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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Volunteer Spotlight: Julia

Julia - A young woman with blue eyes and dark hair sits in an apartment holding a black cat. She’s wearing a pink and yellow headscarf, and a black sweatshirt, which blends in with the cat.

You might remember PAWS NY volunteer Julia from the Instagram Live we did a while back. Well get to know her even more with today’s Volunteer Spotlight! Julia found out about PAWS NY online and started volunteering a few months ago. She’s had many pets over the years, and currently lives with her cat Luna,…

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Volunteer Spotlight: Heather

Heather and Winston - In a restaurant’s outdoor seating, a woman in a blue baseball hat and gray tank top squats down next to a yellow lab in a red harness. Both are looking at the camera and smiling.

In today’s Volunteer Spotlight, meet Heather! She first heard about PAWS NY from a sign on a streetlight during the early days of the pandemic and has been volunteering for a little more than a year with a cat named China and her guardian.  “My grandfather had to give up his cat years ago when…

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Volunteer Spotlight: Kat

Kat with dogs: A blonde woman in a teal puffer jacket and black leggings, sits on a rock in Central Park next to two big fluffy dogs, with her arms around them.

In today’s Volunteer Spotlight, meet Kat, a lawyer who has been volunteering with PAWS NY for about two years. Originally from Michigan, she now lives on the Upper West Side of Manhattan and has spent a lot of time traveling around the United States and the world! “For those of us who have a passion…

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Volunteer Spotlight: Michelle

Michelle with Tappy & Angelina: A young woman in a dark red beanie and black jacket wears a backpack and holds the leash of two dogs: Angelina, a maltese mix, on the left and Tappy, a yellow lab, on the right. They stand on a sidewalk next to a painted mural.

Michelle heard about PAWS NY on Instagram and started volunteering about nine months ago. She says walking Tappy and Angelina is the highlight of her week, as is getting to know their guardian Zerline.  “My favorite part of volunteering is not only walking the cutest pups, but my chats with Zerline,” Michelle said. “Zerline is…

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Volunteer Spotlight: Mari

Mari - A woman with long reddish-blonde hair crouches down to pose with a white & gray dog, outside on a path in the woods.

Artist and writer Mari is a new volunteer to PAWS NY, joining the crew about four months ago. Originally from Seattle, she lives in Brooklyn, where she now walks a pup named Ani and has gotten to know her guardian Alexandra, as well. “Getting to know Alexandra has been such a huge bonus that I…

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Volunteer Spotlight: Jennifer

Jennifer & Clover - A yellow labrador licks the face of a woman with wavy brown hair. They're outside, with the sun at their backs.

Native New Yorker Jennifer has been volunteering with PAWS NY since October 2013. She was volunteering with another organization, Anjellicle Cats Rescue, when she heard about PAWS and decided to get involved. “I love the connection that I feel with Rosa and with Clover,” Jennifer said. “I often say that walking Clover is my favorite…

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Volunteer Spotlight: Jacqueline

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

April is National Volunteer Month, and to celebrate, we’ll be sharing some Volunteer Spotlights about the amazing New Yorkers who give their time and energy to PAWS NY. First up is Jacqueline, who first heard about PAWS NY when reading an article in The New York Times about the impact of the pandemic on elderly…

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Volunteer Spotlight: Tim

In our most recent Annual Report, PAWS NY highlighted volunteer Tim and his work with client Richard and his dog, Bella. Click here to see the full Annual Report for FY 2022 and keep scrolling to learn more about Tim! When Tim first started volunteering with Richard and Bella in July of 2019, Bella was…

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