I began with Furry Friends once I got my driver’s license at the start of 2021 during the pandemic. Since school and every other activity had been cancelled, I was looking for something to get me out of the house. Volunteering at a cat shelter seemed like the perfect option.

Working on the Sunday morning shift (I love the team of people on my shift) for between two and four hours, I spend most of my time cleaning out kitty rooms and preparing wet food for the house cats. Then, once everything is done, I devote myself to socializing the cats, deriving the greatest pleasure out of watching those in terrible shape recover and change after receiving proper love and care. My other favorite moments are when very shy and sensitive kitties crawl out of their bed and eat some wet food after sitting with them for a long time.

Besides two kitties of my own, Mio and Mango, I also have about a dozen pigeons, and although I really love birds, I’ve never worked with them. Not surprisingly, I’m very passionate about local wildlife and habitat conservation. And the reason I give back is because I love helping and working with animals. They’re so vulnerable, and oftentimes their only chance at survival is through volunteer-run organizations.

I currently work at Columbia Veterinary Center, a small animal clinic a few minutes away from Furry Friends. Some of what I do there is similar, but most of it is more medically focused. It’s fun whenever I see cats adopted from Furry Friends that I remember seeing at the shelter.

Having graduated from Clark College in June with my associate’s degree in biology, I’ll complete my bachelor’s degree in biology at Western Washington University, and then, hopefully, pursue a career in veterinary medicine.
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Furry Friends Volunteer Spotlights are compiled and written by Nomi Berger who is the bestselling author of seven novels, one work of non-fiction, two volumes of poetry, and hundreds of articles. She is a volunteer writer for Furry Friends in Vancouver, WA and also volunteers her writing skills to animal rescue groups in Canada and the USA.