We thought it might be fun for our AARF friends and fans to get to know more about our board members and lead volunteers. We’ll be asking them the same questions to learn more about them and how they became involved. Today’s spotlight is on AARF Information Technology Coordinator, Tracy Bossle!
What was your first pet? I have had a dog pretty much my whole life. Prince, a mixed breed white dog, was the family pet when I was born. We had a great bond and wherever I went, Prince went. He took me on as his personal responsibility. He was a wonderful dog and I think having such a great companion animal in my early years helped cement my love of animals.
How did you get involved in rescue? Eight years ago my sister, Janet, mentioned that she was going to foster an animal for BARCS where my other sister, Debby was the programs director. I thought that sounded like a great thing to do, so I went down with her and filled out an application. A few days later Debby called me and told me she had a cat, Shade, there with a broken leg. Shade needed a quiet place to recover from her injury. I went and got her and the rest is history. Hundreds of cats (and a few dogs) later I still love giving an animal in need a safe place to stay until they find their forever home.
What drew you to AARF? AARF board member, the wonderful Cindy Wright, introduced me to AARF. We met volunteering at BARCS and are both known for our love of felines. I became aware of a beautiful cat named Tobias who was at BCAS. Tobias had a terribly broken jaw and needed immediate veterinary care. I called Cindy and asked if AARF could help him. Cindy had Tobias pulled into AARF and I fostered him until he was healthy and adopted into the AARF family by another volunteer, Wanda Mayhew.
What’s your favorite thing about AARF? The wonderful people that volunteer for AARF and of course the animals! AARF has compassionate volunteers who treat each other, and the animals in our charge, with care and respect. I also love that AARF helps so many animals that have been abused, neglected, or have medical issues.
Where do you want to see AARF go? I would love to see AARF continue to grow in the area of educating our youth about humane care of animals. I have met so many children at events that tell me how much they love animals. I would really like to see AARF have a youth program to nurture this love of animals.