Volunteer of the Month - February 2022

This February we’re celebrating Kathryn Melnyk, the lead of our medical team. Kathryn volunteers her time at our Operations Centre supervising the in-house medical care of the kitties in residence, developing safe and effective protocols and also supporting foster parents dealing with sick foster cats.

Here Kathryn tells us in her own words why she volunteers with VOKRA: 

How did you start volunteering with VOKRA?

I learned about VOKRA while completing my Veterinary Office Assistant diploma at Granville College. One of my teachers was DVM Jessica Hoopes and she talked about her experiences with VOKRA and from there I wanted to get involved. After graduating and starting work in a veterinary hospital, I felt I needed more hands-on experience so I applied to VOKRA to volunteer on the medical team.

In what capacity are you volunteering and what do you do in this role?

I've been volunteering with VOKRA in 2016. I started as a medical volunteer and this past year I became the medical team lead. I definitely could not have assumed the position of medical team lead without the guidance of the wonderful medical team lead before me, Olivia Chorny. I owe a lot to her. She's been a huge support and has taught me so much, so I'm very grateful to Olivia.

As the medical team lead I get to work with a variety of volunteers and get to have lots of hands-on experience with the cats at our Operations Centre administering medications, comforting them when they come in and helping develop safe and effective protocols for the cats in our care. I also get to work closely with VOKRA co-founder Karen Duncan. Together we support fosters dealing with medical issues. It means a lot to me to be able to support other foster parents that are dealing with their sick fosters.

What’s your favourite part of volunteering?

Oh man it's really hard to pick just one thing. I really enjoy being able to assist with intaking cats and kittens and being able to work closely with the rest of the team at the Operation Center. They’re such a lovely group of people and I learn so much from them every day.

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

It's so hard to pick just one. There’re so many kitties I've met that I hold really close to my heart and some that are no longer here and some that are thriving in their forever homes. One of the most rewarding memories I have is watching my sick 4-week-old bottle baby kittens, Bimby and Gladys, grow up, get stronger and get adopted to a wonderful home. Once Bimby and Gladys first came to me they were really sick with a virus known as parvovirus, they needed round-the-clock care so we were up together every four hours. They literally lived in a little basket with a heating pad on my bed right beside me and it was a really scary time for the first few weeks not knowing if they were going to make it, but everyday they got a little bit better and fought so very hard to live. It was such a beautiful experience to watch them come out of it.

Part of what I get to do at VOKRA is ensure we have safe protocols in place so when kittens get sick with a certain illness we have a plan and we know what to do to mitigate the risk to other cats and kittens. Being a part of these kittens getting better was a really rewarding experience.

Here’s what Olivia Chorny, former medical team lead, has to say about Kathryn”

"Kathryn’s an extremely dedicated volunteer who’s passion for animal welfare is unparalleled. She puts in long hours treating the sick kitties at Ops, managing the medical team, supporting the kitties in foster and taking courses on animal welfare in her personal time to ensure she’s providing the highest quality care. I’m always so impressed with her research skills and she’s always updating our protocols to ensure we benefit from the latest clinical trials. Kathryn’s passion is admirable and we are certainly lucky to have her!"

Karen Duncan, VOKRA co-founder adds, “We couldn’t do without her”.

THANK YOU Kathryn for the countless hours you put into ensuring the kitties in our care get the best treatment available. Your dedication and heart is truly amazing!

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.