Volunteer of the Month: Sue Bennett

Sue Bennett has been volunteering for Last Hope for more than five years. She began by fostering dogs and now fosters cats and helps clean the cat area at the Adoption Center. She also does transports from time to time. Her cat fosters include FeLV-positive cats and neo-natal kittens. Caring for very young kittens involves losing a lot of sleep because they need to be fed regularly around the clock.

“I love fostering for Last Hope!  I love the team atmosphere and the wealth of knowledge that members of our rescue have.  I’m proud of Last Hope because we don’t hesitate to take animals that might be difficult to adopt or animals that have behavioral or medical issues.  We have so many wonderful volunteers for the Kitty Crew and everyone pitches in to make sure that everything gets done.”

Sometimes people say they could never foster animals because it would be too sad to let them go. Here is what Sue has to say about that:

“I’m not gonna lie — it’s hard sometimes.  It can be messy and hectic.   It takes time and focus, and it can break your heart.  When animals come in they can be challenging – due to illness or human cruelty, sometimes they don’t trust us or like us very much.  And you throw all the love you have (and then some) toward getting them to trust you and love humans again – and when you’ve succeeded, and they are healthy and whole, they get adopted and you start all over with a new one. And those feelings are real, but in the end – even the bad days are worth it.  Honestly, all of the difficulties pale in comparison to the absolute joy of rescue.  Seeing a kitten you bottle-fed (and worried over and lost sleep over) running around, jumping, and playing.  Seeing a dog that has been abused wag his tail for the first time.  Seeing an adoptor’s face when you bring them their new pet.  Seeing a sick cat’s eyes brighten – seeing them getting stronger.  And knowing that you helped.  Knowing that you 100% made a difference.”

Volunteering at a rescue isn’t for everyone, but we’re very thankful that Sue has decided it’s for her because she is a great addition to our team!