Our "Best Friend" Honored Volunteer: Vicky R.
"Our Best Friends" is a weekly installment to honor just a few of our outstanding Best Friends LA volunteers. This is your chance to get to know some of the shining stars in the Best Friends LA volunteer program! Volunteers are either nominated by Best Friends LA staff or other volunteers in our program. If you would like to volunteer, e-mail the Best Friends LA Volunteer Department at volunteerLA@bestfriends.org
Vicky R. - honored February 2018
Vicky tell us...
What programs and projects do you volunteer with at Best Friends LA?
I started out with the cat team, now I spend most of my hours at the dog team, and In a couple of weeks I might start as a mentor.
Why do you choose to volunteer with Best Friends LA?
When I first moved to the US, I was looking for ways to use my time, have fun, and get to know people. Animals are my passion so I googled shelters needing volunteers and I found BFLA, I instantly feel like “this is the right place”, the BF mission of making the country No Kill inspired me.
How long have you been a Best Friends LA volunteer?
I've been here for the past 4 months.
What type of fun stuff do you do when you're not volunteering?
I spend a lot of time at BFLA but I am actually a psychologist.
Do you have a favorite story to share about an experience volunteering with Best Friends LA?
Well, everyday is an adventure! I have a fun story, every dog caregiver knows how much I love doing dishes, so one day David (dog caregiver) and I start dishes thinking we did not have a volunteer sign in and we finished in like 30 minutes, and the volunteer who actually signed in for dishes didn’t have any dishes to do of course the volunteer had an amazing time with the doggies and not the dishes that time!
Do you have any pets?
Yes! I have pets back in Paraguay! My dog's name is Chicha, she is a dachshund, she lives with my brothers Cocker Spaniel Nani. She is the best dog ever! And at my moms we have a shepherd mix named Filomena, two small dogs mixes Mafalda y Mako. And 3 cats Cariñosa, Manchas and Mara all this animals were rescued from the streets in Paraguay.
What others are saying about Vicky:
Victoria has been a huge asset to the dog team since day 1. She has come in and worked along side of caregivers for almost full work shifts, learning our protocols and taking necessary steps and classes to move up and obtain more dog handling skills so she can work with out more needier kids. Victoria has been a huge helping hand during the cleaning routine, feeding routine, dog walking and now recently, playgroups! Victoria has amazed me with the dedication and love she shows each one of the dogs and we are all very happy and thankful to have her as a part of the dog team! -Amanda-Dog Behavior Specialist .
Victoria is a much appreciated volunteer and we get happy to see her face every day! Not only has she consistently improved her handling skill set, working with more and more challenging dogs, she takes the time to truly a develop a relationship, especially with our more timid pups. She spends hours with the dogs, but is always finding ways to make sure the dog team is set up for success. She readily takes on extra cleaning duties if no one has signed up, cleans with us many mornings and is always jumping in on dishes and food prep. She embodies what the Best Friends Volunteer is all about! It's truly volunteers like her that allow us all to do what we do and what we love. Thank you! - Leah, Dog Care Lead