Volunteer Carola tries to downplay what she does for Poodle and Pooch Rescue. But the truth is that she plays a vital role in our organization.
Carola, who is on our donor team, works behind the scenes tracking every donation to ensure each person gets a thank you and updates on the dog they support.
And she sends out the thank yous almost immediately – within a couple of days.
“That’s one thing that’s very nice about Poodle and Pooch,” Carola says. “Most places don’t do anything. I’m happy our donors get a little thank you.”
We have more than 1,400 unique donors and about 3,000 donations each year. When Carola joined us five years ago, she organized and automated everything in a spreadsheet – a process that previously was a huge manual task.
Poodle and Pooch President Rebecca Lynch says Carola makes it look easy.
“Carola is such a huge asset to our PPR team,” Rebecca says. “We’re so grateful for Carola sharing her PAWsome organizational skills and her time, but we’re mostly grateful for her giant heart and dedication to our cause.”
Even though she’s not working directly with dogs, volunteering can still take an emotional toll. Carola mentions Hazel, who got lots of donations. She was left chained outside a home and was finally surrendered to animal control. But after she was adopted, Hazel jumped out of the car window on the way to her new home, breaking her leg. She was returned to the shelter. That’s when we stepped in.
“Some of these are heartbreaking,” Carola says. “I have to walk away sometimes. I think, “I can’t do this right now.”
Carola and her husband had to say goodbye to their 18-year-old Jack Russell terrier Asta last year. Just two years earlier, his brother Fritz died. Their hearts are still hurting from the losses, but Carola sees a dog in their future.
Carola, thanks for all you do!