Our "Best Friend" Honored Volunteer: Scott K.
Scott is a huge help with all of the cleaning in our cat rooms, he does it with a smile, and is always a joy to be around
By
Best Friends Animal Society
"Our Best Friends" is a weekly installment to honor just a few of our outstanding Best Friends LA 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 the Best Friends LA Volunteer Department at volunteerLA@bestfriends.org
Scott K. - honored December 2016
Scott tell us.....
What programs and projects do you volunteer with at Best Friends LA?
I’m happy just coming in and cleaning cat kennels. It may not seem like much, but I enjoy taking care of/cleaning up after the cats and kittens. My age (and back problems) keep me from doing things that are too strenuous. But that’s okay because I know that even my small part is important to the success of BFLA.
Why do you choose to volunteer with Best Friends LA?
Well, first of all, I’m retired and I like to keep busy, making a contribution to the world. Secondly, I love cats and enjoy interacting with them. (I also enjoy meeting and working with the BFLA staff. They’re a great bunch of people.) And I do this for the pleasure I get out of giving, not for any recognition.
How long have you been a Best Friends LA volunteer?
I started in early 2015, if my memory serves me correctly. I had to take a few months off in fall of 2015 for knee replacement surgery, but I was really missing the activity and got back into it as soon as I was able.
What type of fun stuff do you do when you're not volunteering?
As I said, I’m retired from both the U.S. Air Force and my second career as a video editor. But I work at home recording audio books, commercially. The ones I have completed are all non-fiction. I just finished my sixth and will be starting on another after the holidays. Other than that, I’m a lifelong movie addict, and try to get to at least one movie a week. And our cats at home keep me busy, too.
Do you have a favorite story to share about an experience volunteering with Best Friends LA?
No, I’ve had too many individual instances to remember one specific story. But I CAN tell you what gives me great joy. When there’s a new cat (in the Kitty Garden - or blue room, as we call it) that’s very shy, possibly even aggressive out of fear, I try to take a few minutes to talk softly and calmly to it. Each time I come in (assuming that cat is still there) I do the same thing… trying to help it get over its fears. I did that earlier this year (with a cat whose name escapes me - a female who became a staff member’s project cat, if that helps) and over the course of a few weeks, she got to the point that I was able to pet her without her getting upset. Of course, I realize I’m not the only human she came in contact with, or who worked with her, but I’d like to think I played a small part in her “socialization”.
Do you have any pets?
My wife and I have three cats, all rescues. The oldest is Tailor, a tabby/Occicat mix. He’s 12 and has diabetes. But we take care of him - giving him insulin injections twice a day and making sure he gets the low carb diet he needs. He’s very vocal and loves to lie on my chest when I’m lying in bed reading. Our second is Hera, a 7-year-old female Russian blue. She lost part of her tail when she was a kitten, but she is very sweet and loves getting under the covers with us in the middle of the night. Our youngest is Sheila. She’s about two-and-a-half and weighs about 15 pounds last time we checked. She’s a ginger, and because of her size and fur (not long-hair, but not short) we believe she has to be part Maine coon. She loves playing in the backyard - which is completely walled in, with fencing on top to keep the three cats in.
What others are saying about Scott:
"Scott is such a big help to our cats! Not only does he come in to clean 2x a week, he also helps them get their beautiful photographs with Lori, our wonderful photographer. Scott helps us ensure that our mass amount of cleaning gets done, he does it with a smile, and is always a joy to be around! Oh, and the cats love him a lot too :) Thank you SO much for all of your hard work Scott!"
From: Janette N-Cat Care Manager
"Scott is such a big help to our cats! Not only does he come in to clean 2x a week, he also helps them get their beautiful photographs with Lori, our wonderful photographer. Scott helps us ensure that our mass amount of cleaning gets done, he does it with a smile, and is always a joy to be around! Oh, and the cats love him a lot too :) Thank you SO much for all of your hard work Scott!"
From: Janette N-Cat Care Manager