Volunteer Judi French has had a lot of animals in her life.  Her family
owned guinea pigs, dogs, horses, rabbits and a cat, until Judi discovered
she was allergic.  So it is no surprise that after retiring from her career
as a story editor for ABC television, Judi sought out volunteer work at an
animal help group.  From her own experience, Judi can attest to the
importance of animals in our lives, so working at PAWS/LA and helping people
keep their pets sounded like a perfect fit.

Currently, Judi volunteers on Wednesday mornings as a front desk
receptionist.  She assists clients, greets visitors, provides referrals and
helps with office paperwork or data entry.  In addition, Judi is always
ready for a special assignment, such as creating a script for the agency’s
promotional video.

Judi considers her volunteer work at PAWS/LA to be incredibly rewarding.  Of
PAWS/LA she says, “The job you do is amazing and generous of spirit.  It
brings tears to my eyes.”

Judi is also an accomplished dog trainer!  After retiring, she took a year
and a half break before starting to volunteer to raise and train her Maltese
puppy, Jessie.  After spending a “fortune on training and hours upon hours”
of work, Jessie is now so well behaved, she accompanies Judi and her husband
everywhere.

Judi looks forward to continuing to help PAWS/LA as a front desk volunteer
and hopes to do some community outreach soon.

Southern California native Teresa Morrison, a former magazine editor, has been volunteering in the PAWS/LA food bank for the past 4 months.  She first heard of PAWS/LA during her 10-year career in LGBT publishing when she worked for HIV+ magazine.  When the economic recession and crisis in print publishing lead to layoffs, Teresa’s job was eliminated leading to a life-changing career move.

With ample free time on her hands, Teresa decided to spend it constructively.  Previous volunteer experiences with Project Angelfood and APLA, along with her HIV activism lead to a natural interest in helping PAWS/LA.  Additionally, Teresa was interested in helping animals.  Living on a fixed income while looking for a new job, she understood the dilemma PAWS/LA clients face when choosing between caring for their pets and eating.  Teresa herself currently cares for two cats and two dogs, all rescued from shelters.

Teresa works in the PAWS/LA food bank every Friday afternoon.  She calls the work “zen like”; after working in an office for years, using her hands is a welcome change.  While in the food bank, Teresa assists clients with their monthly food pick ups, bags cat and dog food into monthly allotments, and keeps the warehouse neat and tidy.  Her volunteer work also gives her an excuse to come to downtown Los Angeles, an area of town she hasn’t explored much lately.

Teresa’s prior work in LGBT publishing and her volunteer work at PAWS/LA helped her realize that meaningful work is extremely important to her.  With the amount of time that we give to our jobs, she says, she wants to be doing something that helps people.  Teresa will be starting a combination teaching credential and Masters in Education program at Cal State-Northridge this fall.  She plans to teach English to special needs kids.  Though we will be sorry to lose Teresa as a regular food bank volunteer, we wish her luck in her new career.

Jenny Kriendler is a new volunteer at PAWS/LA, but with her big heart and compassion for animals she has already been recognized by the agency for her hard work.

Jenny is a long-time animal lover who grew up with dogs, parakeets, guinea pigs, chinchillas, fish, turtles, rats and even hedgehogs. Her two family dogs live in Arizona with her parents, but she still gets to see her furry friends a few times a year. In the near future, she also plans on adopting her own dog from a shelter in Los Angeles.

As a new member of PAWS/LA’s volunteer team, Jenny commits about six hours a week assisting the agency. She helps out wherever she is needed, whether it is delivering pet food to clients or serving as the PAWS/LA receptionist. She also shares her background in social work to counsel clients on occasion. When needed for critical cases, she helps clients find additional services outside of PAWS/LA. And, she has created a resource guide that provides information to clients about other supportive services they may need. Her next project will focus on a research study about the benefits and effects of PAWS/LA’s PetCo Place.

Jenny was introduced to PAWS/LA while volunteering for an animal assisted therapy organization. While at a special event, she visited the PAWS/LA information booth and learned about the agency. The moment she found out about the PAWS/LA mission, she knew she wanted to devote all of her extra time to the cause.

“There is no agency out there servicing people’s pets like PAWS/LA does. I see the organization as a social service agency for animals,” Jenny said. “There are so many groups in our community that help people in need, but their pets are so often overlooked.”

Jenny understands the importance of having a loving companion animal, especially for the underprivileged and underrepresented population that PAWS/LA targets. Having a pet provides therapeutic benefits for owners, especially when they are coping with life struggles.

“PAWS/LA supports and recognizes the importance of the bond between animals and humans. I fully believe in this bond,” Jenny explained. “I also believe that it is crucial to get involved in the community and take time out of our busy lives to help others.”

Jenny attributes her choice to volunteer at PAWS/LA to the fact that she “gets to help people and animals all in one fell swoop.”

Her experience at PAWS/LA thus far has been a rewarding one. Volunteering brings her a sense of relief because she knows clients’ animals are getting the care they need. She is happy that her work is appreciated.

Ultimately, Jenny’s life goal is to incorporate animal assisted therapy into her social work.

“As humans, it is our duty to appreciate and value the benefits that animals bring our world. We cannot abuse the power we have to control their lives,” Jenny, clearly passionate about the subject, elaborates. “People have become more and more desensitized to the fact that animals positively contribute so much to us. We rarely take time out of our day to thank the animals that have given their lives for either human food or because we destroyed their habitats to build new homes. Without animals and pets, we would not be the species we are today.”

Debbie Thayer was in her local pet store flipping through a newspaper when an ad for PAWS/LA caught her eye. After going online and finding out more information about the organization, she realized she wanted to become a volunteer.

For over a year now, Debbie has devoted her Tuesday mornings to PAWS/LA. She’s the smiling face you see as you walk in the door, eager and willing to help both clients and staff. Debbie loves animals and grew up her whole life in the company of dogs, cats, fish and even birds.

Debbie adopted a springer spaniel named JJ from a no-kill shelter when he was five years old.  Originally, she was looking for a puppy, but she fell in love with this sweet adult dog. Over the years, Debbie took JJ on all sorts of trips, including trips to both the mountains and the desert. He was extremely affectionate and one of the best dogs she had ever owned. Debbie wanted to get another dog to keep JJ company, and so came Dusty, a 10-month old Australian Queensland Heeler.

Debbie says her dogs were especially invaluable to her during her long and emotional divorce a few years ago, “I don’t know what I would have done without the companionship of my dogs. They kept me busy and kept my mind off my current troubles. When I would get upset, they were right there to comfort me.”  Debbie’s personal experience has shown her how pets provide hope, friendship and meaning for people who are going through tough times. As a volunteer, she feels lucky to support an organization that emphasizes the importance of pets, “The people I have met are so sweet and so grateful.  I am so thankful to be part of such a wonderful organization as PAWS/LA.