Jessica Liedtke Volunteer Spotlight

“I began volunteering for Furry Friends in July of 2024,” Jessica says. “I work the Friday PM shift for two hours a week at the Halfway House, usually deep cleaning the green section and helping out with the dishes and laundry. 

“We adopted our cat Felicity (formerly Coraline) at a Furry Friends adoption event, and because I love cats and was very impressed with the organization, I signed on as a volunteer. I love spending time with all of the cats. It’s so much fun playing with them and watching them blossom. I also get to work with a great group of people.

“On the other hand, what I find most challenging is saying goodbye to the kitties who get adopted. It’s definitely a ‘happy for you, sad for me’ moment. My proudest moment, though, is resisting the urge to adopt all of the cats myself!”

As to why Jessica gives back: “I love cats and I’m so grateful for the care that our Felicity received at Furry Friends. She was brought in as a very young stray who was nursing a litter of kittens. Thanks to Furry Friends, she’s safe and warm and so very loved. Besides Felicity, we have two other cats and a chocolate Labrador Retriever.

A member of her son Colton’s school PTA, Jessica was recently elected secretary, and she just celebrated her 20-year anniversary working with the Social Security Administration. Most passionate about animal welfare and social justice, in her free time Jessica “loves crocheting, reading, watching scary movies and hanging out and laughing with Colton, my daughter Ainsley and our pets.”

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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.