After Tony Weadock lost Elvis, his dog of 14 years, he wasn’t ready for another pet—but he missed walking a dog. 

He wanted to volunteer at local shelters, but it was COVID and they weren’t allowing anyone inside. Eventually, as restrictions eased, he began volunteering at Roice-Hurst Humane Society.

Volunteer Steve Woltjer spends time with Isaac, a well-mannered cattle dog-mix available for adoption through Grand Rivers Humane Society.

Around the same time, a neighbor—a student fostering puppies with Grand Rivers Humane Society (GRHS)—put out a call for help with the puppies while she was in school.

Weadock and his wife stepped in to help and ended up adopting one of the puppies. 

“Once you see puppies, all your defenses crumble,” he said. 

Walking dogs is also how Steve and Deb Woltjer began volunteering with GRHS seven years ago. After retiring, these empty-nest dog lovers wanted to stay active while helping homeless pets. Now, the couple assists with adoption events, writes thank-you cards and coordinates meet-and-greets with dogs and potential adopters.

Unlike traditional shelters, GRHS operates without a physical shelter. Instead, volunteers work closely with Mesa County Animal Services (MCAS) to prevent overcrowding by placing as many adoptable cats and dogs as possible into foster homes until they find permanent families. 

WALKING THE PATH TO ADOPTION

Denise Lashmett, a longtime foster and GRHS volunteer, is currently fostering Ruby, a shy 3-year-old bloodhound/shepherd mix who is still learning to be around people but enjoys the company of other dogs. 

Denise Lashmett is currently caring for Ruby, a shy 3-year-old bloodhound/shepherd mix who is still learning to be around people but enjoys the company of other dogs.

“They call me the bloodhound lady because I have another rescue that’s a bloodhound,” said Lashmett. 

At an adoption event outside Chow Down in the Redlands, Lashmett took Ruby for a walk along the Audubon Trail, helping build her confidence while practicing commands and allowing her to greet familiar dogs. Lashmett also spends three days a week with MCAS dogs, alongside other experienced volunteers like Jim Scheidt.

Scheidt, 73, started working with homeless pets at Roice-Hurst and quickly advanced to handling more fearful and aggressive dogs and cats. Now, he spends two days a week at MCAS, training and socializing dogs, learning about their behaviors and taking photos of them for GRHS’ website and social media pages. He also dedicates one day a week to Happy Little Rescue.

Scheidt has worked with hundreds of dogs throughout his volunteer career, including some challenging cases. One of the toughest was Paisley.

“When her fosters went out of town, I was only supposed to have her for nine days but it ended up being six weeks,” he said. 

With patience and training, Scheidt helped Paisley overcome her challenges and find a loving home.

TRAINING THROUGH EXPERIENCE

Training and socialization are key to preparing shelter dogs for adoption, and Scheidt strongly advocates for exposing them to as many people and situations as possible. At the adoption event, he worked on socializing Marvel, a young rottweiler mix.

“I couldn’t even touch her for almost two weeks,” he said. “She’s comfortable with me now, but she doesn’t like to load up into a vehicle.”

Jim Scheidt with Marvel on the Audubon Trail.

Scheidt gained Marvel’s trust and now she lets him lift her into the car for outings.

“She acts like a real dog here,” he said. “It helps me assess how she behaves outside the shelter. On the Audubon Trail, there are joggers, bicycles other dogs—I can see how she’s adjusting and what her real potential is.”

Danica Anderson, 61, has also dedicated years to working with GRHS dogs. She joined 14 years ago when GRHS had just two volunteers.

At the adoption event, Anderson worked with Opie, a 1-year-old pitbull mix, carefully observing his body language. She gave him commands, reinforcing positive behaviors with praise and treats.

“My motto is: Watch your dog and he’ll tell you everything you need to know,” Anderson said.

For shelter dogs like Opie, these outings provide more than just fresh air.

“They get a chance to sniff freely here, which they can’t do in a shelter because of all the chemicals and other dog smells,” Anderson explained. “Smelling is critical to their mental health.”

Grand Rivers volunteer Nan McNees showers Honey with love. This devoted mama would make a wonderful companion for families with kids or seniors.

A PAWS-ITIVE IMPACT ON SENIORS

Pets are good for seniors’ health, too. According to the National Poll on Healthy Aging, sponsored by AARP, more than three-quarters of adult pet owners say their animals help reduce stress, while nearly as many say their pets provide a sense of purpose. 

Many pet owners report that their pet companions help them connect with others and nearly two-thirds of pet owners say their animals help them stay active. That number rises to 78 percent among dog owners.

“Dogs are real icebreakers,” said Scheidt. “It’s easy to start a conversation with ‘Cute dog! What’s their name?’” 

He added that pets also help people stay focused on the present, rather than worrying about tomorrow.

Volunteers who help shelter animals find homes experience the same rewards as pet owners. 

According to Weadock and GRHS’ lead volunteer, Nan McNees, 72, seniors make up the majority of their volunteers.

“I don’t think we could operate without any of our volunteers, especially seniors,” said Weadock. “They’re passionate, dedicated and always show up when they say they’ll be there. 

FINDING THE PERFECT MATCH

As the number of homeless pets rise nationwide, local volunteers are stepping up to find them forever homes. 

“For whatever reason, we keep seeing an increasing number of homeless pets. The scope of our work keeps picking up so we have to gear up,” said Weadock. 

Danica Anderson treats a newly adopted dog while his adopters complete the paperwork.

Thanks to these efforts, GRHS recently celebrated the adoption of its 10,000th pet. 

Volunteers with GRHS go the extra mile to find the right match between pets and adopters. The organization is highly selective about placements in foster homes and adoptive homes because they want the relationship to be successful. However, if an adoption doesn’t work out, GRHS will take the pet back.

“We’re kind of like a curated local adoption agency,” said Weadock. 

For those who aren’t in a position to adopt or walk dogs, fostering is another way to help. Fostering helps dogs adjust to a home environment, making adoptions easier. Plus, rescues like GRHS will provide a crate, food and cover any medical expenses that may arise. 

Marci Schiff is fostering her sixth GRHS dog—a handsome border collie mix named Reno. 

“If you were to want this dog, I can tell you about him,”  said Schiff, 54. “I would really love to keep this one, but if we were to do that, I wouldn’t be able to foster another dog.”

The most rewarding part for the volunteers at GRHS is knowing these animals find loving, forever homes. 

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Adopt, Foster & Volunteer:

Grand Rivers Humane Society (Mesa County)
GrandRiversHumane.com 
Cats: 970-257-0070
Dogs: 970-644-0575 

Roice-Hurst Humane Society (Mesa County & Delta)
RHHumaneSociety.org
970-434-7337

Happy Little Rescue (Mesa County)
HappyLittleRescue.com
970-424-8224

Mesa County Animal Services (Mesa County)
www.mesacounty.us/departments-and-services/animal-services
970-245-5315

CLAWS Cat Rescue (Mesa County)
ClawsGJ.org
970-241-3793

Delta County Humane Society (Delta County)
https://www.deltacountyhumanesociety.org/contact-us
970-241-3793

Montrose Animal Services (Montrose County)
970-240-1487

Second Chance Humane Society (Ridgway)
SecondChanceHumane.org
970-626-2273

Surface Creek Animal Shelter (Cedaredge)
SurfaceCreekAnimalShelter.org
970-856-2346

These Animal Welfare Organizations Also Welcome Volunteers:

Grand Valley Pets Alive (Trap-Neuter-Return)
GrandValleyPetsAlive.org 
970-462-7554