Our first honorary Humane Hero of the Month award goes to volunteers Cheryl Ann Mitchell and Matthew Gray.
If you adopted an animal recently from Conway Area Humane Society, you might want to take a moment to thank Cheryl Ann and Matt for bringing this furry friend into your life. This unbelievable duo transports out-of-area animals to our shelter. The most amazing part is that they do all of this lifesaving work as unpaid volunteers.
CAHS rescues animals that have no other means for survival. Did you realize that 70% of our rescues come from outside of the Mount Washington Valley community? Such animals come from a variety of circumstances – they are strays, surrenders, abuse or neglect cases, victims or natural disasters, rescues from high-kill shelters, and more. Cheryl Ann and her brother Matt have unfailingly traveled to pick up all of these amazing animal friends. Although you may have never met this team, you can absolutely thank them for growing pet-loving families in our community.
Massachusetts. Texas. Maine. Pennsylvania. With an average of five trips a month, this Humane Hero duo voluntarily drive across the country to rescue cats and dogs in need. Such transports are structured with efficiency in mind. With an idea of how many animals they will be rescuing, and how many miles they must travel, Cheryl and Matt aim to arrive at their destination as quickly as possible. The drive back always takes a bit longer, with stops to walk, feed and clean the animals. CAHS vans can accommodate 30 stacked crates at capacity! Can you imagine caring for up to thirty stray animals over hundreds or thousands of miles? The work is intense to get so many loving animals in our shelter doors. Time and time again, Cheryl and Matt rise to the challenge of giving so many animals second chances at life.
If Cheryl Ann and Matt’s story resonates with you, consider being a Humane Hero yourself. There are plenty of ways to do so. Consider becoming a CAHS volunteer. Transports are just one way to help – explore the many opportunities to serve. Want to thank Cheryl and Matthew for a job well done? There is no better way to do so than to make a donation to support our transports. You can donate directly or consider other donation options here.
We also want to recognize Operation Pets Alive (OPA). OPA is a nonprofit organization run entirely by volunteers. They help schedule and orchestrate these rescue trips. Explore their website to learn more about this incredible partnering agency.
