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By Amanda Matwie
Dione Zurburg first realized about Second Probability Animal Rescue Society (SCARS) in 2014, however her resolution to volunteer for the rescue got here later.
On the finish of 2022, Dione took an early retirement, spurred by realizations she made in 2021 when she misplaced her beloved sister to most cancers. Her sister Christine had been concerned in volunteer work since her teen years, continuously inspiring Dione and even being the catalyst to Dione studying about SCARS within the first place. “Although she was two years youthful than me,” Dione says, “I at all times mentioned ‘I wish to be like her after I develop up’.” The best way that Christine lived her life and the way in which that she handed made Dione understand how brief our lives are. “We’re solely given one life,” she factors out, “and it’s essential to make the very best of what time we do have right here.”
Dione had already determined that she’d volunteer with SCARS, however she thought she would possibly wish to take a yr off first. Just a few brief months later, although, she ended up on the SCARS occasions web page, signing up for the subsequent volunteer orientation session. Not lengthy after that she signed up for her first volunteer shift, portray canine homes for the Partitions for Winter program. 5 months and over 218 hours of volunteering later, Dione says she has “changed the routine of going to work with the routine of volunteering.”
Dione’s most important volunteer function goes in to the Morinville Rescue Heart twice per week to scrub. Along with cleansing kennels, feeding cats, and attempting to maintain up with the “generally overwhelming” quantity of laundry that the rescue facility produces, she tries to spend not less than forty-five minutes of her shift cuddling cats. The numerous period of time that she spends on web site on the Morinville facility permits Dione to watch the distinct personalities of the cats there, so she particularly loves with the ability to volunteer at adoption occasions. Between organising the kennels and taking them again down once more, she will be able to inform potential adopters all concerning the cats, a lot of whom she has had the pleasure of interacting with. Dione has additionally been concerned with pet yoga. “Who am I joking?” she admits, “I’m there to snuggle the puppies.”
Dione couldn’t decide one memorable volunteer expertise to inform me about, since she considers all of them to be memorable. “Whereas it’s generally heartbreaking and I’ll generally break down and cry over a specific animal whereas I’m on the shelter,” she assures me, “volunteering has been extra rewarding and fulfilling than any job I might probably have.” She describes how great it’s to see cats come into care “fully scared and ‘spicy’” and watching the change that may occur in a short while. “Having them be fully untrusting to now purring and rubbing up towards you,” she tells me, “Now THAT is the facility of affection.”
Again in 2014, when she realized about Second Probability Animal Rescue Society from her sister, Dione already had two cats at residence, adopted from the Edmonton Humane Society, however she knew if she ever adopted once more, it will be from SCARS. In June 2023, when she needed to say goodbye to her eighteen-year-old cat, Dione revisited the concept of adoption. Devastated and not sure of when she can be able to open her “coronary heart and residential” once more, she crammed out a normal utility to be saved on file in case she met the proper match for herself and her remaining cat. 5 weeks later, after she had begun volunteering for SCARS, Dione got here throughout the adoption profile for a cat named Olive (now Daisy) and knew that she was prepared. Inside days, “as destiny would have it,” she went to an adoption occasion that Olive was attending and introduced her residence that very afternoon. In August, Dione arrived at an adoption occasion to assist arrange, noticed Jodi (now Luna) and instantly claimed her. Dione says that (Loopy) Daisy and Luna (the Lunatic) are “of their teen years” and testing their limits and her persistence, however her “coronary heart is filled with love for them” and she will be able to’t think about her life with out them.
As with many SCARS volunteers, Dione’s journey as a volunteer ended up together with an adoption (or two), however there are a lot of different methods to assist. Adopting or fostering animal are magnificent issues, however so are cuddling cats, doing laundry, washing flooring, transporting animals and donations, and customarily opening your coronary heart. “It doesn’t take a lot to make a distinction within the lives of animals,” Dione assures me. She encourages folks to take a look at a volunteer orientation session, no dedication required, and see if they could discover themselves asking “How can I assist?”
Second Probability Animal Rescue Society (SCARS), like most animal rescues right here in Alberta, operates primarily via the efforts of volunteers. These volunteers do every thing from strolling canine and cuddling kittens to opening their properties to offer momentary placements for animals. There are a mess of volunteer roles that assist the rescue run. Be taught extra about volunteering for SCARS.
Pictured: Dione and her two SCARS cats, Daisy and Luna.
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