This month's Volunteer of the Month goes to a team of volunteers - The Fungus Fighters of the Ringworm Ward!
"This amazing team of women, led by volunteers Deb Leftwich and Tara Mica, come in to the ringworm ward at 10am twice a week, every week for a ringworm spa day. They lyme dip every cat (sometimes as many as 60 at a time) and scrub every cat enclosure from top to bottom. I can say with certainty that this program could not run without each and every one of them, and I am forever indebted to them for their tireless work and advocacy on behalf of these cats. Dozens of cats are alive today because of their work, helping cats clear ringworm and move out of the ward so new ones can move in.
They always have incredibly positive attitudes, and help me focus on the good the ward is doing when I start feeling overwhelmed by the stress of kitten season. Whether they are dipping cats, cleaning enclosures, taking loads of ringworm-covered laundry home, alerting me to potential health and behavior problems, bringing in cat litter when we are out, helping socialize feral kittens, or helping me track the progress of the cats' treatment, the Fungus Fighters are an indispensable part of the program. Did I mention they all manage to look fabulous, even when they're covered in bleach and lyme dip?" - Brittany Dell'Aglio-Mitchell, Ringworm Ward Manager
"These folks are in ringworm country twice a week to help lyme dip all the cats. They tackle a stinky, thankless job with grace and humor. Without them we would not be clearing nearly as many ringworm positive cats and we'd be unable to pull more cats from AAC. It's a tough job and they are doing it brilliantly." - Clara Showalter, Cat Adoption Counselor
"They're an amazing team of folks who come in twice weekly and give the ringworm kitties "spa treatment." Every cat in the ward gets dipped, and some are treated to special spot treatment for their most troublesome spots. In addition, these volunteers bleach all of the enclosures and cages from top to bottom, and rid the place of all those pesky spores. Because of the Fungus Fighters, we're now clearing cats of ringworm at a far more rapid pace, which of course, allows us to pull more cats from foster, AAC, and the nursery, which allows us to save more lives!" - Wendy Salter, Cat Adoptions Manager
"Volunteering in the ringworm ward is a messy and "bleachy" job that no sane person does! :-)" - Mitch Norris, Cat Adoption Counselor