Volunteer Spotlight: Berkis

A woman in a hat hugs a white dog in a harness

“My favorite part of volunteering is the joy you feel the minute you see your client’s pet.” Berkis has been a New Yorker and an animal lover her whole life. She currently lives in Washington Heights (shout out the Heights!) and she works as a caregiver. In her free time she loves helping out with…

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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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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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PAWS NY Partners with NYC Aging for Volunteer Connections

An older woman with long grey hair sits on a couch, petting her cat sitting next to her.

The two groups will collaborate to connect NYC Aging volunteers with PAWS NY clients and pets across New York City.  NEW YORK, NY – Pets Are Wonderful Support (PAWS) NY has partnered with the New York City Department for the Aging (NYC Aging) to connect with the agency’s ­­network of volunteers to provide support to PAWS…

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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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