I'm not sure it's possible to list everything she does for animals in need, but I hope to give you a glimpse. Leslie serves on the board of the Bedford Humane Society, something that is currently very time-intensive due to our desperate need for more volunteers. She is also involved in other area rescue groups outside of Bedford and very active in the Bedford County Animal Response Team (BCART). Through BCART, Leslie and her fellow volunteers have responded to several hoarding and other animal emergency situations over the past year alone. She is usually the first point of contact for law enforcement and spends her time coordinating other volunteers to assist alongside her. She does this in addition to holding down a job and maintaining her home.
Beyond all of that, Leslie serves as the Kitten Foster Coordinator for BHS and fosters MANY animals herself.
Leslie works tirelessly to care for the many animals in her care. After working all day, she returns home to feed and walk and clean her own furbabies, as well as her many fosters. When that work is done, usually not before 10pm, she gets to work returning what foster-related phone calls she can at that late hour and then reading and responding the numerous BHS-related emails she has received during the day. I've received my fair share of 2am email replies from her!
Perhaps most important is her work saving litter upon litter of kittens. Cats and kittens are often overlooked by people seeking a companion animal. Despite their loving and playful personalities, few people step up to foster or adopt these sweet babies. Leslie fights every day to change that. She is the voice of these forgotten ones, the ones that are treated so carelessly by so many.
Some of you may have noticed that the 2010 kitten season never seemed to end here in Bedford County and surrounding areas. That, combined with the already high numbers of unwanted cats showing up at the pound or handed over to us, has resulted in an overload of cats in our custody. These overwhelming numbers prevent us from saving any more from the pound until we can free up some space.
To that end, early in 2010, Leslie began our kitten transport program, working with a rescue group that will transport kittens out of state for adoption in an area where they don't experience the same overpopulation problems we do here. Keep in mind that she must coordinate getting the kittens tested for Feline Leukemia and FIV and vaccinated before they are able to go on the transport. She must also closely track their weights, as the rescue will only take kittens within very strict weight guidelines which change frequently, and she must maintain very detailed records for the rescue and state reporting. Then, once a week or so, she must travel in the early hours of the morning, to meet the transport an hour away. Often, she must also travel back that same evening to collect any kittens that weren't accepted by the rescue and bring them home to continue fostering. In the past year, she has fostered, transported, and cared for almost 200 cats and kittens.
Impressive? Let me add that Leslie does all of this every day without complaint while also ensuring that those around her feel appreciated and supported. Her concern goes beyond animal welfare. I am amazed when she can sense the stress in my emails and takes time in the middle of the night to send me a kind word in response to make sure I'm ok.
Folks, this is what an angel looks like and we are so lucky to have her as part of our community.
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| Leslie and one of her many foster babies, CiCi |
Interested in fostering? Email sunshine@bhsva.org to have an application emailed to you.
Well deserved Leslie!
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