Volunteer of the Month - April 2020

In times like these we need to remember to be grateful for all the things we have. At VOKRA, we’re extremely grateful for our hundreds of volunteers who dedicate their time each week to ensure all the cats in our care get everything they need. One of these special volunteers is Olivia Chorny, who leads the medical team at our Operations Centre.

This April, we’re very excited to be honouring Olivia as our Volunteer of the Month. Here she tells us in her own words why she volunteers with VOKRA:

How did you start volunteering with VOKRA?  

I heard about VOKRA when I worked at the North Shore Vet Clinic. I knew that anytime I saw the name VOKRA in the appointment book that a sweet kitten would be coming through the doors. After moving in with some fellow cat lovers we decided to start fostering and I got the opportunity to visit the VOKRA operations centre. I was totally in love. So many lovely kittens being given the best care by a group of kind people, it was exactly what I was looking for at the point in my life. I applied for cat care and was asked to consider joining the medical team. I felt like I was completely under-qualified and was so nervous during the interview and beyond excited when the lovely team lead, Melissa, offered me a position. 

Could you tell us a little bit about your time volunteering with VOKRA 

I’ve been involved with a couple of different animal rescues in my life, but nothing really compares to VOKRA. The amount of work that goes into each cat is staggering and none of the volunteers are willing to compromise on the quality of care the kitties receive. The many volunteers all trapping, feeding, cleaning, medicating, bathing, housing, advocating for and doing all the administrative work for hundreds of cats every day - its mind blowing! 

But what really stands out to me is the kindness I was shown by all the volunteers right from the beginning. From patiently demonstrating how to hold the cats, to answering my millions of questions and even offering me rides home, I always felt so welcome and included at VOKRA. In particular, I owe a huge debt of gratitude to the former team lead of the medical team Melissa Glier, who encouraged and supported me at every turn. 

How long and in what capacity have you been volunteering? 

I have been volunteering with VOKRA for about 4 years. I started as a foster and then joined the medical team where I took over as team lead about 1.5 years ago. In my free time I am also dedicated to research and development at VOKRA and spend most of my time researching novel treatment methods and ensuring our protocols are up to date. 

What are some of the things you do while volunteering?  

On the medical team, I lead an amazing group of medical volunteers dedicated to meeting the health needs of all the cats in our care. Our shifts are filled with ringworm baths, cleaning mites out of ears, inspecting bowel movements, administering dewormings, injections, bladder expressions and tricking cats into eating pills (which is a huge challenge as most of the cats are much more clever than I am). It doesn't sound very glamorous, but in my opinion it’s the best thing in the world - especially when you get to see a sickly little kitten transform into a handsome healthy lion and go off to their foster home. And when I go home in the evening, I get to do it all again, as I usually have a triage of sick foster kittens at home to tend to.

Aside from hands on care, I provide guidance and support to the medical volunteers; however, they really make my job easy. I feel truly lucky to be on a team of people who are always willing to go the extra mile, and I am always in awe of their hard work. 

What’s your favourite part of volunteering?  

My favourite part of volunteering is, of course, getting to be around the cats.

If I were to be a bit more specific, I’d say my favourite part is being in a position where I can advocate for a very vulnerable population of creatures. 

It can feel like an immense pressure at times, but getting to be a part of a cat's journey to a better life, and getting to make choices to help make it more comfortable, is an enormous privilege. To find that extra-large kennel in the back so a group of kittens can have some more room to play or to talk to the vet about getting a prescription for an anti-inflammatory to keep an arthritic kitty more comfortable or even just to sit with a nervous new arrival and try to communicate that everything will be okay - it’s all very rewarding. I am also lucky enough to lead a team of extremely conscientious, like-minded people and get to see all the amazing things they do to improve the lives of the kitties in our care on a daily basis.

Do you have a favourite kitty you’ve met or a favourite story from your time with VOKRA?

This seems like an impossible question as there have been so many!

The one that stands out to me the most would probably be my sweet former foster, Shoe. 

A lovely lady overheard a kitten crying on her way to her child's daycare. A group of good samaritans got together and attempted to locate the kitten, but the cries were coming from the bottom of a ravine and a fence and some thick blackberry bushes made it impossible to get to him. 

Eventually one of our wonderful trappers, Melanie, got involved and after a long rescue mission managed to find and retrieve sweet Shoe. From what I understand, she came just in time as a group of crows had been pecking at him.

Melanie handed him off to VOKRA and after meeting him at my medical shift I knew I had to take him home. He was quite sick when I got him as it seems he’d been eating mud and grass in the ravine and his tiny kitten belly couldn't handle it. I spent my first 48 sleepless hours injecting poor Shoe with fluids, calling Maria for support and cleaning up endless diarrhea and vomit, but he pulled through. 

He ended up being the chillest little kitten I have ever met and accompanied me to the children's hospice on several occasions, bringing a lot of joy to many sick kids. 

He continues to bring joy to people everyday and was adopted by my best friend who was going through a difficult time. Every time I see him it’s impossible not to think of the dozens people who had to come together to rescue this little guy and how much happiness that has brought into the world.

THANK YOU Olivia for everything you do for the kitties! Your dedication and attention to care has helped make the lives of countless cats and kittens better.

As a volunteer-driven non-profit, we clearly couldn’t do what we do without our extremely dedicated and hardworking team of volunteers. Thank you to each and every one of you!

VOKRA’s always in need of volunteers. If you’re interested in volunteering click here.