Story #23: Healing Through Service and Love
As told by Sara Fox, Volunteer Veterinarian and Adopter
When I volunteered with Anderson Humane as a veterinarian, my work focused on shelter and TNR cats. I performed exams and surgeries, mostly spays and neuters, alongside Dr. Sharon Colgan, who is both an incredible veterinarian and a genuinely wonderful person. Every procedure felt meaningful. I knew that each surgery helped reduce the number of homeless cats being born, improved the lives of the cats already here, and strengthened the health of the community as a whole.
At the same time, Anderson Humane was quietly shaping my own life in ways I could not have predicted.
My parents adopted two kittens, Harley and Davidson, from Anderson when they were just a few months old. They were littermates and inseparable. When my parents traveled, I cared for them, and through them, I found my first cat. Slinky Tailchaser was a friendly young outdoor cat whose curiosity kept drawing him closer to Harley and Davey. Before I knew it, Slinky had chosen me.
One of my favorite memories came when I purchased a photo shoot of Harley and Davey so they could be featured as the January stars in Anderson Humane’s 2022 calendar. It was a birthday gift for my mother, whose birthday is in January. The photo shoot itself was unforgettable. The photographer had donated their services and was expecting dogs, so there was real concern that if Harley and Davey escaped the studio, retrieving them would be a challenge. Thankfully, they behaved beautifully, and the day went smoothly.
That calendar later became something much more than a keepsake.
I lost Slinky early in 2021. A few months after the calendar photo shoot, my parents lost both Harley and Davey within just two weeks of each other. The grief was profound. Yet in the following year, all three of them were there together, immortalized in the Anderson Humane calendar. It was bittersweet, but also deeply comforting.
As Anderson Animal Shelter evolved into Anderson Humane, I have seen firsthand how much the organization has grown and how many lives it continues to improve, both animal and human. Anderson touched my life as a volunteer veterinarian, as a pet parent, and as a daughter. Sharing the many ways this organization shaped my family feels important because these stories show what is possible when compassion, skill, and dedication come together.
Anderson Humane does not just help cats. They help build connections that continue to matter long after goodbye.
Ready to start your own rescue story?
Meet adoptable animals at Anderson Humane by visiting ahconnects.org/adopt, or help make the next 60 stories possible by donating in honor of our 60th Anniversary.
Interested in becoming a Volunteer?
Visit ahconnects.org/volunteer/ for more information on how you can get involved.
