Several years ago Lyn Garson heard about an organization planning to build an animal sanctuary on a large parcel of land in Ashford. As a Certified Veterinary Technician who has worked in small animal private practice for 25 years, she was naturally intrigued. Then, "One day last summer I was having lunch with a friend who told me about Our Companions and the great work they do for animals. I decided to check it out. When I attended a volunteer orientation meeting and discovered Susan Linker was leading the organization, I knew I had to be involved. Her energy and passion for helping animals is so inspiring."

Shortly thereafter, Lyn put her own passion for animal rescue to work for Our Companions, becoming what Susan Linker calls, "a real jack-of-all-trades volunteer," because she helps in so many different ways. Says Lyn, "I volunteer on the Our Companions News editorial board and have used my experience in photography and writing to contribute articles to the magazine.  My interest and skills in graphic design and project management were also helpful in assisting with the recent Our Companions Animal Care and Welfare Symposium."

Although Lyn is no longer affiliated with one particular veterinary hospital, she still works as a technician on a per diem basis. She is also an officer and founding member of the Veterinary Medical Assistance Team, VMAT-1, which recently became a federal entity known as the National Veterinary Response Team, NVRT-1. "I manage the team of 50 volunteer veterinarians and technicians and serve as the liaison between team members (mostly from New England area but some across the country) and federal headquarters management in Washington, DC . Ours was the first of only five such teams established on a national level to provide veterinary care to animals affected by disasters. Our team's most notable deployments include caring for the search and rescue dogs at ground zero in the aftermath of the World Trade Center attacks, and responding to Hurricane Katrina."

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