Never Knowing a Stray

My husband and I made Green Valley our permanent home in 2018. We had enough cold wind, ice and snow having lived in the Chicago area for 70 years.

I have always had a special love and respect for animals. When walking home from school, stray dogs and cats would often “follow” me home with a bit of “coaxing” on my part, of course. My dad would often say it was a good thing there weren’t any stray horses and ponies in our neighborhood or we might have to move to a farm!

I worked with two animal rescue organizations in Illinois over the past 40+ years, so one of the first things I did when we moved here was to contact Paws Patrol to see if they could use another volunteer. They welcomed me with open arms!

I started out bottle-feeding motherless kittens too young to eat or drink on their own. I also volunteer to care for the kitties up for adoption at our local Petco, help with fundraisers and spend a morning a week helping out at the office. There are many volunteer opportunities available.

I have made several new friends at Paws Patrol and I am very happy doing what I can to help the homeless and abandoned cats and kittens find their forever, happy homes.

Using Their Talents to Help Paws Patrol

Alex and David began volunteering for Paws Patrol in the summer of 2018. They both were looking for a rewarding experience that could use their individual talents for the greater good. Alex had lunch with a friend who introduced her to Patti at Paws Patrol and encouraged her to volunteer there. Soon David would follow.

They both started by cleaning kennels and getting to know the cats within the shelter. David has a technical background and soon volunteered to take photos of the cats and take on some of the digital and technical aspects for the shelter. This includes creating a brand new website, a new office computer for our volunteers to accept credit card payments and even setting up a TV for Freddie to watch cat videos in the adoption room. Meanwhile, Alex has a creative background and noticed a need for a logo design and updating marketing materials.

Over the course of the last two years, these two helped take care of cats at the shelter and Petco; designed, printed and mailed marketing materials; helped with fundraisers and events; shared posts on social media and much more. They also have four cats and a dog. Two of those cats are from Paws Patrol. The couple encourages anyone to use their talents and Volunteer at Paws Patrol!

Karen Keeps A Close Eye on Rescues

Karen is a lover of all animals, an advocate for mental Illness awareness, and an author. Her fourth novel will be published soon. She retired from her career as an optometrist in December of 2019 after she and her husband, Paul, decided to leave cold and cloudy Central New York and move to Green Valley to be close to their baby granddaughter.

Having saved her first of many kittens from a horse barn in NY, Karen contacted Paws Patrol to offer to be a foster before embarking on the big move. Paws Patrol welcomed her with open paws; she had kittens before Paul and the moving truck arrived!

With a little prodding, Paul built a safe, climate-controlled cat area in an outbuilding. Perfect for housing feral moms and babies, Karen is presently fostering her third set of mommas with babies. Paul also built an amazing catio onto the main house where older kittens and their five resident kitties can get fresh air, roll in the dirt, and watch desert wildlife while remaining playful predators rather than prey.

Besides a lot of cats, she also has a dog, two rescue horses she adopted from Equine Voices, and a twenty-five-year-old red-foot tortoise named Chloé.

Join the Parade and Volunteer!

In 2014, a tabby and white stray showed up in the neighborhood. He roamed from neighbor to neighbor being fed for several months. During that winter freeze, I made him a wool bed. He was not feral; therefore, he must have belonged to someone as he kept trying to come in the house. My neighbor told me about Paws Patrol and she said they could help trap and neuter him. Patti, a Paws Patrol founder, brought a trap and told me they could find him a suitable home or bring him back to me. At that point, I had fallen for him, a big male with a stub for a tail, so I took him back and named him Stubbi.

In February 2015, I started volunteering at Paws Patrol. I am a people person and work midweek. Coming from a customer service background, I enjoy interacting with people who are looking for a forever fur companion. Besides being Wednesday’s lead at the office, I also foster cats and kittens, put the Adoption Packets together and design the float for the White Elephant parade. Paws Patrol has won 2 years in a row in the parade’s service category! Most of all, I enjoy being a part of Paws Patrol and finding homes for our kitties.

Find Purpose By Volunteering

After a quarter century in high-tech I decided to retire in 2016 to Green Valley.  Ambitious opportunities were vast… travel?, write?, paint?, learn Spanish?.  All were enticing but my number one desire was to work with cats and offer support and spirit in some way to our four-legged neighbors.  I contacted Paws Patrol February 2017 to volunteer and met RaeLyn and Patti a week later.  I can hardly describe how my life has changed since!  In my first 3 months I learned how to evaluate and care for tiny kittens, clean the shelter, deliver assistance to a special needs adopter and even help catch cats recently orphaned by a woman who passed away.  Wow, what an introduction to retiree life helping needy kitties!  I was hooked.  In the subsequent 3 years I’ve fostered a dozen cats and kittens, participated our fund-raising events, and continued to work at the office every week.  Paws Patrol is truly my home away from home and an extended family that I cherish.  In retirement we all have days when we wonder “what’s my purpose, what’ll keep me engaged and useful”.  Thanks to Paws Patrol I only need look close to home. My experience every week with our kitties tells me all I need to know.

Granted, Paws Patrol is the Best!

I was introduced to Paws Patrol by my son who is a volunteer. Over the last two years, I saw how he, and his wife did great things all to benefit the cats at this rescue shelter in Green Valley. One day they expressed that there was a big need for a volunteer who can help write grants, so on his advice, I offered my services. My role at Paws Patrol is to prepare grants. I research potential “providers” on the internet and prepare requested documentation for submission. I have served in this role for about a year now and I can do most of the work from home.

Every grant application can have an impact on the organization’s financials. Since Covid-19 has affected fundraising for all non-profits and limited federal, state or county aid, every grant application is very important. There is competition for grant money. Sometimes you win, sometimes you do not. But when we are awarded a grant, it is the best feeling in the world. I feel as if I am doing my part to help the cats and kittens who come to Paws Patrol needing our help.

I have learned a lot about the contributions Paws Patrol makes to Southern Arizona and how important my grant writing is for this organization. There is no paid staff and Paws Patrol does not receive any free veterinary services. Paws Patrol depends primarily on donations and with every grant we win, helps us help more cats in need. Now that you know what I do for the kitties, I could use an editor to review my work prior to submission. If you can volunteer a small amount of your time, we would be very grateful.

Checks, Cash and Kitty Cats

Since coming to America I have been owned by cats. Every one of them has been either a stray that showed up at my door, adopted from an animal group or from a friend’s litter of kittens. Our current household residents are Hobbes, who was found on a Sunday afternoon sitting on our doorstep fifteen years ago, and Chessie. Chessie was adopted from Friends of Houston Animal Control to keep Hobbes company — sometimes this is in question as to who is keeping who company!

As I had been an accountant all my working life this seemed like serendipity to volunteer my free time and skills as a bookkeeper to help Paws Patrol, an organization that helps cats. After meeting Patti and the cats at the facility I knew I could use my skills to help this worthy organization. Shortly after my introduction to Paws Patrol, I took on the position of Treasurer. I may not know all our volunteers or donors personally, but I feel that I have gotten to know you through my position.

I must admit each time I go to the office and see the cats and kittens it is difficult to leave them, but I know that eventually they will all go to their wonderful forever homes. It is because of each and every one of our supporters that we are able to help the stray cats and kittens find loving homes. It is your generosity that enables us to follow our mission to Trap, Neuter, Spay and Return the feral cats or help adopt them to local barns and ranches. Many thanks to all of you for making my volunteering with Paws Patrol so very meaningful and worthwhile.

Awe-Inspired through Kitty Kisses and Pats

My husband and I, along with our three cats, had thought we were moving into a home on a secluded acre of land in Sahuarita. We never imagined we were moving into Kitty Kingdom. On our first morning in our new home, we woke up to the furry four-legged welcoming committee. There were numerous cats and kittens that had gathered around our home. As the story goes, when a stray cat comes around looking for attention, begging for food or trying to sneak in your front door, there is a good chance it has adopted you. And adopted we were.

With the help of Paws Patrol and Patti Hogan we could have all the cats checked by a vet and all medical problems promptly taken care of, which included spaying and neutering them. Along with now becoming guardians of our feline colony, which provided us daily enjoyment, we gained a new friendship with Patti and Paws Patrol.

My story did not end there. While accompanying my husband, who was showing a house that was for sale, we heard meowing coming from the ceiling. After contacting the owner, we learned that two tiny kittens, only a few weeks old, had got themselves trapped in the ceiling. I told the owner not to worry; I had friends at Paws Patrol who would take care of the kittens.

Little did I know I would acquire a new skill. Since there was no room for the kittens at Paws Patrol, I became their foster mom, having to learn how to bottle feed and all that goes with taking care of baby kittens. This started me on a new life journey as a kitty foster mom. Since then, I have lost count of the number of precious kittens that we have fostered.

Paws Patrol is a wonderful place to volunteer, and the rewards — kisses and pats — from our furry little friends are awe-inspiring. As a volunteer at Paws Patrol, I had the rewarding opportunity of being the secretary for several years, Santa’s helper at the Christmas fundraiser at Petco, and creator of the yearly Paws Patrol calendar.

Volunteering is the Labor of Love

Retiring to Green Valley with my husband, John gave us new opportunities to enjoy life. My husband’s attention focused on working with our HOA, but he also found fun time for off-roading in his Jeep with a local group. As for me, I knew my calling would be something to do with animals.

I found my niche volunteering with Equine Voices Rescue & Sanctuary. After 12 years of “mucking stalls and corrals” I realized that my physical limitations were surfacing and interfering with those activities. These days I primarily give tours of the ranch, working tabling events, and coordinating volunteers and publicity for our fundraising events.

It was at one of our fundraising events I met Patti Hogan. As a lifelong cat lover, Paws Patrol really impressed me; however, it was not until we lost our 15-year-old cat to cancer in 2018 that I started volunteering. Through Paws Patrol, we adopted a six-year-old gray and white tuxedo who needed a permanent home. Smokey has now taken over our home and our hearts. He has become our playful feline during the day and our bedtime companion at night.

I look forward to volunteering at the Paws Patrol office on Tuesdays and at Petco every other Saturday, where I help our kittens and cats find loving homes. I believe volunteering is a labor of love. Working with Paws Patrol has given me an incredibly rewarding experience that I hope will continue for a long time.