Our "Best Friend" Honored Volunteer: Lillie Schlessinger
"Our Best Friends" is a weekly installment to honor just a few of our outstanding Best Friends Animal Society in Los Angeles volunteers. This is your chance to get to know some of the shining stars in the Best Friends LA volunteer program! Volunteers are either nominated by Best Friends LA staff or other volunteers in our program. If you would like to volunteer, e-mail our volunteer department at volunteerLA@bestfriends.org.
Lillie Schlessinger - honored January 2020
Lillie tell us...
What programs and projects do you volunteer with at Best Friends LA?
I primarily volunteer with the Adoptions Team. As part of that team, I’ve become a Grey Paw Dog/Cat volunteer so that I can showcase the animals for potential adopters. The Adoptions staff (and other volunteers) are the best. It can sometimes look like organized chaos but everyone helps each other out and I’ve learned so much from different people.
Why do you choose to volunteer with Best Friends LA?
I’m a believer in finding “forever homes” for animals. My current pets were both adopted from NKLA.
How long have you been a BFLA volunteer?
Six months.
What do you do when you're not volunteering (career/extracurricular activities)?
I recently retired and both of my sons are away at college. Now I enjoy dance classes, reading, gardening, playing with my dogs and waiting until my husband retires so we can travel more.
Do you have a favorite story to share about an experience volunteering with Best Friends LA? Share it!
I love talking to potential adopters. Everyone has a reason why they are looking for a new ‘best friend’ and they are excited to talk about their current/past pets and what they are hoping to find in a new pet. When someone takes an animal home, it is a great feeling.
Do you have any pets? Tell us about them!
I have two Chihuahua mixes, Chispa and Petal (formerly Meadow), both from NKLA. I never considered myself to be a Chihuahua person until an NKLA staffer introduced me to Chispa (5+ years ago). Now I’m a convert.
What others are saying about Lillie:
"Lillie has learned so much in a short amount of time and is always happy to help with anything, whether it's with counseling, greeting, or helping with other tasks. She always has a smile on her face and we could not be happier to have her with us!" - Judith Santiago-Lopez, Adoption Specialist
"Lillie is always willing to help where needed with the biggest smile on her face! She has completely dedicated herself to us, from cleaning kennels to helping with vet trips. She is absolutely amazing and we are so lucky to have her here!" - Kelly Kelley, Pet Caregiver