Tamara Neill Volunteer Spotlight

Tamara may have only started volunteering with Furry Friends in September of 2024, but she’s wanted to do so for several years. Why? Quite simply, she waited until she had retired.

“I learned about Furry Friends from my friend, Angela Reid, who’s a volunteer,” Tamara explains. “I retired at the end of May after working for 16 years in the Medical Records department of a pediatric office, and now spend my time quilting, gardening, taking care of my bird feeders and being with my grandchildren. I’m also busy this time of year with my husband who is a professional Santa Claus, playing the part of Mrs. Kringle!

“Although I currently spend only a few hours each week at the shelter, I also share any Furry Friends posts on social media and try to highlight the kitties I visit with on my own FB account. Without a doubt, my favorite part about volunteering is meeting all of the kitties and spending quality time with some of them.

“My biggest challenge is probably getting extremely attached to some of our furry residents. As much as I look forward to seeing them, I also hope that I don’t see them, and that they’ve been adopted! (I have a physical disability that can affect my availability to visit with them).

As for Tamara’s proudest moment as a volunteer: “I shared some essential information about Furry Friends with a woman who was looking for a bonded pair of kitties at an event held by the Humane Society of Washington.” And, as to why Tamara gives back: “We lost Cassie, our beloved kitty, last summer and aren’t going to adopt again at this time. Volunteering is a way to get my kitty fix and share my love with other kitties without bringing another one home.

“In my ‘past life,’ I’ve been a nanny and an actress, and I owned a tea house at the beginning of the 2000’s. And while I don’t volunteer for any other organization now, I’ve volunteered for community theaters in the past.”

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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.