Submitted by The Animal Protection Society. Friday Harbor

The Animal Protection Society – Friday Harbor is pleased to announce Sonia Margolis as Volunteer of the Month for January 2024.

Sonia first began volunteering her time with us as a shelter dog walker in February 2023. She has dedicated her time once a week, rain or shine, to take shelter dogs on walks – giving them much-needed time away from their kennels and providing that extra encouragement and support while they wait for their new homes. Sonia quickly became more and more involved with the shelter dogs, first taking them off-site on field trips to get some time away from the shelter, which eventually led to taking them home overnight to foster.

Since then, Sonia has become one of our regular “go-to” dog foster parents (and also Board Member)! Currently having no pets of her own, she has been able to bring a wide variety of dogs into her home: from underage puppies needing socialization and time with their littermates before adoption to seniors needing a respite from the shelter environment, Sonia has done it all.

Fostering is a great opportunity for the dogs (or cats) to get a break away from the shelter, decompress in a home environment, and get some one-on-one love and attention. This is where we really get to see the animals shine by providing a comfortable space for them to show the true nature of their personalities. This can better establish the needs of each individual pet to help facilitate placement of their future home. Plus, it allows space at the shelter to save even more animals! It takes a special kind of person to be willing to take in a rescue pet into their home, as it can be challenging, heartbreaking, and exhausting, however, the reward and impact it has on that individual pet is priceless and Sonia has proven that time and time again. Thank you so much Sonia for dedicating not only your time, but also your home to shelter pets. You are awesome and we appreciate you!