If this is an example of the next generation, we have nothing to worry about. You may have met Jena, Philadoptable’s Junior Volunteer, before when she and her Brownie troop were making decorations for events, dropping off linens and dog treats, or when she was paying a visit to the shelter dogs. Recently, Jena and her fab mom Susan joined us at the Volunteer Breakfast armed with homemade dog treats, towels for the kitties, and amazing decorations made by the Brownies for our Love Potions event Feb 23, 2013. THANK YOU to the adorable animal loving Brownies for the cute decorations- we will be using them a lot!
Linda
Linda began her 11 years and counting of intense fostering when her children left the nest. Then when her son went to Iraq it was the only way she felt she could keep her promise to him that she would be okay. ( He returned safely) Last year she made a big move from a loft in the city to the suburbs after years of getting on the elevator with at least 4 and often more dogs 4 times a day! It’s been largely a case of Pit bulls and/or Chihuahuas and sometimes the chi’s intimidate the pits. ” I feel that my own dogs train the puppies and many of the dogs as they start to trust a family- that makes it great for me, cause I get to just pamper and teach them that humans need not always be feared. We love mange dogs, deafies and any dogs with handicaps but truth is we love them all.”
Her God child Destiny helps now that she is older and responsible enough to follow through on many many details that are part of this. Destiny’s principal and her teachers all keep close tabs on the various dogs that she lives with on weekends, summers and vacations
Karina Sharma
I always grew up with large dogs and rabbits as pets. my husband grew up mainly with cats and is a real cat person. in 2008 he finally convinced me that we should get a cat. i was on a business trip in CA and found a senior pixie bob, the breed he wanted, nearby to where I was working, whose story really touched me.
Alvin had been purchased from a registered breeder more than 8 yrs earlier. When his elderly owner became terminally ill her family was unable or unwilling to take him in. The breeder took the cat back instead of having him end up in a shelter and put him up for adoption. He was incredibly shy but they helped prepare us for a long adjustment period and promised us a very sweet, affectionate, broken hearted cat was underneath. Boy were they right! It took about a month for him to truly come out of his shell but once he did he introduced me to what affectionate companions cats can be. He helped mend my broken heart from my dog Sunny, who had passed away 2 years prior. Sadly Alvin passed away from cancer just 2 years after we adopted him, but in those 2 years he taught me so much and showed me how great adopting a senior per can be!
In late 2009 I started volunteering at ACCT with my husband and a few months later we took home a litter of 4-6 week old kittens. I had never had a kitten before and was so heartbroken at the idea of adopting them out, especially my favorite little Snowball, an all black kitten. However I knew they were never really mine and we were just a stepping stone to finding their forever homes. Snowball was adopted by a wonderful family who still occasionally updates us on how he is doing, and we dealt with our sadness by getting another litter of foster kittens. A few months later, in March 2010 we took home a litter of 3 one day old orphaned kittens, who still had their umbilical cords attached. Sadly one passed away but the two remaining ones, Kali and Soma, or just “The Twins” were so special we ended up adopting them ourselves a few days after Alvin passed away. The thought of losing them so soon after him was too sad.
I really missed having a dog, but I never felt ready to replace Sunny, so my compromised by fostering a few dogs as well. Sometimes we foster dogs for ACCT and sometimes we do for one of our rescue partners that specializes in Rottweilers. I am sure one day we will find a dog that we just can’t let go for whatever reason, but until then it is so great to have that doggy love when we have time and room for a dog, and do a good deed in the process. I feel a particular kinship with the seniors and find they usually adjust seamlessly into our home and lifestyle, and just seem so grateful for a warm, loving him. Thankfully we have had the pleasure of meeting many wonderful adopters along the way that adopt our fosters and make them an integral member of their families.
We now have 4 resident cats and an endless cast of foster dogs and cats that help complete our chaotic home and keep us entertained. Although we try to take small breaks here and there to have some time for ourselves too, I cannot ever imagine a time when we would not be involved with fostering. Please consider fostering a homeless dog and/or cat for even a little while. It will change both your and their lives for the better!
Dee Childs – Growing up, animals were a big part of my life.
We always had strays that found their way to our house and helping them was just a natural thing to do. I had volunteered at a local animal shelter in high school walking dogs with my best friend and it was a very nice experience. That same friend got me involved in volunteering again about 10 years later. We started volunteering at ACCT (then PACCA) in 2007 in the small animal room. We socialized and cared for the bunnies, gerbils, hamsters, and occasional bird or turtle that showed up. It wasn’t long before we started working with the cats and dogs. Soon I convinced my husband, Gary, to join us. From there, we ventured into the world of fostering. Our third foster dog, LaLa, stole our hearts and made our home hers along with our 3 cats. I am the volunteer lead for the Pen Pal Program and have been a pen pal to over 25 dogs. I also assist with the Promotions Team, Flyers Team, Get Your ACCT Together Team, and the Mentor Team. Volunteering has been a very rewarding experience. Seeing the hard work that the shelter staff and fellow volunteers put in to what they do is just an amazing thing and I am proud to be a part of this community.
Daisy – My love of animals
I would have to say started when I was a child. I grew up with many different pets; lizards, snakes, birds and cats. As an adult I’m a proud mommy of 3 fur babies, and a turtle. I started off working at ACCT as a kennel attendant. I was the person who picks up the pets picks up the pets once they were surrendered . I cleaned kennels large and small, for both the cats and dogs. I am now currently an adoptions counselor at ACCT. . I also had to assist with animals who were being euthanized. That was no easy feat. I often cried at work and would go home in tears. That’s something that stays with you. I always felt like a bad person. I started at ACCT with no knowledge of cats or dogs. All I knew was I loved to be around them. I was terrified of of the large dogs (pit bulls). I admit, like most people I was ignorant and believed the myths about pit bulls, but working at ACCT helped open my eyes. These dogs are a misunderstood breed. They aren’t as scary as the smaller breed dogs I’ve come in contact with. I’m proud to say one of my resident dogs is a pit bull mix. I became an adoptions counselor because I wanted to do more than talk to people about our awesome animals. I wanted to be the one who helped save lives! I love what I do. If I make a difference in one persons life I would say that’s a good day!. Working in my department isn’t easy, but working in any department at ACCT isn’t easy, but we make it work. We work together as a family to get things done. We work as a team. I love my team!
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