Amanda Dayton Volunteer Spotlight
“I’ve volunteered with Furry Friends since January 2025,” says Amanda, “and got involved thanks to referrals from multiple rescue friends.
“I’m a kitten/cat foster and it involves tending them and transporting them to vet visits and adoption events. I love taking care of my fosters and watching them grow and thrive and become loving pets. I always wish I had more time to snuggle them since the hardest part is taking them to adoption events and knowing it might be the last time I see them. While I hope beyond hope that they find loving homes, I will always welcome them back if it doesn’t work out.
“My proudest moments are receiving photos of my fosters living happily in their new homes! As to why I give back: My first kitten was a feral female rescue we tamed and who became my best friend. I love to be part of other people’s happy stories about their favorite pets. I also enjoy meeting other people in the community who have the same love for animals and passion for the cause. Since I’ve always been civically involved, I’ve worked with rescues as a foster or a TNR volunteer in every town I’ve lived in, and because we have such a cat and dog overpopulation problem, I want to do my part to help. Before moving to our current home, I had volunteered for People United for Animals, a group that had helped me spay/neuter some of our feral neighborhood cats.
“I’m a member of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers, Women’s International Shipping and Trade Association and the Society of Port Engineers, and have been a speaker/presenter for these clubs in the past. I donate blood consistently for Bloodworks Northwest. I’m also my daughter’s classroom Parent Liaison at Cascadia Montessori, and volunteer and contribute as much as I can there as well.
“Outside of Furry Friends, I’m an entrepreneur. My business is in the marine industry, providing project management and engineering consulting services for shipyards, vessel owners and operators. As for the local issues I’m most passionate about: I would like to see more community development in my town to promote connectedness between neighbors; I’m also concerned about it becoming too industrialized and the impact that may have on sensitive ecological areas.
“At home, we have a Shih Tzu and five rescued cats (three semi-ferals). They are all very good at socializing our foster kittens, especially our big orange tabby, Goose. He loves playing with kittens, and they follow him everywhere. On a more personal, fun note, I enjoy adventuring to new places and trying out new things. I recently tried Bungie fitness and also rented an electric bike to check out trails along the Columbia Gorge. I love meeting and spoiling graphic and comic artists and voice and screen actors at Comic Cons. I like reading and playing video games. I recently finished ‘The Last of Us: Part II’ and can’t wait for the TV series to air. And a few weeks ago, my family went to the Japanese gardens in Portland.”
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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.
