Volunteer Spotlight – Gretchen

Apr 18, 2022 | Blog, The Sanctuary, Volunteers

When did you start at HWAH (approximate)?
Summer of 2021 (August maybe)

What lead you to HWAH?
I had recently left my job and was looking for a place to volunteer.  I have always had the thought that one day I would like to walk into a shelter and adopt the oldest cat they have there or the cat who has been there the longest. I do not believe that animals should live out their lives in a shelter. My family reminded me of this and suggested I look for a place to volunteer that helped senior animals. A quick internet search led me to House with a Heart.

What jobs have do you have/had over the years?
I started by volunteering with the cats. I clean their rooms, feed them and sit and play/cuddle with them. I also started to do social media posts to help get our foster cats adopted. 

Most memorable moment (happy or sad)?
Helping 4 foster kitties (Toulouse, Bubba, Smoke and Blue Jay) find their forever homes and hearing back from their new families about how happy they all are in their new homes. I was also very happy when Cleo became a full-time HWAH resident, because I know that she will be well loved and cared for the rest of her life.

Favorite thing to do when you are at the sanctuary?
Cuddle with the kitties. 

Favorite picture of you at HWAH:
The picture above is Blue Jay and I the day before she left for her new home.

Favorite thing about working / being at HWAH?
Of course I love spending time with the kitties and giving them lots of love and attention, but I also appreciate that Sher gave me the opportunity to help with social media posts. I love reading all the responses and hearing about all the donations the residents receive just from reading the posts. Someone was so sweet and sent Cleo her own fuzzy bed because she loved reading about Cleo on Facebook!

Funniest or cutest thing you have seen one of the pets do?
Munchkin always wants to race me down the hall. She is faster than me even though she only has three legs! When I look down the hall she is always sitting there waiting and I imagine her saying “What is taking you so long?”