By Mary Sarah Fairweather
Meet Carol Beckloff, a volunteer with the MSPCA-Cape Cod who has given her time, skills, and service over the past 15 years. Carol, a loving owner of two Siamese cats, devotes more than 20 hours a week to the organization and is an unofficial member of the staff. We rely on her to perform a host of tasks, including the following:
- Transporting cats to and from medical appointments. Carol is our “cat cabbie” for our feline friends. Having Carol “Uber” our cats to medical appointments allows the staff to focus on other animals and also saves the organization critical funds.
- Acting as a customer service representative to adopters, calling them two weeks after an adoption to see how the animal is doing in its new home. Carol informs the staff about any concerns an adopter may have, and shares “happy tail” (and sometimes very funny) stories. She strengthens the MSPCA-Cape Cod’s relationships with clients and lets them know that we’re there for the lifetime of the pet.
- Attending networking events as an ambassador to the organization. Carol is the first to sign up for participating in Chamber of Commerce events all across the Cape and sharing our mission. She’s often the life of the party and keeps the crowd laughing with her wit and razor-sharp sense of humor!
- Raising funds for the MSPCA-Cape Cod. Carol co-chaired our annual wine tasting event and serves on our annual gala committee. We know that she’ll pound the pavement for cash, silent and live auction items. No one can say no to Carol, and she won’t take no for an answer! Over the years, Carol has raised tens of thousands of dollars for the organization, for which we are so grateful.
- Socializing with the scared and shy animals at the shelter. Carol spends hours of time each week giving comfort to shelter animals that are nervous, injured, and/or in need extra TLC. Because of her, our “residents” come out of their shells, feel better, and go home sooner!
- Writing to our generous donors. Carol helps to thank supporters for their contributions, composing over 50 handwritten thank-you notes per week. Her letters, personal and specific to each donor, show her genuine appreciation to each and every contributor. Carol’s love and compassion for animals shines through her beautiful correspondence.
We cannot think of a better way to honor Carol than to name a space in our new building for her. When we open the facility, come visit her room in the cat area!
Mary Sarah Fairweather is Director of the MSPCA’s Cape Cod Animal Care and Adoption Center. She can be reached at mfairweather@mspca.org or (508) 815-5236.
