Joalene Lehto: Volunteer Spotlight
“I’ve volunteered with Furry Friends for about seven months,” says Joalene. “I was volunteering part-time for another organization and learned about you through an acquaintance of mine who fosters for Furry Friends. When I met Jenn Hutchman at the shelter, I felt at home right away. In fact, people like Jenn, Jessica Horton and Tanika Campbell inspire me in ways too numerous to mention. They make me strive to be the best possible version of myself: more generous, more empathetic and more tolerant.
“I volunteer about 30 hours a week mainly as a foster mom, which includes everything from feeding and medicating to cleaning and enriching these kittens’ lives. My favorite part about fostering is seeing abandoned cats and kittens get a new chance at life. Watching a scared cat blossom and learn to trust again or a sick kitten regain its health and go home with a loving family. Receiving follow-up photos and updates from so many of my thoughtful adopters.
“My greatest challenge is struggling with anxiety that can be heightened when dealing with sick kittens. My biggest fear is losing one in my care. My proudest moment was when I fostered a very sick litter earlier this year. Several kittens with severe tapeworm struggled to gain weight despite round the clock feeding, iron supplements, antibiotics and special food. I added a bed and a microwave to the kitten room and made warm slurry every three hours. Thankfully, they all survived, found amazing homes, and are the sweetest, snuggliest kittens ever!
“As to why I give back? Because I can, and because I know how it feels not having a voice to advocate for yourself. Animals rely on us to advocate for them and in my humble opinion, it’s the least we can do for the privilege of having them in our lives. I’m also passionate about animal rights and TNR.
“At home, I have two dogs and three cats, and I also feed one feral cat. Just for fun: I love to walk or hike while enjoying nature, animals and birds. I like to listen to Reddit story podcasts, play Pokemongo and board games. I also love to spend time with my husband and fur babies.”
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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.
