Volunteer Highlight:
Holly Robertson

Holly's favorite part of her internship was having animals, such as Bertha, in the office while she worked.

The Humane Society relies on interns to assist with communications and planning of fundraising events in the Development Department. Recently, Holly Robertson volunteered as an intern. “I’m not your typical volunteer,” Holly confessed. As a KU student, Holly gained real world experience with her internship at The Humane Society. She wrote press releases and newsletters, interviewed people, and solicited businesses for donations for the Pet Telethon in March. Holly’s favorite part of her internship was having animals walking around the office and being able to play with them. She also liked seeing which ones got adopted.

This was not Holly’s first experience with animals. She has a 17-year-old Pomeranian named Cinnamon, which she claims is a “cranky old man.” In addition to Cinnamon, she has two rabbits. Before volunteering at the Humane Society, she spent a spring break in Utah volunteering at the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, the nation’s largest sanctuary for homeless animals. She saw many similarities between the two no-kill shelters.

Holly would recommend the internship program. “It’s a lot of fun, and a very laid back environment.” Despite being “a poor college student,” Holly is a Loyal Friends supporter and donates $10 every month to the shelter through the online giving option at www.hsgkc.org. She chose to become a Loyal Friends supporter because “it really adds up by the end of the year.” Holly’s last day as an intern was May 22, but she plans to come back for big events like Dog-N-Jog. After graduating, she hopes to find a job in public relations or event planning, “where every day is different, just like at The Humane Society.”

Volunteers Diana Baker, Vicky Paddack and Ally McNitt with Abby, Marbles, Clarence, Clover and Logan.

Thank you to everyone who came to Vinca’s Dog Day in the Park celebrating the bond between humans and their dogs. We had over 50 dogs attend with their humans. The event raised $300+ for the Humane Society pets. This is great for the first-time event and may become an annual celebration.

Amanda Stevens with Abby

We would also like to thank the sponsors, Boozefish Wine Bar and Three Dog Bakery, for their support and making the event happen. Visit Community Faces at www.kcstar.com to see photos from the party.

We’d like to welcome our newest group of volunteers: Gerika Berry, Stephanie Roche, Ashley Morgan, Ron Bennett, Cindy McIntyre, Tatum Cecini and Natalie Cecini. Ashley has already been back to play with dogs!

Looking for a great way to contribute to The Humane Society without changing your everyday habits? Take a look at iGive.com, which will donate a percentage of your purchase to the charity of your choice. From this website you can access hundreds of online stores, some you probably already use. After registering on the site, you can have a portion of your purchase go to The Humane Society.

Tell Your Friends about Dog-N-Jog

All of our volunteer slots are full for Dog-N-Jog, but don’t worry if you did not get a chance to volunteer. You can still help us by signing up and participating! Registration is only $25 until June 7 or $35 on June 8. Help us spread the word about this important fundraising event and invite your friends and go as a group. Our goal for this event is to have 1,000 participants and raise $55,000 for the shelter pets.

Helping the Pets is a Click Away

If you cannot attend the festivities of Dog-N-Jog on June 8 but still want to contribute, go to www.active.com/donate/dnj to make an online donation or to set up your own fundraising webpage FREE by clicking “Become a Fundraiser.”

It is very easy and you can customize your page with text and a photo. Then all you need to do is email your friends, family members and co-workers and tell them to visit your webpage. They can choose to donate and what amount at their convenience. Our goal is to raise $10,000 through fundraising webpages – to date we only have $2,000 raised!

2007 art by Julia Devon Tseng

Please mark your calendars. There is a new date for Art Unleashed. This event will now be held on Friday September 5 from 7-10 PM at The Uptown Theater.

We clean up a lot of messes here at the shelter and are running low on trash bags. We need both 39 gallon and 13 gallon size trash bags. If you are feeling generous next time you are out shopping, help us out by picking up a box or two of trash bags and dropping them off at the shelter.

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

Join Bella & her friends at our next satellite event!

PRAIRIE VILLAGE ART SHOW
Friday thru Sunday, May 30-June 1
Prairie Village Shops

Volunteer Shift Hours:
Friday: 4:45pm til about 9pm
Saturday 1st shift: 10:30am to 2pm
Saturday 2nd shift: 2pm to 5pm plus load time
Sunday: 10:45am to 3pm plus load time

We'll be outside under our tent and we'll be bringing dogs, no cats.