Furkids is the organization it is, in large part, because of the hard work done behind the scenes by its shelter employees, volunteers, and donors.
This is a story about just one dedicated employee who has been a part of the Furkids family since 2014.
When she was born, we had 2 cats. We always had pets, all of our extended family had either dogs or cats, and (like a lot of kids) as a very small child, she declared she wanted to be a vet.
When we moved to the U.S., our cats were not allowed to cross the border so they remained with family and we started over. When she was 6, we adopted a cat from a local rescue group. At 8, we started fostering when I found some abandoned kitties and a pregnant mom. By the time she was 12, we had fostered many more(at least a dozen) homeless cats through two different rescue groups in Maryland then in Georgia when we moved here. She connected with nearly every one of them, and many tears were shed when her favorites were adopted out.
At the age of 17, she worked part time weekends at a pet resort cleaning kennels. She loved the animals but wanted more responsibility and knowledge. At 18, she started working for Furkids as a kennel tech in the dog shelter.
Since then, she has moved to the cat shelter and up in responsibilities, learning the medical and Vet Tech side of shelter life. She likes to call herself a sponge for it- she asks questions, learns quickly, and is eager to practice what she learns.
Volunteers and coworkers tell me she has a maturity and genuine loving demeanor that goes beyond her 22 years. Even when exhausted or in pain after long hard shifts, she does her best to carry on. She volunteers for overnight ‘slumber parties’ when we are expecting snow or ice. She works on holidays so the other staff with human kids can spend time together. She goes to work when sick because the kitties need her.
She truly does it all for the animals, is so excited to meet and assess the new intakes, and still sheds tears when they leave for their new homes. She sheds tears of sheer sadness and frustration when there is a case that can’t be cured. She still fosters those who need her, with a special place for the ‘broken’ ones. She helped our hearts heal when we lost our senior kitty last year, by bringing over a tiny little furball she was fostering. That furball is now sleeping on my feet and not so little anymore.
This is the story of Monique, and I am so proud to call her my daughter. Her love for all things on more than two legs has only grown as she has, and all of the furballs at Furkids are so lucky to have her taking care of them until they go to their forever home!