TXHH Nominates Christine for Hill’s Shelter Hero!
Many nonprofits are lobbying to say they have the best volunteers, but we at Texas Humane Heroes know that we have the best of the best! We have the most dedicated and passionate people spending many of their free hours helping our organization continue its mission to eliminate pet homelessness. While we know all of our volunteers are heroes, there is one special lady who has done some pretty darn amazing things for us and the animals.
Christine Volk has been with us for over 5 years and is a huge part of our organization. Her family pets have been adopted through Texas Humane Heroes, she participates in our annual 5k, and she visits us weekly to help walk and train the dogs- she’s like family! Though you will never hear her refer to herself as a dog trainer, we think otherwise. She speaks fluent dog and works wonders with them. She is open and honest about her evaluations of dogs and tells us exactly what they will need in their home environment. This helps ensure we have a perfect match of dog and humans, leading to true love…
We could go on and on about all the good things she does for us but the biggest help has been opening her home to two of our VIP (Very Important Pet) dogs. Both dogs had a very difficult time being noticed and had behavior issues that were going unaddressed. Christine knew that she could help these dogs and she sure did.
Cailey was a beautiful girl that was separated from her sister, whom she highly depended on for confidence. Cailey was very fearful of strangers, cars, and any situation she doesn’t feel comfortable in. We all knew Cailey had what it took to be an awesome canine companion, but living in a shelter environment just wasn’t giving her the opportunity to shine. Christine taught her that cars can be a good thing when you get treats in them, basic obedience to build confidence, and brought her into new situations offering positive reinforcement (Yum, more treats!). After three months of fostering, Christine was able to find the perfect home for Cailey. She explained everything that Cailey will need throughout her life and still keeps in touch with the family, providing training tips when they feel she’s had a slight set back or even offering her home as a place for Cailey to stay when they are out of town. With the help of Christine, Cailey is loved, safe, and happy.
Handsome boy, Kal, didn’t lack in confidence- perhaps he had too much confidence? He liked people but lacked that special connection other dogs have with them. He would love and kiss then be on his way, trying to hunt down them pesky squirrels. Christine offered structure and obedience, realizing that this boy needed lots of mental stimulation. He played with food puzzles and Christine even taught him some Intro to Agility. She also taught him leash training and many other manners that he lacked. He is well on his way to being the perfect gentleman! Christine was also able to make the connection with him that humans are super cool and he should totally hang out with us more because we give great belly rubs. After several months of teaching, Kal found his perfect home with a lady who also turns out to be a trainer-just what he needs! Kal is gonna be one smart boy!
If dogs could talk, we know all the dogs Christine has helped over the years would have nothing but good barks and woofs to say about her. Since they can’t, we do our best to show how much we truly appreciate her. Christine is 100% and 5 paws worthy of the title Hill’s Shelter Heroes, and we hope you agree!