APS-FH Volunteers of the Year Jon and Kris Zerby

December 21, 2022 1:30 am
Contributed photo by the Animal Protection Society of Friday Harbor The Zerbys at the Pet Food Pantry with their rescue dog, June requirements and kindness and diplomacy. Contributed photo by the Animal Protection Society of Friday Harbor The Zerbys at the Pet Food Pantry with their rescue dog, June requirements and kindness and diplomacy.
Contributed photo by the Animal Protection Society of Friday Harbor The Zerbys at the Pet Food Pantry with their rescue dog, June requirements and kindness and diplomacy. Contributed photo by the Animal Protection Society of Friday Harbor The Zerbys at the Pet Food Pantry with their rescue dog, June requirements and kindness and diplomacy.

Submitted by the Animal Protection Society – Friday Harbor.

The Animal Protection Society – Friday Harbor is pleased to announce Jon and Kris Zerby as the APS-FH Volunteer(s) of the Year for 2022! Jon served as an APS-FH Board Member from 2016 to 2022, but this husband-wife duo has been volunteering for APS-FH for many years; before Jon served on the board; even before APS-FH had a formal volunteer program! Jon and Kris have volunteered at community gatherings and fundraising events, walked dogs and visited with cats, helped with repairs, and ran odd errands, and generally have jumped in to do whatever was needed over the years.

Their latest volunteer adventure is running our Pet Food Pantry (PFP) with their APS-FH alumni dog, June. The Pet Food Pantry provides free pet food and supplies to pet families in need. Program patrons must be low-income, and their pets spayed or neutered. The Zerby’s uphold these programs.

Jon and Kris pick up pantry food and supply donations from the shelter and take them to Treasure Hounds. Here they bag the cat and dog kibble, organize and stock the pantry shelves, work at the pantry handing out food and supplies, and provide extensive statistics to help us fundraise for the program. While doing this work, they are constantly seeking avenues and resources to better meet the needs of the people and pets they serve.

In 2020, the Zerby’s advocated for the PFP’s hours of operation to be lined up with those of the Food Bank, making it more accessible for patrons of both services. In 2021, they indicated a collaboration with Meals on Wheels to send Pet Food Pantry food and supplies home to Meals on Wheels patrons with pets. Recently, the availability of pet food has been inconsistent, and the prices have increased dramatically. Jon and Kris regularly go off-island on a nearly all-day hunt to numerous stores for pet food for the program. “It is the best job I never had. Every related hour is a pleasure,” says Kris about their PFP.

Thank you Jon, Kris, and June for being the friendly faces and the wagging tail behind the APS-FH Pet Food Pantry and for all of your service over the years!