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Lyn Garson :
A Jack-of-All-Trades Volunteer

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."

Lyn's particular interest is assisting physically challenged animals, a commitment she lives in her personal life, as well. She and her partner share their lives with four differently-abled cats and two dogs, one of whom became differently-abled at six months of age after being physically abused by his former owner.

"I adopted my first three-legged cat, Jesse, shortly after beginning my career in veterinary medicine. Over the years I continued to adopt differently-abled pets. I seem to be drawn to these extraordinary animals and have been ever since childhood. Of course, being in the veterinary field exposed me to many 'disabled' animals that needed a home and came along and found me. Eventually I sort of became known as the 'disabled cat technician' and have counseled many pet owners with the challenges presented by their differently-abled pets. As a result, I am currently in the process of developing a website and writing a book specifically for pet owners and potential adopters of disabled animals. I find it amazing what disabled animals teach us about life. The different ways they accommodate for their differences is fascinating. I want to share with pet owners how happy and normal these pets can be and provide the tools for them to live life to the fullest."

Lyn finds that her professional and personal choices regarding animal rescue work are completely synergistic. "My experience working with animals in the veterinary profession helps the adoptees I come in contact with at Our Companions. It is exciting to bring that experience to the field of animal welfare. Similarly, it was equally exciting to write an article for the Our Companions News and later be thanked by pet owners for providing information that helped in making medical decisions for their pets."

Lyn believes that working with Our Companions offers her another outlet for her life-long dedication to helping animals. "I continue to be impressed by the positive energy, commitment and expertise of every staff member and volunteer I work with at Our Companions. They are a fantastic, fun group of people naturally driven to advancing animal welfare in Connecticut."

Even when she retires from her demanding profession, she plans to continue her work with us. As she says, "Animals are my life's work. They are, and always have been, such an integral part of my life. This is what I was meant to do and I can't imagine ever doing anything else."

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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