Zoe Arnsmeier Volunteer Spotlight

I have been volunteering with Furry Friends since February of 2023. I decided to volunteer at some sort of rescue when I started to “get an itch” to get another cat! I thought that volunteering would scratch that itch and I wouldn’t have to adopt another one. Two months later, we adopted our little girl Rhubarb (previously Phoenix), who joined our 5-year-old Siamese mix named Rosie and our 3-year-old German Shepherd named Juniper.

At the shelter I clean the rooms of, and socialize with, the kitties in the Green and Blue rooms. I’m on the Saturday morning crew and I pick up morning shifts throughout the week if they are offered, and I’m not scheduled for something at my day job.

It’s always challenging to see some of the conditions that these cats come to us in. Rhubarb, the cat we adopted, came from a terrible home life and was severely emaciated when Furry Friends took her in. But then, that leads to the proud moments of being able to rehabilitate, socialize and adopt out these cats who would have either died or lived a life no cat should have to live. I know that I play just a small part in the big picture at the rescue, but it’s still fulfilling to come and feel like you’re making a difference.

Outside of Furry Friends, I work as an in-home family therapist and have my Masters degree in Social Work. I’m passionate about serving my community and helping families stay together. In my downtime, I like to crochet hats, mittens and other fun things for a local organization that provides clothes, toys, and equipment for children in the community.
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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