Pet Welfare volunteers provide essential care to Eglin's furriest

  • Published
  • By Ashley M. Wright
  • Team Eglin Public Affairs
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  More than 300 cats and dogs are placed in loving homes every year thanks to Eglin's all-volunteer pet shelter. 

"We do really well with what we have, but we could do better," said Jennifer Davis, Pet Welfare volunteer coordinator. "Our greatest need is volunteers for weekday [morning] shifts." 

As the Year of the Air Force Family gears up for National Family Volunteer Day on Nov. 21, it is important to remember some members of the family cannot speak for themselves. 

Pet Welfare, a non-profit and no-kill shelter, operates with approximately 140 volunteers. Although located on base, the 27-year-old center receives no monetary support from the government, relying solely on the kindness of others. The volunteers provide care for the 40 cats and about 20 dogs available for adoption. 

Like many other pet welfare volunteers, Mrs. Davis donates her time to honor a member of her family. 

"My life was blessed by a furry son," she said of her dog Dallas. "When he passed in November (2008), we felt the need to honor his kind." 

The organization takes in animals that military members surrender because of circumstances like a permanent change of station, deployments, etc. Service members and their animals take top priority, but the shelter will also take in animals surrendered from people with no affiliation to the base. In a recent case, the group found two abandoned dogs roaming the woods on Eglin and is trying to find them a home while the two receive routine medical care, Mrs. Davis said. 

De Cunningham, Pet Welfare volunteer, gave a simple answer as to why she spent the past year walking dogs, cleaning out cages, feeding and giving medicine to her furry pals. 

"I love animals, what can I say," she said while petting Angel, a corgi/Labrador retriever mix. 

Ms. Cunningham explained that socializing with the animals who are surrendered by their owners is extremely vital because it gives the animals reassurance and confidence that everything will be okay. 

Not all volunteers leave the animals at the shelter, Mrs. Davis said. Currently, some volunteers take kittens that are too small to stay in the shelter home. Additionally, volunteers take the animals to the veterinarian and to adopt-a-thons. They also brave bad weather to bring the dogs inside the shelter because heavy rains can cause the outside, covered kennels to flood. 

An architect volunteered designs for a new facility for the animals with indoor and outdoor runs for the dogs and numerous other features common in pet shelters across the country, Mrs. Davis said. The money needing to be raised for the new shelter hovers around $250,000, and the organization is currently looking for a builder to donate services or provide a discounted rate. 

Mrs. Davis said volunteering with Pet Welfare does not necessarily mean handling cats and dogs. Volunteers can help around the office or sign up for several committees that provide services like publicity for the organization. The group also takes supply and monetary donations. People can find a list of needed supplies or make donations through the organization's Web site. 

"Animals have so much love to give," Mrs. Davis said. "There might be a little bit of work, but what they give back is so much greater." 

For more information about Pet Welfare including how to volunteer, visit www.petwelfare.net. To learn about other opportunities to volunteer on Eglin, click on the link below.