Lindsey Purcell
April 22nd-26th is National Volunteer Appreciation Week and we would like to say a special thank you to the 150 active volunteers that help provide love and care for our animals. Words cannot express how much we appreciate your dedication to helping the homeless animals in our community. Peninsula SPCA Volunteers truly have the biggest hearts. Thank you for all that you do!
Congratulations to Tom Hartman, Adoption Counselor for being the Employee of the Month! Tom has been with the Peninsula SPCA for 6 years and demonstrates outstanding performance for our animals! Tom maintains excellent customer service for our potential adopters. In addition to finding our animals loving homes, he manages pet pictures, videos, and descriptions of our adoptable animals online on a daily basis. Tom’s fun character and positive outlook is contagious with visitors, volunteers and staff. The Peninsula SPCA is very fortunate to have Tom as part of the SPCA adoptions team and for his dedication to serve our homeless animals. As seen in the picture with Tom, the wall background features all the cats and dogs that were adopted during the month of March, thanks to Tom and the Adoption Team!
Congratulations to Danielle Sheene, Peninsula SPCA employee of the month for March 2013. Thank you for helping the dogs that come into our care feel special and loved.
Employee of the Month
March 2013
Kathryn Panko
Volunteer of the Month
Congratulations to Kathryn Panko, the February volunteer of the month. Kathy has been volunteering with us for over a year now and she is a true pleasure to have on our team.
Kathy is an avid dog lover and has spent endless hours walking, snuggling and helping get animals adopted. Our staff can count on Kathy’s help and superior matchmaking skills when a potential adopter is searching for a new pet. “I look forward to going to the PSPCA every week because I love working with all the dogs. I am always excited for the dogs when I discover they have found a happy new home with a great family.”
Thank you Kathy, for being a driving force with our adoption efforts and for always being someone we can count on.
We celebrate Gloria Daugherty’s 28th year anniversary with the Peninsula SPCA. For 28 years, Gloria has served as a Kennel Assistant, devoting her life to the care of abandoned and homeless in her community. Her commitment for animal welfare has always been a significant part of her life. Gloria shared that “the animals admitted to the Peninsula SPCA, stray or owner surrender, are so grateful for a gentle pet and a calming voice while they are here, and I can show them the affection they need and deserve.”
Gloria Daugherty celebrates 28 years with the Peninsula SPCA
As a firm believer that rescued animals make the best additions to families, she shared that, “animals
that are given a second chance are so forgiving and have so much unconditional love to share with their care givers.” Gloria found her best friend Penny, a copper 12-year-old Dachshund, 10 years ago at the Peninsula SPCA and instantly fell in love. “It was love at first sight and I knew she had to be mine.” During her 28 years of service, she has seen progressive and positive changes at the Peninsula SPCA.
“The best part of my job is seeing the pets I helped care for get adopted. The adoption numbers just keep going up.” She started as a volunteer at 21 years of age and has been a valued employee since her start date. Gloria does not have plans of slowing down. She looks forward to her future making a positive difference in the lives of the animals at the Peninsula SPCA. “I just love my furry friends.”
Staff and volunteers participated in an evening of enchantment in the Hampton Holly Days Parade Saturday, December 8. Generous contributor James Tait, donated his time and DeLorean to promote a “better future for pets” using his “Back to the Future” DeLorean. Peninsula SPCA volunteers and staff decorated the DeLorean headlights to tail lights in tinsel, bows and presents. Thank you to all our staff and volunteers for your hard work and dedication while preparing and for marching in the parade. For those who missed the parade, tune into WVEC-13, Saturday, December 22 at 1:30 p.m. for a rerun. Check out Facebook for more pictures from the parade.
Ellen Thacker, Executive Director
with Michigan
The Peninsula SPCA welcomes new Executive Director, Ellen Clark Thacker. Ellen joined the Peninsula SPCA team in November and is very excited to direct the SPCA in a continued progressive direction in becoming an adoption-guarantee organization.
“My first priority is to save animal lives by finding additional options and resources for the homeless pets of our community,” said Thacker. “By establishing ourselves as an adoption-guarantee organization, we will find new ways to partner with our local municipal animal control groups and expand options for rescuing adoptable animals on the Peninsula.”
With a successful work history consisting primarily of private sector business experience, Ellen decided it was time for a change. She followed her passion for animal welfare and became the Executive Director for the Gloucester-Mathews Humane Society in 2008. There she helped to increase adoption rates, attain no-kill status for the shelter’s canine population, and implemented a 100% pre-adoption spay/neuter policy for all animals adopted from the Gloucester-Mathews-Middlesex Animal Shelter.
“I wanted to join the Peninsula SPCA to be a part of their transition to adoption-guarantee,” said Thacker. “This is a tremendously important step for our shelter and its animals, and will need the full support our community. We are thrilled with the opportunities that this transition will bring.”
Pictured with Ellen is Ginger. She is a year old and available for adoption. Ginger is a very sweet and a playful young pit bill mix. Being a young canine, she would thrive as a part of an active family and would love to be someone’s personal trainer. She is nervous around other dogs and cats, so she would flourish as the only pet in the house. But don’t worry she has more than enough love to give every family member. She even gives hugs! Like all animals adopted from the Peninsula SPCA, Ginger has been spayed, microchipped and vaccinated. Come take Ginger home in time for the holidays because all she wants for Christmas is you!
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