What inspired you to get involved with HHF?

I responded to a Volunteer Match posting for the Board Treasurer position and met with Cynthia Bullock (HHF founder).  Hearing the story about her dog Harley resonated with me because we lost our dog, Max, when he was 10 yrs. old.  Even though he didn’t have cancer like Harley did, he was seeing several specialists for various health issues for a couple of years. We were able to afford Max’s treatments ourselves but hearing about Harley and HHF’s mission made me think about others who aren’t so fortunate and are forced to make heartbreaking decisions about their pets.

Is there a moment or story from your time on the Board that stays with you?

The pet food pantry distributions were always enjoyable, but I’ll never forget Samantha, an elderly golden retriever whose pet parent died in 2021.  HHF did a special fundraiser to raise money to transport Samantha from Colorado to a family member out East who was willing to take her in. 

How do you like to spend your free time?

I love to read, cook & bake, and take short weekend adventures with my husband, Paul.  We live near Destin, FL and enjoy hiking if it’s not unbearably hot.  When the weather heats up, we’ll head to Turkey Creek or the Yellow River for some relief on (or in) the water.

Any pets at home?

None at the moment.  Our little Max died in 2017 and our last pet was a ferret named Jahseh (2018 – 2025).  One of our daughters has three cats, so at some point, we’ll probably end up with one of them!