tenure, FAAS established the pet food pantry to help families in need feed their pets, opened the satellite adoption store at South Shore Center, launched the Mobile Outreach and Adoption Center, provided essential pet services and emergency boarding during the COVID-19 pandemic and other natural disasters, reopened the newly renovated shelter facility, and broke ground on the Animal Medical Services & Training Campus on Bay Farm Island.
Recently, John and FAAS celebrated the opening of their newest thrift store, “The DIggity Dog,” which, along with his little sister “The Thrifty Kitty,” are not just clever names, they are a meaningful mission. Each purchase supports FAAS and the vital services they provide, giving new life to donated items and new lives to animals waiting for their forever homes. Later this summer, FAAS will open a new Spay and Neuter Clinic, servicing Alameda’s shelter animals as well as animals of the wider East Bay.
Now, therefore, be it resolved, that I, Marilyn Ezzy Ashcraft, Mayor of the City of Alameda, do hereby proclaim Tuesday, June 3, 2025, as John Lipp Day
in the City of Alameda and express the heartfelt gratitude of the people and animals of Alameda for John’s service and our best wishes for a well-deserved retirement.
Marilyn Ezzy Ashcraft
Mayor