Volunteer Spotlight: Cindy Smith
There are many volunteers who come in regularly, week after week, to work with SICSA’s dogs and cats. Cindy Smith is a dedicated volunteer who does just that. She comes in often, every single Friday morning, to walk dogs and then spend time with the cats. She’s been doing this for almost ten years and hardly ever misses a Friday!
Cindy is a lifelong animal lover and pet owner, and found herself with some extra time in 2008. She decided to volunteer at SICSA due to her love of animals, and had remembered and been impressed by the fact that SICSA took in rescue dogs after Hurricane Katrina. Since joining, Cindy has gotten involved in weekly dog and cat volunteering, but also some of SICSA’s largest fundraising and adoption events, including Lift Your Leg, Home for the Holidays, and Chip, Dip & Cheer. She continues to volunteer because the animals are always happy to see her, and she knows they enjoy the extra attention. Her favorite thing about volunteering at SICSA is getting an excited tail wag or an accepting purr from the animals.
Cindy has met many animals in her time at SICSA, and she says that each and every one has made an impact on her. She loves to bond with them at offsite events, and she worries about them until they’re adopted. She does have a fondness for big dogs and all black cats. She also has a soft spot for older pit bull puppies who come into SICSA alone. She loves watching all of them find their forever homes.
She and her husband, Brad, have actually helped find forever homes for several animals – in their own home! They currently live with two SICSA dogs, Hank and Chester, and three cats, Liberty, Annika, and Tommy. They also have a twenty-year-old cockatoo named Aku, who they hand-fed as a baby bird.
One of her favorite SICSA memories was on a winter Friday morning, after having a slow, slippery drive to SICSA. When she arrived, an Australian Cattle Dog named Bailey was so thrilled to see her! They went out in the yard and played in the falling snow. Says Cindy, “It was so peaceful and quiet, yet rejuvenating.” She and Bailey both had a wonderful time.
Cindy says that, when she thinks of going to SICSA every Friday, she often remembers the lyrics from the TV show, Cheers, “Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name, and they’re always glad you came.”
She says that she believes the sweet pups and kitties of SICSA are always glad when someone comes to visit and we couldn’t agree more. Thank you, Cindy, for all you do for the animals of SICSA!
