Our volunteers are an amazing group of caring individuals and we are so grateful to have them. They devote their free time to making a positive impact in the lives of shelter pets. Jag Patel is one of those individuals.
A registered nurse and employee of the case management department at St Barnabas Medical Center, Jag started volunteering at Mt. Pleasant Animal Shelter in early 2019 after losing her best friend to brain cancer. Jag has lived nearby her whole life and knows many people who have adopted from Mt Pleasant Animal Shelter.
Jag’s favorite thing about volunteering at Mt. Pleasant Animal Shelter is the dogs, but she has also met and befriended some amazing people through the shelter. Jag explains that when the shelter closed to volunteers due to the coronavirus, she missed seeing the dogs and the friends she made here, but mostly she missed the stress relief she felt after being with the animals. When asked about her most memorable moment at the shelter, Jag says:
“[My most memorable moment at Mt. Pleasant Animal Shelter] Every time I won over or learned how to handle one of the tougher dogs. With the help of other volunteers and the staff, I was able to walk and play with some dogs that I never thought I could handle. Whether they were too big and strong or had behavioral issues, I felt terrible for any of the dogs I didn’t take out. Once I got comfortable with those dogs, they quickly became my favorites and were always the first ones I would take out when I got to the shelter.”
Jag volunteers at the shelter regularly and averages about 100 hours a year. When she is not at the shelter, she is advocating for our shelter pets by sharing information, photos, and videos that she takes online. She enriches the lives of our animals which leads to better outcomes in adoption. Everyone at Mt. Pleasant animal shelter agrees that Jag is an important part of our community. Her presence at the shelter is uplifting to all those around her as she approaches everything with enthusiasm and kindness.
Jag explained that when the shelter closed to volunteers due to the coronavirus, she missed seeing the dogs and the friends she made there, but mostly missed the stress relief she felt after being with the animals.
We asked her to share a joke with us and here is what she said:
Q: What do you call a dog magician?
A: A: Labracadabrador 😂😂😂
Thank you, Jag for all you do to improve the lives of our shelter pets, our staff, and our entire community.
There are many ways to join the Mt. Pleasant Animal Shelter Community. Visit these links to learn how to adopt, donate, volunteer, and foster.