12.13.19 November Volunteer of the Month- Meet Katie

November 2019 Volunteer of the Month- 

Meet Katie!

How did you find out about Minnesota Pit Bull Rescue?

I was searching online for other animal rescue organizations to volunteer at and found out about Minnesota Pit Bull Rescue.

Why did you decide to volunteer for MPBR?

I started volunteering for MPBR because I love animals and wanted to give back to the community. Also, I know people who have pit bulls and talk about how loving and sweet they are and I wanted to help change the negative stigma surrounding the breed.

How long have you been volunteering with the rescue?

I’ve been volunteering for about 5-6 months now.

What was the last thing you volunteered for?

Right now, because of my schedule, I usually am only doing reference checks. However, if my schedule changes, I would like to help out more in the organization. 

Do you have any pets of your own?

We used to have 3 poodles, but had to to put 2 down a little over 4 years ago and the last one down this last March.

How would your pets describe you?

I think they would describe me as a wonderful person who loves animals and willing to help any animal out in a pinch. They would say I’m a bit crazy when it comes to dogs as well, but that’s what they love about me. 

Where is your favorite dog-friendly place to take your pups?

Usually it was to the dog park or to any park in general.

When you're not surrounded by dogs, what can you be found doing?

I love photography. In fact, I would love to get into the pet photography business and work with all kinds of animals taking their portraits and mainly work at getting candid moments of pets and possibly include their owners as well, but I would do some posed portraits too. I also am into card making and other arts and crafts. I also volunteer at other places including another animal rescue (Happy Tails Rescue) in Fridley and a Career and Life Transition Program helping out the teachers and staff in anyway they need.

Do you have a favorite memory that happened while you were volunteering?

I don’t have a favorite memory, but my most memorable moments are some of the conversations I’ve had with references and the laughs as we get through the questions for either adoption, foster, and/or volunteering applicant’s references. I love hearing about their dogs personalities and some of the funny moments that might get mentioned.

Do you have any advice for current or future volunteers?

I would say that to keep an open mind. I know that when I first was thinking of volunteering here, one of my references was adamant that pit bulls are these mean dogs that the willingness to attack at any moment, without provoking, is so bred into their genes that they aren’t able to get that personality trait bred out of them. That is actually what her old vet for one of her past dogs said. Know that you may not change the whole world’s point of view of pit bulls, but you can certainly help by showing the public that they aren’t the breed of dogs that society has made out to be; so, you may be able to change one person’s point of view and/or thoughts about pit bulls which might prompt them into adopting a pit bull which will change the world through the pit bulls eyes. You would be/are creating an environment that would be not as focused on the bad qualities and see past the media/society view to the actual real dog’s personality. 

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Each month an active volunteer is featured on our website & receives a gift card as a thank you. This is just a small way for us to show our appreciation for the dedication our volunteers have for this rescue. We are 100% volunteer based and we couldn’t do this without each and every one of our members ♥️

Interested in volunteering? Check out some info here. 
If you’re interested in helping us with the donation to our volunteers, click here.