The Lori Kauffman Volunteer Of The Month Award

Cynthia Ring is the recipient of the November 2010 Lori Kauffman Volunteer of the Month Award

People get involved with GRRA™ for many reasons, some more personal than others, but we all have one thing in common - we love goldens. Cynthia Ring, our November Volunteer of the Month, is no different. "I got involved in August of 2009 after we lost our golden," she explains. "There was a void, yet we weren't ready for a puppy, so we started fostering and it worked out well." So well, in fact, that Cynthia has fostered 13 dogs, including 6 puppies! And somehow she's managed to keep only one - an older girl named Shiloh who Cynthia says "needed to stay with us."

It wasn't until the GRRA™ Holiday Party last year that Cynthia was recruited for another position - Foster Co-Coordinator with Elizabeth Laney. "It's been a learning experience," says Cynthia, laughing. "It's more than a three person job, but we've worked through the rolls between the two of us." As one might imagine, coordinating a foster home for a dog whose personality is typically unknown and background questionable isn't easy. "When I call a potential foster, I always tell them what we know and what we don't know," she says. Cynthia's foster list only consists of about 50 fosters, some only temporary, leaving roughly 25-30 homes readily available for regular fostering. "Fostering tugs at your heart," Cynthia says. "Placing dogs into the right home when you just know it's the right home is so rewarding."

One of Cynthia's most memorable experiences is that of three foster puppies she rescued from a backyard breeder. "My golden girls," she explains fondly. "They only stayed with me for a week, but it was most rewarding to see them rescued then adopted into three wonderful homes."

Cynthia's position consists of a lot of teamwork, and as you might imagine, coordination skills. A day in the life of "foster co-coordinator" starts with Intake. "I get an intake note with all the details for the dog and vetting," she explains, " then after 10 days [quarantine] for shelter dogs, I work to find the right foster home." Cynthia works with a list of volunteers, some of whom prefer the older dogs, some who prefer puppies and the rest fall somewhere in between. "Once they are ready to go, I call 'triever taxi service," she says, laughing. Cynthia follows up with the fosters while simultaneously keeping an eye on emails to see if there is any interest in the dogs. Once a dog is adopted, that foster is moved back to the available list, but Cynthia's vested interest doesn't end there. "I like to follow up with the dogs by sending the people a note to see how the dog is doing," she says. "I keep threatening to have my own Romp with all my foster dogs just to see how they are doing!"

Cynthia's dedication and positive outlook are what make her such an asset. Thank you Cynthia, for all you do for GRRA™.

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.