Teenager prepares rescued animals for future homes
by Joel Danoy/Tracy Press Tracy Press
Rebecca Fuller, 15, cuddles one of the puppies rescued by Animal Rescue of Tracy.
slideshow On a recent weekday, Rebecca Fuller sat in the middle of a 3-foot-high circular metal cage as two puppies licked her face and chewed on her hair.
For many people, that wouldn’t be the way to relax each day after work or school.
But the 15-year-old freshman at Tracy High feels right at home as a volunteer at Animal Rescue of Tracy each day after school.
“I really like animals, and it’s really fun sitting in the cage with them,” stated the Tracy resident. “You get to learn all about them, and it’s fun being able to tell people all about the animals when they come to look at them.”
Rebecca, who stated she grew up having a passion for animals, began volunteering at the rescue shelter about three months ago. Since that first day, she has found it hard to walk away.
“The animals all know me,” she stated smiling. “They are all my friends and really have a great time being together. I just couldn’t leave them.”
According to Nicole Goodfriend-Coffill, community relations volunteer for the rescue, Rebecca has become a “standout volunteer” whom she labelled as “an ambassador for the animal rescue.”
“She doesn’t have to be here, but she wants to be here. So there is a different amount of initiative with public interaction,” she said. “Whereas a couple of volunteers might just do what they’re asked to do, Rebecca actually takes the initiative to greet the public when they walk in and immediately introduce the puppies to any interested passers-by.”
One of Rebecca’s major responsibilities, Goodfriend-Coffill said, is preparing the animals to interact with other people. It’s a task that Rebecca believes to be the most important. According to Goodfriend-Coffill, the rescue has about 30 dogs and 20 cats at any given time.
“I like to get to know the animals so that I can find the right person to take them home,” Rebecca said. “It’s exciting when people find the pet they want to take home.”
Goodfriend-Coffill stated that the teenager’s maturity and capability to become familiar with the animals is “one of her strongest qualities.”
“Rebecca has a great capability of calming the animals, which is huge, because we need the animals to be shown in their ideal light so that people will be interested in them,” she said. “Each week, she might be responsible for a different dog. She kind of sticks by that dog’s side, so she can bond with them, so that she can show them to the public in their ideal light.”
Rebecca is also a “positive role model” for other junior volunteers at the rescue, Goodfriend-Coffill said.
“The younger children really look up to Rebecca,” she said. “She does a great job showing them how to handle the animals, interact with the public, and overall, she just sets a good example for everyone.”
For Rebecca’s part, she hopes to continue her work at the rescue shelter, while expanding her efforts to improve animal welfare by raising money and awareness in Tracy to support the local animal population.
“I think that every animal deserves the right home,” she said.
Related News:
- Gauge of US economy’s future health up in April
- We have created an emergency plan for any future building collapses: Sadat …
- Housing strategies key to future, says author
- Change of mind for future life
- Our wireless future will bring breakneck speeds and tablet-powered homes
- Malaysia's youth forging a new future?
- Lebanon Valley Council on the Arts seeks input on future of building
- Future of computer interaction on display in Paris
- Cuba’s young see bleak future at home
- Are Raleigh’s future building projects facing doomsday?
Details :
Submited at Saturday, December 24th, 2011 at 12:00 am on Uncategorized by ethan
Comment RSS 2.0 - leave a comment - trackback