Every day that Susan Dravecky starts her volunteer shift in the YWAC Vet Clinic, she arrives with a huge smile on her face and some yummy treats in hand for the staff. Susan started volunteering at YWAC almost 18 months ago but almost immediately became a valued member of the vet clinic team. “Susan does so much behind the scenes that most folks don’t see but these things are an incredible value to the animals we care for”, says Dr. Becky Debolt, Director of Shelter Medicine.

Susan says the true motivator behind her deep commitment is all the animals at Young-Williams Animal Center. The benefit of knowing you are saving lives daily outweighs any of the negative that might come with volunteering at an animal shelter. “Susan motivates me to work harder. She cares so much for all the animals and she is like an energizer bunny, constantly looking for ways to help our staff”, says Dr. Debolt.

Some of the many things Susan does for the vet clinic are:

–       Setting up the surgery suite for the vets before surgery

–       Holds and comforts animals before anesthesia

–       Cleans the animals before and after surgery

–       Cleans and sterilizes the surgery packets

–       Laundry and general cleaning

“We call her Memaw. She is a like the best grandmother, constantly making sure we are well rested, have enough to eat and making us laugh, which is something we all need to do daily” says Tammy Dionas, Vet Tech for YWAC. “She just goes that extra mile for the animals”. I heard Susan say once, “Volunteering at Young-Williams has brought so much joy in my life that I never really had before”.

If you would like to volunteer for YWAC, please start the process by filling out application here!