When volunteers sign up to join our team we ask for a 6 hour a month minimum, but some volunteers go above and beyond that request and Marty S. is one of those volunteers. Marty joined our BHS team in 2011 and over the years she has accumulated over 1,397 hours! She is an incredible volunteer that takes the time to socialize with our cats, giving them the attention they need, and helps us out with the laundry and dishes load.

Marty loves all aspects of volunteering but of course playing with the dogs and cats is her favorite part. She also really enjoys getting to meet potential adopters and working with people who share a desire to make a better life for our furry friends.

Over the years Marty has worked with lots of animals so she of course has had some favorites. When she first started volunteering she started fostering two cats and she loved them so much that she ended up adopting them! Other favorites include a Chihuahua named Hector and a cat named Patrick. Both had great personalities and are incredibly memorable.

Marty told us “every one of them deserves a good home! I’m happy to help make it happen” and Marty we are happy you help make it happen too!

Joining the BHS team 11 months ago, Kim and Mary S. have put in time at our warehouse and cats adoptions and have been a great addition to our team! This past month, Kim and Mary went above and beyond with helping us out. With one of our main warehouse volunteers being absent for the month, this lovely couple really stepped up to do the extra work. As we can assume, doing laundry and cleaning cat supplies may not be the most fun, but they recognize how important of a job it is and took it upon themselves to make sure it got done. Not only have they been working in the warehouse this month, but they also took the time to socialize with our cats, and volunteer to clean for our cats over at PetSmart which are equally as important jobs!

On top of all the volunteering these two have done, they even donated a much needed freezer to our dogs adoptions office. Thanks to them we are now able to offer the dogs frozen kongs to keep them entertained while in their kennels.

Everyone here at BHS values and appreciates everything Kim and Mary do and we are lucky to have them!

After knowing about BHS for 20+ years, Jaime decided to start volunteering with us this past summer and we couldn’t be happier about it! Due to some back injuries, she was in a state of immobility which actually sparked her interested in volunteering. It was hard for her to go from her active lifestyle to being stuck on the couch, so in order to start feeling like herself again, she decided to do something for others. She slowly was able to start taking dogs on longer walks and believes it helped the healing process begin. Since starting here, Jaime has been doing a lot of work both on and off site.

Now that she is feeling better, she is preparing to venture out far and wide to inspire others to donate and adopt by showing them the best side of having a rescue dog. She became inspired after watching sad and negative commercials and realizing this is not a fair portrayal of what shelter dogs are really like. Accompanied by our beloved Nutmeg, she will be traveling across the country, stopping at dog friendly destinations hoping to get her message out there and bring more attention to the matter. Jaime has been doing a lot of work outside of the shelter in order to prepare for her trip including researching destinations, reaching out to dog shelters and rescue facilities, setting up events and interacting with other advocates. Oh, and turning her truck into a tiny house!

We wish you the best of luck Jaime, and thank you for all the hard work you are doing!

Hurry down to Secret Trail Brewery today (02/01/18) between 3:00pm and 6:00pm where $1 of every pint purchased goes toward Jaime and Nutmeg’s adventure fund.

Sue has been dedicating her time to Butte Humane Society since May of 2009. She is our resident cat photographer and has almost 2,400 hours of service! Sue is an active figure in Chico. She works as the assistant Vice President for Alumni and Parent Engagement at CSU Chico, and is on several boards like the Stansbury Home and DCBA and volunteer photography services for Chico Theater Company.

Sue first began volunteering when Butte Humane Society was involved in the ZooToo campaign. The enthusiasm of BHS staff members encouraged Sue to try out volunteering, something she had not really done before. At first, she was not sure what she wanted to do at the shelter, but after she did a photoshoot for the cats Sue was hooked. The Shelter Art Foundation, which provides advice and training for how to take quality photos of shelter animals, helped Sue improve her photography skills and learn how to capture each cat’s individual personality. On top of her regular visits to the BHS catteries, Sue does special event photography such as Pet Photos with Santa and Christmas Preview.

It is easy to see Sue is a cat person from her dedication here, but she does admit she would not mind having a dog sometime in the future. Roughly 700+ animals are photographed by Sue annually, so it is difficult for her to choose a favorite. Some have stood out to her, like BHS alumni Rocky, Thora, Honeysuckle, and Sophie. Several BHS cats have made a deeper connection with Sue and have found a furrever home with her. Currently, Sue is parent to five cats, and has adopted four cats she fostered in the past. She understands how much difference a comfortable bed can make, so she makes cat cage pads and dog coats in her spare time.

Without hesitation, Sue says the best part about volunteering at BHS is seeing the homeless pets find their forever homes and become part of the family. By taking professional photos of BHS animals, Sue can capture their personalities and show them to the public. Hearing someone say they came to see a specific animal because of Sue’s photography really makes her feel like her work is helping the animals find great homes. She is a very active volunteer at BHS, working with animals, staff, and other volunteers. BHS is grateful to have her here.

Sara is volunteering at Butte Humane Society through the CSU Chico program CAVE. She grew up and worked with dogs her whole life, but doesn’t own a dog here in Chico. Sara has three dogs back home, so to get her dog fix she walks, plays and socializes with BHS dogs as often as she can. Although CAVE only requires 30 hours per semester, Sara has almost hit that mark and it is only November!

Sara is originally from Santa Rosa. Her neighborhood was caught in the terrible fires that destroyed many homes. Luckily, her house still stands. Sara overnight fostered BHS dog Marley who has since been adopted! Marley offered Sara and her roommates, who are also from Santa Rosa, emotional support and comfort during that stressful week. Sara plans to do more Dog-on-the-Go and overnight fostering to help BHS dogs get more publicity and time to explore.

Back in Santa Rosa, Sara worked at doggy daycares for four years starting her senior year in high school. She also worked with Canine Companions for Independence, which is a company that provides assistance dogs free of charge to those with disabilities. As a psychology major Sara hopes to work with Doctors Without Borders, or help to train therapy and emotional support dogs.

Her favorite BHS dog, Pearl, recently got adopted. It is a very bittersweet moment, but finding a forever home is the goal for staff and volunteers at Butte Humane Society. Seeing how happy dogs become when taken out on a walk or to the play yard is very humbling for her. Sara plans to continue volunteering here even after her semester with CAVE is complete.