Someone whose life has been filled with animals and anything about them, is our March Volunteer of the Month, Linda Kanakos. While she now resides in The Villages with her husband Bob, she grew up with parents who owned two pet stores in Long Island, NY and were in the pet industry for 60 years. She acquired many pets such as mice, rats and iguanas to add to their menagerie of dogs and cats. This might have been every kid’s dream come true!
Linda shared that “pets were always a big part of my life and continue to be now. Bob and I have a five-year-old 105lb. Akita named Bella who we rescued back in Pennsylvania at four months old. Bella is a sweet, loving dog who thinks she is a lap dog. She loves everyone, especially our children and grandchildren.” We wonder if it takes two laps to keep beautiful Bella comfy!
Linda’s adventures volunteering with us began when she took up the invitation by another shelter volunteer to join them and see what we were all about. Fortunately for us, she took them up on the invitation and has been enjoying her time making a positive impact in her community. Our volunteers are our ambassadors, whether they’re helping at our campus, at our off-site cat showcases, special events or fostering from their homes and sharing who they’re fostering with neighbors and friends. Word of mouth and lots of cute photos go a long way in helping find adopters, donors and more volunteers. Linda added “once I got there and saw how much the animals needed my help I was hooked. I love volunteering because most animals just need our love and attention, and this is just a small way to give that to them. My hope is that all the animals find their perfect ‘furever’ homes.” Linda wants to encourage those who may be curious and become prospective volunteers to simply come out for a visit and see the lifesaving work we are doing. She explained “they will see that the love and gratitude you get from this work is more than anything you can get from anywhere else. Whether you have a few minutes or a few hours, it will be the most rewarding thing you can do.”
Linda commented that “I do not have a most memorable experience because every time I come to the shelter it is another great time. The licks, hugs and play time with every one of these animals is just a great pleasure.” She reliably volunteers each week walking shelter dogs, fills in for others when needed, and has also helped handle dogs at adoption events. In addition to all that, Linda has a green thumb and lends her talent keeping our campus gardens looking pretty by regularly weeding, trimming, and planting after she contributed to our overhaul of our garden areas in celebration of our 40th anniversary in 2022. Spring brings loveliness not just in nature but with great people like Linda and her kindness. We are fortunate to have her on our volunteer team. Congratulations to her as our March 2024 Volunteer of the Month!
As we often state, “Together Everyone Achieves More” and that’s the definition of TEAMwork. If you are interested in enriching your life by becoming a volunteer at YOUR Humane Society SPCA, contact us at volunteering@hsspca.org. Applications can be completed online at https://hsspca.org/apply-to-volunteer/. There are many ways to help make a difference in our community. Find YOUR superpower with us!
