Today we’d like to introduce you to Linda Halverson.
Hi Linda, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I have always been an animal lover and I wanted to get involved with a pet rescue. More than two decades ago, I found out about Abandoned Pet Rescue (APR) and started volunteering, which eventually led to working at the shelter. APR is celebrating its 30th anniversary, and I have been a part of APR for 22 years, learning nearly every role at the shelter. Currently, I am the Clinic Coordinator so I oversee the shelter’s onsite clinic and schedule the animals to be examined by the veterinarians. It has been nice to see many positive changes that have helped the organization grow. Over the years, my husband Hal and I have adopted 17 cats and dogs plus have fostered many more. My son, daughter, mother, sisters, nieces and nephew have also adopted pets from APR. My family has also volunteered together to prepare food for numerous APR adoption and fundraising events. APR has been a huge part of my life – the cats and dogs mean so much to me. I love the no-kill mission of the shelter and being able to help match the pets to the perfect homes.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The biggest challenge of working at Abandoned Pet Rescue is seeing how many dogs and cats are in need of help. We do our best to provide complete care for the animals that come in. When we are at capacity and cannot take an animal in, we at least try to provide resources and supplies to help that pet and family. Despite how difficult the job can be, when I see a dog or cat get adopted, it is the most rewarding feeling.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Abandoned Pet Rescue is one of the largest no-kill animal shelters in South Florida. There are 100 cats and 50 dogs at the shelter daily that receive nutritious meals, enrichment, medical care and love. APR rescues and finds homes for nearly 350 pets a year plus participates in more than 100 community events annually to promote pet adoption and advocate for responsible pet ownership.
APR strives to match pets and families so once you complete an adoption application, an adoption counselor will arrange a meet and greet with the pet(s) plus will ask and answer questions to ensure the pet is the right fit. Every cat and dog is vaccinated, spayed/neutered, microchipped and tested for common illnesses.
A unique program that APR offers is called the Medical Adoption Program for pets with special needs, seniors and those that have been overlooked for too long. The cats and dogs in this program are free to adopt and can continue to see the shelter veterinarian for the life of the pet.
I’m proud that APR is celebrating its 30th anniversary and has helped more than 10,000 animals since the organization began in 1996!
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
It seems more animals become homeless every day and most shelters and rescues are full. However, I do believe more people are learning the importance of saving a life by adopting a pet and by becoming a foster or volunteer. Social media has helped show that you can find pets of every breed, age, size in a shelter so there’s no reason not to adopt a pet.
Hopefully, in the future there will be more laws to protect animals and enforce spaying and neutering to help with the pet overpopulation.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://abandonedpetrescue.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/AbandonedPetRescue/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AbandonedPetRescue/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/abandonedpetrescue/
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@abandonedpetrescue
Image Credits
First portrait photo of Linda Halverson with a puppy – photo credit: Catlin Miller
