SAFe Rescue is proud to share with our community SAFe’s November Volunteer of the Month, Sheela! Sheela has been volunteering with SAFe since early September of 2020 and was one of the first to volunteer in a brand new position, Virtual Adoption Support.
Virtual Adoption Support volunteers assist the Adoptions Team in responding to inquiries and matching community members with the purr-fect feline companions. This role grew out of the outpouring of interest in adopting cats virtually this year—we’re glad to be able to continue finding homes for felines in a safe way during the pandemic!
The work Sheela has done so far in her unique position has helped many homeless cats find their new families. During her volunteer shifts, Sheela is able to answer questions from potential adopters while maintaining social distancing through remote work.
Sheela came across SAFe with the help of a close family member: her own kitty! She explained that she originally came across her own feline friend in a PetSmart adoption center, and as many of us have experienced from our own cats, Sheela’s kitty showed absolutely no interest in her at first. Talk about Cat-itude! She explains, “Last year, I went to PetSmart to get a toy for my friend’s Corgi. Before leaving the store, as usual, I went to meet all the cats in the adoption corner. My girl was there, together with several other cats. Actually, she showed no interest in me at that time—she just took a casual look at me and went back to sleep, but somehow I was touched by her eyes… After several days of careful consideration, I submitted my application for adoption—I was so lucky that she was still there and nobody took her away. I believe this is fate…The appearance of my girl was just like a light, and she rescued me by being with me.”
Sheela says this is exactly where her interest in helping homeless cats began! “After going through the whole process, I started paying attention to the homeless animal rescues, and searched for formal institutes and organizations. This is how I found SAFe! I was so happy when I noticed that SAFe accepted volunteers, and without any hesitation, I submitted my application.”
Sheela has worked tirelessly with our adoptions team once a week to answer any questions adopters may have and has assisted our adoptions team in helping homeless cats find their match. She says that through her volunteering, she has been given the opportunity to learn more about the care of cats as well as how the inner workings of non-profit rescues work. Moreover, she has also been able to read endless stories of adoptions and of families looking to grow with a new feline friend.
Through her volunteer work, Sheela has now had an opportunity to see both sides of the adoption process as an adopter and as a part of an adoptions team. She has been able to experience the joy of making a connection with your own adopted feline and the experience of helping others find that cosmic connection as well. Thanks to volunteers like Sheela, SAFe has completed over 800 adoptions virtually since April. Thank you Sheela!
