Volunteers

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ONLINE VOLUNTEER APPLICATION!

We need carpentry skills to update the adoption center at Pet World. We want to make one of the separation cages a little larger and add a divider so we can have to spaces for cats to transition before going into the big adoption cage.

We also are still looking for someone to paint our logo onto the game boards for events and add some graphics and put a coating to protect it from weather as most events they would be used at are outside.

Direct Care Volunteer

Want to do some direct care volunteer work and are 18 yr or older?
You can help at Kitty City Adoption Center, at Pet World, Rt. 9 Natick.

We are looking for people who will alternate so no one person needs to spend every weekend at the shelter.

We need help with cleaning and feeding either/or Fridays and Saturdays. 9am - Noon

Adeline Apoderni
Adoption Counselor at Kitty City at Pet World

SPIN is happy to announce that Adeline Apoderni has joined Stray Pets In Need as our new Adoption Counselor at Kitty City at Pet World, Natick. Adeline comes to SPIN with 13 years of experience in the cat adoption process and brings that "sixth sense" that is so needed to make the best adoptions possible. The adoption process at SPIN is far more than just filling out an application or adoption contract. Good and intuitive matches need to be made for both the adopter and the cat or cats involved. Adeline has this intuition through not only her years of experience but her innate sensitivities.

Adeline's other cat activities include TNR, which is the trapping, neutering and eventual return or release of the cat to its environment as long as it is hospitable with feeders and monitors who are the look-out for new additions to the colony or cats who may show signs of illness. The left ear is usually tipped, that is, a small piece is cut off at the tip. It is the universal sign of a cat that has already been neutered to ensure no duplication of efforts and expense.

Another specialty Adeline counts among her endeavors is the fostering and socialization of feral cats. There are so many approaches to this delicate work. Progress comes in infinitesmal increments that tiny steps bring such satisfaction and celebration to the socializer.

Adeline will be at Pet World doing adoption on alternating Sundays.

And while we're at it, HUGE thanks to Marie Antobenedetto who has been doing SPIN adoptions for years now. She also has that extra dimension of intuition that makes for successful adoptions. Marie is also Shelter Manager as well at Pet World store manager. We wonder what she does in her spare time!

Welcome, Adeline! And thanks for coming aboard!

Lyn Woodhead as she won National Animal Control Officers volunteer of the year Award.

National Award for Animal Control Volunteer
presented to Carolyn (Lyn) Woodhead.

(Presented to her at the National Animal Control Conference May 31st in Cincinnati, Ohio)

From Wellesley Animal Control Officer Sue Webb
swebb@wellesleyma.gov
7881-235-8460

It is a pleasure for Wellesley Animal Control Officer Sue Webb to announce that Carolyn (Lyn ) Woodhead has been selected as the recipient of the 2006 National Animal Control Association
Dianne Lane Memorial Award for Outstanding Volunteer Services. She was chosen from nominations from across the United States and selected as the one that met the highest standards for an animal control agency volunteer.

Carolyn (Lyn) Woodhead is a Natick, Mass. Resident and a retired Wellesley elementary school teacher. When she was teaching she would invite animal control into her classroom each year as part of her regular curriculum. Once she retired she continued her connection to helping the animals by volunteering with Stray Pets in Need of Mass. Inc.(SPIN), a group specifically set up to help animal control and provide care of strays beyond the funds provided by town government.

She helped revamp our volunteer program and organized the transition shelter, the supplies and procedures. She took over the task to coordinate volunteer shifts and filling in for direct care shifts if someone cancelled. She would train new volunteers who came to provide direct care of the cats (being the main species of unclaimed animals). She would work several shifts with them until they felt confident to work with other volunteers.

She has served on the board of directors of SPIN as Vice President and continues as an advisory member. Lyn has chaired fundraising events such as our annual spring fling auction. She has been a leader of volunteers working on fundraising activities. Each fall she spends a weekend teaching new volunteers how to make boxwood trees which are then sold at our Home 4 the Holidays event. She helps out at many educational events such as our low cost micro-chipping clinics. The more pets chipped the fewer end up at animal control. She supervises volunteers and ensures that everything runs smoothly at the events.

Besides doing routine care of the cats Lynn has learned to administer routine medications. She is diligent to be sure volunteers give the medications properly and that the treatments are recorded on the records.

Lynn has also become involved in SMART - State of Mass. Animal Response Team and the pet friendly sheltering sub group.

With not enough hours in a day for animal control to complete tasks I can call on Lyn to help with shuttling strays back and forth to veterinary clinics for treatments or spay/neuter surgery.

On short notice when animal control could not make a presentation at an elementary school she has stepped up to help out to be sure the children did not miss an opportunity to learn about humane treatment of animals.

Being a one person department, not wanting to euthanize strays, I rely on volunteers to come in to help care for the animals. Lyn will come in on short notice to fill in a shift that needs covering. Even when recovering from surgery she has come in to clean and care for the upper level caged cats and supervising someone to do the bottom cages since it was too painful for her to kneel.

When I have been deployed through VMAT-1 to respond to NYC 2001 and Katrina 2005 I only had a short time to implement my own pet emergency plan. I was able to make a call and know Lyn would work to coordinate with other volunteers so that the strays I left behind would continue to be cared for, receive treatments and go up for adoption when ready. It is a big relief off my shoulders when away to know the animals left at home are also being cared for properly.

Our animal control program would not be as effective without volunteers and especially without a special leader and dedicated volunteer like Lyn.

The Diane Lane Memorial Award.

This Award is for outstanding volunteer service. The nominee selected to win this Award must be someone who is not directly employed in the animal control field, but is a volunteer in animal welfare-related activities. He or she will have demonstrated exceptional dedication or performed outstanding work far beyond the requirements of the volunteer position. To nominate someone for this Award, you must work with, or have direct first hand knowledge of the nominee. Support or services provided by the nominee shall have directly benefited your agency or organization.