By Brad Nellis
If you’re a pet lover like me, you know how nice it is to come home and get a warm greeting from your furry friend. And how enjoyable it is to walk your pup, either in the neighborhood or hiking in one of our beautiful parks.
But every year, a lot of dogs, cats, and other small animals aren’t blessed with a loving home that includes safety, comfort, and plenty of meals and treats. Fortunately, our local animal shelters do a great job providing a safe, temporary home and needed medical care. The Humane Society of Summit County (HSSC) is just such a place, sheltering and placing hundreds of dogs, cats, rabbits, and even ferrets (!) every year.
I’ve been a small financial donor for a number of years along with treats, toys, blankets, and other items. And I recently began a part-time volunteer gig with the organization.
HSSC has an excellent, well-structured, well-managed volunteer program. They offer scaled training for volunteers to ensure consistent care for the animals, a variety of “duties” and a very flexible scheduling protocol. Some of the help I’ve provided includes:
- Dog walking (the best!)
- Laundry
- Dish washing
- Food sorting
- Cat socialization (playing!)
- Cat room cleaning
HSSC has a wonderful, caring staff, but volunteers help lighten the load a bit and free up staff time for important, direct care duties.
If you have an interest in giving back to our community in this way, click here to learn more about how to get involved. You’ll be glad you did!
But wait, there’s more. HSSC also takes cash donations, of course, and through June 30, 2026, they’ve got a benefactor who’s matching donations. So, every dollar you donate THIS month will be doubled. Great! Learn more here.
And finally, HSSC is also raffling off a Subaru Crosstrek presently. It’s a great opportunity to make a contribution and possibly win a new set of wheels.
Supporting HSSC as a donor and volunteer has been very rewarding to me. I hope you’ll consider helping this fine organization too if you’re able to do so.
By Brad Nellis