Name:
Tracy Tingey and family.
Time spent with Zoe’s:
About 2 years.
Specialty (e.g., medical, behavioural, puppies):
Medical dogs/cats and cat/kitten intake.
Why did you get involved with Zoe’s?
I wanted to start fostering kittens as well as dogs, and the rescue I was with didn’t have any. Jo-Anne Siebert recommended Zoe’s to me.
What kind of background do you have in working with animals?
I’ve always had cats of my own, but never had a dog until I started fostering. I’m an RN so that helps with the medical side of things.
Tell us a bit about your most challenging foster experience. Feel free to name names…of foster critters, that is!
Mickey was by far our most challenging experience – when he came to us he had issues with bowel and bladder incontinence, and mobility issues. It took a while to arrange our lives around that, but with time, help from Zoe’s and lots of love and care, he’s a pup we couldn’t imagine being without.
And what has been your most rewarding experience?
Being able to trap and rehome kittens and their mothers – seeing cats that would have ended up living on the streets and having short lives being cold sick and at risk of being coyote meals, to seeing them settle into forever homes and complete a family is extremely rewarding.
What have you learned from your work with rescue animals?
How to be patient, assertive, how to say no and make tough decisions and own your decisions. how to be a part of a larger entity than just yourself, and have pride in being a rescue ranger. How to teach my kids to have compassion and see the value in volunteering and being selfless.
What advice would you give to someone who’s thinking about fostering?
Do it! It’s hard, there’s no doubt about that…you get an animal and teach them to be good members of society, then you let them go…that’s tough, but I always remember that the better job I make of this, the more animals that can be saved from death or a sad and lonely life. Being part of a “family” of rescuers is an incredible thing. It’s the best decision I ever made for my family and we can’t imagine life void of these animals.
Thank you very much for taking the time out to share your experience Tracy and and on behalf of Zoe’s, deepest thanks for volunteering. We salute you and your family!
