Rescue & Recovery Volunteers
For volunteers who work at the Rescue & Recovery Center – where life-saving initiatives take place each day – no day is the same. Volunteers are involved in nearly every aspect of the center, including administrative duties like filling medical records, prepping animal supplies, assisting recovery technicians with dogs and cats after surgery and general animal care. These roles play a significant role in the life-saving efforts of PAWS Chicago.

The Rescue & Recovery volunteers PAWS Chicago would like to recognize this year are:

Intake Program: Cyndy Acox Webb
Animal Care: Michelle Bringas
Foster Program: Amy Collins, Mike & Ashley Stamatinos, The Showalter Family, Joanna & Kevin Arnold, Bethany & Sharon Schramm, Amanda Bently, Susan Kim, Shannon Gilliam, Leana Ruiz, Rachel Richardson, Ryan Jory, Latl Troung

Community Outreach Volunteers
Community Outreach volunteers educate the public – at schools, festivals, park districts and churches – about the importance of spay/neuter while promoting the services of the Lurie Spay/Neuter Clinic. Their support is, in many ways, the backbone of PAWS Chicago and directly reduces the number of unwanted animals born.

The Community Outreach volunteers PAWS Chicago would like to recognize this year are:

Community Cat Program: Tom Hay Bauer, Karen Van Meter, Elaine Divita, Sandra King
Pet Food Bank: Mary Bookman, Christa Velbel
Presentations & Events: Pam Cipkowski, Kathleen Hughes

Dog Town Level 1:
The Dog Town Level 1 Volunteers, who wear Khaki Aprons, are the tremendous army of volunteers who enable the Adoption Center team to care for an average of 40-50 dogs each day. And, even more importantly, the DTL1 volunteers get to know our Level 1 dogs and introduce them to potential adopters — helping to uncover the best matches that create “forever homes.”

The DTL1 members PAWS Chicago would like to recognize this year are:

Alonzo Massey
Alonzo is a consistent and dedicated advocate for the dogs of Dog Town. His natural ability with people enables him to communicate with and educate potential adopters about how to choose the most appropriate dog for their lifestyle.

Nikki LeBlanc
Nikki’s energy is infectious! She is a dedicated Level 1 volunteer – who recently completed Level 2 training – who always has a smile on her face and is willing to help in all areas of Dog Town. In addition, Nikki is also a wonderful volunteer in Kitty City and serves as an Adoption Counselor.

Ron Jamiolkowski
Ron’s dedication to PAWS Chicago can be seen in the time he spends caring for the animals – most weekday evenings and weekend afternoons. He is fantastic with the dogs and prospective adopters alike, and extends his love for animals to Kitty City as well.

Deb Gold
A veteran volunteer and recent Level 2 graduate, Deb always wears a smile and brings an easygoing demeanor to Dog Town. Her enthusiasm for volunteering is easily recognized by all and she can be counted on for the many tough tasks encountered on a daily basis.

Gisella Guzman
Originally from Peru, Gisella brings her love of dogs to PAWS Chicago, where she spends much of her spare time volunteering. Some of her favorite moments include bringing the dogs out for fresh air and exercise. Gisella is a great addition to the PAWS Chicago volunteer team.

Dog Town Level 2
The Dog Town Level 2 Volunteers, who wear Green Aprons, serve as the first team of “senior” volunteers who help train & coach the Level 1 Volunteers. Each DTL2 volunteer has completed six sessions of additional training conducted by our training partner, during which they discuss canine “body language” and handling, and has committed to a minimum of two shifts per month at the Adoption Center.

The DTL2 members PAWS Chicago would like to recognize this year are:

Mark Lukas
Mark is a dedicated and trusted member of the PAWS Chicago team and can reliably be found in Dog Town four days-a-week, helping with the major task of opening Dog Town. He consistently helps with many of day’s toughest of jobs with a special knack that is so invaluable.

Denise Crangle
Denise truly adores the dogs of Dog Town! She regularly volunteers each week and spends time walking the dogs and introducing them to potential adopters. Her dedication to the animals and her positive attitude rub off on everyone she encounters.

Sarah Schatz
Sarah has been an active volunteer with PAWS Chicago for over three years and brings an incredibly positive energy to Dog Town. From the moment she walks through the doors until she leaves for the day, Sarah work tirelessly to care for the dogs, assist visitors, potential adopters and help mentor new volunteers.

Jeff Goeters
Jeff brings his natural love for animals to PAWS Chicago. In addition to helping care for the dogs in Dog Town, Jeff serves as a mentor for new volunteers by regularly hosting the Dog Town Level 1 classes. Jeff is a consistent member of the Saturday morning Dog Town team, walking dogs early in the morning as the team prepares for what is often the busiest day of the week at the Adoption Center.

Fran Cervantes
Fran spends every Saturday morning at PAWS Chicago’s Adoption Center where she helps care for the dogs in Dog Town and takes them on nice, long walks — no matter the weather! Fran is always willing to have new Level 1 volunteers shadow her as they learn the ropes in Dog Town.

Marcia Clausen
Marcia volunteers in Dog Town each week, spending time with the animals and introducing them to potential adopters. Marcia not only gives her time at the Adoption Center, but engages others to become involved in the mission to help animals. We salute Marcia for being a strong voice for the animals!

DTL3
The Dog Town Level 3 program, our most senior volunteer program in Dog Town, has been a vital and successful addition to our volunteer program since its launch a year ago in the fall of 2009. The DTL3 volunteers, who wear Brown Aprons, have all completed more specialized training to help the PAWS Chicago team conduct dog-to-dog introductions (both for PAWS Chicago dogs becoming roommates, as well as guest dogs who are meeting potential new family members) as well as handling techniques to manage our most challenging dogs. The DTL3 Volunteers get to know each of our Level 3 dogs and their special handling needs, and then provide the patience and love each need. That way, these volunteers serve as another set of eyes and ears to help us identify adoptive families with the willingness to provide the structure, training and attention these wonderful dogs require.

The DTL3 members PAWS Chicago would like to recognize this year are:

Andy Lane
Without fail, Andy arrives at the Adoption Center every morning to help prepare the dogs of Dog Town for their day. Particularly inspiring is his tireless dedication to the care of Red (the paralyzed Pit Bull who has been at the Adoption Center for many months). Andy often cleans Red’s room and takes Red for walks in a specially designed wheel chair.

Jeff Cercone
Jeff volunteers at the Adoption Center every week and works to provide structure and training to the Level 3 dogs. His gentle nature and comprehensive understanding of dog behavior makes him a true asset to the team.

Wayne Gailis
Wayne is a true advocate for all animals and holds a deep passion for engaging others about the plight of homeless animals and how they can get involved and make a difference. Wayne regularly demonstrates his commitment to the Level 3 dogs to ensure their success and has taken many through obedience classes at the Adoption Center.

Tomye Mullarkey
Tomye has been a dedicated volunteer for many years where she works at both the Adoption Center and Rescue and Recovery Center, fosters dogs and volunteers for special events. Her love for dogs, training and understanding their behavior makes her an excellent addition to the Dog Town Level 3 Program.

Paul Alessandro
Paul’s dedication to PAWS Chicago is seen through the kindness and compassion he shows toward animals and people alike. Paul serves as a foster, coordinates the doggy daycare schedule, teaches Level 1 training classes and volunteers each weekend to help dogs find their forever homes. As a Level 3 volunteer, Paul is an excellent advocate for the Level 3 dogs, helping match them with the appropriate adopter.

Autumn Pierce
Autumn is a dedicated volunteer who does whatever it takes to help the animals of PAWS Chicago, including bringing energetic dogs on runs to taking through obedience classes at the Adoption Center. She regularly volunteers in Dog Town, serves as an Adoption Counselor, participates in Run for their Lives each year and, for the first time, ran the 2010 Chicago Marathon as a member of Team PAWS Chicago.

Dan Sandelin
Dan has been a dedicated Dog Town volunteer for almost three years, regularly coming to the Adoption Center to work with the Level 3 dogs whenever he has time off from work. In addition to being a strong advocate for the dogs and contributor to the enrichment of their lives, Dan has two feline leukemia positive foster cats in his care, who he affectionately calls, “the girls.”

Kitty City Level 1
The Kitty City Level 1 Volunteers, who wear Khaki Aprons, are the tremendous corps of volunteers who enable the Adoption Center team to care for an average of 70-90 cats each day by helping clean suites, feed and socialize our cats and kittens! And, even more importantly, the KCL1 volunteers get to know our cats’ personalities and help match them to the needs and desires of our potential adopters.

The KCL1 members PAWS Chicago would like to recognize this year are:

Amber Nikkel
Amber’s passion and love for cats comes through during the time she spends at the Adoption Center. She regularly spends time preparing Kitty City for the day during the early Kitty City shift and prepares the cats and kittens to meet their forever families.

CindyRae Perkins
CindyRae is a dedicated and valuable volunteer in Kitty City. During her time at the Adoption Center, she can be found socializing the cats and cleaning their space – always with a smile on her face and a willingness to go the extra step to help the animals, fellow volunteers and staff members.

Jennifer Hall
Jennifer brings a ‘never say no’ attitude to PAWS Chicago. She is very much a part of the team at the Adoption Center and volunteers her time as an Adoption Counselor and cat socializer.

Maggie Zalewski
Maggie can be found each week in Kitty City, caring for the cats and making them feel as comfortable as possible while they wait for their forever home. Her pledge to the cats and kittens, and to potential adopters looking for their perfect match, is carried out with enthusiasm and love.

Jan Catalona
Jan’s love for cats makes her a natural fit in Kitty City! Jan recently started fostering Honey Bee, a cat who has found big fans in she and her husband. Jan works with her resident cat, Raquel, a PAWS Chicago alumni, to slowly but surely accept Honey Bee as part of the family. We appreciate Jan’s dedication to nurturing the cats of Kitty City!

KCL2
The Kitty City Level 2 Volunteer Program, our most senior volunteer level in Kitty City, has become an invaluable asset for the Adoption Center as well. This group of volunteers, who wear Green Aprons, help train and coach the Level 1 Volunteers, again, either via informal coaching on the adoption floor or conducting some of our formal Level 1 training classes each week. Each KCL2 volunteer has completed additional training and agreed to a minimum of 2 shifts/month

The KCL2 members PAWS Chicago would like to recognize this year are:

Tom McGuire
Tom trains new volunteers and assists adopters with meeting the fabulous felines in Kitty City! He is also an Adoption Counselor and in the process of training to host new volunteer orientations. We are always happy to see Tom walk through the door of the Adoption Center as he brings care and compassion to his role and always has the best interest of the cats in mind!

Andy Zmuda
Many call Andy the “Cat Whisperer” due to the way cats adore and trust him. Andy volunteers his time at the Adoption Center each week and helps with animal care and assisting potential adopters to find their perfect match. Many cats and kittens have found forever homes, thanks to Andy’s devotion and loyalty to them.

Andrea Bartecki
Andrea works hard to truly know the cats of Kitty City and their personalities. She has a knack for understanding which cats are right for potential adopters who are looking for a new addition to their family. Andrea consistently demonstrates enthusiasm, care and compassion toward each of the cats and people she interacts with at the Adoption Center.

Allen Shetchman
Allen is not only a highly appreciated Kitty City Level 2 volunteer, but is also an experienced and valued Adoption Counselor who works diligently to synchronize families up with the most appropriate furry companion.

Location Managers
The volunteers who serve as Location Managers play a critically important role for the success of the Adoption Center on Saturdays and Sundays. These volunteers, who wear Black Aprons, essentially manage all the volunteers in Dog Town and Kitty City on the weekends. They are tasked with ensuring that great customer service is provided to potential adopters and that the vast number of volunteers who work at the Center over the weekend are utilized to their fullest potential.

The Location Managers PAWS Chicago would like to recognize this year are:

Michael Zarley
Michael is a valued member of the PAWS Chicago team and works tirelessly to help homeless cats and dogs. He lives and breathes the values of the organization and, with his soft-spoken authority, has proven himself to be a fantastic and respected Location Manager and Adoption Counselor.

John Deegan
John also has a dual role at PAWS Chicago as a Location Manager and an Adoption Counselor, both of which he adds his unique style of humor, animal sense and expert coordination. He is recognized as someone who always steps in to help at a moments notice.

Valerie Lopez
Val is an animal lover who has volunteered with PAWS Chicago for many years and her loyalty to the animals is unwavering. As a Location Manager in Kitty City, she runs a tight ship so that everything runs smoothly for potential adopters, the cats and the volunteers alike, making the experience a positive one for everyone.

Volunteer Program

The overall Volunteer Program volunteer PAWS Chicago would like to recognize this year is:

Susan Barrish
Susan dedicates significant time to ensuring that many of the behind-the-scenes efforts run smoothly. Throughout the year, she recruited, trained and scheduled instructors for all new volunteer orientations and hosted student and corporate groups at the Adoption Center for tours and special volunteer outings. She also assisted with special events that rely heavily on high-quality coordination and relationship management, like Angels with Tails and our visiting Shelter & Rescue program.

Adoption Counselors
The volunteers who have gone through the extensive certification process to become Adoption Counselors are a tremendous group of people. The nearly 70 AC’s now on board, who wear Black Aprons, all have very strong skills in several areas, and this expertise helps ensure that each and every adopter is as prepared as possible when bringing their new pet home.

This year, these Adoptoin Counselors have completed over 400 adoptions between them! The Adoption Counselors PAWS Chicago would like to recognize this year are:

Patrick McKeever and Beth Foley
This awesome husband and wife team have been volunteering as Adoption Counselors since 2009. Each week, Patrick and Beth bring a positive attitude, dedication, a love for animals, and a willingness to jump in whenever help is needed. They are very personable and work to ensure that each and every adopter is as prepared as possible when bringing their new pet home.

Pat Oleck
Pat has been a staple of the Adoption Center since its grand opening in 2007. She is a dedicated volunteer who donates her time to the homeless cats and dogs of PAWS Chicago every Friday afternoon. Her comprehensive knowledge of cat behavior, combined with her patient counseling skills, makes her an asset to the adoption counseling team.

Julie Howard
Julie has been a part of the adoption counseling team sine 2008 and strives to ensure that every adopter is educated and prepared when they walk out the door with their new canine family member. A long time volunteer for PAWS Chicago, Julie also assists with the Meet Your Match program at the Rescue & Recovery Center and teaches Level 1 classes at the Adoption Center.

Stephanie DeWald
Stephanie, a member of the adoption counseling team sine 2009, combines her deep knowledge of cat and dog behavior with her warm and bubbly personality to help potential adopters through the process of welcoming their newest family member. Always willing to help and take on extra shifts when needed, Stephanie is a true asset to PAWS Chicago.

Manu Puri
Manu is a veteran Adoption Counselor with in-depth knowledge of dog behavior. Always counted on to go the extra mile, Manu can often be found running PETCO adoption events or participating in other special events throughout the year. His cool, no-nonsense and authoritative manner, combined with his warm smile, provides comfort to prospective adopters.

Client Services
The Client Services function is made of many parts including the front desk, the entire adoption process, and the follow-up program. Across all these areas, volunteers are once again absolutely critical to accomplishing core responsibilities that allow us to deliver consistent customer service.

The Client Service volunteers PAWS Chicago would like to recognize this year are:

Carolee Stanmar
Carolee volunteers her time as a greeter at PAWS Chicago each Wednesday. She has a heart of gold and a warm and charming personality. Carolee always welcomes guests with a smile and ensures they are properly educated on the adoption process.

Joyce Herdliska
As a long time PAWS Chicago volunteer, Joyce consistently donates her time to help with the post-adoption process. As a part of the Adoption Follow-Up Program, Joyce completes adoption follow-up calls and counsels adopters after an adoption takes place, ensuring that both animals and adopters are happy and doing well.

Rita Edidin
Rita has been a volunteer since 2007 and helps with one of the most critical parts of the adoption process – assembling adoption folders. This behind-the-scenes task is often overlooked, but a key element which Rita helps with each week to keep adoptions moving forward. Of course, she still makes time in between folders to socialize with the dogs!

New Volunteer Orientation Trainers
The volunteer trainers who conduct the New Volunteer Orientations are the first impression new volunteers have of PAWS Chicago and they make a wonderful one! They consistently project a warm, welcoming and knowledgeable presence. Thank you for your help to grow the volunteer team by welcoming and educating new volunteers at orientations!

The NVO Trainers PAWS Chicago would like to recognize this year are:

Kasey Miller
Kasey is warm and welcoming, which makes her a wonderful asset to the presentation team for new volunteer orientations! Kasey’s passion for helping animals comes through with each orientation she hosts and her ability to engage and inspire new volunteers helps the PAWS Chicago Volunteer Team to grow and thrive!

Don Allerton
Don, a Level 2 Dog Town volunteer, brings his experience, a love of animals and laid back approach when hosting an NVO – and his sessions are always engaging and a huge success.

Kara Severson
Kara’s enthusiasm, personality and steadfast love of animals shines through in each NVO session she teaches, successfully educating new volunteers on how they can make a difference in the lives of homeless animals.

Volunteer Program Owners
One of the most significant goals we had this year was to recruit extremely dedicated and talented volunteers who were willing and able to take full and total ownership of specific programs or processes from beginning to end! We’ve made great in-roads to that this year, and although even more fantastic volunteers have been identified and given programs to own, the five that PAWS Chicago would like to recognize this year were some of the first and finest for the year:

Beth Hubbard
Beth manages the Family Service program and has taken it to a new level. She recruits, trains and schedules energetic volunteers to train and guide these families each weekend, to ensure they have a wonderful volunteer experience.

Rick Turley
Rick manages the Kitty City “holiday” foster program which finds fosters for our longer-term cats so they can experience a home environment for a few weeks. The Program could not have been launched without Rick’s dedication, vision and hard work. Rick’s knowledge about cats, understanding of the mission to save lives and his strong people skills have grown this program to what it is today – we’ve had 20-30 cats in the program at any given time since its inception, many of whom have been adopted by their fosters!

Jane Fouser
Jane manages our Science Diet Reimbursement Program which administers the Science Diet sponsorship. Jane is a long time PAWS Chicago volunteer, and although she’s done almost everything at the Adoption Center, she really found an invaluable niche helping with the day-to-day completion of our Science Diet reports which is very time consuming, as well as many other administrative tasks.

Melissa Melzer
Melissa manages the training schedule for all KCL1 Training Classes which occur three times-a-week all year round, as well as the quarterly KCL2 Training Classes. The schedule requires considerable attention to detail and coordination across the multiple instructors who, on average, teach 50-60 new volunteers each month.

Laurie Gentle
Laurie manages the retailer support of our Angel with Tails event in the West Loop and Bucktown. She manages the relationships with the 60+ retailers involved in Angel with Tails to ensure our partnerships with these retailers, including the Oprah Store, are always mutually beneficial. Before the event, she manages multiple communications with each retailer confirming the details of the program and often persuading them to provide more support when needed!

Family Service Host
The Family Service program provides opportunities each Saturday and Sunday for five family pairs, comprised of kids from 12-18 years old and a parent, to volunteer at the Adoption Center. We have recruited special Family Service hosts to train the families and manage them while they’re at the Center.

The Family Service Host PAWS Chicago would like to recognize this year is:

Steve Lotho
Steve is an outstanding host. He was one of the first volunteer hosts recruited by the new program coordinator, so was integral in helping to expanded the Family Service program this year.

Special Events
Besides recruiting volunteers to work at the Adoption Center, a large part of the Volunteer Program is recruiting volunteers for the many special events PAWS Chicago hosts each year. Often what’s asked of the volunteers at this event can be quite different than the recurring roles at the Adoption Center.

The Special Events volunteers PAWS Chicago would like to recognize this year are:

Jodi Gresik-Apostle
Jodi volunteered her time at the majority of special events that were held this year – even when they started before the sun came out! She is always one of the first respondents to volunteer her time when new events arise. This year alone, Jodi participated in the Fleet Feet Run, Rock n’ Roll Half Marathon, Run for Their Lives, Angels with Tails Bucktown, Angels with Tails West Loop, Beach Party and Chicago Marathon.

Terri Ignoffo & Adrienne Kerwin
Event set-up is notoriously labor-intensive and is often considered one of the least desirable assignments; however, it is certainly one of those most important. Both Terri and Adrienne have volunteered on numerous occasions to help set-up of events. From hauling tables up the stairs to the rooftop deck, to cleaning dog nose prints off of every door in the Adoption Center, Terri and Adrienne have put the Adoption Center in tip-top shape for many of our special events.

2010 All Stars
We would like to acknowledge three, very special volunteers as All Stars for their tireless support of PAWS Chicago this year across many varied and important roles.

Dave Maska
“No” is not in Dave Maska’s vocabulary! Throughout the year, he has been willing to help with anything and everything. In addition to volunteering his time as a Dog Town Level 3 volunteer, Location Manager, and volunteer program shift manager, Dave was a “go-to” person for many special assignments that came up on short notice. His dependability is so inspiring – and so appreciated! Dave’s “Can do!” attitude makes him an amazing member of the PAWS Chicago family. We would like to say a special thank you to Tori, Dave’s beloved dog, a PAWS Chicago alumni, who served as an inspiration to him to help animals. Although Tori recently passed, her beautiful spirit continues to inspire all who knew her.

Sonia Lindsey
There are not enough words to describe Sonia’s commitment to PAWS Chicago. This year, she has taken on so many varied roles, and to each one she brought her special touch and inimitable style. A professional corporate trainer by trade, she hosted Kitty City Level 1 and New Volunteer Orientation training classes with expertise and skill. She also served as an adept Adoption Counselor and a respected Location Manager, to whom many new volunteers look for guidance and support. Her dedication and boundless energy, her willingness to be there in a pinch and her wonderful approachable smile conspire to make her an invaluable member of the PAWS team.

Diana Zapata
Diana has worn many volunteer hats this year – she served as an Adoption Counselor, Dog Town Level 3 Volunteer, Doggie Day Care transport volunteer, and lucky for us, she even likes doing Laundry! Being fluent in Spanish, she conducted most of our bilingual adoptions this year, helping us provide an important service to the community. Throughout the year, like many of our volunteers, Diana managed to maintain a busy, demanding career and hectic travel schedule and still devote many precious hours to PAWS Chicago. With her giant, saucy, witty smile and her compassionate personality with so much love for all the animals, she was always there when we needed her this year, and for that we are extremely grateful.

Development Board
PAWS Chicago Development Board members serve as ambassadors in the community and support the organization’s effort to make Chicago a No Kill city. Board members organize three annual fundraising events: the Beach Party, Run for Their Lives and the Fur Ball, and also play an active role in Angels with Tails adoption events and volunteering time as a Weekend Greeter at the Adoption & Humane Center.

The Development Board members PAWS Chicago would like to recognize this year are:

Christine Mallul & Bonnie Spurlock, 2010 Beach Party Co-Chairs
Christine and Bonnie’s dedication and commitment to PAWS Chicago made this year’s Beach Party the most successful to date! In addition to chairing the event, Christine hand-made beautiful necklaces for each Beach Party Pet Host while Bonnie’s company, Associated Publications, served as a Presenting Sponsor.

Lisa Snider
Lisa joined the Development Board in September 2009 and is always willing to help out with a smile on her face. She regularly volunteered at the Adoption Center in Dog Town and as a Welcome Center Greeter. She also volunteered for Angels with Tails, served on the Beach Party Committee and was a Beach Party Pet Host Committee. This year, she also fostered (and adopted!) one of our long term cats!