ANNUAL REPORT 2021 DIGITAL - Flipbook - Page 11
Investing in our people
Shannon Smock
When Shannon Smock began her work as an SPCA of Texas volunteer, she dove right into a massive, coordinated effort to care for the pets of those who fled Houston as
Hurricane Harvey inundated the city with catastrophic rainfall in the summer of 2017.
“It was very cool...that the evacuees who were staying at
the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Dallas could
bring their pets, and also, we took in some pets from
Houston shelters so that their shelters had space for their
people’s pets for all the people whose homes were flooded,”
Smock recalls. “I showed up and said I’m here to help.”
Since then, the Oak Leaf resident and grandmother of
five has taken on a variety of tasks, from laundry duty to
representing the organization at community events. She’s
especially fond of her work in helping cats find loving homes
through meet-and-greets with prospective adopters.
“I love when an animal gets a home,” she says. “I love
working directly with the animals, and my favorite
volunteer activity is adoption counseling at mobile events,
in the shelters, and at our PetSmart cat adoption locations.
It’s an incredible joy to help our furry friends find their loving
new family and it’s also very touching and meaningful to
help people find their new best friend.”
Throughout her long career as an administrative assistant
in Downtown Dallas, Smock says she often thought about
volunteering for the SPCA of Texas before finally deciding
to lend a hand back in 2017.
Now retired and having taken on additional duties as an
SPCA of Texas Foster Hero, Smock says she’s always
impressed with the blend of professionalism and enthusiasm
that characterizes both the staff and volunteers of the
organization.
“It just feels good to work with people who really share the
same passion for animals and want to help them in whatever
capacity,” she says. “Everybody wants the same outcome for
these animals, and that is to heal them physically and
emotionally. Together, we are making a positive difference
in the lives of animals and people in our communities.”
