Volunteer Spotlight: Khadeja

A younger Black woman stands on a pier by the Hudson River with the Intrepid Museum in the background. She holds a black Rat Terrier dog and smiles at the camera.

In many ways, Khadeja (she/her) is your typical college student. A junior at John Jay College of Criminal Justice CUNY, she can often be found in class, studying for the LSAT, or watching her favorite shows: The Office or Gilmore Girls. Plus, she really loves pizza! But Khadeja also spends time each week volunteering for…

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Volunteer Spotlight Videos for International Volunteer Day

A man with brown hair coming out from under a baseball hat in glasses and a zip-up hoodie, kneels on some turf to pet and snuggle a brown dog.

PAWS NY recently announced that it has trained more than 5,000 volunteers since we started the organization, and as part of that celebration, we shared some inspiring volunteer stories as videos on social media. In recognition of International Volunteer Day today, we’re sharing those videos below. Keep scrolling to learn more about Kathryn, Samuel, Heather,…

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PAWS NY Trains Its 5,000th Volunteer

A young blonde woman in a black tank top holds a Shih Tzu mix dog with the Manhattan Bridge in the background.

These volunteers help care for dogs and cats (and birds and guinea pigs) across New York City, helping to keep families together with their pets. NEW YORK, November 15, 2023 – Pets Are Wonderful Support (PAWS) NY is thrilled to announce that the organization recently trained its 5,000th volunteer. Since launching on November 11, 2009, PAWS NY…

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The Benefits of Volunteering

An older woman in all black sits in her wheelchair in the doorway of her apartment building. She hands the leash of her dog, a Golden Retriever, to a young Asian man who is volunteering to help her.

PAWS NY is always looking for dedicated volunteers all over New York City who want to give their time to help their neighbors care for their pets. But what’s in it for the volunteers? Turns out, there are lots of amazing benefits of volunteering! Stress Relief According to the Mayo Clinic, “Volunteering reduces stress and…

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Runner Spotlight: Brenna

Brenna - A woman with light brown hair in a ponytail squats on the ground with two dogs by her side: a Golden Retriever and a smaller brown and white pup. Bicycle parts are visible in the background.

Brenna will be traveling from Orlando, Florida, to run the 2023 TCS New York City Marathon on behalf of PAWS NY this November. It will be her fifth Marathon, but her first time in NYC–following in her father’s footsteps who ran the same race 29 years ago. “I am a huge animal lover and have…

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Runner Spotlight: Lawrence

Lawrence - A young man with dark hair and dark clothes, squats down on the sidewalk to pet a black and white cat.

Lawrence has been volunteering with PAWS NY for several years, as both a dog walker and as a foster volunteer. This year, he’s running the 2023 TCS New York City Marathon on behalf of PAWS NY and we’re so excited to cheer him on! “Growing up with a dog, I knew how important pets can…

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Runner Spotlight: Samantha

Samantha, a woman with wavy brown hair, wears a Nike cap and white zip-up sweatshirt, outside in the woods. She smiles at the camera, with her arm around a black and white Siberian Husky dog, which is looking off to the left.

Today’s Runner Spotlight is all about Samantha! She is running the 2023 TCS New York City Marathon on behalf of PAWS NY and in honor of her pup Nero, a Siberian Husky who passed away in March 2023. Samantha started running a few years ago to help with anxiety and challenge herself physically. “After seeing…

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Runner Spotlight: Glenn

Glenn, a man with long light brown hair, kneels in the grass in front of a painted wooden fence, with three dogs: two larger dogs sitting on either side of him, looking into the distance, and him holding a smaller, shaggy black pup in his arms.

Glenn is a small animal veterinarian who helps shelters and rescues in his hometown of Ocean City, NJ. With such a passion for animals, it’s no surprise that he’s the perfect fit for Team PAWS NY for the 2023 TCS New York City Marathon! After running the race last year, Glenn was hooked and is…

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Runner Spotlight: Jacqueline

Jacqueline - A woman with brown hair & glasses smiles at the camera, while holding a brown dog that is looking over her shoulder.

Volunteer Jacqueline helps walk PAWS pup Ani every week in Brooklyn, and she even fostered this cutie when her guardian received medical treatment.  “It’s a bright spot in my morning routine to take time and help someone else–in this case both a pup and their owner!” Jacqueline says. A cross-country runner in high school, the…

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Runner Spotlight: Emily

Emily - A young woman, with brown hair up in a ponytail, wears a flowery top and black cardigan and holds a brown chihuahua up to her face. She’s turned to kiss the dog, while the dog stares at the camera.

Emily has been volunteering with PAWS NY for 10 years, as both a dog walker and foster–and now she’s running the 2023 TCS New York City Marathon on our behalf! She started running a little more than a year ago and decided to tackle this awesome feat alongside a friend, while supporting PAWS along the…

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