Reading to dogs, teaching inmates dog-handling skills, tirelessly advocating for Pit Bulls, and having a magic touch with words and photographs are a few examples of the outstanding contributions 11 amazing Bay Area shelter volunteers are making to help animals find their forever homes. Peers pay tribute to these unsung, unpaid heroes, thanking them for the big and little things they do to keep shelters meeting their missions to save, foster, and place animals.
Julie Diego is an extraordinary volunteer at Lily’s Legacy Senior Dog Sanctuary. Julie was forced to retire from a job she loved due to progressive Multiple Sclerosis. When she applied to volunteer with Lily’s, she was afraid she would be turned down. Julie walks with an altered gate, and her hands shake uncontrollably. She can’t carry full water bowls, or walk the dogs very far. However, on any given day, you will find Julie snuggled up with one or more dogs reading to them. The dogs Lily’s cares for are those who have been abandoned, surrendered for any number of reasons, or found wandering as strays. Regardless where they came from, they all need love.
Julie delivers love and so much more! When she reads, the dogs relax and sleep with their head on her lap. And, her wonderful dad, John, makes great kitty houses for our barn cats.
Honored by Linda Mannella
Lily’s Legacy Senior Dog Sanctuary
Peninsula Humane Society volunteer Martina Contreras enthusiastically gives her time to lead a weekly dog training class for minimum security inmates. Each Friday, Martina, who operates one of the area’s most popular dog training businesses, uses her unique blend of wit, tough love, dog behavior smarts, and people skills to help inmates become better handlers and trainers. She takes a personal interest in both the dogs and her novice trainers with the goal of finding new homes for these dogs.
Our TAILS (Transitioning Animals Into Loving Situations) program matches challenged shelter dogs with inmates in a minimum-security facility operated by the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office. The dogs spend eight weeks in this facility; they graduate, then are available for adoption. Once a class graduates, we select a new group of four to five dogs for the program. Outside of Martina’s weekly class, inmates are responsible for homework from class, exercise, socialization, grooming, and the overall well-being for their dog.
Honored by Scott Delucchi
Peninsula Humane Society
Katie Moyer is a BADRAP volunteer with the mostest. Her heart is absolutely huge for the dogs; as a pit bull foster mom and Pit Ed Class instructor, she dedicates much of her spare time to giving them her best. As an registered vet tech, Katie runs the vaccination and microchip tent at our dog health clinics and makes every dog owner feel like they’re with family. She also navigates a whole lotta stress and excitement at these same events with warmth and good humor. The dog world is a much better place with Katie on the job.
Honored by Donna Reynolds
BADRAP (Bay Area Dog-lovers
Responsible About Pit Bulls)
Dick Gorringe is one of those behind-the-scenes volunteers who never takes the spotlight. After 30 years as a project manager for PG & E, Dick retired in 2003 and has been a dedicated dog socializer at the Hayward Animal Shelter ever since.
Like clockwork, bright and early every Sunday morning, Dick arrives at the shelter and sets to work to walk the dogs. Each dog is taken outside for some fresh air, a nice walk, and some quality time with a very caring human being. But Dick doesn’t just walk a few dogs and leave: Dick does not go home until all of the dogs in our adoption wards have had a chance to get out. On the rare occasions Dick doesn’t make it to the shelter, it is because he is either taking a relaxing cruise or contributing time to his other passion, volunteering with the Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Services (RACES,) which provides communication assistance in disaster situations.
We recognize Dick for his faithful dedication to Hayward’s homeless dogs. Over the past 12 years, hundreds of homeless dogs have passed through our shelter and have benefited from the time, energy, dedication, and love provided by Dick. The dogs and we hope to count on Dick to be knocking on the door every Sunday morning for many years to come!
Honored by Jennie Comstock
Hayward Animal Services Bureau
Now in her 10th year at San Francisco Animal Care & Control, Kelly Winquist is one of those extraordinary volunteers that animal shelters dream about. Besides her dedication to making sure the shelter dogs get adequate walks and play time, she also is involved at SFACC in a bigger way, seven days a week. Kelly has a dog-given talent for the creative things that help get dogs adopted: She is a gifted wordsmith and has that “it’ factor for taking beautiful and charming photos of the shelter dogs. Both of these abilities are put to use daily as she manages SFACC’s Facebook page and takes snaps of the dogs looking for homes. SFACC’s dogs are truly lucky to have the support of a fabulous volunteer like Kelly Winquist.
Honored by Deb Campbell
San Francisco Animal Care & Control
Terry Evans (who just turned 70) has volunteered for the Contra Costa Humane Society since mid-2011. Starting out as a “regular” SNAP (Spay/Neuter Assistance Program) and AniMeals supplemental pet food and supply program volunteer, he increased his volunteering to become our pantry manager who takes in all donations, picks up donations, maintains the inventory, and organizes the packaging and distribution of more than 30,000 pounds of food annually to needy families.
Currently, Terry does just about every job with CCHS. He has been a long-term Kitty Corner cleaning crew volunteer, the hardest shift, and often goes above and beyond to make their environment pleasant, very clean and organized. This year he added another volunteer job to his impressive resume – baby bottle kitten foster. He and his significant other, Cheryl, helped raise two kittens from tiny ones and are now mourning yet happy that they were adopted as a pair. He does every job with boundless energy, humor and wit. It is truly a pleasure to have Terry spend his volunteer time with Contra Costa Humane Society.
Honored by Leeann Lorono
Contra Costa Humane Society
Valerie Louie has been a committed volunteer of Rocket Dog Rescue for more than 10 years. She has fostered more than 500 dogs and adopted a few of her own. She has been in the dog rescue world long before coming to Rocket Dog and her passion is saving lives. She often takes the harder dogs, the older dogs, the ones that take some time to get adopted. As special as they can be, she still sees all the great sides to them and helps them to find perfect homes, suited for their needs. Sometimes there are there those volunteers that are always doing so much for the better cause everyday that we forget to stop and thank them for all they do. Thank you, Val, for making this world a better place for every dog that crosses your path.
Honored by Lina Adams
Rocket Dog Rescue
Wonder Dog Rescue would like to recognize the ongoing, amazing foster work done by Shirley Yee, who lives in the South Bay. For more than four years, Shirley has always been there for us, often taking in the oldest or neediest of dogs. She never hesitates to go to the vet whenever needed. And I know that the dogs in her care receive extraordinary love.
If more people had a heart like Shirley’s, we’d have far fewer animals in trouble. Thank you, Shirley, for making such an amazing difference!
Honored by Linda Beenau
Wonder Dog Rescue
Margot vanderWalde’s love of dogs shows every day in the volunteer work she does for Silicon Valley Pet Project. Between handling dogs at adoption events, facilitating dog-to-dog introductions, participating in training walks, serving on our transport team, and most recently serving as our Strut Your Mutt team captain, Margot is an integral part of the Silicon Valley Pet Project (SVPP) organization. She was attracted to volunteering with SVPP when she learned that we were inspired by Best Friends Animal Society and their best practices. Margot has been a loyal supporter and volunteer of Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Utah, working on Dogtown, for the last eight years.
As our Strut Your Mutt 2015 team captain, Margot led a very successful fundraising event. With volunteers like Margot in our ranks, Silicon Valley Pet Project can only get bigger and better and save more lives. We are so grateful for her dedicated service.
Honored by Melissa Lisbon
Silicon Valley Pet Project
Elizabeth Laverty & Kevin Williamson, Humane Society Silicon Valley (HSSV) thanks you for being the dynamic duo dedicated our mission. We couldn’t run this joint without you two. From being at HSSV bright and early to help clean up the overnight messes, dressing up in life size dog costumes in the South Bay heat, driving the medical mobile truck, photographing and videotaping hundreds of our adoptable animals, being foster mentors to our other volunteers, to just being awesome to all the animals. We honor your dedication and your volunteerism with deepest gratitude!
Honored by Bernadette Cruz
Humane Society Silicon Valley
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