Volunteer Spotlight:
Vicky Paddack

Vicky, right, at Big Martini 8

Some people wonder if they can fit volunteering into their busy schedules. Vicky Paddack has no problem doing just that. In the winter of 1999, Vicky was looking for a place that would combine her love of animals with the ability to get involved and make a difference. The HSGKC was a perfect fit. “I saw the people there really did seem to care for the animals and the fact that the shelter was no kill had a large impact on my decision as well,” she says. Vicky has been involved with the dogs and cats as well as letter stuffing and data entry. She has also helped with Satellite adoptions, Dog N Jog Committee, Art Unleashed Committee, Top Cats and Tails Committee, Pet Telethon, and in-house dog obedience classes with/for shelter dogs.

Since she has started volunteering, the HSGKC has impacted her life in another way as well. It introduced her to her dog, Scooter. During the satellite adoptions, she spent plenty of time with Scooter. “Through those outings she and I grew a bond,” Vicky explains. “I just knew she was meant to be my dog, so, I got a place where I could have a 50 pound dog and adopted her.  Now she looks at me every day with those adoring puppy dog eyes and I just know no one will ever love me like her.”

The Kansas City native leads a very busy life, working two jobs, including Missouri Gas Energy, while taking a break from going to school at MU for a degree in biology. “I love the exposure to all the different animals and the ability to help better their lives,” says Vicky. “There’s nothing more rewarding to me than helping animals; they just bring a smile to my face. Just knowing that every little thing I do there helps an animal who could have otherwise been starving or neglected or even killed, it doesn’t get any more satisfying than that.”

When Vicky has spare time, she enjoys reading, going to movies, and spending time with her friends as well as taking part in several animal-related causes including; Paws in the Park, MAAL, HSUS and PETA, and cuddling up with Scooter and Cali, her 15-year old cat. As you can see from her involvement, animal rights are important to Vicky. She says that when she was growing up, her father, who was used to farm life, believed that their dogs and rabbits belonged outside or in the garage. She has since educated him on the importance of keeping pets indoors. She has also set up a link to donate to the HSGKC on her myspace page in a window marked “Causes.” Click here to view Vicky's myspace page.

Vicky thoroughly believes in the importance of the work that she and her fellow volunteers are doing at the HSGKC. She offers this advice, “Don’t let any kind of day to day repetition in your volunteer efforts get in the way of seeing the amazing thing that you’re doing. Too often I’ve seen people that have been around animals on a recurring basis become desensitized to them. If you feel this happening, take 15 minutes to shut yourself in a room full of playful puppies; play, laugh and remember what you’re really doing here. Everything you do makes a difference for these animals.”

We are looking for a few volunteers to join the Dog-n-Jog planning committee. Areas that we especially need help on include: marketing, sponsors, and prizes. Contact Jo at 913-596-1000 x 22 if you’d like more information. (Dog-n-Jog is Sunday, June 14 on the Country Club Plaza.)

Welcome to our newest HSGKC volunteers: Robin Diener, Andrea Kircher, Justin Kircher, Stephanie Mitchell, Rebekah Owens, Tess Flores, Brittany Campbell, Patrick Schieber, Jim Halderman, Riley Pascazi, Erica Wilson, Veronica Shipley, Tea Parker, Tanya Fortman, Tamara Scharfenkamp, and Rick Webb.

Thank you for helping with the fun and furry Pet Telethon on Sunday, February 15. More than 1,000 people donated to this annual event to help the animals. We raised more than $120,000 and Karen Sands has been busy processing adoption applications. Thank you for helping to spread the word about the Telethon to your friends and family. Even in this hard economic time the community tuned in and reached out to help the pets.

As you know, the Humane Society offers low cost spay/neuter and other veterinary services. Currently, we have coupons, which can be redeemed at the HSGKC for spay/neuter services at a discounted price. We would like to distribute these coupons to people with low or fixed incomes. If you know of any stores or organizations that serve this population please let Jo know so we can give them these coupons for distribution.

After spending lots of time with our furry friends, we can start to get a little furry ourselves, and that’s why we need lint rollers at the HSGKC. Please bring one or two by the next time you are here.

For a list of other items and services we need, check out our Sit Up and Beg Wish List.

Do you want to help Kansas City’s homeless pets find a new family? Email Jana if you are able to help with our March satellites:

Petco
Saturdays, March 7 & 21
95th & Quivira in Overland Park
(north of Oak Park Mall and next to Toys-R-Us)
11am to 3pm
We'll bring several dogs and a few cats.

Brookside St. Pat's Warm Up Parade
Saturday, March 14
Volunteers meet at 12:45, finished by 4pm
Near 63rd & Wornall, KCMO
We'll be walking our shelter dogs in the Brookside St. Pat's Parade again this year, and this time we'll have our own mascot: a 40 ft wiener dog!

Thank you to all of the volunteers that helped with mailing the January newsletter. These volunteers include: Cynthia Newbill, Devon Herbermann, Pam Jasinkas, Floyd Rogers, Jesse Madison, La Shawnda Brown, Ronnii Whitley, and Lynn Sakl. This is a big task, so we appreciate the work you all put into it and remind anyone who would like to help us with the next mailing to look for the email which will include the date for this project. It should be sometime between April 23-28.

Abe, Abigail, Beamer, BeBe & Virginia (together!), Cayla

Eva, Gromit, Henry & Percy (together!), Kate

Pammie, Phoebe, Shelly & Trooper (together!), Violet, Yogi... and several more!