Jen Davis: Volunteer Spotlight
“I began volunteering with Furry Friends in March 2025,” says Jen. “After the Presidential election, I was feeling down and I wanted to do something that would potentially make me feel better, while allowing me to make a positive contribution. Because I love cats, I started looking for local volunteer opportunities and found Furry Friends. I was drawn to their mission and impressed that the rescue’s been so successful for so long and powered by so many volunteers.
“I volunteer at the shelter on the Saturday 5-7 PM shift twice a month. Caitlin is the lead and she’s not only amazing, so are all of the other members of the Saturday evening crew.
“My favorite part of volunteering is knowing that I’m both helping the cats and providing a positive service. I also enjoy talking with the other volunteers on my shift. It feels wonderful to be around other like-minded people who are providing the same positive service – to the cats and to the community at large.
“On the other hand, I feel badly that, because of my work schedule, I occasionally have to ask someone to substitute for me on Saturday. I also wish that I could do more to help. I’m an attorney who specializes in digital health and healthcare regulatory compliance, while developing my expertise with AI at the same time.
“As to why I give back? Because I can. Because I care. I donate my time and donate my money whenever possible. While I know it helps the cats, it probably helps me more -- to feel that I’m doing something good and trying to reduce some level of suffering for these precious innocents.
“When I lived in Los Angeles, I volunteered for several cat rescue organizations by helping screen adoption applications and by interviewing potential adopters. It goes without saying that the issue I’m most passionate about is animal welfare. Speaking of which … I have 4 cats at home: Toby, Moo, Mia and Zora. In fact, I adopted sisters Mia and Zora from Furry Friends!
“Then, to relax (I wish I had a hidden talent!), I enjoy reading, especially history books, and engaging in good conversations with friends.”
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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.
