Our "Best Friend" Honored Volunteer: Keely D
Keely D - honored September 21, 2015
Keely, tell us.....
What programs and projects do you volunteer with at Best Friends LA?
At Best Friends LA I work mainly with the Cat team. I help with the morning cage and room cleaning and participate in socialization.
Why do you choose to volunteer with Best Friends LA?
One of my greatest dreams is to become a veterinarian so I started coming to Best Friends for animal experience hours. It's been a privilege and a joy working with the animals at Best Friends and I will be there for years to come.
How long have you been a Best Friends LA volunteer?
I've been with BFLA for a year but I've done actual volunteer work for the past two summers. I'm a student majoring in Animal Biology at UC Davis and have been in college the past year.
What type of fun stuff do you do when you're not volunteering?
Outside of BFLA helping the cats, I have a passion for horseback riding. I've been riding English for nine years doing show jumping and it's one of my greatest pleasures. I don't have my own horse but hopefully one day I'll have one to gallop around the ring with. Besides riding I also love running and I've been skiing since I was four. I'm also very crafty and I love doing all kinds of art projects especially stained glass pieces. I love to read!
Do you have a favorite story to share about an experience volunteering with Best Friends LA?
I don't know if I can pick out any one specific memory from Best Friends. Mostly I remember all the experiences with my favorite cats. Getting to know the cats individually and then seeing them get adopted has been the best experience.
Do you have any pets?
I have two wonderful sibling cats named Abby and Toby. Toby is a white bearded orange tabby, who is a giant goofball. He is the sweetest boy and he loves to go outside and stretch in the sun. Abby, who I nicknamed Minky, is a calico tabby with an orange face and four white socks. She's shy around most people but she follows me everywhere. She loves to purr and make bird like chirp noises to greet you. I've had these cats since they were eight weeks old and although we did not rescue them we helped out a family who unexpectedly found themselves with six kittens. They're such a huge part of my family and my life and I'm always sad to leave them when school starts.
What others are saying about Keely:
"Keely is always super helpful and thorough and jumps into cleaning every time she is here. And cleaning isn't her only strong suit! She always gives the kitties lots of love during our socialization shifts after cleaning. She cares for each of these kids so much and we appreciate her help!" - Janette N., Lead Cat Caregiver