National Volunteer Week 2017: Josee, our Volunteer of the Year

We’re finishing National Volunteer Week 2017 by featuring Josee, our Volunteer of the Year!  Here is a picture of her with Summit, who she adopted from the Bow Valley SPCA in 2010.

A huge thank you to all our volunteers.  The time and energy you give means the world to our animals and to us.

We asked Josee about herself and volunteering with the SPCA. 

Tell us about yourself...

I moved to the Rockies in 1990 from the Montreal area, drawn to the mountains by the active life style.  I am an outdoors enthusiast in 4 seasons. 

What does volunteering mean to you?

It means being part of a community by giving back. 

When did you start volunteering with the BV SPCA?

I believe it was 2010.

Why did you start volunteering?

After I lost my dog in 2009, I really missed being around dogs but was not quite ready to have another one. I was also looking for a new volunteering opportunity, so I inquired about possibilities at the viagra suisse sans ordonnance BVSPCA.  It seemed a natural choice and fit!

How do you stay committed and put hours towards volunteering?

I do not feel I put that many hours volunteering as I am involved with assessments of new dogs coming in, so I am sort of on call. I have been learning so much about dogs, behavior, body language since I got involved with the BV SPCA that volunteering at the shelter has become a great source of satisfaction. 

Name your favourite memory of volunteering with the BV SPCA?

It has to be when I took home Summit, my current dog, for just a few days while the shelter was closed, to help her boost her confidence and get her ready for adoption. She was so scared of people when she was first brought in to the shelter that she would hide and cower in a corner of her room.  She settled right in at my house and seemed so much at home that I figured my next dog had found me and I decided to keep her. 

What advice would you give to someone who is looking to volunteer?

It does not matter how much time you have available to give, it all helps. Just beware of those lovely creatures you might take home for just a few days!