Volunteer of the Month: Eric Ballas

There are many different ways to volunteer at Last Hope. There are more common ways like caring for the pets at the Adoption Center, fostering, helping at events, computer support work, being a board member, etc. But we like to think outside the box when helping the animals.

Eric had adopted a dog from LHAR in 2022 and although they took her on frequent walks to the dog park and had her spend time at doggy daycare, she seemed lonely. We suggested to Eric that perhaps he could take one of the Adoption Center dogs home for a weekend when his schedule permitted. That will give the dog time away from the shelter life and help Eric’s dog with her loneliness.

In comes Trigg. Or as Eric calls him, Trigg-nado. He has taken Trigg home for about 10 weekends since July. There Trigg can relax, run in the yard, hang out with Eric’s dog, and just have a more normal life for a while.

Eric says he volunteers because it upsets him when he learns of abused or abandoned pets and he wants to do as much as he can to help.

We are thankful for Eric giving Trigg a home life from time to time and we’re sure Trigg appreciates it. It can be particularly difficult for some dogs to spend time in a kennel situation and people like Eric give them a chance to get away from the environment for a while. We appreciate all of the jobs our volunteers do – whether typical or more unique.