April 20 – 27, 2013 is National Volunteer Appreciation Week – and we have a special appreciation for the volunteers who help us here at our clinic in Waynesboro! Scores of volunteers donate their time and services at the Wildlife Center in a variety of ways – cleaning animal enclosures, feeding orphaned wildlife, assisting the veterinarians with daily treatments, transporting patients to and from the Center, and more!
As we honor our hard-working volunteers this week, we asked them: Why do you volunteer at the Center? What keeps you coming back? Throughout this week we’ll share their responses on our blog.
Interested in volunteering with us? Learn more!
This post is from Animal Care volunteer Peg. Peg has been volunteering with us since 2004:
OK, why I like to volunteer at the Wildlife Center …
1. I love all creatures and it makes me feel good to help, in some small way, those who have been injured or orphaned – even if they do not want to be helped at the moment, such
as stubborn Red-tailed Hawks who do not want to exercise!!
2. The staff is very welcoming and I appreciate the teaching atmosphere. I am always learning something new and meeting new students who all share the same passion.
3. It is "safe" for me to work with animals that I cannot bring home. If I worked with dogs or cats, my house would overflow with pets.
4. There is no greater satisfaction for me than seeing an animal released back into the wild and just take off with the joy of "going home".
So, I guess all these reasons are basically very selfish because it all boils down to the fact that I enjoy the work and it makes me feel good :-) So, the payback is great!
See who is currently featured on the Center's Critter Cams!