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  • Helena Kyle

Calling All Pet Lovers!

Volunteering Series: Calling All Pet Lovers!

Previously Published in the Pineapple Post

By Helena Kyle

helenakyle [@] outlook.com



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

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