According to statistics, one out of three people quit volunteering after less than a year. At Where the Love Is Animal Shelter, we are grateful that many of our volunteers have been helping us out for more than five years.
When one of our long-term volunteers does leave us, like veteran helper, Carolyn Carfora, we feel the same happy/sad tug at our hearts as when we watch a rescued dog walk away with its new family.
Carolyn, a special-education teacher from East Haven, recently moved closer to family in South Carolina after five years of helping to transform terrified new shelter arrivals into trusting and loving dogs ready for rehoming. “My favorite part of volunteering was playing with all the dogs, walking them, and showing them love,” she said. “I especially tried to connect with the dogs that came to us very nervous and scared. I wanted them to feel safe and loved.”
Like many of our volunteers, Carolyn came to us hoping to fill the void left by the death of her beloved dog, Cassie, also a rescue. “I started asking friends and colleagues if they knew of any animal rescues because I wanted to start volunteering to be around dogs,” Carolyn said. “I was given some names, but there was something pushing me towards WTLI, so I filled out a volunteer application right away.”
Volunteers cover 14 shifts a week, during which they clean dozens of cages, wash and bleach floors, and feed, exercise, and socialize the dogs. In addition, volunteers take dogs on day trips and attend adoption events, so there’s always something to do. “It is so important to be committed as a volunteer,” Carolyn said. “The dogs depend on us for their meals, exercise and attention. We owe it to them to be there.” Carolyn said that her friends and family quickly learned that there was at least one night a week where she would not be available: her time was spent at the shelter.
All rescued dogs bring their own sad stories with them, but Carolyn said the most emotionally difficult issue to deal with is when they need extensive medical care. “Illness is the hardest. Seeing a dog that is sick or in pain is so hard,” she said. “I have an interest in holistic veterinary practices, and I do a lot of research on this topic.”
To help heal the loss of Cassie, Carolyn has adopted three dogs from WTLI over the years who are now the beneficiaries of her expertise. Rhea and Chance are mother and son and Cody, one of seven puppies born to Gretel, a Chihuahua mix who came from Texas from a hoarding situation. “I was especially drawn to a little, blonde, fluffy puppy,” Carolyn said. “At this point, it was nine months since Cassie had passed away, and I was not sure if I was ready to adopt yet. There was just something about that blonde pup that I could not get out of my mind. On Valentine’s Day 2020, that little pup became our Chance, named for giving us a second “chance” to open our hearts to another dog.”
Knowing Carolyn as we do, we know it wasn’t chance that brought her our way, but fate. We wish her the best in her next chapter and envy the next organization that benefits from her years of volunteer experience with us!
