Last month, our very own Kaylee Williams decided it was time – she wanted to adopt a kitten. So we took a VolunteerLocal field trip to the Des Moines Animal Rescue League (one of our clients in the Des Moines Metro!). We were so impressed by the enthusiastic and helpful volunteers – and it was amazing to see the staggering number of animals they had rescued and were actively working to place into loving homes.

The Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League in West Palm Beach, Florida, is another example of an efficient, caring and safe environment for animals of all kinds to find refuge. Established in 1925, the Peggy Adams Rescue League services more than 30,000 animals each year, providing shelter, medical attention and protection for lost, homeless, or unwanted animals. The League also advocates for animal welfare through community events and educational forums.

“Humane education is very important in any community. Healthy animals mean healthy families, and healthier communities,” explains Tara Pregnolato, Manager of Volunteer Programming at the Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League. “The League provides care, education, tools and resources to help our community’s animals.”

This nonprofit hosts a number of fundraising and social events to bring the community together for the love of animals – such as the Christmas Ball, Off the Leash, Walk for the Animals, Blessing of the Animals, Spay Days, and Countdown2Zero. “I enjoy the Blessing of the Animals,” says Pregnolato. “It’s not a major fundraiser, but a feel-good event. We invite the community to visit our campus with their animals for a morning of song and inspiration. It’s a warm event.”

Before using VolunteerLocal, the Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League relied heavily on email blasts and spreadsheets to schedule their volunteers. This led to missed messages and technical errors. “The work I do on the backend to create roles and shifts takes some effort, but not having to field dozens of calls and emails and changes has freed me up to focus on event instructions and details,” says Pregnolato.

“We upgraded our account to a Discover Plan so we’d have the communication tool available. It’s been a very effective tool for us.”

To adopt your own “forever friend,” volunteer for one of the League’s events, donate, and more, check out their website here. And, for those of you undoubtedly wondering, Kaylee did get a new cat. Her name is Basil and we are all a little bit obsessed.

Photos courtesy of www.peggyadams.org