04/08/2026
Did you know that April is Volunteer Appreciation Month?
Every single day, our volunteers show up for the animals and our community in ways that truly make a difference. From cleaning and walking dogs to socializing animals, answering phones, and greeting visitors, their impact touches every corner of the shelter. In 2025 alone, volunteers logged 8,240.5 hours total.
We were proud to recognize three outstanding individuals as the 2025 Volunteers of the Year at our annual Volunteer Appreciation Event (with one not pictured):
Janet Wingfield joins us every Thursday to assist our veterinary team with spays, neuters, and other procedures. These are often long and demanding days, but Janet meets each one with dedication. She somehow still ends it with a smile (and a mop in hand).
Laura Rizza volunteers every Tuesday and Thursday with our Dog Crew, an essential team that keeps our adoption area running smoothly. This amazing group helps clean all of dog adoption, catch up on laundry, dishes, Kong filling, organizing, helping adopters meet with dogs, and even more. She travels over 30 minutes each way to be here and also supports our education team through Goochland Pet Lovers.
Last but certainly not least is Erin Dudley (not pictured). A true weekend warrior, Erin dedicates every Saturday to Dog Crew. She starts with cleaning and then spends extra time walking and working with the dogs. Her consistency and commitment make a lasting impact on every dog, but especially the “tough” ones.
To all of our volunteers… Thank you! Your time, consistency, effort, and energy put into our shelter does not go unnoticed. We simply couldn’t do this without you.
