Alissa Sillars: Volunteer Spotlight

“I have been volunteering as a kitten foster with Furry Friends for the past four months,” says Alissa.

“I originally fostered two kittens with Bradford’s Second Chance, a rescue that primarily fosters dogs. After both of my kittens had been adopted, Megan, the founder, suggested I reach out to you.

“My favorite parts about fostering are, without a doubt, the endless cuddles and little meows. My greatest challenge, though, was when I lost a kitten to an illness about two months ago. I was devastated. Fostering is a lot of work and has some very difficult moments, but seeing the kittens settled with their fur-ever families makes the hard times worth it.

“To date, my proudest moment was rehabilitating a kitten named Toast, who was found in a car engine with a burnt paw. She’s the closest I’ve ever come to foster failing, but she’s now thriving in her fur-ever home and even has a cat brother!  

“Outside of fostering, I work as an intelligence analyst. As to why I give back: I believe that if everyone volunteered a little, even for one hour a month, our world would be a much better place. I have the space and resources to spend a lot more time volunteering, and I encourage those who can do it, to also try. You’d be surprised at the impact you can make.

“I have no pets of my own at home. I started fostering in 2020, and so far haven’t foster failed once given the nearly 200 cats and kittens I’ve fostered.

“Just for fun: I speed puzzle, garden (inside and out), live to travel, and recently got into Mahjong!”

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Furry Friends Volunteer Spotlights are compiled and written by Nomi Berger who is the bestselling author of seven novels, one work of non-fiction, two volumes of poetry, and hundreds of articles. She is a volunteer writer for Furry Friends in Vancouver, WA and also volunteers her writing skills to animal rescue groups in Canada and the USA.