Andrea Schmoyer
After moving back to Chicago from Atlanta, Andrea Schmoyer was looking for ways to have a deeper impact on animal welfare and decided to explore volunteer opportunities with PAWS Chicago.
“I have been actively volunteering since June 2018. I grew up with both cats and dogs, and while I love both, I have always felt a special connection with cats. So, I decided Kitty City was the best place to start my volunteer journey with PAWS,” Andrea says.
Andrea volunteers at the PAWS Adoption Center in Kitty City as a Level 2 volunteer and co-teaches the Level 2 volunteer course.
“I also serve as a post-adoption feline behavior counselor, mentor new volunteers, and foster on occasion. My favorite way to help is working with some of the kitties who have a more challenging time in a shelter environment, and the most rewarding has been fostering a few challenging cases. The best part is seeing them find their perfect home,” Andrea says.
Of the many kitties she’s helped, Vernon, a stray from Chicago Animal Care and Control, stands out the most.
"Once he reached the adoption center, Vernon used his keen escape/survival skills to make his way into the ceiling tiles," she says. "Watching the lengths that the PAWS community took in order to retrieve this crafty guy and the care expressed showcases why I volunteer with PAWS, an organization that expresses so much care and effort for one little life. Every life is important at PAWS.”
After being retrieved, Andrea had the honor of fostering Vernon.
“Getting to know Vernon was something I will never forget. I was amazed at his capacity to love after what must have been a traumatic experience, and as he adapted to my home, he proved to be ultra-curious and intelligent and provided endless entertainment with his bold, delightful personality. The best part of the story is that he was adopted by a wonderful volunteer and is now living his best life,” Andrea says.
While Vernon is a stand-out shelter pet, the animals who have had the biggest influence on Andrea are the ones she's adopted.
“I have spent most of my life with some sort of animal as a companion, and the impact that has had on my life has been immense. During a particularly challenging time in my life, I adopted a cat as a companion for my then resident cat. This cat, Matisse, turned out to be older than estimated—a senior.”
Caring for Matisse was constant and costly, but what he gave Andrea in return was priceless.
“It was a time in my life when caring for myself felt like a difficult task, and he taught me to care again. He was with me for a cherished five years, became a close companion to my resident cat, and taught me what unconditional love really means.”
Andrea is very happy to help others experience this same kind of friendship.
“All of my pets have meant so much to me and have given so much more than I could possibly give them. I think of this with every animal I interact with at PAWS—I’m so thankful they have been saved and have the opportunity to have the same kind of meaning in someone’s life.”
Interested in becoming a volunteer like Andrea? Here's what she had to say about her experience:
“Do it and keep at it! If there is one thing I have learned, it's that every cat is different. Remember, you don’t know what an animal has gone through to get to PAWS, and they don’t know you. Take time, be patient, and let the animals show you who they are.”