The Lori Kauffman Volunteer Of The Month Award

Ann Mittelstead is the recipient of the May 2011 Lori Kauffman Volunteer of the Month Award

A description of one of GRRA™'s dogs is worth a thousand words, especially for our May Volunteer of the Month, Ann Mittelstead. She writes about each dog that comes into the program and posts it to both Petfinder and the GRRA™ website. "The bios are fun because I feel like I know them even though I've never met them," she explains. "I'll see a follow up email with the new family and remember - a lot of them stick with me." The bios are also what make a potential adoptive family want to meet a certain dog, as Ann did with one of her dogs, who made it out of a high kill shelter in Alabama to her cozy home in Atlanta. "I was planning to get her into a rescue here," she tries to explain, laughing.

Ann started volunteering with GRRA™ in 2004 after perusing Petfinder hoping to find a friend to fill the void she thought her lone dog had after losing their elderly dog. She spotted a golden stuck in a shelter in Paulding County and when she called, the shelter staff told her he had been rescued by GRRA™. "I took my dog to see that dog, and my dog didn't want anything to do with him," she says. "It turns out he was perfectly comfortable being by himself!" But Ann stuck with it. "I had been looking for a volunteer avenue with animals, but I didn't want it to be sad," she explains. "I wanted a positive, uplifting experience." She originally started as an adoption day escort and had a place on the phone team one day per week before stepping into her current position writing the dogs' bios. While Ann was volunteering at each adoption day as an escort, she was making the rounds and meeting the dogs when one caught her attention. Though she "really wasn't intending" to adopt, she had lost four elderly animals in four years and was now without a dog for the first time in 14 years. "My house was not a home, it was horrible," she says. "This dog walked by with his foster and I petted him, and in my mind it seemed like he really didn't want to leave!" she says, laughing. At the end of the day, she told the foster that she might be interested so he handed her the leash. "He came home a week later," she says. "His name is Moose (pictured at right) and he's 97 pounds - he's the best!"

Volunteering for an animal rescue doesn't come without heartache, and Ann learned that during one memorable adoption day. An older dog was very noticeably uncomfortable, to the point that she alerted her foster and the visiting veterinarian. The dog was taken away in the vet's arms and later died. She got a lot of attention that day from everyone there. "People loved her if only for a moment," she says sadly. Ann believes it's the end that really matters. "That instance is what really brought it home for me," she says. "I wish for every animal someone to love them, especially at the end when they need it most." Ann believes GRRA™ plays a large part in giving that opportunity to the animals that wouldn't otherwise experience that love. "That's a huge part of what we do, making sure they go to homes where someone will make that lifetime commitment," she says.

Ann's love for animals is apparent with her two dogs and three cats, and her timeless dedication to the dogs in GRRA™. "Animals are just the most important thing in my life," she explains. "I volunteer for selfish reasons because they just make me feel better - I like helping and doing what I can."

GRRA™ is lucky to have someone like Ann. Thank you for all you do!

Lori Kauffman, who passed away in 2007, was a GRRA™ volunteer who wanted to ensure that GRRA™ continued to do its valuable work. Lori wanted people to know, "Dogs are not disposable. Having a dog is a lifelong commitment. They are an equal part of the family".

If you are aware of a volunteer's efforts that exemplify what is needed to make our volunteer organization survive and thrive, please send a note to volunteer@grra.com. Monthly Nominations are due by the 17th of each month. Click here to see previous award winners.