Meet Susan, our amazing dog shelter volunteer who started with us in March of this year. Susan has been such a wonderful addition to our team. Though Susan started out in Dog Walking & Enrichment she has since branched out to helping with Kibble Distribution, Miles for Mutts, Dog Dates and plans to complete the next Purple Dog Training.
Susan’s vision is to see a world with no more homeless pets although she realizes that is a BIG vision. Until that day comes, she wants to help as many dogs as she can to find loving homes. She believes in the mission at Animal Friends Alliance to not only help homeless animals but to also keep animals out of shelters by providing programs such as Kibble Distribution and the Community Cats Program.
Susan has a special place in her heart for the senior dogs and shy dogs. Her favorite moments are when she sees a shy dog open up and show their personality. It also warms her heart to see sweet older dogs like Chester and Watson find their families. Susan is always willing to find time in her schedule to be with the dogs. She is compassionate, empathetic and patient with animals allowing them the time to open up to her.
When Susan isn’t at the shelter, she is also a volunteer at the Colorado Horse Rescue. She now has 3 horses that she has adopted from the rescue. Rascal and Griz are her 2 adult horses and she has a pony named Prince who was a former therapy horse. She also has two cats that came from a litter that she and her husband rescued from under a porch in New Jersey.
Susan grew up outside of Cleveland and lived in the New York and New Jersey area for 35 years. She received her Masters in Counseling and her PhD in Microbiology. She worked as a Licensed Clinical Therapist part time while also working for 30 years in the pharmaceutical industry. She and her husband decided to retire in Colorado because of their love for the mountains and the outdoor lifestyle. Her favorite hobbies include ballroom dancing, reading, hiking, cycling, yoga and going to the gym. In the future, Susan hopes to expand into other roles at Animal Friends Alliance as a K9 Coach and Clinic volunteer. She also plans to hone in on her ballroom dancing skills in hopes of competing in the future.
Thank you, Susan, for dedicating your time and heart to helping animals in need! We’re so glad to have you on our team.