When Lindsay Boyd found out her sister is allergic to cats, she was devastated.
“I really love cats,” she says. “So when my sister found out she’s allergic we had to give our cat Sally up. It was really sad, I miss her a lot.”
Since Boyd couldn’t have a cat of her own, she decided to volunteer her time to help animals that need love.
“I go every Saturday to the shelter,” she says. “I cuddle with the cats, I play with the dogs. I spend time with the animals so they have some love.”
Boyd volunteers at the Winnipeg Humane Society. She’s been spending a lot of time there for the past few years and says she can’t get enough.
“If I had the time I would be here (Winnipeg Humane Society) every day,” she says. “I love spending time here. I think I actually get more out of it than the animals!”
Boyd said her idea to volunteer at the Winnipeg Humane Society came from her not being able to have cats in her home but she was inspired to volunteer by one of her high school teachers.
“She organized for a lot of students to do volunteer work,” says Boyd. “One time there was an opportunity to work with animals and I have been doing it ever since.”
Boyd says she loves volunteering her time but there was an added bonus for her when she first started doing it.
“I got a credit for school so it counted as a class,” she says. “If you do so many hours of volunteering then you can apply to get a half or full credit depending on how much you do.”
Boyd got credit for volunteering when she was in high school but now that she’s done she says she doesn’t think she will stop.
“I was motivated by the credit before,” she says. “But now I’m motivated by the animals and seeing how happy they are when I come to spend time with them.”
Boyd’s mom Barbara says volunteering has been one of the best things for her daughter.
“She’s so much happier now,” she says. “When we had to give up the cat she was so sad but now she has something to look forward to and I’m proud of her for using her time to help a good cause.”
Boyd is a great example of someone who volunteers in her community because she has a caring heart and wants to help. Do you know someone in your community who volunteers their time for a worthy cause? Ask if you can talk to them and tell their story on the Winnipeg Foundation’s Community News Commons website.
