Volunteers of the Month: Alec Countryman and Erin Taylor

We are lucky to have the team of Alec and Erin as volunteers at Last Hope! Here is their story in their own words:

“Hello, we are Alec and Erin and we are so delighted to be December’s Volunteers of the Month! We have been fostering since March 2022 after buying our first home together that came with the perfect backyard for a furry friend. We have always known that a dog is in our future and a rescue was the obvious choice for us. We wanted to help give dogs a second chance, which is exactly what lead us to Last Hope. After learning that Last Hope allows their adoptable dogs to be fostered while waiting to find their forever home, we quickly decided to take in a dog who could use our help.

We quickly learned that we love training dogs and watching them grow day by day. We have been able to help multiple dogs through surgeries, wounds, and recovery. Alec’s favorite part in the process is seeing the personality bloom from each dog while they progress through training. Erin is especially fond of writing adoption bios for each dog and highlighting their quirks through their story. We always find ourselves scrolling through pictures looking for the perfect image that shows off the beauty in each pup. We work as a team to not only train and care for each dog, but we also work together to ensure each dog is placed in their perfect family.

While they are with us, they get lots of practice training and learning new commands. It isn’t often that a day goes by that the pups aren’t snuggled up next to Erin taking a nap. When they aren’t snoozing, they are often getting fitted for their new shirts that Erin loves sewing for them. Alec has the kindest soul and the highest level of patience of anyone you could meet. As a pair we bring out the best in each other to help get every dog prepared for their adoptive family. We are so thankful that Last Hope is dedicated to saving animals and we are honored to be a part of that mission. We will be forever grateful that Last Hope saved our sweet boy Bruce and brought him into our lives. He has brought so much happiness into our home and has been an amazing foster brother to all of our canine companions. Last Hope saved him on what would have been his final day and now he has become a beacon of joy to everyone who meets him. Whether you fall in love with his kisses, or the way he plays hide and seek, he seems to melt everyone he meets. Since Last Hope gave us the amazing gift of saving Bruce, we look forward to helping them for a long time to come.”

It’s people like Alec and Erin who make it possible for us to save as many lives as we do. So, thank you – we couldn’t do it without you two!