Volunteer of the Month: Ellah Mikesell

Volunteering is not only good for the dogs and cats; it also helps the people who volunteer. It provides exercise, training, friendships, a sense of accomplishment, better mental health, and more. That’s what Ellah Mikesell discovered through volunteering at Last Hope.

Ellah began walking dogs. From taking out a few different dogs, she wanted to meet all the dogs and help with them. She volunteers at events and especially likes transporting the dogs to the venues because she knows they’re going to get more exposure which will increase the likelihood of them getting adopted. She has taken some dogs on outings to Morgan Creek or public trails to enjoy a few hours outside of their kennels. Ellah has also fostered and hopes to continue to be able to do that. Her volunteering even led to a new career! She is now a groomer at Cedar Run Company where Last Hope dogs go for their grooming needs.

Ellah likes volunteering at Last Hope because it is so rewarding to see dogs come out of their shells after having a rough life or helping a dog who never knew the love of a human. She appreciates that there are more ways to volunteer than walking dogs like laundry, cleaning, etc.

She says, “I was super nervous to start volunteering by myself and go to a building with a bunch of people I don’t know, but I did it anyway. You never know where stepping out of your comfort zone will take you and it doesn’t hurt to try new things.”

It can be kind of scary to walk into an unknown situation, but we’re glad Ellah found the courage to try something new because she is a valuable part of the Last Hope team! She is dependable, a hard worker, and such an asset in so many ways.