Voices of Volunteers
Volunteer Quotes
What some of our volunteers have said about volunteering:
"Exactly one year ago today, St Patrick’s Day 2007, I was heading off to a Petco in Richfield to 'talk' with Pet Haven volunteers about my 'possible' FUTURE involvement as a dog foster. Two hours later I was sent home with Ella the Irish Wolfhound mix. That began one the most wonderful experiences of my life. And with every experience there are ups and downs. But through it all the dedication, passion, and support of the Pet Haven volunteers has helped me when I am having trouble as well as when I am having success. I have never felt alone. And so today, St Patrick’s Day 2008, as I am adopting out my 10th dog, I feel as if I have come full circle. Many many thanks to all who have helped me and Pet Haven throughout this year. I look forward to lots more fun and fur to come"
Laura Leonard
Dog Foster and Foster Coordinator
Mollie, a lab/border collie mix is Laura's current foster dog
"For me, Pet Haven is about the dogs, but there's also a warm sense of community amongst the volunteers, from the board to the dog division leadership to the foster 'parents'.
"It's so satisfying to know a dog we at Pet Haven have cared for is going to a loving, forever home. When I do a home visit with a dog and a potential adopter, it's wonderful to see how excited the people are about bringing one special and lucky dog into their family. And, I love getting updates from our happy dogs in their new homes."
Celayne Jones
Foster Coordinator, Dog Division
"I am so proud to be part of an organization like Pet Haven! I know that everything I do as a volunteer helps make the world a better place for the dogs and cats of the world. Reading every happy tail brings tears to my eyes, and helps me see that we can make a difference!"
Melody Jennings Kruzic
Outreach Director/Board Member
Melody with Bennie, a basset puppy whom she fostered. Bennie was very quickly adopted!
Faces of Volunteers
Volunteers work tirelessly to rescue and re-home dogs and cats, raise money, and educate the public on responsible guardianship and the importance of spaying and neutering to reduce overpopulation. We’d like for you to get to know who we are:
Ann S.: One dog at a time
By Chelsie S.
Ann S. has been volunteering with Pet Haven since 2006. Ann first decided to get involved with Pet Haven after she met some of our wonderful volunteers at an adoption event, where she found a new companion for her 13 year old dog Maddie. Ann does a lot of great things for Pet Haven, starting with being the intake coordinator for the dog division; her involvement, however, goes way beyond that. She screens potential adopters, assists with transportation, and is part of the "In from the cold" pod. This pod currently consists of three volunteers who donate some of their own money to bring dogs in from up north and out of the frigid cold, boarding them temporarily at Auntie Ruth's (one of Pet Haven's partner doggie daycare boarding facilities in the twin cities) until a foster home opens up. Ann enjoys her work with Pet Haven because of the love and dedication all of her fellow volunteers show. She loves the fact that they all make Pet Haven feel like a family dedicated to helping each other and animals alike.
With all of the animal rescue organizations out there Ann stays connected to Pet Haven because she has a lot of history with some the great animals Pet Haven has saved in her two years. One of her most memorable stories was Sam, a black lab. Sam's family had twins and was too overwhelmed with their new children that they couldn't do Sam justice. They called Ann and begged her to find a good home for him. Ann found a perfect match for Sam. His old family contacted Ann begging for an update. After some thought, Ann agreed to contact Sam's new family. To protect the privacy of the adopters and those that surrender animals to Pet Haven, Ann played the role of intermediary. At Ann's request, Sam's new family happily obliged, and sent plenty of pictures and amazing anecdotes about his personality (you can read Sam's "happy tail" here). Ann is amazed how "sometimes it takes a community to help a single dog."
Another story that touched Ann a lot was "Ben", another black lab mix, who was found up north. When he was taken in to be "fixed", the vet happened to feel a lump in his head and took x-rays. The x-rays revealed 14 pieces of buck shot in his head.
When Ann isn't volunteering for Pet Haven she enjoys spending time training Bella her beagle/lab (whom she adopted from Pet Haven). They both enjoy obedience training, have won the Novice Obedience Title, and participate in agility shows . When not working with Bella, Ann likes to play bridge, read, play paddle tennis, and hang out with her kids and friends. Ann even was an actor at the Guthrie Theater for a show called "The Man Who came to Dinner."
Ann would love to help every animal that needs help but knows that sometimes you need to focus on one dog at a time. She is a great asset to Pet Haven and has been a wonderful addition to the Pet Haven family of volunteers. Her passion and dedication is an exemplary example of the spirit of Pet Haven's mission in action
Getting to know Pet Haven’s Volunteer Director
By Jone Schlangen
Meet Laura Muhlstein. She is Pet Haven’s new Volunteer Director. In addition to her full time career as HR director for a local insurance company, she finds the time to “keep 200 volunteers active and involved”. She is looking for two individuals to assist her with those 200+ other volunteers. Laura is also the most recent addition to Pet Haven’s board of directors. And Pet Haven is very pleased to have her. On top of everything, she also makes flyers, and checks both the dog and cat phone lines.
Laura joined Pet Haven last November. After seeing the difference a few of her close friends had made in the lives of the animals they worked with, she wanted to become part of it. And so she has. In the future, Laura would like to foster dogs, once she and her husband move into their new house, complete with fenced in yard. She does currently respite foster special event coordinator Kathleen’s foster cat.
She and her husband are “owned” by their yellow lab mix, Tucker. “When I adopted him seven years ago, he was a teeny tiny puppy. I lived in a townhome where I couldn't have a dog over 40 pounds. The rescuegrouptold me he was a lemon beagle/cocker mix. But then my teeny tiny puppy kept growing....and growing...and growing! I was afraid the association would make me move, but they never said a word. We absolutely love him.”
Laura’s best Pet Haven experiences so far have been twofold. “I really enjoyed the Grand Old Days parade. It was great to see so many volunteers come together -- the response from the community was fantastic!”
“I'll also never forget Sidney's story. I was at the adoption event the day he was surrendered, and I saw the fear in his eyes. Seeing him today is amazing -- an 11 year old dog who's been through so much and finally has a reason to wag his tail!”
When asked what Laura’s favorite things about Pet Haven are, she responded: “I believe in Pet Haven's mission. I feel very strongly about the need for more individuals and families to come to rescues for their pets and to be responsible pet owners.”
She furthermore “loves the success stories that we see. I also appreciate the fact that you can be as involved as you want to be. We have some volunteers that check voicemails once a week and others that foster and volunteer at special events and may even be a foster failure! Every person is able to contribute and every person makes a difference!”
Why We Volunteer at Pet Haven
About a month ago, we said goodbye to our first and only dog, Albert, who had been with us for 10 years. His last year was one filled with challenges 
due to bone cancer, resulting in an amputation, chemotherapy and an eventual return of the disease. We weren't sure this was the right time to take on long-term responsibility for another dog, so providing a foster home for dogs in need seemed to us the perfect manner in which to honor all that Albert brought to us during this lifetime.
(picture: Albert running on the beach)
So we began researching rescue organizations, online and at adoption events. It's a little bit like shopping for a church: the mission is important, but there are many organizations that fulfill the mission generally; it's the people and how an organization is run that shape its spirit, that ultimately differentiate one organization from the others as the "right fit".
We found Pet Haven early in the process. We were impressed not only with the evident dedication and friendliness of the people, but also their approach to marketing the dogs, where each dog is presented individually at adoption events, and has a personal advocate to speak for him/her, someone who is familiar with the animal and can help it find the right permanent home. We immediately felt that Pet Haven was a good fit for us.
We have since been through volunteer orientation, where our initial impression has been reinforced. Pet Haven’s leadership is energetic, and recognizes that even a nonprofit, 100% volunteer organization is fundamentally a business, and must be run like one in order to be effective. We’re looking forward to volunteering at Pet Haven. And fostering has brought a canine presence back into our lives, which is assisting us in our grieving Albert.
Ed and Edith (Pet Haven volunteers and fosters)
Baylee is Ed and Edith's current foster dog
Creative Expressions
There are a plethora of reasons for how and why we have come to be a part of the Pet Haven community. Whatever that reason is, for many of us, our lives are forever changed as we discover how much more we have received from our gift of volunteering. We share with you our stories, essays, reflections, art work, photos, etc – pieces inspired from our souls being touched by the experience of volunteering and being a voice of the voiceless.
Read Marilou's pieces on Passion Emerges from the Ashes of Grief and What I learned from a young college student.
Celayne has written a piece titled So what's so great about volunteering with Pet Haven Dogs?
Sid (now a volunteer!) shares her experience of adopting from Pet Haven: A furry tail come true
Pet Haven volunteer guiding principles:
- Compassion
- Communication
- Creativity
- Collaboration
- Community