Annie Kiely Volunteer Spotlight
I started volunteering with Furry Friends in November 2023, about a month after we moved to Vancouver from Maryland.
A new neighbor and fellow cat lover told me about Furry Friends, where she herself had formerly volunteered. I had been volunteering for years at a large rescue in Maryland called Last Chance Animal Rescue, and was missing the connections I had there.
Coming in every Tuesday morning for two hours, I clean and socialize with the kitties, but I hope to get more involved as we become more settled in the area. I so enjoy spending time with my fellow animal lover/volunteers and, of course, the quality, quiet time I spend connecting with the special cats.
I would quickly become “a crazy cat lady” if left to my own devices. Sadly, both of our cats are “special needs” and in order to keep them healthy, we can’t add other cats to our household. We adopted Indie, who’s now 8 years old, knowing he had a heart murmur that would require medical attention for the rest of his life. Our second cat, Aussie, who’s now 5 years old, is a FLUTD cat who’s developed secondary autoimmune issues. He’s had two emergency surgeries and is now on a prescription diet and daily medication to keep him calm.
When we lived in Maryland, my most heartwarming moments as a volunteer were helping to re-home hundreds of cats, especially those waiting the longest. Not to mention helping people connect with just the right cat, which was always so satisfying. The cat reaching out to a potential adopter isn’t always the color or age they wanted – but, as they say, the cat chooses you! Since joining FF, I’ve been so impressed with the organization, the facility and the sheer number of volunteers.
As a lifelong animal lover, my first job was at a veterinary clinic. When I was younger, I had hoped to become a veterinarian. And although my primary “career” was raising our three children, before that I was an Intelligence Officer in the US Air Force.
Passionate about politics and the environment, I once studied art and would like to start painting again. I especially enjoy watercolors. I also love the outdoors and am thrilled to be back in the Pacific Northwest.
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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.
