We are pleased to announce the return of our Animal Ambassadors to the Shelter! After a brief hiatus due to COVID-19, we are excited to welcome our most experienced volunteers back and appreciate their immense patience as we navigate this everchanging pandemic.

Animal Ambassadors are volunteers that have gone through extensive training with our staff and Professional Dog Trainer/Behavior Specialist, Tracy Vail. Our Ambassadors join us five days a week at the Shelter to assist our staff as needed. They do everything from taking the dogs on pack walks and mucking horse corrals to helping maintain our 4.4-acre property and picking up donations from around the county.

Ambassador Laurie McKnett (above) has been volunteering since 2001, that’s 22 years! In her free time, she enjoys painting, hiking, and tai chi. Here at the Shelter, she takes the dogs on pack walks with fellow ambassadors, plays fetch with our high-energy pups, and works on socializing our more stressed and nervous dogs.

Above: Laurie Adams has been volunteering with the HSVC since 2017. Her favorite volunteer tasks are helping dogs adjust to shelter life and socializing them to be more friendly with humans. 

Our Ambassadors are very appreciated by staff and animals alike. On days when the dogs need extra love, Ambassadors come in and walk them, snuggle them, and teach them new tricks. They play a key role in getting our shelter animals prepared for their future furever homes!

The HSVC's top priority is the health of our staff, volunteers, and animals. We are not currently accepting general volunteers back to the Shelter, but we hope to soon! If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, check out our website for more information! Those interested may also sign up to receive our weekly email blasts to stay up to date on all things HSVC.