November 2014 Volunteers of the Month: Susan and Rhyan

Nov 29, 2014

Austin Pets Alive! is fortunate to have hundreds of dedicated volunteers. And this month we want to give extra thanks to our volunteers of the month: Susan and Rhyan, an incredible mother-daughter duo.

Here's what others had to say about Susan and Rhyan: 

"Susan and Rhyan are an amazing mother-daughter pair! They show up every Sunday to help care for the FeLV cats and then make their way to the main cattery and help organize and clean everything for the day! Rhyan is so young but she is extremely dedicated and deserves to be honored for being such a great volunteer! Susan can always be caught doing the housekeeping for the cat team! When our wash machines broke, she took huge stacks of laundry home so that our kitties could continue to sleep in clean and comfy beds! They really are valuable assets to the APA cat team! We couldn't do it without them!" - Cat Counselor

"They have been coming every week for over two years and have contributed a lot of time. And they love to do it." - Anonymous

"Susan and Rhyan are an amazing pair! The are so cute together and get so much done! The kitties love them, and they are so generous with their time and effort...they are an invaluable part of the cattery volunteer team!" -  Anonymous

We sat down to get to know this fantastic duo, and here's what they had to say: 

How did you get interested in volunteering at APA!? 

We love animals; especially cats.  About 4 years ago, we were visiting family in California.  They had recently lost their cat and were thinking about adopting a new one.  We visited some shelters there and saw the need for volunteers.  After returning to Texas, we looked into the shelters here and found APA.  We signed up for the orientation and have been volunteering every Sunday since then.

What are you most passionate about at APA!?

The FELV kitties.

What is your favorite thing to do at APA!?

We obviously love cuddling with the new little kittens.  Who wouldn't?!  But, we especially like making friends with the older kitties.

What are some words of wisdom for new APA! volunteers?

Try to have a set day/time per week that you go volunteer.  Then it is just part of your routine.  Also, if you love animals, but avoid animal shelters because they make you sad, this is just the place for you to get more involved.  Once you see that the majority of the animals get adopted, event the ones with medical issues or FELV, you will see that there is actually little sadness and lot and lots of joy!

Do you have a favorite cat at APA!? 

Rhyan - Annabelle in FELV.  Susan - Zig, Zag and Zinger - the three FELV brothers.  All of these cats have been adopted but they will always be our favorites.

What's an interesting fact about you people may not know?

Rhyan is a straight A student and in band playing the trumpet at a very high level.  Susan grew up in Oceanside, California and loves to sew.