This week, we are celebrating Volunteer Appreciation Week! We don’t have a “Volunteer of the Year” award here- it’s just too hard to choose ONE volunteer who has gone above and beyond! Instead, 21 volunteers are nominated by the staff who have proven themselves to be Superstars. Meet our paw-some volunteers!
David Berens
Our Customer Service team is so thankful for all of David’s help in the Cat Adoption area, noting his natural ability to advocate for the cats in our care. David has shown countless times that he has the animal’s best interest at heart through his great ability to counsel patrons and explain how cats may or may not be a good fit due to their current behaviors and needs.
Georgette Chekiri & Anna DeJong
Who would have thought that in 2019, when Georgette and Anna started fostering, that they would now be one of our most dedicated critter fosters! It’s rare that they don’t have a guinea pig, hamster, or rat hanging out in their home while they anxiously wait to see whether or not their new friend is going to have babies. Because while we can easily determine if a dog or cat is pregnant, we don’t have that luxury with many of our small mammal friends, so we rely heavily on foster families such as Georgette and Anna to care for them while we wait and see!
Crandall Team
The Crandall Team comes in twice on Sundays to help us as Critter Care Assistants AND Advanced Dog Walkers! Jennifer and Sam start the day with getting our critters set up for success in Critter Care, then Jennifer and Marlie spend time with our Advanced Dogs in the afternoon. We are so grateful that this team is here at HSPPR devoting their Sundays to help the animals.
Marilee Crook
Determined. That’s the word that comes to mind when thinking of Marilee. She is one of our longest termed Dog Walkers, having done it since August 2020, onboarding despite COVID, and she’s a powerhouse when it comes to getting as many dogs out as possible for their walks. She understands the impact it has on their mental and physical health.
Brian Easter
Since Brian’s start here at HSPPR, he has donated nearly 675 hours to our organization and has continually shown how great he is with our feline friends. Brian has demonstrated a great ability to help cats feel at ease and comfortable during their stay here at the shelter.
Kathy Farrell
A champion and seasoned veteran at fostering kittens, Kathy is always ready to step up and care for kittens in need. She participates in our Adoption Ambassador program where we adopt out animals from the foster home as they are too stressed or fearful to stay in the shelter! Since becoming a volunteer in 2016, Kathy has stuck around through staffing changes and organization growth, donating over 2,300 hours of volunteer service to HSPPR in that time.
Hilary Greer
Hillary first joined as a volunteer in 2012 and she has donated well over 2,000 hours to HSPPR! Hilary is currently an Advanced Behavior Support volunteer and helps socialize, train, and support the dogs in the shelter that need some extra love. Advanced Behavior Support volunteers work directly alongside Behavior Staff to ensure we are providing the best possible care to the shy, fearful, and overly exuberant dogs at HSPPR.
Allisa Linfield
As a Fowl Fanatic, Allisa keeps an eye on the chickens, roosters, and sometimes ducks that come into the shelter to assess their temperament, get a fresh photo, and provide them lots of TLC and treats during their time at HSPPR. Fowl Fanatics is a new volunteer role, championed by Allisa, and she has become a great resource for staff. Allisa joined as a volunteer in February 2020, has managed to hang on through all the ups and downs of the pandemic, and has already hit Platinum Paw status!
Red Lorealynn
Red Lorealynn is one of our longest standing foster volunteers, fostering with us for nearly 10 years! Wow! From kittens with or without moms, to critters for pregnancy watch, their willingness to help where needed is truly appreciated! Their infectious attitude livens up any room; it is always an adventure chatting and getting caught up on new life developments or exchanging funny stories about their own farm of animals.
Karen Menezes & Jarod Onthank
Caring for medically complicated cats and kittens is Karen and Jarod’s niche. From supplemental feeding to giving sub-q fluids, they do it all to ensure their fosters get the best chance at recovery. Often times, you will find them asking to foster complicated groups as they know their skillset can be a game-changer in helping these kittens thrive. You can typically find them caring for multiple groups of kittens, trying to help all those who need some extra care!
Jasmine Ong
Our Veterinary Clinic Staff is thankful for Jasmine’s dedication to helping the Vet Clinic run as smoothly as possible, especially during all the current changes in our Veterinary Clinic! Our Veterinary Staff were quick to praise Jasmine on her ability to stay busy throughout her shift with a can-do attitude! Jasmine is able to keep up with the Vet Clinics’ surgery list and makes sure they have all the sterile packs they need to better serve the animals in our care. She even donated a new instrument pack rack for the Vet Clinic when their old one was ready to go!
John Overberg
Animal extraordinaire, that’s John Overberg for you! He’s a man of many talents, and he puts them to use in his volunteer roles here at HSPPR. John has three main volunteer positions that he fills: Behavior Support, Breakfast Club, and Safe Animal Handling Trainer. While those are his main roles, he also helps in many other facets. He’s assisted with one of our mass TNR Spay/Neuter days, Fur Ball, and various other tasks as requested.
Carol Randall
Carol is a Platinum Paw volunteer, meaning she has donated over 1000 hours to the shelter, and is also an Advanced Dog Walker and Lead Volunteer Trainer for Dog Adoption Matchmaking. As a Lead Volunteer, Carol helps train new Dog Adoption Matchmakers and Dog Walkers, and it’s so helpful to have her help and insight when training new volunteers. Volunteer staff know that if we do a call out for additional help, that we can count on Carol to be there!
Scott Ross
Scott has put in over 100 hours and given out thousands of enrichment items. He is thorough and thoughtful, making sure every dog gets enrichment and that each dog gets the right sized Kong for their size. He walks through the kennels, checking that his list is accurate. Scott personifies our core value of excellence!
Frank Ruiz
Frank started as a volunteer for the Pueblo TNR program in December of 2020. Since becoming a volunteer he has completed 195 hours. Frank has proven to be an asset to the Pueblo TNR program and the community. He is timely and thorough with each task he decides to take on. He is reliable and shows a great passion for Community Cats and helping those in need. He is able to take on tasks in the field and communicates well with The Community Cat Coordinator.
Taneda & Sierra Sadri
The Sadri’s are the definition of compassion. Caring, heartfelt, and at most empathetic for the wellbeing of animals, everything we look for in an outstanding foster volunteer! The Sadri’s are always willing to step up when needed; from taking in kittens with or without moms, to the occasional behavior dogs who are needing that extra help to come out of their shells. Combined they have contributed over 1,200 volunteer hours! Way to go Sadri team!
Bonnie Sepelak
Bonnie started her time here at HSPPR in 2018 as a Community Animal Response Team (CART) volunteer, during her time in CART Bonnie has stepped up to help displaced animals on a community and national level. Additionally, Bonnie has been an immense help in educating the community about our CART program during various Outreach Events. All-in-all Bonnie has donated over 1,160 hours to our organization.
Mike & Sandy Spahr
The Spahrs are some of Pueblo’s most dedicated fosters. When most fosters ask for a break, they typically take a few months off. When Mike and Sandy say they need a break, it’s maybe a week or two until they ask for more kittens.
Since they started, they have each put in over 800 hours and cared for over 50 animals in their home. This is a huge feat in such a short amount of time and it’s rare that they don’t have a litter of kittens!
Delilah & Laura Terfertiller
Delilah and Laura started volunteering here in 2015 as Cattery Assistants but quickly found their home as Foster Care Assistants. Every Monday for the last few years, they have been a staple in the Foster Office. Whether the task is big or small, messy or clean, animal related or not, they go about it with a smile on their faces always willing to do what is needed to help.
Jamie Tromara
Jamie began volunteering for us just over a year ago with the hopes to spend more time with animals and to see how our shelter operates… and boy did she pick a great spot in the shelter to accomplish both of those goals! Jamie has become a rockstar in our Admissions area accumulating over 325 hours as an Admissions Runner volunteer. From assisting patrons looking for their lost pets to helping settle in new HSPPR animal residents, Jamie has a natural ability to tap into helping both the people and animals that come into the shelter!
Allie, Pikes Peak Pup
Life isn’t easy being a pug… but at least it’s fun! Allie is an HSPPR Alumni and was adopted by longtime volunteer Val Bardis in 2017. In late 2019, when the Pikes Peak Pup program was launched, she was one of the first dogs to join the program. Allie has helped teach youth in our community about how to safely interact with and take care of a dog. A fan favorite for all that meet her, she is a great addition to our Pikes Peak Pup program and ambassador for HSPPR.
