Our volunteers are the reason we exist and they have a unique set of extraordinary talents that support our mission to rescue and provide a safe habitat for displaced wild animals while promoting coexistence and preservation of their ecosystems.
2024 Q1 - Jess Grill
When it comes to our excellent Wild Paws volunteers, Jess Grill is the definition of “Jill of All Trades”! She has been with Wild Paws since our first resident fox arrival in 2021. She knew some of the people who started Wild Paws and “these are the kind of people who know what they are doing, and have such a passion for an organization like this, that I knew I wanted to be a part of it.” She is an integral part of our animal care team, and is usually onsite multiple times a month to ensure all facets of our residents’ care is managed properly.
This means everything from helping to design and build our habitats to daily husbandry, which includes feeding, cleaning, training, and enrichment. Her holiday gingerbread house for the Fab 4 was outstanding and provided a lot of fun and entertainment for them!
Jess also sets up and manages our camera monitoring system. This system is invaluable to viewing and reviewing resident activities and safety at all hours of the day or night. She has a knack for understanding the unique qualities and needs of each resident. Jess has especially helped our special needs coyote, Daphne, by studying her behavior, trying new enrichment items for her and setting up Zoomonitor for daily logs. Through this type of specialized care, our residents are living their best lives.
We asked Jess,” What does Wild Paws mean to you?” Her response was: “It's one thing to have a mission statement but it's another to follow through and truly live by that statement, and that is absolutely what Wild Paws does. Animal care is a huge part of that but I love that sustainability and how we can impact the environment also plays a huge role. By taking in displaced native wildlife there is also the advantage to educate on the importance of coexistence with the animals.”
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world: indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” ~ Margaret Mead
2023 Q3 Volunteer - Steph Anderson
Stephanie has been with Wild Paws since our conception, and we couldn’t be more grateful for her commitment to making Wild Paws successful in her great care for our residents. In her own words, “I volunteer for Wild Paws because I am invested in using my free time to assist with animal causes and really enjoy interacting with the animals I help care for. It helps fill a need (that) I have to put out some good in this world. There are many different ways to help volunteer for Wild Paws, for example, helping with social media, assisting in grant writing, data entry, creating enrichment for the animals, gardening, building animal dens and platforms, as well as animal care.”
Update 2024: Steph continues to make great suggestions to improving our onsite organization of tools, equipment and gardening supplies. She also knows who likes which treats best, which is very helpful to animal care!
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world: indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” ~ Margaret Mead
2023 Q2 Volunteer - Chris Merton
Meet Chris Merton, Wild Paws Volunteer of the Quarter Q2 2023. From the beginning, Chris has dedicated many hours to Wild Paws and has been instrumental in preparing the land and completing habitats for for our residents. He has led many group volunteer days, worked on his own, and donated supplies and equipment all while having a positive outlook and vision for Wild Paws’ future. We are lucky to call him a friend and fellow animal lover.
In Chris’ words, “I volunteer at Wild Paws to do what I can to help minimize the negative effects on wild animals from human - animal interactions.”
Update 2024: Chris is group volunteer day lead and has already starting clearing the area for the Fab 4 Foxes new habitat. He helps to set our priorities and maintain our project lists.