Cover Story

SafeHaven Super Volunteers

MEET KATHY SONDERMAN

Our dedicated team of volunteers and foster parents are what make SafeHaven so special. Mahatma Ghandi said, "The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service to others." With so many opportunities to serve in our community, we value the volunteers who choose to work with us at SafeHaven, not only with the animals but also in our Gift & Thrift stores, with our Customer Care teams, in our medical department, with fostering animals in need, with events, and so much more. Each person in every role makes a powerful difference in the lives of our animals.

We recently caught up with Kathy Sonderman, who has been volunteering with SafeHaven for over 10 years! She is dedicated to our pets, coming in at least once a week to socialize and work with the canines in the shelter but, also over time, has worked hard to help with events, kids' programs, training seminars and classes, and more. Her gentle and kind disposition is exactly what our dogs need and, needless to say, they all adore her.

And Kathy's work hasn't stopped when she walks out the door. In October 2014, after the passing of her beloved dog, she adopted a shy Chihuahua mix, Stella. Kathy recalls, "I wasn't in the market to adopt again

so soon but, with Stella on my lap at a Coastal Farm event one day, I leaned over to Katie (a SafeHaven

employee) and said, "I'm going to adopt her." She sat with the decision over night and after what she recalled as a 'life-like dream' of her late pup, she felt like the permission had been given to move on and fall in love with a new dog. She adopted Stella the next day.

But bringing Stella home was not a smooth transition. You see, Stella had come to SafeHaven on a transport from California and was incredibly shy and timid. She had already been returned to the shelter twice for only hiding under furniture in other homes which, as Kathy recalled, is exactly what she did in her home, as well. But Kathy was patient with Stella and after several months, Stella slowly began to trust. After 6 years with Stella, participating in multiple training classes at SafeHaven, a lot of love, treats, and confidence boosting, Stella has really come out of her shell and made huge strides! Kathy told us, "It

was really hard at first. Really hard. Our instinct as humans sometimes is to push and rush these things, but Stella needed time and patience."

Kathy is a shining example of what dedication looks like. And she is by far, not the only one dedicated like this to our animals and organization. When we say we couldn't do it without our volunteers, we truly mean it. Being a non-profit organization often leaves staffing and resources limited and knowing we can lean on loving and selfless volunteers is what keeps us going. It truly takes a village and we believe our village is the best!

To learn more about volunteering in any capacity for SafeHaven, we encourage you to email our team at volunteer@safehavenhumane.com. We look forward to working with you! And THANK YOU to our team of

incredible volunteers.