Volunteering Series: Calling All Pet Lovers!
Previously Published in the Pineapple Post
By Helena Kyle
This article is written in memory of Joy Cawby, who was the Development Director of Furry Friends Adoption, Clinic & Ranch, until her untimely death in 2015. Joy, a vibrant young woman, sowed seeds of true stewardship; she left a legacy of kindness to the pets, and those who worked or volunteered with her at the Furry Friend’s Adoption, Clinic & Ranch - The Humane Society of Greater Jupiter/Tequesta; a no kill shelter.
Although the spotlight is on Furry Friend’s Adoption, Clinic & Ranch, all animal shelters and rescues along the treasure coast are in need of volunteers – discover the value of volunteering at your local Humane Society shelter or specific breed rescue.
To gain more insight of Furry Friends adoption facility, I attended a volunteer orientation presented by the programs director, Karen Counts; she is enthusiastic and passionate about providing the animals good care, and promoting adoption to a good home. Karen gave me, along with eighteen new volunteers of various age and walks of life, a tour of the facility. Eighteen volunteers may sound like a lot of folks, but, considering the number of pets to care for at the facility, adorable kittens, cats, puppies and dogs, there is clearly a need for an army of volunteers.
The facility houses upwards of one hundred homeless, helpless pets on any given day. The dogs spend upwards of twenty-three hours a day confined to a kennel, or cage; to say the least, they are in desperate need of exercise. Would you mind volunteering to take a dog on a short walk, supervise an energetic puppy in the designated “playroom”, or simply comfort a tiny kitten in need of petting? All it takes to volunteer is to fill out a simple application, attend the 50-minute orientation, and commit to volunteer a minimum of 2 days per month (only 2 hours per day).
The rescue also offers volunteer opportunities at their nearby thrift store and boutique on Indiantown Road (100% of profit goes to pet care), events throughout the community, and at their 27-acre ranch located in Palm City. The ranch offers spacious housing, room to roam, for cats, mostly older dogs, and horses in need of adoption; it too, currently houses upwards of one hundred pets in need of adoption. Currently, the ranch is working on landscape projects to provide a serene environment for those grieving the death of their pet – for details, refer to the website.
Lastly, and in tribute to our military veterans, the shelter offers a program, among several programs, near and dear to my heart: The Shelter-to-Service Dog program. So far, five of Furry Friends shelter dogs graduated training through a service dog organization that specifically trains them to aid veterans suffering from PTSD, or other related issues. Videos of heart-stirring stories about the service dogs and the veterans they are matched with are accessible on the shelters website.
The Humane Society of Greater Jupiter/Tequesta – Furry Friend’s Adoption Clinic & Ranch has been rescuing, rehabilitating and rehoming homeless animals for more than thirty years; it is a 501 (c)(3) not for profit, no kill rescue organization. For more information: www.furryfriendsadoption.org