Volunteer Spotlight

Jon Phillips - There's always something new to learn

Jon works as a Helpline volunteer assisting people who need help with their cats, whether it be low-cost spay/neuter, feral cat care, behavioral issues, or re-homing that's required. "I became acquainted with Our Companions through my day job at PETCO, part of which is working to promote pet adoption. I was so impressed with the focus, dedication, and professionalism of the Our Companions volunteers that I helped establish partnerships between the organization and four local Petco stores, then decided to join the team myself."

For more than five years, Jon has been an assistant manager for PETCO. Oddly enough, he had never been much of an animal person, despite growing up in the farming areas of northeastern Connecticut . "I liked my friends' cats and got one of my own as a teen, but I was afraid of dogs, and I never set foot on a farm." Later, he says, he met his animal-loving wife-to-be, and her German shepherd Angus warmed him up to dogs.

"When we adopted our first puppy Lizzie, a position opened up at PETCO, which I took. Something just clicked for me. I was hooked, and soon our family of one dog and one cat became three dogs and three cats. I also became much more aware of animal rescue issues and realized that I needed to help."

As Jon worked with Our Companions volunteers through his PETCO position, he was very impressed by their professionalism and innovation, and he reached a point where, although he enjoyed his day job, he knew that he wanted to contribute more. "The best part of my day job is when I help someone solve a pet problem. With my customer service background and irregular schedule, volunteering for the Our Companions Helpline was a perfect fit."

For just over a year now, Jon has manned the Helpline. He feels the joy of helping dogs and cats in need. "That's universal in animal rescue work, but there's so much more that I get out of working on the helpline. I love how much we help people, as well as pets. I hear so often from callers how I'm the only animal welfare worker to return their call or the only one to treat them respectfully and professionally and give them some hope that there is someone willing to help them. And I've learned so much about pet rescue and behavior. We've got such a great network of knowledgeable people to draw on, and there's always something new to learn. Then, of course, there are the other volunteers, who are an inspiring and fun bunch to be around. I can't imagine ever not working in pet rescue."

If you would like to find out more about our volunteer opportunities, please contact our Volunteer Coordinator at volunteer@ourcompanions.org, or telephone (860) 242-9999, ext. 1.

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