Volunteer Spotlight: Jackie and Leah
While we all wish every animal at BARCS had a home for the holidays, this mother and daughter duo made sure that Christmastime was a little brighter for every cat and dog at the shelter.
A few days before Christmas, Jackie and Leah Mayfield arrived at BARCS with their car packed to the gills with blankets, toys and treats for Baltimore’s homeless pets.
This is the second year they have brought holiday joy to BARCS, but this year is even bigger and better because many of their friends and relatives pitched in. There were Nylabones, kitty treats, and 50 fleecy blankets for the dogs and cats to nuzzle.
Jackie, Leah’s mom, started volunteering at BARCS in February 2019. Though she lives in Baltimore County, her lifelong friend John Rallo is a board member and supporter of BARCS, so when she was looking for a volunteer activity, BARCS was at the top of the list.
While waiting to be trained to work with the dogs, Jackie pitched in by doing laundry. Once she was trained, she started walking dogs and working to stock the freezer with enrichment treats, like Kongs filled with peanut butter.
Hearing how much she loved volunteering, it wasn’t long before her daughter Leah became a volunteer, working around her schedule as a healthcare worker as well as attending nursing school.
The two would show up, pitching in to do whatever was needed. A favorite activity is taking bonded dogs on walks together. “Whoever designed the trails at BARCS should get a prize,” Jackie says. “ They are quiet and beautiful and the dogs love them.” She noted the contrast it was walking dogs at the old shelter, with the constant noise of traffic and trains. “ It’s so peaceful here,” she says.
Both have rave reviews for the new shelter.
The trails are amazing, but so are the play yards,” says Leah. They are both grateful for a separate play yard for sick dogs and love that there is even a large indoor space to work with dogs.
When the COVID pandemic hit, volunteering in the shelter was put on hold, but Jackie and Leah knew they wanted to continue to help, so they started doing transport— picking up animals and delivering them to and from vet offices or animal hospitals.
And while volunteering is once again allowed, it has become more difficult for Leah, because her work schedule changes from week to week.
“I never know what my hours are, so I reached out to Volunteer Coordinator Erica, and she worked with me.” Leah encourages anyone with work conflicts to reach out to Erica to find a schedule that works.
Leah still lives at home with her parents, but because of busy schedules they really don’t spend that much time together at home, so volunteering at BARCS gives Jackie and Leah time together as they participate in an activity they both love. Besides walking dogs, they are trained in enrichment, and Leah is trained as a matchmaker.
“I would recommend any parent and adult child who love animals to volunteer at BARCS,” says Jackie. “It is a special time for both of us, and it has truly brought us closer together.”
Leah and Jackie’s own dog died a couple of years ago, and Leah says her dad is just not ready to adopt, so she is so glad she gets her “dog fix” at the shelter.
“And when we are ready to adopt a dog, we will be so well prepared because we have learned so much from the staff at BARCS,” Jackie says. “They are so professional, knowledgeable and selfless,” she adds. “I am in awe of the job they do.
“COVID has changed all of our lives,” Jackie continues, “but I hope more and more former volunteers come back to BARCS. My volunteer time is me time. I get back even more than I give.”
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