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Carmella
By Erin Olsen, Adoption Coordinator
October 2010
Seven months ago, I was feeling pretty bummed about life. I'd been moping around after being laid off my marketing job three months earlier, and I finally decided I should snap out of it and do something with my sudden increase in free time. So, I signed up to volunteer with No More Homeless Pets in Utah.
It started as a way to get my "dog fix," since I didn't have a pet of my own. I found myself helping out at weekend adoption events and at GCP, where dogs in our program await their foster homes. One shift turned into two and three per week, and every weekend I was making time to help at adoptions. Not even two months in, I was asked to join the Canine Casino Night event committee.
I started meeting all sorts of great people, all enthusiastic about giving every ounce of time, love, and commitment to the No More Homeless Pets in Utah animals. That enthusiasm is so contagious, and my time commitments and responsibilities with No More Homeless Pets grew. Spring Super Adoption, Strut Your Mutt, Canine Casino Night—you name it, I was there, ready to help anywhere I was needed.
And then I suddenly noticed Carmella. One of No More Homeless Pets in Utah's tougher dogs to handle, Carmella had been in the adoptions program for over a year and a half. Her gregarious personality had always intimidated me at adoption events, but I started to notice a sort of depression set in with her. So, I decided to steal her for a day from GCP and take her on a hike to cheer her up. She hasn't been back there since.
An hour after the hike, Carmella was curled up on my couch, and I was pondering ways to seek approval to keep her there indefinitely. And suddenly, I was a dog foster mom. Carmella goes everywhere with me I can possibly take her - the cool tiled laundromat is one of her favorite destinations. She also loves camping and has explored Goblin Valley State Park, Capitol Reef National Park, and Moab over the last two months.
After almost four months of touting my foster dog around, I realized she and I were very comfortable with our companionship, and I decided to make my home permanent for her. While serving as a Dog Tent Captain at the Fall Super Adoption, I adopted Carmella and relieved several long-time volunteers and NMHPU staff from the mutual wonder of "How much longer will Carmella have to wait for her forever home?"
She has found it. And I have found mine: This evolution of volunteer work, experiential learning in event leadership and fundraising capacities, foster care experience, and now proud adoptive dog motherhood has led me to find a new position of employment and my "forever home" as part of the No More Homeless Pets in Utah team. I am so grateful to have been chosen to serve as the new Adoptions Coordinator. I've already met so many wonderful staff members and volunteers, and look forward to getting to know many more as we all work toward our mission to end the euthanasia of cats and dogs in Utah. I'm ready to work hard and Save Them All!
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